I have been craving popcorn chicken since the minute I went vegetarian. I was never a big fan of KFC, but popcorn chicken, YUM. It’s like the best part of KFC with a smaller chicken ratio! So when I saw this recipe for vegan popcorn chicken on Pinterest, I knew I had to have it. Finding soy chunks or TVP was hard in Toronto, because most people don’t really know what it is. I checked the organic/health food section and got nothing. I checked my local health food store and got nothing. Finally, one day I was perusing the grocery store for meal ideas and I saw a bag of soy chunks in the ethnic food section. SCORE.
It doesn’t take much for me to get excited about food. Â I dream of it. I daydream about how I’ll present it. How I’ll make it. How deliciously crunchy it will taste. Chris says that this makes him hungry and he doesn’t know how I can stand the torture, but it really just makes it taste that much better when I get around to making it.
I kept putting off making it though, because I had other stuff to do, and I needed other people to help me eat this because I planned on making 2 cups of it. My vegan friend, Jessica, and I have opposite schedules. She’s always being productive and writerly during the day while my most productive hours are after the sun sets. So when our schedules finally aligned, I made these. Soy chunks are weird and oddly resemble dog food, but man oh man, if you soak these badboys in a flavoured broth/brine/liquid, then coat them in deliciously seasoned breading. YUM.
The first time I made these, I didn’t add enough seasoning to the breading or the soaking mixture. The second time I made them, I used vegetable broth both to soak and to coat the chunks and it made all the difference. I added more seasoning to the breading mixture and sprinkled a little extra when they were done frying, and YUM. I didn’t even need the dip. But if case you wanted it, I included the recipe below. Also the second time I made them, I didn’t coat them in the wet mixture twice I just went from wet mixture to the breading and fried them. There wasn’t as much coating as there was the first time, so you can choose which way you want it to be done.
Enjoy!
Vegan Popcorn Chicken
Recipe adapted from [eCurry|http://www.ecurry.com/blog/starters-snacks/vegan-popcorn-chicken/]
Ingredients
- - 2 cups dried soy chunks (TVP chunks work too)
- - 3 cups vegetable broth
- - 2 cloves of garlic, mashed
- - 1 tsp salt
- - 1 inch cube of ginger, grated
- - 1/2 cup flour
- - 3/4 cup vegetable broth (use what you had soaked from the TVP)
- - 1/2 cup cornstarch
- - 1 cup bread crumbs
- - 1 tbsp garlic powder
- - 1 tbsp lemon pepper
- - 1/2 tsp salt
- - For the dip:
- - 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- - 1/3 cup sour cream (use soy sour cream to keep it vegan)
- - dash of salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine soy chunks, mashed garlic, ginger, 1 tsp salt and fill the bowl with vegetable broth until it covers the soy chunks. Soak for about 20 minutes or until the chunks are soft.
- Heat a pot with about an inch of oil on medium high heat.
- Mix together 1/2 cup flour and 3/4 cup vegetable broth from the soaking soy chunks and whisk until no lumps remain. Divide between two bowls.
- Once the chunks are soft and soaked, gently squeeze the excess liquid from the soy chunks and coat in one of the bowls of flour mixture.
- Transfer the chunks to a ziploc bag with 1/2 cup cornstarch. Shake until coated, then transfer to the second bowl of flour mixture, coat, then transfer to another ziploc bag that has the garlic powder, bread crumbs, lemon pepper, and salt.
- Fry the chunks in oil in batches until golden. You may need to push them around to fry all sides because they tend to like to float in one way.
- Remove and drain on a paper towel.
- In a food processor, blend the dill, sour cream, salt and pepper to make the dip.
- Serve the fried chunks with dip and enjoy!
Holly Waterfall says
oh yeah, i will be playing with this one SOON! YUM!!! And I know right where I can get TVP as well.
Auntie Anne says
OMG I think I love you!!! Heading to the bulk barn for soy chunks right away!
Lisa Mai says
Hahah let me know how it works out!
Jessica says
I bought a bag of soya chunks in a local Asian supermarket a few months back. I tried cooking them in meals but they were rank. I thought they were going to be relegated to the back of the cupboard forever but I’ve just tried this and WOW!! Super yummy!! It was my first time deep frying as I’m a scardey cat but they came out perfect. I had different seasonings for my breadcrumbs but they were still super yummy. Safe to say the bag of soya chunks are no longer relegated to the back of the cupboard :D
Lisa Mai says
Yay! I’m glad they worked out for you! Thank you for your feedback, and I agree, I don’t think they’d taste very good in a dish.
