The Best Vegan Chicken

I have always been a fan of Chick’n strips by Tofurky, but at nearly $5 a packet, it quickly gets expensive, so I decided to make my own.

My first attempts were a total flop! I only used a base of vital wheat gluten, which resulted in a “chicken” that had the texture of chewing gum – it was barely edible and way too elastic!

After looking at the ingredients of Tofurky, I discovered their secret: they blend vital wheat gluten with tofu. The reason for that is that tofu softens the seitan, making it less chewy and giving it a better texture overall.

So, with that in mind, I tweaked my recipe and came up with a combination of gluten, tofu, and…white beans! That’s right – I also incorporated white beans to enhance that tenderness, as I discovered that the texture of the “chicken” with tofu was still a bit too chewy for my liking.

And here we are, after many attempts and adjustments, I’m finally sharing my vegan chicken recipe that has the same fibrous texture and chewiness as Tofurky!

⭐️ Why This Recipe Works

Mindblowing texture.

Thanks to a combination of beans, tofu, and gluten, the texture of my vegan chicken is so fibrous and meaty that you will never believe it’s actually vegan! It is tender and slightly chewy with a subtle stretchiness to it. I have served it to meat-eaters, and although they could tell it was not real chicken, they all said that it was a fabulous alternative that was pretty close to real meat!

Oh, and did I mention it packs 34g of protein per serving of 5 ounces (140g)?!

Cheaper than Tofurky.

If you are familiar with Tofurky’s Chick’n, this homemade version has almost the same texture for a fraction of the cost. Based on my calculations, making it yourself is about 6 times cheaper than buying it at the store!

Two ways to make it.

I am sharing two ways to make this vegan chicken. One makes use of beans, and the other uses green jackfruit for those of you who don’t tolerate beans. Both options yield similar results, so simply pick the one you prefer.

Versatile.

What’s great about this chicken is that it’s the perfect vehicle for flavor! Marinade it with teriyaki or char siu sauce for sweet and salty flavors, coat it with curry powder for an earthy aroma, or toss it with Italian seasoning for herbaceous notes. Then, you can grill it until slightly charred, bake it until it’s golden, or simply air-fry it!

Readers love it.

With 90 reviews and an average note of ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, readers love this vegan chicken recipe! Here is what they have to say:

🫘 Ingredient Notes

This plant-based chicken recipe requires just 6 ingredients and a few spices! You can find below some notes about the main ingredients.

Vital wheat gluten

Vital wheat gluten makes the base of this recipe. It holds all of the other ingredients together and is responsible for most of the meatiness and fibrous texture.

For information: The brand of vital wheat gluten I use contains 79g of protein per 100g. I haven’t tried with other brands, but you should be good as long as your gluten has 70-80g of protein per 100g.

Substitute? Unfortunately, I haven’t found any good replacement for the vital wheat gluten, so this recipe cannot be made gluten-free.

Tofu

Tofu is the magical ingredient that reduces the elasticity of the gluten dramatically without affecting much of the meatiness.

Note: Use firm tofu and pat it dry using kitchen paper towels. There is no need to press the tofu for this recipe.

White beans

Cooked white navy beans are an ingredient that I use to add tenderness, making the chicken less chewy. Don’t worry, you cannot taste them!

Canned or not? There is barely any difference in taste or texture whether you use canned or home-cooked beans. So, to save time, I highly suggest using a can of cooked white beans and rinsing them a few times under cold water.

Oil

For richness and to prevent the dough from being too sticky and hard to handle. I recommend choosing a neutral oil such as grapeseed, sunflower, or peanut oil.

Miso

Although the flavor of this chicken is quite mild (that’s a choice – it allows you to season it to your liking), I still add a teaspoon of white miso for a bit of saltiness and a hint of umami.

Seasonings

For the seasonings, I went with a blend of onion powder, ground white black pepper, and garlic powder. All of these create more complex, aromatic flavors.

Note: If you would like to season it more, feel free to add 1-2 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base!

Baking soda

Vital wheat gluten can have an overpowering taste, and although I don’t use a lot here, I still like to add a pinch of baking soda to help reduce the vital wheat gluten flavor.

Substitute: I also found out that 1 tablespoon of vinegar works pretty well to mellow down the vital wheat gluten flavor.

🍗 How to Make It

1. Prepare the dough

1. Add the ingredients to a blender. The first step is to prepare the wet mixture. Add the firm tofu, drained white navy beans, oil, water, miso, salt, and spices to a blender.
2. Blend until smooth. Blend on high speed for 20-30 seconds or until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

2. Knead

1. Transfer to a stand mixer. Next, transfer the wet mixture to a stand mixer and add the vital wheat gluten and flour.

2. Knead. Fit your stand mixer with the kneading attachment and knead the seitan for at least 20 minutes on speed 2. The seitan won’t have that meaty and fibrous texture if you don’t knead enough.

