Vegan Substitute
Top vegan chicken substitutes for stir-fries, salads, sandwiches, and more. Tofu, seitan, and commercial brands compared with real tips.
Over 70 billion chickens are slaughtered each year worldwide. Most are raised in factory farms where they never see sunlight and are bred to grow so fast their legs cannot support their weight.
Stir-fries, fajitas, salads, sandwiches
Rehydrate in hot broth for 10 minutes, squeeze dry, then pan-fry. Single ingredient: whole soybeans.
Stir-fries, curries, grilling, breaded cutlets
Press for 30 min, tear into pieces (don't cut for better texture), marinate, then bake or fry until crispy.
Nuggets, wings, schnitzel, shawarma
Mix vital wheat gluten with poultry seasoning and broth. Steam or simmer for best texture.
Soy curls rehydrated in chicken-seasoned broth are widely considered the closest match to shredded chicken. For nuggets and cutlets, seitan with poultry seasoning nails the texture. Commercial brands like Daring and Simulate are also very realistic.
Press firm tofu for 30 minutes, tear into pieces, toss in cornstarch and your favorite seasoning, then air-fry at 200C for 20 minutes or pan-fry in oil until golden and crispy on all sides.
Yes. Seitan has ~25g protein per 100g, tofu has ~17g per 100g when pressed, and soy curls have ~11g per 30g dry serving. These are comparable to or exceed chicken breast per serving.
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