When I went to the U.S. recently for a trip to farm sanctuary I was so excited to meet all the amazing animals… but I was also kinda stoked on grocery shopping south of the border. It’s just so much greater in so many ways! So I bought my first package of Beyond Meat and have been saving it for something special. This past weekend was that very occasion and I decided to fry it up and make popcorn chik’un. It was heavenly. The texture is incredible but it’s essentially the same as our veggie chicken offerings from brands like Gardein. Just get a mock chicken product, thaw them, and chop them into bite size chunks. Either way, you’ll love these crispy bites!
popcorn chik'un
Grab some napkins and your favorite vegan dipping sauce, cause you won't be able to keep your hands off this popcorn chik'un!
Ingredients
- 2 C chopped vegetarian chicken pieces
- 1 C nondairy milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Frank's RedHot Sauce
- 2 C all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp smoked paprika or regular paprika
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 C vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
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Heat your oil to 350°F in a heavy bottomed pot or deep fryer.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the nondairy milk, apple cider vinegar, and hot sauce with a whisk and set aside. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour and spices.
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Using a pair of tongs, take a handful of the bite size chicken pieces and toss them in the flour mixture, then without shaking off the excess flour pick them up and submerge them in the liquid mixture, then pick them up again and toss them back in the flour. Place small batches in the frying oil or deep fryer, ensuring not to overcrowd the pieces. They will take 3 to 4 minutes to get golden and crispy.
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Lay them onto a rack over top of a baking sheet so that the oil drips off and they dry crispy. I find letting them sit on paper towels affects how crispy they get. Serve immediately with your favourite bbq sauce or more hot sauce for dipping. Leftovers will reheat nicely in a frying pan with a small amount of oil.
19 thoughts on “popcorn chik’un”
These look great, I’m going to try those soon! It’s funny, we picked up our first pack of Beyond Meat after a trip to Farm Sanctuary too!
We need more!!!
I made these on saturday and added broccoli and cauliflower florets into the mix and it was all AWESOME – tastes likes chicken nuggets – the kids loved them – thank you!! Love from Wales… Robin.
so glad you like them and your kids liked them! That’s what we love to hear 🙂
Could you make these with seitan or TVP chunks instead of vegan chik’un? Thanks!!
sure why not! the process/directions would be a little different because you’ll prepare the seitan or TVP differently, but I would just make the sauce the way we say and then add in whatever you want. even veggies!
Can tofu substitute for the "chicken"? You make me inspired everyday!
Thank you!
yes definitely! Check out our sweet & sour crispy tofu too… http://bit.ly/1KlZtME
Do you think it would be possible to use some gluten free flour for this recipe? Looks soooo good!!! <3
I just made this and it made me really happy. You guys are awesome!
thank you!! <3
Yummy blog..
I just discovered you guys a couple days ago and I can’t stop watching your vids and checking out your amazing recipes! 🙂 Just wondering what kind of oil you use for frying? Thanks!
Hi Lauren! Made these tonight for my non-vegetarian family and it was absolutely delicious! Big hit-they loved it and so did I. Thanks for the great recipe.
SO GLAD! That’s what we love to hear 😀
I made this last night, and it turned out great, but the coating was extremely bland, almost as if I hadn’t added any spices at all… nothing a little dipping sauce couldn’t fix, though! Next time it will probably be tripling the amount of spices in the flour!!
Otherwise it was awesome! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Made this today on national burrito day 😀 and it was a great hit! You rock Lauren!!
Just a hot [pun intended] tip for everyone who thinks they’ll get the same results using an air fryer……you won’t 🙁 Definitely need to deep fry these to get the same deliciousness. Learn from my failure