Veggie Chicken Cutlets Crispy (Printable version)
Hearty chickpea and tofu cutlets with a crispy coating, ideal for quick and tasty dinners.
# What you need:
→ Veggie Chicken Cutlets
01 - 1 can (14 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 7 oz firm tofu, pressed and crumbled
03 - 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
04 - 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
05 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
06 - 1 tsp onion powder
07 - 1 tsp garlic powder
08 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
09 - 1/2 tsp salt
10 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
11 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
12 - 1 tbsp olive oil
13 - 1/3 cup vegetable broth
→ Breading
14 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
15 - 1/2 cup unsweetened plant-based milk
16 - 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
→ For Cooking
17 - 3 tbsp olive oil, for frying
# How To:
01 - In a food processor, pulse chickpeas and crumbled tofu until mostly smooth.
02 - Add vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, flour, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper to the mixture and pulse until combined.
03 - Pour in soy sauce, olive oil, and vegetable broth, processing until a cohesive dough forms.
04 - Transfer dough to a bowl and knead for 1 to 2 minutes until elastic.
05 - Divide dough into 4 equal portions and shape each into a cutlet approximately 1/3 inch thick.
06 - Set up three shallow bowls: one with flour, one with plant-based milk, and one with panko breadcrumbs.
07 - Dredge each cutlet in flour, dip into plant-based milk, then coat evenly with panko breadcrumbs.
08 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and fry cutlets for 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden brown and heated through.
09 - Drain cooked cutlets on paper towels and serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The crust gets so impossibly crispy you'll forget this is vegetarian, and your non-plant-based friends will be genuinely surprised.
- It comes together in under an hour, making weeknight dinners feel intentional instead of rushed.
- You can make a double batch and freeze the cutlets unbaked—dinner becomes as simple as thawing and frying.
02 -
- Pressing your tofu isn't optional—I learned this the hard way when my first batch came out grainy because I skipped this step, and the difference is genuinely life-changing.
- The gluten needs both the liquid and the kneading to develop properly, so don't skip either one or you'll end up with dense, crumbly cutlets that fall apart when you fry them.
- Your pan needs to be hot enough that the cutlets sizzle immediately when they hit the oil, otherwise they'll absorb oil instead of browning.
03 -
- Don't crowd the pan when frying—give each cutlet space so they brown instead of steaming, even if it means cooking in batches.
- The vital wheat gluten brand matters more than you'd think; some brands produce a tighter, meatier texture than others, so experiment if your first batch isn't quite right.