The Best Vegan Chicken and Waffles

In this recipe, we’ll show you how to make the best vegan chicken and waffles using seitan. The air-fryer vegan chicken is crispy and chewy, while the vegan buttermilk waffles are fluffy and crispy. Serve this dish on top of a slightly bitter bed of arugula, drizzle it with rich maple syrup, and dip it in a touch of sweet chili sauce. 

This classic comfort food dish is filling and completely omnivore-approved!

Why You’ll Love This Vegan Chicken & Waffles Recipe

This classic Southern dish is perfect for anyone who loves a balanced and satisfying meal. Here are a few reasons we love it and you will too!

• Out of this world, crispy vegan fried chicken: This perfect vegan chicken is made of vital wheat gluten, a little bit of tofu, and a little bit of jackfruit, which creates an amazingly convincing texture. It can be air fried or deep-fried and then baked!

• Flavorful, fluffy, crispy waffles: Perfect for waffle lovers, this vegan buttermilk waffle recipe is infused with vanilla, which adds another layer of flavor to this dish. 

• Perfect for a show stopping meal: This recipe makes a show-stopping main course meal that’s perfect for date nights or weekend dinners.

Ingredients & Components

This recipe consists of two other recipes I make all the time that are already on the blog. For this recipe, you’ll need to make the following:

• 1 recipe Crispy Vegan Buttermilk Chicken
• 1 recipe Fluffy Vegan Belgian Waffles

For serving, you’ll need:

• Fresh Arugula
• Pure Maple syrup
• Sweet chili sauce

the crispy air fried vegan chicken

This air-fried vegan chicken is out of this world. It’s crispy, filling, and is really the star of this dish. I have a whole in-depth post on how to make the best vegan air fryer chicken. (The notes section of the recipe card below includes deep frying and baking instructions!)

This vegan chicken is a unique take on seitan. It’s made of vital wheat gluten, a little bit of tofu, and a little bit of jackfruit. These main ingredients combined together create an amazingly convincing texture. You can shape this recipe into vegan chicken nuggets, drumsticks or fillets.

TIP: You can use store-bought vegan chicken if you’d like! Gardein’s Ultimate Vegan Chicken Nuggets would be delicious on these waffles. 

the best vegan buttermilk waffles

Chicken and Waffles wouldn’t be complete without the best Vegan Belgian Buttermilk Waffles. These waffles are fluffy on the inside but crisp on the exterior. They’re infused with vanilla which adds another layer of flavor to this vegan chicken and waffles recipe.

Similar to the air-fried vegan chicken, I have an entire in-depth post on how to create the perfect vegan buttermilk waffles.

TIP: If you don’t have a waffle iron, or you’re in a pinch, you could use store-bought vegan waffles but fresh homemade ones have a better texture and flavor.

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Helpful Equipment

To make this recipe, you’ll need:

• An air fryer or deep pot + oven
• A waffle maker

Step-By-Step Instructions

STEP 1: To make the vegan chicken, follow this recipe. (You’ll want to combine the wet mix with the dry ingredients).

STEP 2: Knead the mixture until it becomes stretchy and firm. Shape the mixture into chicken-sized pieces.

STEP 3: Pour the vegan buttermilk into a shallow dish and mix the breading in a separate dish. Coat the vegan chicken pieces in a mixture of breadcrumbs and spices.

STEP 4: Place the vegan chicken pieces in the air fryer to cook, flipping halfway through.

STEP 5: To make the vegan buttermilk waffles, mix together all-purpose flour, non-dairy milk, vegan butter/oil, apple cider vinegar, flax egg, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

STEP 6: Pour the batter into a preheated waffle iron and cook until golden brown.

STEP 7: To serve, place the chicken pieces on top of the cooked waffles on a bed of arugula. Then, drizzle with maple syrup and sweet chili sauce.

Serving the Vegan Chicken & Waffles

I live in North Carolina, and there’s a vegan restaurant called the Fiction Kitchen we frequented that makes the best vegan chicken and waffles dish. I moved away from NC (and have since moved back), but while away, I wasn’t able to find anything similar to Fiction Kitchen’s dish. 

Which is why I created this recipe inspired by the dish at Fiction Kitchen. They served the crispy vegan chicken and fluffy waffles with arugula and an optional side of sweet chili sauce. Y’all, this is what takes these waffles from great to out of this world. (If you’re ever in NC, be sure to check out The Fiction Kitchen! They’re amazing!)

This recipe is mouthwatering, completely omnivore-approved, and makes a show-stopper main course meal. I highly recommend you serve these unbelievable vegan seitan chicken and sweet waffles on top of arugula and with a side of chili sauce. 

The arugula adds a layer of earthiness to the dish, and the sweet chili sauce pairs perfectly with the sweet maple syrup. This recipe is perfect for a Sunday Brunch or a date night dinner.

Storage

This dish is best served fresh and warm. You can make the waffles ahead of time and freeze them, then reheat in a toaster or toaster oven. 

You can also freeze the seitan chicken prior to breading and air frying, making it easy to have on hand when you need it.

Helpful Tips

• If you don’t have an air fryer, you can deep fry and then bake the vegan chicken in the oven. 

TO FRY & BAKE THE VEGAN CHICKEN: Heat a few inches of oil in a large pot to 350-375°F. Fry the breaded seitan for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden. Blot the fried vegan chicken with a paper towel. Place the fried breaded chicken on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

• To make the vegan buttermilk, mix together plant-based milk with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for a few minutes until it curdles, and then it’s ready to use in the waffle batter and for the vegan chicken batter.

• If you’re short on time, you can use store-bought seitan or vegan chicken instead of making it from scratch. Look for it in the refrigerated or frozen section of your local grocery store or health food store (Gardein, Beyond Meat, and Morningstar Farms all make great options).

• For an extra kick of flavor, try adding some spices to the breading mixture. Cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes work well to add some heat!

• If you’re serving a crowd, you can keep the cooked waffles warm in the oven on a cooling rack at a low temperature until ready to serve.

• Don’t be afraid to get creative with your toppings! Some other delicious options include vegan gravy, hot sauce, spicy maple syrup or vegan hot honey.

FAQ

More Unbelievable Vegan Dishes:

• Basil Bechamel Lasagna
• Vegan Seitan Steak
• Sesame ‘Beef’ Udon Noodles
• Southern Style Vegan Biscuits and Gravy
• Creamiest Vegan Alfredo