Misty says
I had the same first experience with the soy chunks! I went to the Asian Food Market and they found out I was vegetarian and the man went to the back of the store and brought me a big bag of these soy chunks and I was curious! But I tried them in a dish and I could not eat one! Luckily, my fiance’ will eat anything… BUT I am so excited to try this recipe, using the soak with veggie broth! Im sure it will be much better than my first attempt!
Ala says
Double yum–these remind me of the popcorn chicken from Asian milk tea stores (KFC’s “food” never strikes me as looking appetizing). I’ll be on the lookout for soy chunks now!
Andrea says
I had these soy chunks from the Indian market in the pantry forever. We couldn’t believe how awesome these turned out! Dipped them in the batter just once, sprinkled them with cornstarch, breaded and BAM into the deep fryer. So good! We dipped some in Agave-mustard sauce and others in Frank’s for Buffalo style. Thanks!!
Lisa Mai says
Thank you so much for sharing! Yeah I had delicious results with just dipping them in the batter once too. I love the dipping ideas, thanks for sharing, Andrea!
Ren says
Oh gawd. PLEASE call this what it is – Popcorn Soy Chunks.
There’s no such thing as “Vegan Popcorn Chicken”. There is no chicken involved. Popcorn Bites? Soy-tots? Vegan Popcorn Bites? Anything else is better.
I’m sure it’s tasty and (moderately) healthy and I’m sure I sound inane but ugh, calling it something that it clearly isn’t just to get the viewers over is a pet hate.
Lisa Mai says
Hi Ren, thanks for your input. I’m just keeping it SEO friendly, especially for the new vegans and vegetarians out there who aren’t always aware of the alternatives out there. I know I’ve searched “vegan *insert meat* dish” before.
SASmith says
Ren,
Most of the vegans and vegetarians I know, myself included, search for recipes based on their meat-eating counterpart, especially when cooking for non vegs and those new to the diet. Thanks for cutting us some slack…we’re not trying to pull one over on anyone, just trying to make our delicious food available to as many people as possible.
Cheers!
JustSayin says
Ren,
There’s no popcorn in popcorn chicken either.
Ammo says
“There’s no popcorn in popcorn chicken either” — YES, thank you for saying this.
Carly says
I’m very (!) new to trying vegan/vego food – so new that I’m still not 100% converted. I’m trying though, a few weeks in I’ve really struggled losing the meatiness of each meal. Typing “fake chicken recipes” lead me to this page! If Lisa had called it “soy bites” I’d never have found it, because until this page, I didn’t know that fake chicken alternatives made of soy existed.
Try and curb that pet hate, and see the good in allowing those of us not yet experts to be invited in.
P says
Damn I’m just someone who stumbled upon this page just now but how insecure are you??? Who cares what they call it – calling it chicken is to reference what its trying to mimick. Jesus christ how uptight can one person be, go live a little. You’re the one who sounds insane here
Alex says
How can I substitute lemon pepper?
I can’t find it
Lisa Mai says
Hey Alex, you can substitute it with different flavours. If you like curry, add some curry powder, or if you like things a bit spicy, add maybe some chili powder or cayenne pepper. It’s a very flexible recipe, and don’t be afraid to use lots of seasoning. The TVP chunks are pretty bland tasting on their own =P
Fleur says
Hi Alex. I make my own lemon pepper. I use dried lemon zest, peppercorns and a tiny bit of salt and pulse it all in a food processor. I make lemon cordial often and save the zest from the lemons that I use then bake the zest in a low heat oven. There are many “lemon pepper” recipes on the internet, just google it. Hope this helps.
Lisa Mai says
That’s really cool and helpful Fleur! Thanks for sharing that =D
Amy says
I didn’t have lemon pepper so I just grated black peppercorns and mixed in some lemon zest. It worked perfectly!
Aly says
what is “1/3 Sour Cream”? like 1/3 of a cup or of a container? if its a container how big is the container?
Lisa Mai says
Oops! It’s supposed to be 1/3 cup, I guess I forgot to put that in. Thanks Aly!
Aly says
okay awesome :) I made this today for dinner, it was great! Thanks for the recipe!
Lisa Mai says
Glad it worked out! Thanks for coming back to let me know =)
Mrs Mcfly says
Howdy! this recipe looks great! I am new to the Veggie/Vegan world so I was reluctant to buy the chunks at first because people were saying that they liked the “soy curls” better.. But Im glad I decided to buy some cuz Im super pumped to try this!!!
Lisa Mai says
I have no idea what soy curls are, but I hope you let me know how this works out!
