How To Ensure Vegan Fried Chicken Has The Same Crunch As The Real Thing

Fried chicken is a recipe that's hard to master because deep frying and breading are time consuming processes that require a lot of precision. Vegan fried chicken may swap meat for a plant-based product, but the same skill and protocol applies. The goal for vegan fried chicken is not just to mimic the savory taste of the meat, but to also obtain the perfect textural contrast between the crispy exterior and juicy, tender interior. The key to ensuring vegan fried chicken has the same crunch as the real thing depends on the type of breadcrumbs you use for your coating. Tasting Table interviewed vegan recipe developer and blogger Trisha Gordon, who provided many tips to cook the perfect vegan fried chicken. One key tip? You're gonna need a crunchy coating.

Gordon told us that "a coarser coating gives you a larger surface area which equates to more crispy crunchy bits forming when you fry the 'chicken.'" Based on numerous blogs and rankings for the best breadcrumbs to use on fried chicken, the general consensus seems to be panko breadcrumbs. You can also make coarse breadcrumbs from scratch with stale white sandwich bread, drying it out completely before pulsing it to the desired coarseness. Other great options include crushed corn flakes or even potato chips. You can create a wet batter with crispy binding agents like cornstarch, dairy-free milk, and chickpea flour as the first dredging that'll help adhere the panko breadcrumbs or other breading options.

The age old adage that countless foods "taste like chicken" is proven by the wealth of vegan chicken substitutes. For fried chicken, you want a plant-based substitute that's sturdy enough to stand up to both the weight of the breading and the turbulent process of deep frying. The best textural, nutritional, and flavor substitute for chicken is seitan. It has a chewy, sinewy texture, tons of filling protein, and a versatile flavor that you can pair with classic savory herbs and spices in the dredging to mimic chicken. You can purchase seitan from many grocery stores and online, or you can make the perfect homemade seitan from scratch.

Seitan is a great substitute for chicken tenders and cutlets, but another meaty whole-ingredient substitute for chicken tenders or faux bone-in fried chicken is mushrooms. The type of mushroom best suited to mimic the flavor and texture of chicken is the king oyster mushroom. Of course, extra firm tofu is always an easy chicken substitute for cutlets or deep fried chicken fingers. For deep fried chicken wings, cauliflower florets are a popular choice. Our go-to recipe for sticky garlic cauliflower wings uses a panko breadcrumb breading.