McChicken (COPYCAT)
This vegan McChicken copycat recipe is a much healthier alternative that can serve to knock out a tiny craving for fast-food drive-thru vegan chicken sandwiches.
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
Oil Free, Air Fried, Soy Curls 'Fried' Chicken
- 1 cup plant milk (almond, soy, etc.)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 ounces soy curls (1/4 bag)
- 1 tbsp cornmeal
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour (other flours should be fine)
- 1 tbsp panko bread crumbs (traditional bread crumbs should also work)
- ¼+⅛ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp granulated onion
- ¼ tsp granulated garlic
- ¼+⅛ tsp paprika
- ⅛ tsp black pepper (you will need more for the sandwich!)
- pinch celery seeds (optional)
Everything Else
- plant-based mayo
- iceberg lettuce (or similar such as butter lettuce)
- black pepper (lots, to taste)
- buns
Instructions
- Add plant milk and lemon juice to a small saucepan over medium heat. We're going for a buttermilk-esque rehydration.
- Add dry soy curls to plant milk mixture on the stove, stir occasionally and simmer over low heat until the liquid has been mostly absorbed and evaporated.
- Turn off heat on saucepan, allow curls to start cooling down.
- Mix the remaining seasonings from cornmeal to celery seeds in a mixing bowl.
- Once the curls are just warm, add them to the mixing bowl and toss to coat.
- Preheat air fryer at 390-400F for a few minutes, add coated curls and cook for about 6 minutes, until they taste just right.
Assemble Sandwich
- I've tried various orders. I think ideally you would go: bottom bun, ckn soy curls, lettuce, lots of pepper, mayo on top bun. Toasting inside of bun is optional.
- If you heat it briefly and wrap the whole thing, it will taste more like the real deal that you get in a wrapper.