these vegan “chicken” strips are so easy to make! they are only a few ingredients and can be enjoyed on their own with roasted veggies, in a salad, wrap, sandwich – the possibilities are endless.
I love making mockmeats that are easy. While seitan is so delicious it is a tedious process to make. So, this recipe uses soy curls for a much quicker and easier process. Soy curls work perfectly here and they have the best texture. If you haven’t tried soy curls before we will talk about them more and hopefully this will open up a whole new world for you!
What Are Soy Curls?
If you’ve never used soy curls before you have been missing out. They are just pieces of dehydrated soy chunks. they are so versatile and can be used for so many things. The brand Butler’s Foods sells them online on their website. You can also use their store locator to help find it in an area near you. They are also available on Amazon and you may have some luck finding them in Asian markets. If you can’t find soy curls you can also just use soy chunks or pea protein chunks. There plenty of options out there.
the ingredient list
you only need a few ingredients to make these and most of them are seasonings! feel free to play around with seasonings you have in your house to add flavors.
- Soy Curls: the main component of this recipe! a great source of plant protein and so delicious.
- Poultry Seasoning: this is just a blend of seasonings that are usually used in poultry dishes. It is typically a mixture of sage, marjoram, rosemary. It can vary from brand to brand!
- Chickenless Chicken Seasoning: this is typically a blend of seasonings like salt, turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder. I have one from the ShopRite brand Bowl & Basket. There is also one by JADA Spices. You can also use the Vegetarian No Chicken Bouillon from Better Than Bouillon. This is a concentrated paste so you can just mix it into the water. Otherwise, you can also just add in ⅛ teaspoon of all those seasonings!
- Warm Water: this helps to rehydrate the soy curls.
- Seasonings: to help give our soy curls the best taste and color we are going to use some extra garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, and salt.
- Fresh or Dried Parsley: I like to add this for a pop of color.
- Olive Oil: when roasting the soy curls it helps to give them some crispiness. If you want to make this oil free you can.
best soy curl tips
Soy curls are so easy to use but here are a few things that can make your soy curl experience even better. Keep them in your fridge. They will last longer and be fresher. Hydrate them with warm water it makes them softer. You don’t need to use too much water just enough to cover it by about ½ an inch. If you have excess water after letting them sit it isn’t a big deal you can drain it. You have to flavor them! I get comments from people saying they find soy curls have a weird taste. I personally have never experienced that but I do think it is due to giving it a enough time to rehydrate and seasoning them well.
more soy curl recipes
how to use the vegan “chicken” strips
These vegan “chicken” strips are just a base recipe. They have a ton of flavor and are great on their own but there are many ways to add to this recipe. For example, you can add it into sauces or a curry. You can coat them in barbecue or buffalo sauce. Use them in tacos, salads, wraps. I also think this would be so fun to use in a vegan chicken salad.
vegan “chicken” strips faq
- Is this recipe gluten free? Yes.
- Is this recipe soy free? No, but you can replace the soy curls with pea protein chunks to make it soy free.
- Is this recipe nut free? Yes.
- How long will this recipe last? Up to 4 days in the fridge.
- How do I reheat these vegan “chicken” strips? You can put them in the microwave, air fryer, oven, or reheat in a pan.
- Can I freeze them? I haven’t tried so I can’t say how it will work.
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Vegan “Chicken” Strips
Ingredients
Soy Curl Marinade
- 3 ½ cups (140g) soy curls
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon chickenless bouillon powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 cups (480ml) warm water, enough water to cover the soy curls by ½ inch
Baking
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped or ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 lemon juiced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- In a medium size bowl or container add the soy curls. Then add in the seasonings under marinade. Toss to coat everything. Pour warm water over the soy curls until they are covered by about ½ inch of water. Approximately 2 cups of water but this may change depending based on the size of your bowl.
- Set aside for 15 minutes to rehydrate.
- Once rehydrated you can then taste it and see what other seasonings you would like to add. The taste isn’t very strong it should just be lightly flavored.
- Add the remaining seasonings, herbs, lemon juice, and oil from the roasting ingredients section. *NOTE: if you have a lot of liquid left at the bottom feel free to drain some out, there should be a little bit left but it should be mostly absorbed by the soy curls.
- Place the soy curls onto a parchment lined or silicone lined baking sheet. Careful not to get too much remaining liquid on the bottom of the pan, save and spoon over top to keep the soy curls juicy.
- Bake for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Once they are done taste and add any additional seasonings if necessary and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- I made this an easy sheet pan meal by roasting it with some potatoes. Just halve or quarter small baby potatoes. Add ½ teaspoon oil along with salt, garlic powder, fresh parsley and any seasonings you like. Toss to coat and then bake on the same sheet pan.
- There should not be a lot of liquid left in the soy curls. If you find your container has a lot of liquid left you can drain some of it. You will need about ¼ cup of liquid for spooning over top of the soy curls before baking. If you add too much liquid it will just burn up in the oven.
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