Seitan vegan wings on a stick
These deliciously tender and juicy Vegan Wings are full of flavor and have a meaty texture. They’re easy to make too, so bring them to your next backyard barbecue! Vegan chicken wings are made from seitan (just like my Vegan Chicken), jackfruit, and simple seasonings. The seitan base is the secret to the tender, meaty texture (just like Vegan Fried Chicken and Vegan Steak) while the jackfruit keeps the inside moist and juicy. You can even stick them with a small sugar cane if you like your vegan wings on a stick. The process is a little long, but easy to tackle. To make the best vegan wings: Turn up the heat by dousing the finished wings in buffalo sauce or keep things on the sweeter side with a vegan-friendly honey garlic sauce. This new game day favorite will be gone before you know it, especially when you put out vegan blue cheese or vegan ranch for dipping.
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
Vital wheat gluten – This is essential to any seitan recipe. Vital wheat gluten is packed with protein and gives seitan its chewy, tender, and almost elastic texture. It tastes like wheat on its own, which is why you need a handful of spices and seasonings to give seitan its “meaty” flavors.All purpose flour – Flour brings the seitan dough together and prevents the wings from falling apart. Try not to replace it with any alternatives.Nutritional yeastOnion powderGarlic powderPaprikaSaltJackfruit – Stirring shredded jackfruit in with the seitan dough is the secret to juicy and moist vegan wings. Make sure to use young canned jackfruit packed in water or brine. If packed in brine, give the jackfruit a good rinse to remove any salty flavors.Vegan chik’n flavored broth – Or use vegetable broth as a substitute. However, the best, most realistic flavors come from the chik’n broth!Olive oilSugar cane sticks – These are the “bones” that will stick out of the vegan wings. Instead of sugar cane, use bamboo chopsticks or skewers, pretzel sticks, or thin bread sticks. You can prevent the alternatives from burning in the oven by wrapping them with a small piece of tinfoil. Or keep them “boneless”.Honey garlic sauce – To keep it vegan, it’s not actually made with honey. This is one of two wing sauce options you can use to coat the vegan wings. It’s easy to make with agave, water, and simple seasonings.Buffalo sauce – This classic and spicy wing sauce comes together on the stovetop. It’s easy to make using vegan butter, Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, vinegar, and garlic powder.
How to make vegan wings
Find the complete recipe with measurements and directions below. First, whisk the vital wheat gluten, flour, and seasonings together in a bowl. Drain and rinse the canned jackfruit and dry it as much as possible with a dish towel. Cut off the woody, firm ends and discard the seeds. You should only be left with the shredded jackfruit pieces. Curious about jackfruit? Try these easy Jackfruit Tacos, Buffalo Jackfruit Quesadillas or Jackfruit Carnitas. Stir the prepared jackfruit, broth, and oil into the bowl with the dry ingredients until the mixture begins to pull away from the bowl. Use your hands to make sure everything is mixed well but don’t knead the dough. Cut the dough into small pieces while you wait for a pot of water to boil. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down until it’s just simmering. Add the seitan pieces and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain the water and once they’re cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the seitan pieces. Transfer the drained seitan pieces to a parchment-lined baking sheet. If you want, stick a piece of sugar cane in one end of each piece to act as the chicken wing “bone”. Pop the baking sheet in the oven and let the wings bake for 15 minutes. Make the sauce of your choice while you wait. Both the honey garlic sauce and buffalo sauce are easy to make in a saucepan on the stove. Once the wings are out of the oven, toss them in the pan (or brush them) with the sauce of your choice. Pop them back in the oven for a few more minutes. Serve the finished vegan chicken wings immediately and enjoy!
Pan fry option
Want your vegan wings extra crispy? Brown the baked wings in an oiled skillet, then stir in the sauce of your choice.
Air fry option
Line the seitan pieces in an even layer in your air fryer basket after they’re done boiling. Air fry at 375ºF for 15 minutes, then transfer to an oiled pan and sauté. Mix in the sauce to coat, then enjoy!
Serving suggestions for vegan wings
If it isn’t a rule that vegan buffalo wings have to be served with vegan blue cheese or vegan ranch, then it should be. The cool, creamy dipping sauce offsets the heat, ensuring these spicy wings can be enjoyed by all. Saucy vegan wings are a must-have for watching the game or when you’re serving all of the best pub food at the party. They’d pair perfectly with vegan pizza, grilled burgers, mozzarella sticks, BBQ cauliflower wings, and more. Leftover wings are incredible on a bed of crunchy romaine lettuce with tomatoes, cucumbers and vegan ranch.
Frequently asked questions
Want more “meaty” vegan recipes?
Vegan Carne AsadaVegan HamJackfruit Pulled PorkVegan Turkey Roast
