I posted a sneak peak of these Vegan Cajun Wings on twitter and I received a ton of messages about when this recipe will be live. Well, it’s finally here! If you are here because you saw that post on twitter, hi! Welcome! And I’m so excited to share these Vegan Cajun Wings with you all. They are the most delicious vegan wings I’ve had yet. Cauliflower and tofu are wonderful but these are better. Way better. Chicken-style seitan wrapped in rice paper, fried until crispy, then tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce… Come on! The sauce is made from maple syrup, lime, and cajun spices so it’s sweet, it’s spicy, and it’s so damn good. You have to try these out! Make these vegan cajun wings on Super Bowl Sunday, for a party, or simply because you deserve a treat.

Before we get cooking, I want to give credit to Candice from the Edgy Veg for bringing rice paper “skin” in to my life. It’s truly brilliant so major props to her! Also, be sure to tag me on instagram and leave a review down below if you try this recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Servings: 12 Wings

Total Prep & Cook Time: Between 1 hour 45 minutes & 2 hours

Chicken-Style Seitan:

1 1/4 cup Vital Wheat Gluten
1/2 cup Silken Tofu, soft + firm will work
1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
3/4 cup Vegan Chicken Broth, I recommend No Chicken Bouillon Base
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Dried Sage
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
8-10 cups Vegan Chicken Broth, for boiling

Seitan Wing “Skin” and Dredge:

6 Sheets Rice Paper, cut in half to make 12
1/2 cup Non-Dairy Milk, or sub Aquafaba
3/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
Pinch of Black Pepper
Oil, for frying

Cajun Sauce:

1/3 Cup Melted Vegan Butter, I use Earth Balance
1/3 Cup + 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
Juice of 1 Lime
1/2 tbsp Cornstarch
2 1/2 tsp Paprika
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Onion Powder
2 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Instructions

Step 1:

Add the silken tofu, nutritional yeast, vegan chicken broth, salt, onion powder, sage, thyme, and black pepper to a food processor. Blend until smooth.
In a medium sized bowl, add the vital wheat gluten.
Add the tofu mixture to the bowl with the vital wheat gluten and combine with a wooden spoon until just combined. Knead the mixture with clean hands for about 1-2 minutes until it comes together.
Bring a large pot of vegan chicken broth to a boil.
Divide the dough in to 12 pieces.
Shape them in to wings. See video for reference.
Carefully place them in the no-chicken broth and boil for 40 minutes.
Drain and place the wings on a wire rack and let sit for a few minutes until they are cool to the touch.

Step 2:

Add hot water to a large bowl.
Carefully cut the rice paper in half.
Dip 1 piece of rice paper in hot water and soak for a few seconds until soft. Then, wrap one seitan wing in the rice paper. Try to cover all sides. Set wing back on wire rack. Once the rice paper dries and gets slightly sticky, you’ll be able to press the rice paper down and it won’t stick out as much. Continue until all wings have been wrapped in rice paper.
In a small shallow bowl, add the non-dairy milk or aquafaba.
In a separate shallow bowl, add the all purpose flour and seasonings.
Toss a wing in to the dry flour mixture. Coat evenly and shake off excess. Then, toss in non-dairy milk. Finally, toss back in to the dry mixture. Evenly coat the wing and shake off excess. Then, place your skewer stick in to the bottom part of the wing. Set back on wire rack. Continue until all wings have been tossed in the dredge.

Step 3:

Set a baking tray under the wire rack.
Place a small pot filled halfway with oil on medium-high heat. * I use a small pot so I can use less oil. Just fry 2 or 3 at a time.
Once oil is about 300°–325°, fry the seitan wings about 3-5 minutes OR until golden brown and crispy. Flipping with tongs, if needed.
Remove golden brown seitan wings and place on the wire rack.
Continue until all wings have been fried.