Make this crispy vegan fried chicken in your air fryer or oven using soy curls and no added oil. Serve with barbecue sauce or turn them into delicious vegan Buffalo wings.
A few days ago, I set out to replicate a love of my distant past and created a vegan version of Popeye’s fried chicken. Along the way, I learned that soy curls really are a wonder food and that vegan “chicken” fingers taste great on salad. And I saved my house from burning down!
So this is the short (for those of you who hate bloggers’ stories) and sweet (for those of you who love them) story of how this recipe came about and how it helped me discover a threat to my house’s safety:
First, spicy vegan fried “chicken” came about thanks to my FatFree Vegan group on Facebook. Someone asked what to do with soy curls, and as the ideas flowed in, I realized that I wasn’t using soy curls to their full potential. (Most frequently I throw them into “chicken” noodle soup or add barbecue sauce to them for sandwiches; occasionally I go all out and add them to Pasta with White Sauce.)
Someone mentioned Kathy Hester’s Southern Fried Soy Curls recipe, which made me really want to experiment with a Popeye’s-style version. So I got to work, made them in the Breville Smart Oven Air, and served them to my delighted husband on the salad you see above. It was a hit!
But I didn’t take any process photos or video, and I wanted to get the time and temp right for cooking them in the oven, so the next day, I made them again with the video camera running. When I got to the time to bake them, I decided to move my Breville Smart Oven to a brighter spot in the kitchen. I went to unplug it–and couldn’t. The plug was melted into the wall adapter I had been using for years.
I finally got the Breville’s plug out and found that it looked damaged, so it’ll have to be replaced before I can safely use it.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Do not plug your air fryer into any kind of adapter! I did it without thinking, and the results could have been tragic.
Back to the “short” story: Well, the video was now not possible. I put the battered soy curls in the fridge and tried to figure out what to do. My kitchen wall oven is not reliable, so I never use it for calculating recipe times and temperature and totally rely on the Breville. We ate hummus that night.
The next day, I realized that I had kept my old Breville Smart Oven (non-Air). I had my husband get it down from the attic, and I was able to use it to make spicy vegan fried chicken in a baking pan.
I think the air-fried version (shown above) was a little crispier, but the oven-fried was just as tasty. And sitting overnight before cooking didn’t seem to hurt it at all.
About Soy Curls
Butler’s Soy Curls have been around for years. I was lucky to discover them in our local health food store’s bulk bins, but unfortunately that store closed last year. So I’ve been buying them in bulk online, mostly through Amazon but sometimes directly from Butler Foods. I usually come out ahead on Amazon when I buy in bulk with Prime shipping (and I use Amazon Smile to send a portion of the cost to my favorite Pomeranian rescue.)
If you’re not familiar with soy curls, they are eerily similar to the texture of chicken. They’re made from entire non-GMO soybeans and they’re dehydrated, so to use them you have to add water to them or put them into a soup or stew, like my Javanese-Inspired Chicken Soup. They have no flavor of their own, so I always rehydrate them in broth or water with added seasonings.
Be sure to store them in the freezer because they do go rancid at room temperature. Believe me, you do not want to smell or taste rancid soy curls!
Vegan Spicy Fried Chicken on a Salad
Y’all know I’ve been hanging out too much on Instagram, where life is beautiful all of the time, and vegan foods must have fresh vegetables! So I served my husband fried soy curls on a bed of baby greens with tomatoes, sugar snap peas, multicolored carrots, and Hidden Cashew Ranch Dressing. And HE LOVED IT.
Other Ways to Serve Spicy Vegan Fried “Chicken”
The second time I made it, I went more traditional and served my oven-fried chicken with barbecue sauce and had baked potato and broccoli as side dishes. I really love dipping the spicy soy curls into sauce for added spiciness.
Another great way to serve them would be to make Buffalo Soy Curls by tossing the “fried” soy curls with hot sauce and then baking or air frying them again for a few minutes.
