crispy breaded seitan cutlets are topped with sauce and melty vegan mozzarella to make a delicious homemade vegan chicken parmesan.
the inspiration
Growing up as an Italian-American New Yorker there are a few comfort foods I really love. One of which is chicken parmesan or chicken parm. Obviously, of course being vegan now I need to make it differently but this recipe totally hits the spot when I have the craving.
It is made with seitan that is breaded and baked. Then topped with some marinara sauce, and a melty vegan mozzarella. It is absolutely delicious just like I remember. But even better because no animals were involved and way less fat, and no cholesterol.
This recipe is also great because are not frying it which I find makes it a lot lighter. I think if you are someone who missed chicken parm this is for you.
the ingredients
- Vital Wheat Gluten: this is the main ingredient for seitan cutlet recipe. It makes them high protein and gives incredible texture.
- Canned Chickpeas: we need the chickpeas and the aquafaba for this recipe. The chickpeas are mashed and help to add texture to the cutlet. While the aquafaba is used to dip the cutlets into.
- Breadcrumbs: we need breadcrumbs to bread our seitan cutlets. I like to use panko breadcrumbs and blend them up to make fine breadcrumbs. As it can be harder to find finer breadcrumbs that are vegan.
- Nutritional Yeast: I like to add this into the breading to add flavor, umami, and B vitamins.
- Seasonings: we will use paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, and salt. We will use it in the breading and also in the seitan.
- Vegan Mozzarella: you can use any vegan mozzarella brand you like. I like to use shreds either from Violife, Good Planet, or Follow Your Heart.
- Non-Dairy Milk: we will use non-dairy milk to melt down the vegan mozzarella shreds, to make a cheese sauce. It melts better in the oven and comes out looking more like real cheese.
- Marinara Sauce: to make things easier I am just using a store bought vegan sauce, I like Rao’s. However, you can use any brand you like or use a homemade.
- Olive Oil or Oil Spray: you can either drizzle the seitan cutlets with oil or use spray oil. I like spray oil as it coats the more evenly. You can also leave it out if you prefer.
how to make vegan chicken parmesan
- Mash, drained and rinsed, chickpeas with the back of a fork. Save the aquafaba.
- Then, add in the dry ingredients: vital wheat gluten, seasonings, and nutritional yeast. Mix together until it forms clumps.
- Add in about ½ cup (120ml) of water and mix together. This will help to form it into a dough.
- Knead the seitan dough for 3 to 5 minutes. Form into an oval shape.
- Then, divide the dough into 4-6 pieces. I did 5. Then, roll the seitan dough out very thin.
- Repeat with all the seitan pieces until all the cutlets are made.
- Steam the seitan cutlets for 20 minutes. Then, let them cool so you can handle them.
- Save the liquid, aquafaba, from the can of chickpeas. Dip the seitan cutlets in there.
- Then, dip in the breadcrumbs.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes. Then, flip.
- Add the sauce on top. I like to make a liquid vegan mozzarella by melting vegan mozzarella shreds and non-dairy milk on the stove. Then, pour over the sauce.
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Then, you can broil on high for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
is chicken parmesan italian?
The dish itself is Italian-American. If you went to a restaurant in Italy you would not find chicken parmesan. In the more touristy areas you may find it because they do cater to people visiting.
The recipe it pulls inspiration from is parmigiana di melanzane or eggplant parmesan. Which I do also have a recipe for vegan eggplant parm if you prefer that.
what should i pair it with?
Of course this vegan chicken parmesan pairs well with pasta. I think spaghetti is the side dish most people think of when it comes to chicken parm. However, if I am being honest I would love some rigatoni or mezzi rigatoni.
I decided to pair it with a vegan Caesar salad made using the leftover chickpeas to make crispy chickpeas. Topped with lots of vegan parmesan cheese, and my vegan tofu Caesar dressing it is so delicious.
You can also keep it super simple if you prefer and do some roasted veggies or potatoes. Whatever side vegetables you like would be great here.
why you’ll love this recipe
This vegan chicken parmesan is a bit of a labor of love. However, it is so worth it. Once you take one bite you will be so happy.
I also think it looks beautiful garnish it with some fresh basil for a beautiful touch.
If you are someone who has been looking for an amazing vegan chicken parm substitute, you’ll be glad you made this.
vegan chicken parmesan faq
It does contain gluten. If you are gluten-free I recommend swapping the seitan for tofu cutlets. You can bread them in gluten-free breadcrumbs. I also have another recipe for gluten free vegan tofu parm. This recipe is nut free and soy free.
You can put the in an air tight container for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing the leftovers.
You can do it it in the oven, microwave, or air fryer.
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Homemade Vegan Chicken Parmesan
Equipment
- Steamer Basket paid link
- Rolling Pin
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
Seitan Cutlets
- ½ cup chickpeas drained, rinsed, and mashed
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup water
- ¾ cup aquafaba
Breading
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
Other
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- ½ cup vegan mozzarella shreds
- ½ cup non-dairy milk unsweetened and unflavored
Instructions
- Prepare seitan by mashing ½ cup chickpeas, with the back of a fork in a large bowl. Then, add in 1 cup vital wheat gluten, 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Mix together until the dough starts to make small clumps.
- Then, add in ½ cup water and mix together until it becomes clumpy. Eventually you will need to knead the dough with your hands for 3 to 5 minutes. The dough should be sticky and stay together. Form it into a rounded loaf shape.
- Cut the loaf into 4-6 pieces. Then roll the dough out into a cutlet shape. I prefer to make mine very thin but you can make it to your desired thickness. As they steam they will plump up a bit as well.
- Once they are rolled out steam them for 20 minutes. You can do this with a steamer basket or by placing a strainer over a large pot with about an inch of water. Place it on a low heat and cover. You may need to add more water as it cooks.
- While the seitan steams preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Prepare1 cup panko breadcrumbs by adding ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, 2 teaspoons paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon dried parsley to a large shallow bowl or big dish and mixing. Prepare chickpea egg by adding the ingredients into a large shallow bowl and mixing.
- Once seitan is steamed allow to cool for a minute as it will be very hot. Place it into the ¾ cup aquafaba and allow the excess to drip off, then coat in breadcrumbs. Repeat with all the cutlets.
- Place on a large baking pan. Spray both sides of each cutlet with spray oil if you like. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip.
- Meanwhile, in a small pot on the stove combine the ½ cup vegan mozzarella shreds and ½ cup non-dairy milk. Melt down over medium heat for about 5 minutes to make a liquid mozzarella.
- After flipping divide the 1 cup marinara sauce evenly between the cutlets. Then, top with the liquid mozzarella mixture.
- Put back in the oven for 10 minutes. Then, broil on high for 2-3 minutes with the oven door open. Broil until golden and bubbly.
- Serve with your favorite side and garnish with basil.
Notes
- As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you decide to purchase through a link I earn a small commission at no cost you. Thank you for helping to support blog.
- 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.
- If you decide not to use canned chickpeas, then you can use non-dairy milk to dip the cutlets in. 1 (15.5 ounce) can of chickpeas has ¾ cup of aquafaba.
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.
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