Vegan Chicken Sandwich

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There’s nothing better than a crispy “chicken” sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and mayo! My vegan chicken sandwich makes a satisfying, flavor-packed lunch or dinner. I serve this crispy yet tender plant-based chicken sandwich made with silken tofu, wheat gluten and vegan chicken broth, with a side of French fries and vegan ranch!

A long time ago, when I used to eat meat, I’d love a good fried chicken sandwich! Chick-fil-a has been known to have the best fried chicken sandwich, but obviously, there is no vegan option. It’s also not really that healthy for me. So I decided to recreate the traditional fast food chicken sandwich to be vegan friendly and healthier, but taste just as good as the original recipe!

And let me tell you, this homemade patty is world’s better than store-bought meat alternatives. It tastes like the real deal, much like my vegan chicken nuggets recipe. Not only is it worth the effort, but you can freeze the leftover patties! I love to make them in advance so all I have to do is brine and coat the patties.

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🥘 Ingredients

I can find the ingredients for this healthy chicken sandwich recipe at my local health food store. Here is what I use:

Silken Tofu: I prefer the texture of silken tofu in seitan. It gives the seitan a tender texture instead of a chewy one!

Vegan Chicken Broth:  I like the “Chicken” broth packs in flavor. It doubles as a cooking liquid and an ingredient in this recipe.

Worcestershire Sauce: The sweet and tangy flavor of Worcestershire sauce complements the savory flavor of my chicken broth. In times when I don’t have any, soy sauce works too.

Vital Wheat Gluten: Not all grocery stores in our area carry vital wheat gluten, but I find it at our local health food store like Whole Foods. It’s an essential ingredient that creates the meat-like texture!

Seasoning: Onion powder, poultry seasoning, and garlic powder season the “meat”.

Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast has a nutty, cheesy quality to it. I often use it in vegan food to mimic the taste of meat or cheese.

Pickle Juice: The sweet and acidic taste of pickle juice makes a perfect brine! Sometimes, I substitute more almond milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice!

Almond Milk: Any plant-based milk works, but I observed unsweetened almond milk has a mild flavor. Cashew, soy, and oat milk are also great options.

Hot Sauce: I like to use this for a little bit of heat!

All-Purpose Flour: Flour creates the crispy coating once it’s fried in hot oil.

Baking Powder: This secret ingredient creates a light yet crispy fried “chicken”.

Spices: Garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, and salt season the coating. I omit the cayenne in times when I don’t want a spicy chicken sandwich.

Olive oil: To fry my chicken patties!

🔪 How To Make

Here’s how I make my Vegan Chicken Sandwich step by step:

Whisk Tofu: In a medium bowl, I whisk together the tofu, 1/4 cup of chicken broth, and Worcestershire sauce until the tofu is in small pieces. There’s no need to use a food processor.

Whisk Seitan Ingredients: In a separate bowl, I whisk together the vital wheat gluten, garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast, vegan-friendly chicken seasoning, and salt.

Fold Together: I fold the tofu mixture and the seasoning mixture together to form a dough.

Form The Dough: I use my hands to make a ball with the dough. I make sure to resist overworking the dough or the patties will be chewy.

Cut The Dough: I cut the dough into 4 equal pieces and shape them into patties. Then, I preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cook The Patties: I place the patties in a large baking dish and cover with 2 cups of vegan chicken stock or vegetable broth. I cover and bake for 1 hour, turning the chicken cutlets over at the 30-minute mark.

Let Patties Cool: Once the patties are done cooking, I remove them from the broth and let them cool.

Make The Brine: I mix the pickle juice, almond milk, and hot sauce together in a large ziplock bag or baking dish. Then I place the patties into the bag and marinate for 2 hours.

Make The Coating: I whisk the flour and spices together in a dish. I remove the patties from the marinade.

Coat The Patties In The Dry Batter: I coat 1 patty in the flour mixture on all sides. I dip the patty back into the marinade then back into the coating. I repeat with all the “chicken” patties.

Fry Patties:  I heat oil in a large dutch oven or pot on medium high heat, I fry each patty until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes.

Drain: Carefully I remove the fried chicken patties from the oil and let drain on a paper towel to get rid of any excess oil. A deep fryer can also be used.

Serve: I serve the patties on my burger bun of choice, with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. I enjoy these vegan fried chick’n sandwiches warm!

📖 Variations

The best vegan chicken sandwich is easy to customize! I have tried these delicious variations.

Cheesy: I top the sandwich with my favorite kind of vegan cheese! Gouda, American, blue cheese, provolone, and cheddar are all delicious!

Subway Meatless Chicken Teriyaki: I cut the fried seitan into vegan “chicken strips” and toss with a teriyaki glaze. I place the chicken on a hoagie roll and I top it with provolone cheese, sliced red onion, spinach, and a sweet onion dressing.

Vegan Spicy: I add Cajun spices and a little bit of chili powder to the flour mixture before coating. Then I top the hot chicken with plenty of hot sauce!

🍽 Serving Suggestions

I love that vegan chicken sandwiches can be dressed up any way I like! I usually go for the classic combo, sliced tomato, crisp lettuce, and a little mayo. It’s perfect with a side of Greek fries, but sometimes I switch it up with a fresh Apple Cider Vinegar Coleslaw, chips, or even a bowl of potato soup.

🧊 Storage Directions

Refrigeration: I keep the vegan patties in an airtight container in the fridge, and they stay fresh for up to three days. I like reheating them just before assembling the sandwiches so they are warm and tasty.

Freezing: When I want to prep ahead, I freeze the cooked patties in a freezer safe bag or container. They stay good in the freezer for up to two months.

Reheating: I reheat the patties in a skillet over medium heat or in the air fryer until they are warm and crispy again. It only takes a few minutes, and they taste just as good as when I first made them.

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