The same goes for Barbecued Soy Curls: Make the recipe as written, toss with barbecue sauce, and then air fry or bake until heated through. I’ll be trying both of these variations soon!
Vegan Spicy Fried "Chicken" Soy Curls
Ingredients
- 60 grams soy curls (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 cups hot water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons no-chicken bouillon
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (or to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper generously, to taste
Coating Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1-2 teaspoons creole seasoning (use more or less to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder (use smoked paprika to reduce spiciness)
- 1 tablespoon plain non-dairy yogurt (or 2 1/2 teaspoons non-dairy milk and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice)
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
Suggested Tools
Instructions
- Put the soy curls in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the hot or boiling water, bouillon, 1/4 teaspoon chipotle pepper, and black pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes, until the soy curls have softened. Remove from the heat and set aside while you mix the coating ingredients.
- Combine the dry coating ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk the yogurt and hot sauce together in a large bowl (large enough to hold the soy curls.)
- Place the air fryer basket in the air fryer. If you’re using an oven, put a baking sheet into the oven. Preheat your air fryer/oven. For the Breville Air, use the air frying setting and set the temperature to 425F. For a regular air fryer or oven, set the temperature to 400F.
- Using a colander, drain the soy curls (you can keep the liquid and use it to add salt and flavor to soups and gravies if you want.) Use the back of a large spoon to press as much liquid as you can out of the soy curls.
- Pour the soy curls into the bowl with the yogurt mixture and toss well to coat. Sprinkle the dry mix onto the curls a little at a time as you stir to make sure they’re all evenly coated.
- Place perforated parchment paper in your air fryer basket or regular parchment paper on your baking sheet. Pour the soy curls onto the paper and spread them out so that they aren’t touching.
- In the Breville or air fryer, cook for 6 minutes and then shake the basket or stir to shift them around. (At this point in the Breville, I was able to remove the parchment paper without them sticking.) Cook for 5-7 more minutes, until the soy curls are crispy on the outside.
- In the oven, cook for 10 minutes and then turn the soy curls over as best you can, breaking up any that have stuck together. Cook for 10-15 more minutes, until the soy curls are crispy on the outside.
- Serve with your choice of dipping sauces or on a salad with ranch dressing.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
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I hope you enjoy the recipe. Let me know what you think in the comments below. And be sure to check out my other air-fryer recipes here.
This post contains Amazon affiliate links to products that I like. I may receive a small commission on anything you buy through them, but I promise to put it to good use.
Maria
June 16, 2019 at 6:06 pmHi Susan! Looks yummy! Ans so glad you didn’t burn the house down! xoxo
Susan Voisin
June 16, 2019 at 6:08 pmThanks, Maria! The scary thing is I never move that thing. It was just a fluke that I decided I needed better light.
Linda Burrell
June 16, 2019 at 9:52 pmI love fried chickenish recipes; but we can’t tolerate heat. So I’m going to try this sans heat. I’ll probably use some Frontier chicken seasoning instead of heat. Instead of water and bouillon paste, I’ boil in Imagine no-chick broth then use the broth to cook rice or potatoes.
Susan Voisin
June 17, 2019 at 9:58 amSounds like a great plan! Please let me know how you like it.
Kathy Northrop
June 17, 2019 at 5:57 pmI wonder if that. Coating and recipe could be used on tofu?
Susan Voisin
June 17, 2019 at 6:06 pmI don’t see why not. Frozen then thawed and squeezed tofu would probably be great.
Pam Burnham
June 17, 2019 at 6:12 pmPSA: Do not plug anything that gets hot (space heater, slow cooker, hair appliances, etc.) into an adapter–nor should one use an extension cord with an appliance that heats up.
Now, down to the non-meat of my post: I actually just purchased my first soy curls earlier today, and then your email shows up in my inbox! Serendipitous, no? I haven’t had a chance to try the recipe, but I gave it five stars just for the cosmic coincidence.
I’m sure the recipe is five star without even trying it. All of yours are!
