This year I decided to slowly transition to a more plant-based diet. While I do not think I will ever go completely vegan or vegetarian, when presented with the choice to eat a more plant-based meal I try to do so. I had always been skeptical of Vegan and Vegetarian meals that claim to be "just like the real thing." That is until I was able to visit the famous Slutty Vegan restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia last fall! That place is amazing. You must try.
After falling in love with Slutty Vegan, I tried my hat at vegan burgers. Though I enjoyed them, I have never really been a burger person. I'm a chicken sandwich kind of gal. So, when I tried to find vegan chicken sandwiches, I knew that was going to be much harder. Each recipe I saw, people either found it too rubbery, bland, or there was a weird paper thing wrapped around it to be the "skin."
But then I found a recipe that seemed pretty legit! Thee Burger Dude has a recipe for Vegan Nashville Hot Chicken that peak my interest, and I decided to try it. MAN was it difficult to find the ingredients though! I spent an entire day driving around to 10 stores trying to find the right ingredients. By the time I found everything and got back home, it was too late for things to thaw and to cook. I was super pissed, but what was I going to do about it? Sigh. Waited until the next day and went for it. It was pretty good and I was definitely impressed, but I had to make quite a few adjustments. On the second try, with my modifications, I was able to make this sandwich into one of my absolute FAVE meals! You will need an air fryer for this recipe! You can also deep fry in oil, but I wasn't able to get the crispiness that I like using that method and you're also making it less healthy using that method.
So, here you go!
RECIPE
(makes 2 sandwiches)
2 Gardein Brand Chick’n Scallopini filets (thawed) -- I could only find these at ONE Target in my area, but found out they also carry it some Natural Grocers stores. Once I saw them at NG, I bought every bag they had. The original recipe calls for combining two filets into one big patty. I found this to be a bit much, so I went with one filet per patty.
1/2 cup plant milk (my choice was oat)
3 Tbsp Louisiana hot sauce
2 Tbsp pickle brine
2 tsp apple cider vinegar (this may vary depending on which milk you bought)
3 Tbsp flour
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
Dill pickle slices
Brioche Burger Buns
Optional lime or lemon
Nashville Hot Sauce (for after it's cooked)
2 Tbsp cayenne
1/4 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp garlic salt
1tsp black pepper
1/4 - 1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp of crushed red pepper
pinch of salt
sprinkle of cajun seasoning
a splash of your pickle brine OR a squeeze of lime
INSTRUCTIONS 1. Combine everything for the Nashville Hot sauce in a bowl. Set Aside.
2. Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees F
3. Prepare your dredging stations, you will need 2 bowls. One for wet and one of dry.
4. Combine the plant milk, hot sauce, pickle brine and apple cider vinegar in one bowl to create a buttermilk. Depending on what milk you chose, you might need more ACV. This has to sit long enough to get a little thicc (about 5 minutes).
5. Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and cajun seasoning in another bowl (you can add other seasonings here too to really get the flavor in your batter).
6. When your air fryer is ready, dredge your filet first in the wet mixture, then dry, and then repeat to triple* dredge, shaking off any excess flour and batter. Use one hand for wet and the other for dry to make your life easier. Press the flour into the chick'n gently to ensure it sticks. Place into your air fryer for 15 minutes. Halfway through the 15 minutes, check to see if your crust is formed. It will still look dry at this point. If you can easily flip your patty without it sticking it is time to add a drizzle of olive oil. Make sure your oil coats the patty, this will give it the golden-brown crust. Place back it into the air fryer and finish cooking.
7. Start to toast your buns!
8. Depending on how much crunch you want you can cook your patties longer or take them out at this point. Let sit for 3-5 minutes
9. Brush your patties with the hot sauce mixture you made in step one. Depending on how spicy you want it you can put a light brush or a heavy coat of the sauce on.
10. Add your condiment of choice to your bottom bun. Then add the patty, pickle slices, and top bun.
You're done!
To make this extra fancy. I like to use Peach Habanero Jam on my bottom bun and top with a fried egg!
Let me know if you end up trying this recipe and any changes you would make to the recipe. Enjoy yall!