this delicious vegan sesame “chicken” is easy to make at home and packed with plant protein!
the inspiration
I am going to be very honest with you all. I have been in a recipe rut. There’s been some things going on in my personal life with myself and my dogs. It has been a lot going on and I really haven’t felt super inspired. However, after a few weeks of things being stressful I told myself I have to push on.
So, I was thinking about the recipes people really seem to love that I share and a big one is mock meats. I was searching on Amazon for TVP when a product I had never seen or used before popped up. Plant basics plant protein chunks. We will talk about those more in a second.
I started thinking about all the fun ways I could use this product. So, now here we are with 3 brand new recipes using a brand new product. I think they all came out delicious and now I have a new product to love.
what are the plant protein chunks?
Similar to products like textured vegetable protein or soy curls they are pieces of defatted soybean flour. You need to rehydrate them before you use them. They have no flavor so they are are perfect for using in any recipe.
The macros on them are very good! A serving is ¼ cup (28g) dry. It has 81 calories, 14g protein, 1g of fat, and 9g of carbs. It also has 5g fiber! So, overall I really like that aspect.
You get a 1 pound bag and it says it makes approximately 3.5 pounds worth. While they are a bit on the pricey side at $17.99 per bag. If you divide it by serving (with 16 servings dry) that is about $1.12 per serving. The bag also lasts a long time, so it is something you can keep in the pantry. There are also larger bulk bags to buy if you like.
the ingredients
- Soy Chunks: of course we need the soy chunks for this recipe. They work really well here as a vegan chicken substitute. They are also perfect because they are in bite-sized pieces! You can substitute this with tofu, tempeh, chickpeas, seitan, or any other store bought vegan chicken product.
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce: this will help to create our sauce. I prefer to use low sodium to keep the salt down.
- Grade A Maple Syrup: I like to use maple syrup as my sweetener of choice. You can also use agave, organic brown sugar, or any other sweetener you like.
- Sesame Oil: the sesame oil is added at the end to provide flavor. If you want to make this oil free you can skip it.
- Cornstarch: the cornstarch is used to coat the soy chunks and to help thicken the sauce.
- Seasonings: we need a bunch of things seasonings like garlic powder, ginger powder, sesame seeds, salt, and black pepper. If you like heat you can also add in red pepper flakes.
- Scallions: the scallions will be added as a garnish.
how to make the vegan sesame “chicken”
- Cover the soy chuks with boiling water. Let them sit for 10 minutes. Mix around with a spoon to get them evenly distributed in the water.
- After 10 minutes they will increase in size. Strain the water. Then, use a paper towel to squeeze the excess water from the soy chunks.
- Coat in cornstarch, salt, and black pepper.
- Add to a non-stick pan. I like to lightly spray with spray oil but you can skip that if you prefer. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until golden brown. Shake and toss the pan around to cook the sides evenly.
- Mix cornstarch with water to make a slurry.
- In a jar combine the soy sauce, maple syrup, cornstarch slurry, seasonings, sesame seeds, and water to make the sauce. Shake together.
- Then, pour over the soy chunks. Cook for a few minutes for the cornstarch to thicken. Remove from the heat and add the sesame oil. Toss to coat.
- Garnish with more sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, and green onions. Enjoy.
how to serve the vegan sesame “chicken”
There of course so many ways to serve and enjoy this vegan sesame ‘”chicken.” I personally love it with white rice. Another option is of course brown rice, quinoa, or even a homemade vegan fried rice. You can add in some vegetables on the side like broccoli, bok choy, cauliflower, or anything else.
If you want to do a side salad this Cabbage Salad with Peanut Dressing is perfect. Another fun idea are these Creamy Coconut Lime Udon Noodles. But the possibilities are truly endless. I also love having cucumber on the side too.
why you’ll love this recipe
This vegan sesame chicken is easy to make. It comes together in about 30 minutes. The texture of the soy chunks is so perfect for this recipe. They are meaty and delicious.
I love that the sauce ingredients can just all be shaken up in a jar, no need to even dirty a whisk! You can really customize this recipe and enjoy it however you want. I also think there is something fun about making a classic takeout dish at home.
vegan sesame “chicken” faq
Is this recipe allergy friendly?
It does use the soy chunks which contains soy. It also uses soy sauce which contains soy and gluten. To make it gluten-free you can use coconut aminos. You can swap the soy chunks out for chickpeas, seitan, a soy free tofu, or a store bought vegan chicken product.
How do I store leftovers?
In an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. I do not recommend freezing.
How do I heat this dish up?
You can heat it up on the stove or in the microwave.
Do I need to make the cornstarch slurry?
Yes. It is very important for making the sauce thick and glaze like. If you can’t have cornstarch you can use arrowroot flour or regular all purpose.
Can I add in other things? I see other recipes use ketchup and rice vinegar.
Yes. You can definitely add in more to the sauce if you like. I personally don’t love ketchup so I try to avoid it and I just normally don’t have rice vinegar on hand. You can also add in sriracha or really anything else you like for flavor.
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Vegan Sesame “Chicken”
Ingredients
- 2 cups soy chunks dry
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch divided
- 2 ¾ cup water divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 ½ tablespoons grade A maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- Scallions for garnish
Instructions
- Bring 2 cups (480ml) of water to a boil. Rehydrate the soy chunks. Add into a medium-sized bowl. Cover them with boiling water, enough to cover and submerge them completely. Let them sit for 10 minutes. Mix around with a spoon to get them evenly distributed in the water. *you may need more than 2 cups of water depending on your bowl size.
- After 10 minutes they will increase in size. Strain the water. Then, use a paper towel to squeeze the excess water from the soy chunks. Place them back in a bowl.
- Coat in 2 teaspoons (10g) of cornstarch, salt, and black pepper.
- I like to lightly spray a large non-stick pan with spray oil but you can skip that if you prefer. Add the soy chunks. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until golden brown on each side over medium heat. Shake and toss the pan around to cook the sides evenly.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Mix the remaining cornstarch with 3 tablespoons (45ml) of water to make a slurry.
- In a jar combine the soy sauce, maple syrup, cornstarch slurry, seasonings, sesame seeds, and ½ cup (120ml) of water to make the sauce. Shake together. You can also do this in a bowl, I just find it easier to shake everything up.
- Then, pour half of the over the soy chunks. Cook for a few minutes for the cornstarch to thicken, mixing constantly. If the sauce looks too thick you can always add in more water.
- Remove from the heat and add the sesame oil. Toss to coat.
- Garnish with more sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, and green onions. Enjoy.
Notes
- Nutrition facts are based on my gram measurements put into Cronometer. Yours may vary, they are to help you get an idea.
- Please do not repost recipes without my permission. Sharing a direct link is always highly encouraged and appreciated.
- For any questions you may have please refer to the FAQ above the recipe card.
Nutrition
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hey there!
Hey, I’m Francesca!
Thank you for checking out my recipe! I am happy to have you here and hope you explore more delicious vegan recipes.
TVP chunks have been around probably as long as the granular, they’re just getting progressively harder to find. I used to rely on local sources but have had to start ordering online a few years ago. Betta Foods is my current source and considerably cheaper. They’re being called Large Unflavored Chicken Chunks there for some unknown reason even though they’re neutral.
yes, they are just a new to me product! so it was exciting to use something new and fun 🙂