Ali
June 18, 2019 at 12:35 amThis is at least the third electrical safety horror story I’ve heard about air fryers. It seems to me they probably need to come with better warnings.
I can’t tolerate soy curls for some reason but I might try this coating with tempeh.
Miss Love
August 1, 2021 at 12:37 amHow do you spread the soy curls out in the airfryer basket without them touching? Are you only cooking like a tablespoon of them at a time? I have a two quart air fryer and so does that mean none of them can touch it all like I can’t do stacked soy curls? I don’t get it
Susan Voisin
August 1, 2021 at 2:30 amWith a small air fryer, stacking will probably be your best option, but I would stir them every few minutes so they don’t stick together.
Shellie
June 18, 2019 at 4:30 pmWe had these last night. They were delicious. Going to try it with tofu as well..
Carol
June 19, 2019 at 4:19 amI bought soy curls one time. That was my first and last time. I thought they were horrible.
Susan Voisin
June 19, 2019 at 6:40 amWas it the taste you didn’t like or the texture? If they’re not rancid, they don’t have much flavor. They do go bad if not stored in the freezer. I once forgot some were in the cabinet, and when I found them they smelled terrible.
joanna
December 30, 2019 at 12:46 pmI didn’t realize these need to be stored in the freezer – is that noted on the package? I bought a giant bag online and have had them in the pantry for a few weeks. Will it be obvious that they’re bad? I was planning to try this recipe tonight!
Susan Voisin
December 30, 2019 at 4:34 pmSmell them and if they smell bad or rancid, don’t use them. You should be able to tell if they’re bad. If your house is not too warm, a few weeks probably won’t be too long in the pantry.
Patt
June 20, 2019 at 6:35 pmI’m so glad you didn’t burn down your house! Just an FYI that Frontier Cajun Seasoning is salt free. Now I’m off to see if I can find Butler Soy Curls locally.. Thanks for the recipe and the inspiration!
REBECCA m BARRY
June 20, 2019 at 9:54 pmThanks for mentioning how to cut back on sodium. This looks delicious! What are you using to generate the Nutritional Facts. I just started using Cronometer, which seems good, but just wondering what other options or apps people might be using for complete nutritional info, including vitamins and minerals. Phew, glad you were okay with the plug incident!
Dana
June 21, 2019 at 1:04 pmI made this earlier in the week – yum! I love soy curls. They are so versatile. Thanks for another excellent way to make them.
Susan Voisin
June 21, 2019 at 1:28 pmI’m so happy you enjoyed them!
Kevin
June 20, 2019 at 10:00 pmIt should be pointed out that not only are soy curls 100 percent soy, they are 100 percent of the bean.
Khaty
June 23, 2019 at 3:52 pmHi Susan, I loved the recipe! Especially the popeye style. I’ll combine it with what I’m doing to improve my results, and achieve my goals with your recipes.
Excellent recipe, thanks.
alexandra coursen
June 25, 2019 at 2:32 pmgreat recipe; wish I’d made more
Sarah
June 30, 2019 at 7:46 pmHoly moly these are amazing!!!!! I made mine buffalo style (used flavor gods buffalo seasoning instead of creole seasoning and added buffalo sauce after they were done cooking). Also I had no idea you could perforate foil and use it in the air fryer- this is genius! This will be a staple in our house from now on!
Sheilah
June 30, 2019 at 8:07 pmThis is delicious! The coating is perfect, just crispy enough, and my husband and I loved the flavor. Thank you!
mary
July 3, 2019 at 1:37 pmWow these look amazing – so much flavor 🙂 I’m doing these for July 4th! Thanks 🙂
Teresa
July 14, 2019 at 11:37 pmThese soy curls look fantastic! I’d never thought of breading them, but now I think I’m going to have to give it a try.
Emily Zielinski
September 26, 2019 at 8:16 amGreat recipe and really yummy too.
