Craving a healthier alternative to fried chicken? These plant-based Fried Chick'n Sandwiches are made with crispy oyster mushrooms and are vegan-friendly!
Okay, you GUYS I am so excited to be sharing this recipe with you guys! Despite never being a huge fried chicken sandwich person as an omnivore, as a vegan, I get these random intense cravings for fake fried chicken sandwiches once or twice a year. I had an amazing vegan fried chicken sandwich when I visited New York, but I needed a way to fulfill the cravings at home, too. Enter... these life changing VEGAN FRIED CHICK'N SANDWICHES... made with oyster mushrooms! I'm serious. These will absolutely blow your mind!
As y'all know... it's not like I've ever been a health blogger. I haven't always been vegan, and I am all about balance but... I find that most healthy run-of-the-mill recipes are not quite blog-worthy. So then you end up with a bunch of cake and decadent dinners like these vegan fried chick'n sandwiches. I regret nothing 😉 You know what you're coming here for!
In preparation for this post, I did a question box on my Instagram stories a couple of weeks ago and asked about your favorite fried chicken sandwich toppings. The TOP answer by a landslide was pickles, so I knew those had to make an appearance! Everyone also loved some sort of creamy sauce and fresh veggies. I did have a few comments for "Nashville hot chicken" but that wasn't what I was going for today. Though you could certainly dress your oyster mushroom chick'n filet up that way!
What do I need for these crispy fried chick'n sandwiches?
- Oyster mushrooms. These babies are the STAR of the show! They can be a little tricky to find - I would recommend looking at Whole Foods, Sprouts, or other similar "natural" grocery stores. Your farmer's market may also be a good option! They are a little bit pricey - I spent $4.99 for a package - but I was able to get three "chicken filets" out of one pack.
- Creamy sauce. I made my homemade "Chick-Fil-A" sauce for the occasion and it worked perfectly! You are welcome to substitute your favorite sauce, but I will include directions on how to make my version below. It is so good!
- All the spices! This is the secret to all vegan food, honestly. Spices are your friend! In my breading mix, I included salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, and paprika. Plain mushrooms, just like plain chicken, don't have much flavor on their own - you need to spice them up yourself!
- Buns. I just used regular hamburger buns, but you are welcome to use your favorite bread!
- Pickles and veggies! Like I mentioned earlier - pickles were declared a MUST by everyone I asked! I also added in some lettuce, fresh tomato slices, and red onion to lighten up the fried chick'n sandwich.
I hope you guys will give these oyster mushroom fried chick'n sandwiches a try because they are SO dang good! Crispy, delicious, and perfect with some homemade Chick-Fil-A sauce and a side of crispy fries.
Looking for more fake chicken goodness?
- *for the fried mushrooms*
- one package oyster mushrooms (around 4oz)
- ½ cup plain unsweetened cashew milk {or your favorite non-dairy milk}
- ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 3-4 cups sunflower or corn oil
- *for the sauce*
- ¼ cup vegan mayo
- 2 tablespoon BBQ sauce
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon agave
- *to serve*
- 2 hamburger buns
- pickles
- sliced tomato, sliced red onion, and lettuce
- First, prepare the mushrooms. Clean any excess dirt using a moist paper towel. If your mushrooms are large, break the bundles up into "sandwich" sized pieces. Be sure to cut off the ends of the tough stems.
- Next, prepare the breading mixture. In a large shallow bowl, combine the flour, breadcrumbs, salt, paprika, mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. Mix together.
- Pour the nondairy milk in another shallow bowl.
- Prepare an assembly line with the bowl of milk, bowl of breading, and a plate or pan lined with wax paper at the end to place the prepared mushrooms.
- Dip the mushroom pieces in the milk, then breading, then milk again, and then breading again. Repeat with all.
- When ready to fry, pour the oil into a large frying pan and heat to medium. I like to place a toothpick in the oil as a gauge of when it's ready - it will start forming little bubbles all around it.That's how you know it's hot enough!
- Fry the mushrooms, turning over often so they do not burn. When they are golden brown and crispy, remove from oil and place on plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with all. This takes a while - I want to say it took me a good 10-15 minutes for the mushrooms to be thoroughly cooked and crispy. Sprinkle with a little additional salt after they are fried.
- To serve, combine the mayo, BBQ sauce, mustards, and agave in a small bowl to make the sauce.
- Grab your buns and spread some of the sauce on top, and add on the pickles, tomatoes, onion, and lettuce. Top with your fried chick'n mushroom and enjoy immediately!
Matt says
Made this for my wife for our Valentine's dinner, we both loved it. So Good! We will definitely be making this regularly!
Dawn says
I made this recipe tonight substituting 1/4 cup rice flour for some of the regular flour. It was amazing! Crunchy, beautifully golden, and just the right amount of spices. The sauce is really good too. Can't wait to make it again.