Susanne says
Here is a website to give you an idea of what soy curls look like, and how they can be used. I love these, my first experience with them was at a wedding where great bowls of these were served as appetizers, no one knew what they were, but those huge bowls were replenished within 10 minutes, and approximately every 10-15 minutes throughout the entire reception. They were very simply seasoned with soy sauce, honey and a little lemon juice, but they were gone in mere seconds! There are a multitude of ways they can be used, bbq, sloppy joe, teriyaki, etc. Butler (the manufacturer) has an entire list of recipes, and ideas, as does Pinterest. It has a very tender consistency, and my family and I love it.
Lisa Le says
Yeah! I like soy curls fine, they’re just a little more expensive than the TVP chunks I find at the store :)
April says
Hi there. The picture looks soooo yummy I think I might try to make this tomorrow. I realize the original post was a year ago so if you haven’t had any luck with finding TVP I too live in Toronto and get in the bulk section at Healthy Planet. They have chunks and ground. Thanks for the recipe :)
Lisa Le says
Haha yes! I actually completely transitioned to vegan since this post and have learned so many awesome places to find TVP now. Thanks for recommending Healthy Planet, and I hope you like the recipe! If you want another protein-packed crispy treat, I suggest you try the lentil fritters I posted =)
Justin says
Fantastic recipe. Will definitely be making these soon! But wanted to say… I drive to Toronto regularly from Buffalo NY just for the vegan options there. So many restaurants with TVP and mock meats on the menu. My personal favorite being Hogtown on Bloor. Disgraceland on Bloor even has their own vegan popcorn chicken if you feel lazy and don’t feel like making it yourself!
Lisa Le says
Yes I love The Hogtown Vegan! One of my favourites. You should try Grasslands on Queen too =) I’ve never been to Disgraceland, but I have been meaning to check it out.
Miranda says
This was delicious! I’ll admit — I had my doubts, especially when my TVP didn’t automatically form “chunks” and wasn’t dry / clumpy enough to be coated, but had to be straight-up mixed with the flour, cornstarch, bread crumbs, etc. I discovered halfway through the recipe that I didn’t have garlic powder or lemon pepper, so I used: 1 tsp each of: cumin, cayenne pepper, garam masala powder, and paprika, as well as 1/2 tsp ground black pepper and onion powder. The missing 1 tsp I filled in with extra bread crumbs.
Then I plopped some spoonfuls into sizzling hot oil and — voila! DELICIOUSNESS. Thank you so much for this recipe! I’m always looking for new and inventive ways to use TVP :)
Sara Omnomnoms says
HI! i have all the ingredients for this recipe which makes me really happy except i have noooooo idea what soy chunks are but i have tofu, can i cut them up in cubes and use them instead?? =)
Lisa Le says
Hi Sara, You could use them but they’ll yield a very different texture from TVP soy chunks. I also suggest draining the tofu before marinating them in the broth + spice mixture.
Tasha says
Marinating and baking chunks of tofu first might give you closer to the texture you’re hoping for.
Lisa Le says
That’s a good idea! Thanks =)
Sheena says
If you freeze (then thaw-drain) the tofu, it changes the texture.
Jojo says
These look seriously delicious!
stewblack says
Just made these using TVP chunks and I had to come here to thank you for the recipe. They were superb and up until now I’d not held out any hope for TVP which has a nothing flavour and a globby unpleasant texture.
Even two meat eaters enjoyed them.
Lisa Le says
Thanks so much for taking the time to tell me that! TVP can be so tricky haha, it’s so easy to do it wrong and make it taste like dog food haha.
angypangy says
I see grated ginger in the ingredients but no instruction of what to do with it.
Lisa Le says
Thanks for pointing that out! I used it to flavour the broth in which the TVP was soaking. It’s been added to the instructions =)
Emma says
OMG, Just tried this, used cajun seasoning with the breadcrumbs. Utterly gorgeous. I feel a bit sick now though because I ate so much LOL
cliff says
the popcorn chicken can bake it instead
Lisa Le says
I haven’t tried baking it, but I’m sure it’d taste good too.
Edward says
I’m new to this–what is TVP?
Lisa Le says
Texturized Vegetable Protein =) It’s commonly found in Indian supermarkets or bulk food stores.
Jenni says
I just bought my very first package of extra firm tofu. Would I be able to substitute this for the chunks?
Lisa Le says
I haven’t tried it myself, but it would probably taste pretty good =) I would suggest pressing it for a while, to extract all the tofu water so it can soak up the marinade. And you might need to be a bit more gentle with it as tofu is a little more fragile than the TVP.
Nick says
Oh my goodness! I just tried this and it is AMAZING! Thank you so much with sharing this! Will DEFINITELY make again!!
