Vegan Fried Hen | Further Crispy & Scrumptious

With a double batter, traditional fried hen seasonings, and a crisp & crunchy exterior, it’s at all times a good time for Vegan Fried Hen! The star ingredient? Cauliflower! This versatile veggie is juicy, hearty, and tender, making this recipe as scrumptious as the actual factor!

This recipe was initially revealed on April 30, 2017. I used to be up to date with new recipe data on April 9, 2024. 

Turning into vegan has opened my eyes to the various methods of getting ready Southern staples with out utilizing animals. In each case, the vegan recipe is as scrumptious and fulfilling because the non-vegan different. A lot of what we like a few conventional recipe is the seasoning and method.

This cauliflower fried hen recipe isn’t any exception! As you’ll see on this recipe, we are able to use traditional fried hen seasoning (which is unintentionally vegan) and a double battering and dredging method – similar to my Nana does! – to make the very best hen fried cauliflower. The outcome: crunchy, spicy, and completely seasoned vegan fried hen even your meat-eating associates will go wild about!

For extra scrumptious vegan cauliflower recipes, try vegan orange cauliflower, entire cauliflower piccata, and roasted cauliflower rice.

Substances

Cauliflower: Fried hen cauliflower wouldn’t be what it’s with out this star ingredient! Select a cauliflower that’s dense and heavy for its dimension and has tightly clinging leaves.  A complete head is finest for chopping contemporary florets, however pre-cut florets work in a pinch! 

All-Goal Flour: Contributes starch to the recipe, creating the majority of the batter and permitting it to crisp up when fried!

Arrowroot Powder: An essential ingredient to make cauliflower hen vegan. Arrowroot powder creates the crispiest batter when fried, omitting the necessity for an egg or a flax egg. Discover arrowroot within the baking aisle or subsequent to the place the cornstarch is shelved. When you can’t discover arrowroot, substitute cornstarch.

Seasonings: Salt, cayenne pepper, white pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and Previous Bay seasoning. This traditional mix of seasonings makes the very best southern fried cauliflower – no animal merchandise wanted!

Dietary Yeast: Not solely does dietary yeast (often known as “nooch”), provide additional vitamins, nevertheless it additionally supplies a savory tacky taste, including additional dimension to the cauliflower batter. 

Scorching Sauce: Crystal, Louisiana, and Zab’s are authentically Southern nevertheless it’s most essential to make use of your favourite model. You will want ⅓ cup. 

Dijon Mustard: Select clean Dijon mustard, not entire grain, for the best battering course of. 

Non-Dairy Milk: Any selection, similar to oat, soy, oat, or almond works so long as they’re unsweetened and plain. 

Vegetable Oil: You will want an oil with a excessive smoke level, similar to safflower, vegetable, canola, or peanut oil, to prepare dinner the vegan fried cauliflower at excessive warmth with out burning it. 

The right way to Make Vegan Fried Hen

1. Whisk Dry Substances. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk the flour, arrowroot powder, salt, cayenne pepper, white pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, Previous Bay, and dietary yeast collectively till mixed.
2. Mix Moist Substances. Mix the new sauce, non-dairy milk, and Dijon mustard in one other bowl and whisk till clean.
3. Dredge the Cauliflower. Use one hand to dip a cauliflower floret into the moist combination fastidiously. Drop the floret to the flour combination. Utilizing your different dry hand, flip the floret to coat it utterly within the dry combination. Repeat these steps, dredging the cauliflower for a second time. Proceed this course of with the remainder of the cauliflower florets, shifting the dredged florets to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet if wanted. 
4. Fry the Cauliflower Hen. Rigorously add cauliflower florets to the oil, including solely sufficient that the entire greens are totally submerged within the oil.  Prepare dinner for about 4-5 minutes, gently turning the greens as they fry, till the items are golden
5. Drain the Greens. Utilizing a spider or slotted spoon, switch the fried cauliflower to the paper towel-lined plate or baking sheet. 
6. Fry the Remaining Cauliflower. Let the temperature of the oil return to 350°F.  Fry the remaining cauliflower as directed.
7. Serve Scorching. Instantly plate up the crispy cauliflower and serve together with your favourite sauces!

Recipe Professional-Suggestions

• Use each arms to dredge. Use one hand to dredge the greens within the dry combination and the opposite for the moist combination. Although dredging could be messy, this can assist hold the method as neat as attainable, saving you from needing to cease to wipe off or wash your arms. 
• Add a thermometer to the pot when frying. The key to completely fried meals is frying in oil persistently heated to the proper temperature of 350°F. A lot hotter and the florets will burn; any decrease and they’re going to get soggy. A sweet thermometer that attaches to the facet of the pot could make the temperature monitoring course of simpler. In any other case, verify the temperature of the oil repeatedly all through the cooking course of and modify the warmth as wanted. 
• Drain after frying. Transfer the freshly fried greens to a paper towel-lined plate or baking sheet. The paper will take up extra oil, additional stopping soggy cauliflower hen wings. 
• Fry the cauliflower in batches. Add sufficient of the florets to the oil to completely submerge them as they prepare dinner. This can assist them to fry evenly. Fry the remaining cauliflower in subsequent batches.
• Serving options. Serve freshly fried cauliflower hen tenders scorching together with your favourite dipping sauces: vegan ranch, scorching sauce, and vegan aioli are all nice choices.

Recipe Variations

• Fried Buffalo Cauliflower: Take this cauliflower fried hen to new ranges by gently tossing it with a combination of buffalo sauce and melted vegan butter earlier than serving. Discover my buffalo sauce recipe right here.
• BBQ Cauliflower Wings: Add a candy kick to your finger meals by turning the freshly fried veggies in your favourite barbecue sauce. Right here’s a home made Chipotle BBQ sauce recipe.
• Air Fryer: Decrease the fats profile of the dish by making air fryer cauliflower wings. Observe the battering instructions as listed. Brush or use an oil spray to coat the the air fryer basket and battered cauliflower items generously with cooking oil earlier than air frying the ready florets in an air fryer preheated 400°F for 6-8 minutes, or till golden and tender.
• Baking: One other method to make this recipe even more healthy is by baking it. Unfold the battered greens out, leaving at the least 1 inch of area between them, on a ready parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 450°F for 20 minutes, fastidiously turning them midway by way of the baking time. For additional crispy items coat the battered cauliflower with cooking oil spray earlier than baking.

Storage Instructions

• Refrigeration: Leftover vegan hen tenders hold coated in an hermetic container within the fridge for 2-3 days. 
• Freezing: You may freeze leftovers, although they could lose some crunch within the freezing and thawing course of. To finest protect it, freeze the vegan cauliflower hen unfold out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet for 1-2 hours, or till frozen to the contact. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for as much as 2 months. Defrost in a single day within the fridge till thawed by way of.
• Reheating: Heat the vegan hen in an air fryer preheated to 375°F for 3-6 minutes or an oven preheated to 400°F for 10-12 minutes, or till warmed by way of and crispy.

Ceaselessly Requested Questions

Extra Vegan Soul Meals Recipes

For extra of my finest vegan soul meals recipes try my cookbook, SWEET POTATO SOUL. Buy your copy right this moment at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Indie Sure, or iBooks.