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This vegan ‘chicken’ sandwich is made with oyster mushrooms, coated in spiced crunchy cornflakes, baked and served inside warm pan-toasted buns, with a generous dollop of vegan mayo, swirled with a little of that hot maple sauce. And a handful of hot maple slaw, sliced onions and of course, gherkins.
This vegan chicken sandwich is…
- crispy, spicy, sweet, tangy
- healthyish, because the vegan chicken is baked, not fried!
- perfect for entertaining, as everything comes together within 40 minutes.
Ingredients for vegan chicken sandwich and hot maple slaw
- Oyster Mushrooms: they have the most realistic chicken-like texture, they’re succulent, tender, and meaty!
- Flour: all-purpose flour is used in the batter and coating, to help hold everything in place.
- Cornflakes: we want super crunchy vegan wings, and to create that we NEED cornflakes. Not all cornflakes’ are vegan, so you want to look out for a ‘vegan-friendly’ symbol on the box! I used the gluten-free Kellogs one which is also accidentally vegan!
- Water: just for the wet batter!
- Spices: cayenne powder, garlic powder, hot paprika, chilli powder, fresh thyme, salt + black pepper
- Olive oil: just around 1 tbsp to brush over the coated oyster mushrooms, this will help add a lovely crunch to the vegan chicken wings!
- Vegan butter: for the hot maple, you’ll need a little vegan butter, use salted or unsalted…whatever you have at home!
- Maple syrup: just a touch to add sweetness to our slaw!
- Cabbage: I used a combination of white and red.
- Carrot: this is optional, but I love to sneak in as many veggies as I can!
- Vegan mayo: my favourite vegan mayo is from Hellmann’s!
- Onions: red or white onions, sliced into rings.
- Gherkins: no burger is complete without sliced gherkins!
- Buns: we don’t want the buns to be the star of this burger, so use basic burger buns! Nothing fancy is needed.
Making the perfect baked vegan ‘fried’ chicken…
Start with making the wet batter. Combine the all-purpose flour, thyme, salt, black pepper and water together. Whisk until smooth-ish. The batter doesn’t need to be too thick, just thick enough to hold the dry coating.
Next, make the dry coating. With the back of a measuring cup, crush the cornflakes into tiny little crumbs. To make things easier for myself, I also sometimes use a food processor to speed up this step. Just add in the cornflakes and pulse until it resembles fine crumbs. Then mix with the remaining flour, thyme, cayenne powder, salt and black pepper.
Add one large oyster mushroom cluster into the wet batter, and coat with it. Transfer it into the dry, spiced cornflakes coating. With your clean hand, sprinkle and press the spiced cornflakes over the oyster mushrooms.
Place the coated oyster mushrooms on a pre-lined baking tray. Brush with olive oil, and bake for 20 minutes. Flip, and bake for another 10 minutes or until crispy.
All about the hot maple slaw…
Start with making the hot maple. Into a pan, add the vegan butter, maple syrup, cayenne powder, paprika powder, salt, chilli powder and garlic granules. Heat over medium heat, and once all the vegan butter has melted. Cook for a further 2 minutes or until it becomes thicker. Set aside.
Now to make the hot maple slaw, combine the sliced cabbage, vegan mayo, lemon juice, salt, black pepper and 1-2 tbsp of the hot maple. I also mixed in some grated carrots because I wanted to sneak more veggies into this vegan fried chicken sandwich.
Assembling the best vegan sandwich…
Grab the buns, slice them in half and spread a little vegan butter on the insides of all the buns. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the buns, and toast the insides until golden and crispy.
Spread the bottom half of the burger buns with vegan mayo, swirl in the hot maple, and top with the baked vegan ‘fried’ chicken. Add the hot maple slaw over the vegan chicken, and add a generous amount of the hot maple slaw, gherkins and onions. Close the bun, and enjoy warm!
Tips on making the perfect vegan fried chicken sandwich
- Use basic buns, nothing seeded or flavoured. We want the insides of the burger to be the star!
- Crush the cornflakes into super small crumb-like pieces.
- Brush enough oil on the oyster mushrooms before baking! This helps not only achieve a crunchier vegan chicken, but it helps the colour on the dry coating!
- Make the slaw just before serving! This will prevent it from becoming soggy.
Have you tried this recipe?
After you try this vegan chicken sandwich with hot maple slaw recipe, please leave a star rating and review below! I try my best to respond to you all. Oh, and don’t forget to tag me over on Instagram – I can’t wait to repost your images!!
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Ingredients
- 4–5 medium-large oyster mushroom clusters (around 300g)
- 14 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 3 cups cornflakes
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- 1 tsp cayenne powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic granules
- 3/4 cup water
Hot Maple Slaw
- 3 tbsp vegan butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp cayenne powder
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 1/2 tsp paprika powder
- 3 cups sliced or shredded cabbage
- 1/2 cup grated carrot
- 1/2 cup vegan mayo
- juice from one lemon
- salt + black pepper (to taste)
For serving
- 4 burger buns
- vegan butter
- sliced onions
- sliced gherkins
- more vegan mayo
Instructions
- pre-heat Pre-heat oven to 220°C/425°F
- batter Wet batter: Whisk 10 tbsp flour with 1/2 tsp salt, black pepper, 1/2 tbsp thyme and water.
- coating Dry coating: In another bowl, crush cornflakes with the back of a measuring cup, Add in the remaining 4 tbsp flour, 1/2 tbsp thyme, 1/2 tsp salt, cayenne powder and garlic granules. Mix to combine.
- dip Dip oyster mushroom cluster into the wet batter, then transfer into the dry. Using your clean hand sprinkle and gently press the dry coating onto the mushrooms. Transfer onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining oyster mushrooms.
- bake Bake: Brush olive oil over the coated mushrooms, then bake for 20 minutes. Flip and bake for another 10 minutes.
- drizzle Hot maple slaw: Add vegan butter, maple syrup, cayenne powder, chilli powder, garlic granules, salt and paprika powder into a saucepan and cook over a low flame for 1-3 minutes or until the butter is completely melted and bubbly. Into another bowl, add the sliced/shredded cabbage, grated carrots, vegan mayo, lemon juice, salt, black pepper and 1-2 tbsps of the hot maple. Toss until combined.
- Assembly: Spread a little vegan butter on the insides of the buns, and heat on a skillet until golden and crispy. Add a dollop of vegan mayo on one side of the bun, swirl in a little of that hot maple, and place the vegan chicken ontop. Top with the hot maple slaw, sliced onions and gherkins.
Nutrition
- Calories: 418