Lisa Le says
=D Glad to hear it! More vegan popcorn chicken for everyone!!
Jen E says
I had issues with the bread crumbs sticking to the flour but they still tasted good!
Lisa Le says
Hi Jen,
Just making sure that you’re using a flour mixture of flour and vegetable broth, not just flour! Otherwise the breadcrumbs won’t stick =P
Alak says
Thanks this recipe…I can’t wait to try it! This may be a silly question but my TVP looks like crumbles. Am I pressing the soaked chunks together to make balls then coating and frying?
Lisa Le says
Hey Alak! No those tvp crumbles are better for pot pies or chilli. I recommend getting bigger TVP chunks that are either round like mine or more nugget sized =)
Becky says
These are SO good! My husband, a meat eater, agrees that these are as good if not better than chicken nuggets. I made some adjustments based on what I had in my pantry, but the concept remains!
Alexandra Ahimsa says
Just made these yesterday, I added pepper, turmeric, paprika and some Japanese spice mix into the breadcrumbs. I also *baked* instead of fried and they came out beautifully! So no need to add the fat or stink the house out with oil! Winning! Thank-you SO much for this recipe, it is 100% going to be a regular in my house!
Lisa Le says
Whoo hoo so glad you liked them! I’ve been meaning to experiment more with baking them instead of frying them, and now with this I’ll have to really go for it =)
craig says
For TVP look for Worhington’s scallops. I jist use shake & bake and bake them…less fat.
Lisa Le says
Yum! Worthington’s Vegetable scallops look great. I just posted a baked version of this recipe, so there’s less fat in the equation =)
Daisy C. says
This is a great recipe, I make a sauce with vegan mayo and Sriracha(adjust to your own liking) and I coat the chicken pieces and make a variation of boneless buffalo wings. My personal favorite is to take a spinach wrap and add this with lettuce, tomato, red onion and vegan ranch to make a buffalo chicken wrap… So yummy!
Lisa Le says
Yummmm that sounds so good!
Kali says
Hi! these look really good, but do you know how to make them gluten free? :)
Lisa Le says
Try subbing GF flour and GF breadcrumbs and you should be just fine =)
Birna says
So excited to try this! My TVP is soaking right now!
I’m wondering if these would keep well in the freezer? Either before or after frying them?
Anyone tried that?
A big thank you from a new there if I seq vegan! :D
Lisa Le says
I’ve never tried freezing them, but since they’re so small, I think you could freeze them just before you fry them, and then fry them straight from the freezer? I’d love to hear your results if you try (I kind of hate frying food now so I probably won’t be experimenting with this anytime soon)
Angeline says
I just tried making this using TVP (Bob’s Red Mill) and I think I failed entirely. It was gummy but the flavor was good. Any tips on how I can make it better next time?
Lisa Le says
Were they the the little ball chunks? Or the ground-sized TVP bits? You need the chunks to make it, I’ve found them at Bulk Barn and in the Indian/International section at my local grocery store =)
Kay says
This looks and sound so delicious just what I needed to complete my kids chicken and fries vegan style…thanks
Lisa Le says
Yesss! Hope it’s a hit!
Clara says
These are absolutely delicious! I have not been successful in making soy chunks taste good up until now but these little crispy nuggets are sooo good :) Had to improvise with home made vegan broth and home made sourdough bread crumbs but they turned out amazingly tasty. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Lisa Le says
Oooh home made sourdough bread crumbs would add lots of flavour! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Brooke says
Can you bake these? If so, any recommendations on the temp and time?
Jess says
Can you use Quorn? I have a crap ton of the stuff and these look so good!
Lisa Le says
I’ve never used Quorn but I don’t see why not :) They might not soak up the flavour the same way TVP might though.
Judy says
Can you bake these instead of frying
Lisa Le says
Yes you can find that recipe here
Silpa says
Popcorn chicken looking tempting. I love the way you described the recipe. Thank you for the yummy recipe. I will try this recipe soon?
Lucia Lupercio says
Can I have nutritional information for this recipe please
Lisa Le says
Sorry! I don’t have that information.
Damon says
Hello! I have a question.. if I’m using a block of tofu, is it necessary to soak the chunks since they are already soaked? Let me know! Thanks!
Lisa Le says
Hi! Nope, since the TVP chunks are dried, they have to be reconstituted, but you don’t need to do that with tofu! If anything you may need to press the tofu a bit to remove the excess moisture so they can absorb more flavour :)
Tim Richardson says
Saw this recipe years ago and today finally got around to making it after a friend gave me some TVP – it was well worth the wait, it wag magnificent!