Note: Use a stand mixer to knead the dough; do not use a food processor. I broke the blade of my food processor when testing this recipe the first time. The dough is very elastic, so it works best in a stand mixer.

3. Wrap the loaves

Once your dough has developed a nice texture, it’s time to wrap it and cook it. Wrapping the dough tightly in foil prevents it from expanding and developing a spongy texture.

1. Divide into 2. Start by dividing the dough into 2 balls.
2. Shape each into a loaf. Shape each ball into a loaf of 5-inch long (13cm).
3. First wrap. Wrap each loaf in a sheet of parchment paper.

4. Second wrap. Next, wrap each loaf very tightly in a layer of aluminum foil. Wrap in a second layer of aluminum.

4. Cook the vegan chicken

There are two ways to do so: in a steamer or in the instant pot.

• Steamer option: Steam the loaves for 1 hour and 15 minutes. You can use a regular steamer or a bamboo steamer basket placed over a pot of boiling water.
• Instant Pot option: Fill your Instant Pot with 3 liters of water. Place the loaves into the water and close the lid (as opposed to the steamer method, the loaves will be floating in water here). Pressure cook for 30 minutes.

5. Shred it

Once your chicken is cooked, let it cool completely before shredding it. I highly recommend letting the chicken cool in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, as this will allow it to firm up.

You can shred the chicken by simply pulling it with your hands, cutting it into pieces, or making larger “chicken breasts” if you prefer!

🧄 Marinades

This vegan chicken is mildly flavored so that you can season it to your liking. Letting it marinate is a great way to infuse it with a ton of flavor AND add juiciness! Here are 7 delicious marinade ideas:

• Coconut Curry – Combine 1/4 cup coconut yogurt, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 tablespoon oil, 2 teaspoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon curry powder, 1/4 tsp chili, and 1/4 tsp salt.
• Cilantro Lime – Combine 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 minced clove of garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt.
• Sesame & Peanut – Combine 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter, 3 tablespoons coconut milk, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1 teaspoon maple syrup.
• Char Siu – Use my char siu sauce as a marinade to impart a sweet and savory flavor (as well as notes of five-spice) to your chicken.
• Teriyaki – Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 tbsp white rice vinegar, 1 minced clove of garlic, and 1 tsp toasted sesame oil.
• Five-Spice – Combine 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon sugar, ½ teaspoon five-spice powder, ½ teaspoon Korean chili flakes, and 1 teaspoon oil.
• Smoky BBQ: Combine 3 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon coconut sugar, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, ½ teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce, and one minced clove of garlic.

To marinate: Place all of the marinade ingredients in a freezer bag. Add the shredded vegan chicken and massage to coat the chicken with the marinade. Let marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, before cooking. To cook, you can either air-fry it, bake it, or stir-fry it!

🥪 Where to Use It

This vegan chicken is highly versatile. It can be baked, sautéed, or even grilled. You can use it:

• In salads: Shred it and add it to your favorite salads. You can try my chicken cucumber salad!
• In curries: Add shredded chicken at the beginning of cooking if you want it to soak up the flavors of the sauce and become very tender. Incorporate it toward the end of cooking if you want a slightly firmer texture. It would be perfect in this Vietnamese Curry or Thai Green Curry, or to make vegan butter chicken!
• In pasta dishes: Finely shredded, sautéed, and added to spicy noodles, yum!
• In stir-fries: Marinate your chicken before adding it to stir-fried vegetables.
• In sandwiches or wraps: Thinly sliced and combined with lettuce, vegan mayo, or paté. You can even use it to make these delicious vegan chicken wraps!
• To make vegan chicken nuggets: You can use this recipe as a base to make vegan fried chicken! Feel free to check out our vegan chicken Nuggets recipe.
• In soups, bakes, pizza, marry me chicken, and so much more!

💬 FAQ

I hope you will love this vegan chicken! It’s SO meaty, versatile, and would even surprise meat-eaters! It’s definitely the best vegan chicken recipe!

🍔 More Plant-Based Meat Substitutes

High-Protein Vegan Burgers

Vegan Sausages (Frankfurter)

The Best Vegan Foie Gras

Vegan Smoked Deli Slices

⭐️ Did you like this recipe? Let us know in the comments below, and tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Note: I first released this recipe in April 2019, and unfortunately, it has been copied many times since then by other food bloggers who used the exact same combination of ingredients with slightly different seasonings. You are on the original page.

Update: In April 2025, I updated this post with new photos, process shots, and improved texture. The original version used young jackfruit, which I realized can be hard to find. This new version replaces the jackfruit with cooked white beans and has been reworked to prevent getting a too-soft dough, which a few readers had an issue with. It’s also a bit firmer. Both versions, the jackfruit one and the white bean one, have been tested multiple times and work great!