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Vegan Chicken and Waffles

Crispy fried chicken on top of cornmeal waffles and drizzled in a cayenne maple syrup. We don’t need to say much more than that, but we will.

We swear this is nothing short of magic. Yes you read the title right, we made VEGAN Chicken and Waffles! Crispy deep fried vegan chicken that honestly tastes just like KFC, but so much better. Paired with a crispy cornmeal waffle and doused in the perfect blend of cayenne hot sauce and maple syrup. The ultimate vegan brunch has arrived.

One of both of our favourite dishes is without a doubt Chicken and Waffles. We order it nearly every chance we get and when it’s good, it’s GOOD. We wanted to be able to make it at home and share a great vegan chicken option with you, so we got to work. We’ve tried making vegan chicken using tofu and seitan, both of which are good options, but honestly tofu gets boring and seitan is A LOT of work. Kat had seen mushrooms being used as a meat replacement in recipes before, so instead of moving on to store-bought vegan chicken, she took a chance with mushrooms. Well, long story short it worked.

cayenne maple syrup drizzling over vegan chicken and waffles

overhead of vegan chicken and waffles

Oyster mushrooms are what makes this recipe so amazing. When kept in bunches and fried with a classic fried chicken batter, the mushrooms pull apart very similarly to chicken and the flavours in the spice blend make this so fried chicken worthy.  Double batter these and it’s a complete game changer. Finished with a cayenne maple syrup, this vegan fried chicken tastes just like the real thing.

Why this is the best vegan chicken and waffles ever;

  • No extra work, just fry up some mushrooms and you’re done.
  • Stays crispy, even doused in sauce.
  • Tastes EXACTLY like chicken, but it’s not.
  • Every ingredient is readily available.

vegan chicken and waffles

We promise we didn’t mean to make this post all about the chicken and just ignore the waffles. The waffles are amazing, we swear, but honestly the vegan fried chicken truly steals the show! The waffles are perfectly crispy and filled with a delicious corn flavour. The perfect accompaniment to perfectly crispy fired chicken.

Get the full recipe and video tutorial below. Don’t forget to check out our Deep Frying Safety Guide before taking on this recipe!

Looking for more delicious vegan waffle ideas? Try our Gingerbread Waffles, Jalapeno Bacon Waffles, Strawberry Shortcake Waffles and Loaded Potato Waffles.

Vegan Chicken and Waffles

Crispy fried vegan chicken (aka mushrooms) on top cornmeal waffles and doused in cayenne maple syrup.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Southern
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

Fried Chicken

  • 250 g oyster mushroom bunches
  • oil for deep frying*

Batter

  • 128 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
  • 315 mL (1 1/3 cup) vegan stock
  • 1 tbsp old bay seasoning
  • 1 tsp garlic
  • 1 tsp onion
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Dredge

  • 192 g (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp old bay seasoning
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp onion
  • 1 tsp garlic
  • pinch salt & pepper

Crispy Waffles

  • 180 mL (3/4 cup) vegan buttermilk, 3/4 cup soy milk + 2 tbsp acv
  • 1 flax egg**
  • 45 g (2 1/2 tbsp) vegan butter, melted
  • 96 g (3/4 cup) flour
  • 60 g (1/2 cup) cornmeal
  • 12 g (1 tbsp) brown sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • pinch salt
  • 7 g (2 tbsp) fresh chives

Cayenne Maple Syrup

  • 1/2 cup cayenne hot sauce
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup

Instructions

  • Tear mushroom bundles into desired sizes.
  • To a bowl combine the batter ingredients and mix until smooth. Toss in the oyster mushroom bunches and set aside to marinade.
  • To another bowl combine dredge ingredients.
  • Heat a deep cast iron pot with 1-2 inches of high-heat oil (like vegetable oil) to 350F. You want at least 1-2 inches of space between the oil and the top of the pot to avoid a grease fire.
  • One by one, removed oyster mushroom bundles from batter and into the dredge and coat. Into the batter again, and one more time in the dredge, Carefully place the coated mushrooms in the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy. Do not overcrowd the oil. Once golden remove from oil and place on a paper towel lined cooling rack. Repeat until all mushrooms are fried. Turn off stove and set oil aside to cool.
  • To make the waffles, combine soy milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside.
  • Make flax egg and set aside to thicken.
  • To a bowl combine the remaining ingredients (except the fresh chives). Add in the buttermilk and flax egg, mix until combined. Chucks are okay. Add in the chives and mix.
  • In a preheated waffle iron pour in about 1/3 cup of batter at a time and cook until golden brown and the steam stops. Repeat for remaining batter.
  • Finally mix cayenne hot sauce with maple syrup.
  • Construct by starting with a crispy waffle, top with muchroom chick'n and drizzle with cayenne maple syrup.

Notes

*we used vegetable oil
**a flax egg is 1 tbsp ground flax seed and 3 tbsp cold water

How to make Vegan Chicken and Waffles:

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