Inspired by laziness?
Vegan Buffalo Sandwich! My mouth waters at the thought. We used to have fried chicken quite a lot, I’d make mashed potatoes, gravy, sometimes even stuffing! (I love stuffing, so I’m happy with any excuse to have some!) Since I went vegan a couple years ago though, I obviously haven’t made it nearly as much!
My hubby would still request it every so often though, and I would comply, a bit begrudgingly, because then I had to come up with something else entirely for myself to eat. That always seemed like so much work. In the back of my mind I would think “Can’t we just have tacos or spaghetti or something else that’s super easy to make vegan?”
I’m not sure why it took me so long to come up with the idea of a vegan buffalo sandwich. But, I finally decided if I was going to go to all the trouble of breading and frying chicken for him, I should fry up something for myself too! I took inspiration from a recipe my sister makes a lot, and these vegan buffalo sandwiches were born! Who needs chicken?! With a little slaw on top for that coolness and crunch, these sandwiches have easily become one of my favorite things to eat!
Now, any time he mentions maybe having fried chicken for dinner, I’m 100% on board. It means I get something yummy too! Also, I gave up on all the work of mashed potatoes and gravy and stuffing, because frozen French fries are way easier and they go with my buffalo sandwich better anyway. Hey, I never claimed to be a nutritionalist. I just don’t wanna eat dead animals!
How it’s made:
So for this recipe, you’ll need firm tofu, drained and pressed, a little bit of vegetable stock, chicken breast or thighs, some salty milk to brine the chicken, and my perfect mixture of flour and spices. *wink wink.*
I wanted to make sure my tofu was juicy and flavorful, so you’ll start out marinating it in your vegetable stock or broth. At the same time, put your chicken in to brine in the milk. I’ve tried almond milk for this before, when I was dairy free but not yet vegan; it doesn’t work. The finished product came out rather slimy and all the breading slipped off. So I wouldn’t recommend that. For my husband, I use his 1% dairy milk.
This step isn’t 100% necessary, but brining does make chicken extra juicy and flavorful. You can even put it in the brine hours or the day before. I never plan that far in advance though, so 10-20 minutes usually does the trick. Or at least my husband says it’s good!
While your tofu is marinating and your chicken is brining, you’ll make up your breading. It’s a simple mixture of all purpose flour, salt, garlic, paprika and parsley. My favorite way to make your breading extra crispy is to drizzle in a couple spoonfuls of vegetable stock off your tofu marinade, and stir it in with a fork until it’s rough and shaggy.
This messy looking concoction gives your finished dish extra texture, flavor and crunch! Now, dip, baby, dip. Oh, and if you’re concerned about sharing the same breading and dish for the tofu and the chicken, just do the breading on your tofu first and set it aside. No one cares if their chicken touches some tofu juice anyway, right? Haha.
Your last job is to fry them both up! Again, if you don’t want your tofu to be chicken-y, you can dirty up two pans and fry them separately, or just fry the tofu first and keep it warm while you cook the chicken. The tofu only takes a few minutes, it really only needs long enough to get nice and crispy on the outside. The chicken, depending on your cut, will take a little longer. 5-12 minutes total, but it’s always smart to use a meat thermometer and make sure your temp is above 165 F in the thickest piece.
While it’s all cooking, toast some buns, whip up a quick coleslaw, and get out the buffalo sauce! If you want to try your hand at a homemade mayo for your coleslaw, try this Vegan Mayo from Loving it Vegan. All you need are a few simple ingredients and an immersion blender!
One last quick note! This is also delicious as a BBQ chicken sandwich. If you don’t like buffalo sauce or anything too spicy, try it with your favorite barbecue.
Vegan Buffalo Sandwiches and Amazing Fried Chicken
Ingredients
- For the 'meats':
- 2 boneless chicken thighs
- 2 slices firm tofu (drained and pressed)
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 1 cup milk (or enough to soak chicken in)
- 2 tsp salt
- For the breading:
- 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp dried parsley
- For the slaw:
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 2 tbsp thin sliced red onion
- 1 tbsp vegan mayo (or regular mayo if that's what you have)
- 2 tsp vinegar
- To serve:
- Sandwich buns
- Buffalo or BBQ sauce
- Ketchup, BBQ or Campfire sauce for chicken
Instructions
- If you're making fries, preheat oven according to package directions and put fries in when it's ready.
- Place tofu to marinade in small sealable container with vegetable broth. Flip upside down a couple times to get the tofu saturated.
- In a medium bowl, mix 2 teaspoons salt into the milk to create a brine, place chicken in the milk and set aside.
- On dinner plate or pie dish, mix flour, 1/4 tsp salt, and remaining spices. Add 1-2 tablespoons broth off your tofu marinade and stir with fork until shaggy.
- Bread your tofu first to avoid cross contamination. Set into the flour mixture and use your fingers to press it on so it sticks well. Repeat on other side, and scoop a little flour up and press along the edges as well. Set aside, and repeat with chicken pieces.
- In a large skillet, heat shortening or coconut oil over medium high heat until it spatters with a drop of flour. (Turn on your kitchen vent to avoid smoke!) Add tofu to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until crispy and heated through. Remove from skillet and set aside (if you're making fries in the oven, throw the finished tofu in there to stay warm!)
- Check to make sure you have enough oil, add more if necessary, and when hot, add chicken. Cook for about 3-6 minutes on each side, until dark crispy brown. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. Chicken is done when it reaches 165 F.
- While chicken is cooking, toast your sandwich buns and prep your slaw. Toss shredded cabbage and red onion together in small bowl. Whisk vinegar into vegan mayo until it's smooth, then pour over cabbage mixture and stir to coat. Taste and season with salt, pepper or parsley if desired. (as an alternitive, toss cabbage mixture with ranch or vegan ranch instead of mayo dressing)
- To serve sandwiches: place tofu patty on toasted bun, drizzle with buffalo (or bbq) sauce, pile with coleslaw, and add more buffalo sauce if desired. I like it saucy 😉 Top with other side of bun and serve with fries on the side! You can absoultly serve the chicken as a sandwich as well, just follow the same steps to assemble. My husband prefers it just as fried chicken, so he never has a sandwich.
- If you want an extra yummy dipping sauce for the chicken or fries, mix mayo (vegan or not) with some bbq sauce in about a 3 to 1 ratio. It's similar to the campfire sauce you can get at Red Robin, and it's soo good!
Let me know if you make yourself some fried chicken or a vegan buffalo sandwich. I’d love to hear how you like them! Leave a comment here or tag me on Instagram, @traveling_chickpea!
If you have a sweet tooth after dinner, try some Vegan Banana Bread or Chocolate Zucchini Bread for dessert! They are both quick and easy to whip up and leave you with just a couple dirty dishes left over.