Jess
February 22, 2020 at 7:26 pmMade these tonight and they were delish! Didn’t have any yogurt so used Veganaise and Frank’s hot sauce and they came out great! Also hydrated the curls in veggie broth. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Ramona
March 5, 2020 at 12:41 pmI haven’t made the recipe yet, but I had a black Pom, Shadow, that looked just like yours. He passed 4 years ago and I still miss him so much.
Susan Voisin
March 5, 2020 at 2:16 pmI’m so sorry for your loss. I don’t think we ever get over the dogs that leave us.
Carolyn
July 3, 2020 at 11:12 pmI made this for dinner tonight and it was fabulous! Fat Free Vegan recipes never disappoint! We served it on salad, as suggested, with ranch dressing. My husband, who never wants recipes repeated within the month, asked, “When can we have this again?!”
Bolt Cristie
July 21, 2020 at 7:25 pmI made these using tofu cashew mayo because I didn’t have yogurt, worked very well! Then topped a vegan Caesar salad with about 1/2 cup of them with black olives, red onion and avocado – ooh la la 👏👏👏
Susan Voisin
July 21, 2020 at 9:23 pmThe mayo is such a great idea! Thanks for letting me know.
Deanna
August 4, 2020 at 12:04 pmI love soy curls. This was delicious! Last night I made Korean BBQ soy curl tacos, so many different recipes you can make using soy curls!
Susan Voisin
August 4, 2020 at 12:10 pmThose tacos sound great!
Cynthia
August 15, 2020 at 2:32 pmThe parchment paper attached to the heating element and burned so I would not put in my air fryer next time. I had no problem with the curls sticking when placed directly on the mesh bottom of the basket.
Jennifer
September 16, 2020 at 2:48 pmSo delicious!
Melody
February 1, 2021 at 2:12 pmLove these!! My boy just asked for ‘fried chicken’. We’ve been plant based for 6 weeks now, so this was perfect!! How can you store leftovers?
Glad I discovered you!
Susan Voisin
February 1, 2021 at 2:33 pmI’d just store leftovers in the fridge and put them back in the air fryer or oven to reheat. I’m so glad they were a hit!
Elizabeth Handler
February 28, 2021 at 9:43 pmYour Schipperke is adorable, and this looks delicious.
camryn
April 8, 2021 at 11:51 amLoved this! I did them in my oven on a silicone baking sheet and they turned out great! This recipe is especially awesome because I had everything in my pantry so its definitely gonna become a staple 🙂
Jamie
April 16, 2021 at 5:42 pmI made this tonight. It was so good! I upped the nutritional yeast. Hubby loved it so much he said he would serve it when his guys come over to watch sports! Big win! Thanks!
MaryEllen Bunce
October 7, 2021 at 7:22 amThis recipe looks delicious. What do you recommend for a substitute for the whole wheat flour? Do you think buckwheat flour would work?
Thank you
Susan Voisin
October 7, 2021 at 9:47 amI haven’t really worked with buckwheat flour, but it may work. Rice flour is another option.
Ellen
October 25, 2021 at 10:00 pmThis was fantastic! My meat eating friends came for dinner and loved them. I used almond flour instead of ww flour. And I made a few subs for the seasoning based on what I had in my spice drawer. I used oat milk instead of yogurt. This is a major win!!!
diana
July 14, 2022 at 9:20 pmCan you leave the cornmeal out?
Susan Voisin
July 14, 2022 at 10:57 pmCornmeal gives it a rougher, more fried texture. If you leave it out, replace it with another coarse flour.
Andrea
July 16, 2022 at 11:53 pmThank you so much for this recipe! The first time I tried Butler soy curls they remained mushy in my stir fry and I was so concerned about all the “chicken” recipes I make for my husband because the prepared “chicken” soy curls in the fridge section at the grocery store were strangely discontinued, not that I was a great fan of them, because they taste a little brined to me like how jackfruit (I don’t eat after the first try) is but the only alternative in the store are breaded nuggets. I bought these unprepared ones on Amazon since the price is comparable. Now I will be able to enjoy them thanks to you!!!! 🎉 super crispy! No sponginess!!! Yum!!!!