These vegan wings will fool even the most devout meat-eaters with their hot and sticky outside and meaty texture on the inside. Made using oyster mushrooms, they are the very best meatless vegan chicken wings you will ever have.
7ozOyster mushroomsnot king oyster, but pearl oysters
Spice mix
1/2tspGarlic powder
1/2tspOnion powder
1/2tspSweet smoked paprika powder
1/4tspCayenne pepper
1/4tspGround cumin seeds
1/4tspOregano
1/2tspSalt
1/4tspBlack pepper
Homemade buffalo sauce
1/2cupFrank's Red Hot
1/4cupVeggie broth
1/4cupCashew nutsuse sunflower seeds for nut-free
1TbspWhite wine vinegar
1/4tspGarlic powder
1/4tspOnion powder
2tspMaple syrup
1tspSoy sauceor tamari
Wet batter
1/2cupDairy-free milk
2/3cupYellow corn flour
2tspSpice mixfrom above
2TbspFrank's Red Hot
Dry batter
2cupCorn flakes
2TbspCorn starch
1tspSpice mixfrom above
Instructions
Prepare the spice mix
In a small bowl, mix onion powder, garlic powder, smoked sweet paprika powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, oregano, salt, and black pepper.
Prepare homemade buffalo sauce
Soak cashews in hot water or cook them in boiling water on the stovetop for 5 minutes.
Blend all ingredients until smooth. (This recipe results in 15-18 wings, depending on the size of your oyster mushrooms. The amount of buffalo sauce is more than enough to coat them generously.)
Prepare dry mix for coating
We used the small chopping bowl of our immersion blender to crush cornflakes to a fine, breadcrumb-like texture.
Mix crushed cornflakes with cornstarch and 1 tsp of our homemade spice mix in a shallow bowl.
Prepare wet batter for coating
Mix in a shallow bowl dairy-free milk, yellow corn flour (not corn starch), Frank's Red Hot Sauce, and 2 tsp of our homemade spice mix. It should have a texture of a pancake batter, slow-flowing but not too dense. In time the flour will thicken the batter a bit, so add 1 tsp of water to thin it again.
Bread the mushrooms
Have both wet batter and dry mix in two separate shallow bowls.
Dip the oyster mushroom first in the wet batter. Coat it evenly. I found it is easier to use your fingers to do that instead of using a fork or spatula.
Transfer the coated mushroom gently to the dry mix. Sprinkle the top and pat it gently. Make sure the crushed cornflakes-based mix sticks to it evenly.
You can place it on a plate or fry it when it is coated. The coating will hold at room temperature for an hour or so without a problem if you need to wait before frying.
Deep frying (one alternative)
Pour sunflower oil into a skillet or pot. Heat it on medium/high heat. You can test whether it is hot enough by dropping a bit of coating in it. If it sizzles, you are good to go.
Gently drop the breaded “wings” in the oil. The oil is hot so pay attention to drop it gently without a splash. Don’t overcrowd the pan as the oil will cool down, and the oyster mushrooms will need a longer time and thus will soak up more oil.
Fry oyster mushrooms for 2-3 minutes until the coating gets crispy. When they are ready, transfer them to a paper towel, so the excess oil is absorbed.
Baking (the other alternative)
Preheat the oven to 390 Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) and bake the breaded oyster mushrooms on a non-stick parchment paper or silicone baking sheet for approx. 20 minutes flipped midway.
Baking in buffalo sauce
Preheat or keep the oven at 390 Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
Take a large bowl enough to fit all your vegan wings and pour the vegan buffalo sauce from the blender.
Add all of your "wings", cover them with a plate, and shake it well. Coat evenly with the sauce.
Spread them in one layer on a non-stick parchment paper or silicone baking sheet.
Bake them for approx. 10 minutes flip midway. It is ready when the coating gets crispy again.
Video
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="TvkmuHgk" upload-date="2021-04-13T17:00:11.000Z" name="Buffalo Vegan Chicken Wings" description="Are you looking for the tastiest, and easiest Vegan Buffalo Wings? The chicken itself is only ONE ingredient! It is hot and sticky on the outside, meaty in the inside. Just what you would expect from Vegan Hot Wings. We even used a gluten-free coating so 100% plant-based and allergy-friendly." player-type="collapse" override-embed="true"]