Vegan Nashville Hot Chicken

Vegan Nashville Hot Chicken brings all the bold, spicy, craveable flavor of the original, without the meat. These crispy seitan patties are fried (or air-fried) to perfection, slathered in fiery homemade sauce and served on a bun with slaw and pickles.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 10

Servings

Calories 272

Author Elizabeth

Equipment

Ingredients

Seitan Chicken

240 Grams Vital Wheat Gluten
30 Grams Nutritional Yeast
1 Tablespoon Dried Basil
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Poultry Seasoning
1 Teaspoon Paprika
⅛ Teaspoon Chili Powder
1 Cup Water
¼ Cup Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Ketchup
½ Teaspoon Liquid Smoke

Breading & Frying

1 Cup Non-Dairy Milk I used soy milk
2 Tablespoons Hot Sauce
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
¼ Cup Cornstarch
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Paprika
¼ Teaspoon Baking Powder
4 Cups (1 Quart) Neutral Oil like canola, vegetable, or peanut oil; see notes for oil-free/non-fried option

Nashville Hot Sauce

3 Tablespoons Hot Sauce
2 Tablespoons Agave or Maple Syrup
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Paprika
½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Frying Oil for oil free, use 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

To Serve

8 Burger Buns
Vegan Coleslaw
Vegan Mayonnaise
Pickles

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the seitan chicken. In a large bowl mix together the chicken dry ingredients, then add the water, soy sauce, ketchup, and liquid smoke and mix with a fork, and then your hands, until a dough is formed.
Divide the seitan dough into 8 flat patties - use your hands to flatten as much as possible. Place on the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes.
Prepare the breading. In a medium bowl mix the milk and hot sauce. In a second medium bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, paprika, and baking powder.
Double bread the chicken. Use the wet-hand dry-hand method to bread - use one hand for the wet mixture, then use the other hand for the dry mixture. Dip each piece of cooked seitan chicken into the milk mixture, then into the flour, then transfer back into the milk, and back into the flour. (If air frying, coat each piece of chicken in the liquid mixture a third time.)
Fry the chicken. Heat the oil in a large, deep pot or skillet to 350°F. Fry the chicken in batches of 2-3 pieces at a time. Cook for 3-4 minutes on first side, then flip and fry 3 minutes more. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
If air frying, heat your air fryer to 400°F and cook for 7-10 minutes.
Mix the sauce. In a medium bowl mix together the sauce ingredients. You can (carefully) use frying oil from your pan or fresh oil.
Coat each piece of fried chicken in the hot sauce.
Serve on a burger bun with vegan mayo and pickles and coleslaw.

Notes

*Nutrition facts calculated without frying oil - some of the oil is absorbed, but not all. The actually calories can vary depending on how much oil is absorbed on the specific time you make this recipe. For accurate calorie counting, weigh the oil before and after frying and calculate the difference.

Nutrition