Vegan Soy Curl Fried Chicken

Ingredients

• 8 oz Dried soy curls
• 4 cup Vegan chicken broth (For rehydrating)
• 0.333 cup Vegan mayonnaise
• 0.333 cup Olive oil
• 1 tbsp Miso paste
• 1 tbsp Nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp Garlic powder (Shared amount: 1 tsp each with onion powder)
• 1 tsp Onion powder (Shared amount: 1 tsp each with garlic powder)
• 0.5 tsp Dried thyme (Shared amount: ½ tsp each with parsley)
• 0.5 tsp Dried parsley (Shared amount: ½ tsp each with thyme)
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice
• Salt (To taste)
• Black pepper (To taste)
• 2 cup All-purpose flour (Divided: 1 cup for seasoned breading, 1 cup for the flour-and-cornstarch mixture)
• 2 tbsp Cornstarch (For the seasoned breading)
• 1.5 tbsp Garlic powder (Shared amount: 1½ tbsp each with onion powder and paprika; for seasoned breading)
• 1.5 tbsp Onion powder (Shared amount: 1½ tbsp each with garlic powder and paprika; for seasoned breading)
• 1.5 tbsp Paprika (Shared amount: 1½ tbsp each with garlic powder and onion powder)
• 1 tbsp Vegan poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp Cayenne pepper (Use 1–2 tsp)
• 2 tsp Salt (For seasoned breading)
• 2 tsp Black pepper (For seasoned breading)
• 0.75 cup Unsweetened soy milk (For wet batter)
• 0.25 cup All-purpose flour (For wet batter)
• 1 tbsp Cornstarch (For wet batter)
• 0.5 tsp Garlic powder (For wet batter)
• 1 tsp Hot sauce (Optional; for wet batter)
• Peanut oil or vegetable oil (For frying; use enough to fry in batches)
• 0.5 cup Buffalo hot sauce (Optional; for Buffalo wings)
• 2 tbsp Vegan butter (Optional; melted and mixed with Buffalo hot sauce)

Steps

1. 1

   Soak the dried soy curls in the warm vegan chicken broth for 10–15 minutes to rehydrate them.

2. 2

   Drain the soy curls and squeeze out the excess liquid thoroughly.

3. 3

   Mix the vegan mayonnaise, olive oil, miso paste, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, thyme, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to make the marinade.

4. 4

   Toss the rehydrated soy curls in the marinade until evenly coated.

5. 5

   Pack the marinated soy curls tightly into a freezer-safe container and freeze overnight.

6. 6

   Break the frozen soy curls into large, chicken-sized chunks. Thaw them until no ice remains, keeping the chunks intact.

7. 7

   In a bowl, mix 1 cup of the flour with the seasoned-breading garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, vegan poultry seasoning, cayenne, salt, and black pepper.

8. 8

   In a second bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup flour with 2 tablespoons cornstarch.

9. 9

   In a third bowl, whisk together the soy milk, ¼ cup flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and optional hot sauce until smooth.

10. 10

    Gently pat the thawed soy curl chunks dry.

11. 11

    Dredge each chunk in the seasoned flour, then dip it in the wet batter, and finally coat it in the flour-cornstarch mixture. Press the coating firmly onto each piece.

12. 12

    Let the coated chunks rest for 10 minutes.

13. 13

    Heat the peanut or vegetable oil to 350°F (175°C).

14. 14

    Fry the coated soy curls in batches for approximately 3–5 minutes, turning them until golden brown and crispy.

15. 15

    Transfer the fried pieces to a wire rack to drain.

16. 16

    For optional Buffalo wings, melt the vegan butter and mix it with the Buffalo hot sauce. Toss the fried pieces in the mixture to coat.

Notes

Freezing the marinated soy curls together is described as the trick for larger, meatier pieces that hold together when breaded. The source does not specify how much oil to use, a thawing time, or a serving count; servings and times are estimates. Optional Buffalo finish uses the quantities listed.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• vegan
• dairy-free
• crispy
• deep-fried
• comfort food
• soy-based