when i was younger i would love when we had leftover chicken cutlets from dinner because that meant chicken cutlet sandwiches! this easy vegan chicken cutlet sandwich is kept simple but is just so good.
There are a million ways to make a vegan chicken cutlet. I have done it with seitan and tofu. This recipe is a little different because we are using tempeh and chickpeas. They blend up perfectly to make a great base for our vegan chicken cutlet. It is then dredged in flour, dipping in aquafaba, and coated in breadcrumbs. These are baked until crispy. Then we use them in our sandwich.
The Cutlet
I wanted to make a higher protein version of this recipe. So, I knew chickpeas and their aquafaba made a good starting point. I decided to give tofu a break and use tempeh instead. Tempeh is also a soy product but it is fermented so better for gut health! The flavor of tempeh on it’s own is a bit bitter so it is nice to use it in things like this because you don’t taste it. Then you just add in some spices and egg replacer. I like Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer. It is then placed in flour, dipped in the brine from the chickpeas aka aquafaba, and pressed into breadcrumbs.
The Sandwich
There are 4 crucial components to this sandwich:
- White Bread: I do not want to hear anyone say “oh but white bread is so bad for you” the white bread is quintessential sandwich bread and when I was in school as a 10 year old I didn’t want whole wheat bread. So, grab yourself some soft, fluffy white bread and enjoy. For full disclosure I use a low carb, low calorie white bread but it is so good.
- Vegan Chicken Cutlets: I will obviously be sharing the recipe but something that is important is that these cutlets are thin and breaded well.
- Vegan Mayo: I don’t like mayo all that much but this sandwich needs it. I personally like Hellman’s or Follow Your Heart.
- Iceberg Lettuce: I don’t care if it doesn’t have nutritional value I LOVE iceberg lettuce. Crispy, juicy and the perfect topping to this sandwich. When we were younger and mom was packing lunch she didn’t have time for a million toppings we didn’t care about iceberg lettuce was enough.
More Sandwich Recipes
Vegan Chicken Cutlet Sandwich FAQ
- Can I make this gluten free? Yes, just use cornstarch instead of flour and gluten free breadcrumbs. If making the sandwich use gluten free bread.
- How long do the cutlets last? Up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Can the cutlets be frozen? Yes freeze them after baking and letting them cool.
- What else can be done with these cutlets? Enjoy them on a salad, in a bowl with veggies and rice, on pasta, or on their own!
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Easy Vegan Chicken Cutlet Sandwich
Ingredients
Breading
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (120g) breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup (30g) all purpose flour
Cutlet
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg replacer (I use Bob's Red Mill)
- 6 ounces (170g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Liquid from chickpea can about ½ cup (120ml)
- ½ block (4 ounces/113g tempeh)
Other
- 2 slices white bread
- 1 tablespoon vegan mayo
- Iceberg lettuce shredded, amount to your liking for your sandwich
Instructions
- Place the tempeh in a medium pan and cover with about ¼ cup (60ml) water. Cover with a lid and steam for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the breadcrumbs by mixing all the breading ingredients EXCEPT the flour together in a medium dish. Big enough to fit the cutlet in.
- Once the tempeh is done steaming drain any additional water if it is left. Add it into a food processor with the drained chickpeas, nutritional yeast, egg replacer and seasonings. Pulse for a few minutes until everything is broken down and you are able to form a ball with the mixture.
- Divide the mixture into 4 to make 4 cutlets or however many cutlets you want but I wouldn’t do more than 6 as they will be quite small.
- Take one ball of the mixture and use clean hands to flatten it. It may help if your hands are wet. Make it thin but not too thin that it will break. If you need help watch the YouTube video. Dip the cutlet into flour and flip on both sides. Then use a spatula to help to move it into the aquafaba (chickpea brine). I found it was important to do this part quickly and use the spatula to help support the cutlet. Finally, dip both sides in the breadcrumbs and then place on a lined baking sheet. Repeat until all cutlets are coated.
- Cover with spray oil if you like and bake at 400℉ (204℃) for 20 minutes or until crispy.
- To assemble the sandwich spread the vegan mayo over the bread. Add the cutlet, if you like add a sprinkle of salt. Then add the lettuce and top piece of bread and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- For the egg replacer I like to use Bob’s Red Mill. I also like Ener-G, the Neat Egg, or you can use a flax or chia egg but it may effect texture.
- I didn’t try frying these but if you want to pan fry I would suggest to freeze them for 30 to 40 minutes prior.
- I found it very important to work quickly when dredging and breading the cutlets and to use a spatula to support them. If it breaks apart you can just use it to make smaller pieces.
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Yum!!!!
And it didn’t taste beanie or tempeh-ish- pleasantly surprised.
Added pickles and a side of vegan coleslaw- so good!!!!
Hi Trixie! yay thank you so much for trying it and taking the time to leave a comment/review means so much so glad you enjoyed xo
Can you use a flax egg instead of the egg replacet?
hi Amy, sure that should be fine!
I’m in a vegan food desert. Any substitute for tempeh?
You can use tofu
Do you know if these freeze well, the cutlets?
hi from the FAQ section of the blog post: Can the cutlets be frozen? Yes freeze them after baking and letting them cool. Enjoy!
Di you think these would work in an air fryer?
yes definitely!
Oh my!!!! I made this earlier today and I had to come on here and tell you that this sandwich recipe is absolutely perfect!!! So easy to make and so much cheaper than impossible chicken patties. I will never buy vegan chicken patties again. I am hooked on these! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!!!
hi Shannon!!! yay I am so so happy you enjoyed them. thank you so much for making them and taking the time to leave a comment/review xoxo
Definitely better with toasted whole grain or sourdough bread, and romaine lettuce.
Not great. Very messy and didn’t bake very well.
Probably better fried, should also apply the aquafaba using a brush to help prevent any breakages.
Taste was fine, nothing special.
thanks for trying it. sorry to hear you had trouble with the baking could potentially be your oven needed a higher temp as I have made this a few times and have never experienced any trouble baking. good idea to brush the aquafaba on.
As an idea or question I wonder if including some seitan as binding could create more a chicken bit? I found it a bit squishy- not quite the right word- rather than a hoped for bite?
Hi Richard so this recipe is really created for people who can’t have seitan. I have a recipe for vegan seitan cutlets!
This was amazing! So much better than seitan. They were a challenge to bread but so worth it!
Hi Lisa! I am so glad you enjoyed it!! thank you so much for trying them!!
Can I use Just Egg as my egg replacer?
Hi Karen, sure that is fine!