Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Vegan Globetrotter is supported by our audience. When you purchase through one of our links, we may earn a small affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Your cost is not affected.
==================
Chicken Nuggets Meet Their Match with Vegan Chickpea Nuggets
Store-bought vegetarian nuggets step aside. These homemade Vegan Chickpea Nuggets provide the perfect lunch, side-dish, appetizer, or even a light dinner. We think they shine on game day, too! Make them spicy or not. Serve with your choice of dipping sauces. You may never visit that section of the freezer aisle again!
vegan chickpea nuggets
I usually cook beans from scratch. It’s cheaper, fresher, and I avoid all the extra cans to recycle, too. But I do keep a few cans of chickpeas in the pantry to make these and a few other select dishes. Oh, and they make a great snack by themselves, too!
If you have oat flour, use that in place of the oats. I find it easy enough to just grind the oats when I need some flour. Again, I save pantry space and money. You could try substituting other flours. Wheat seems a bit too heavy for the flavor to me. But maybe that works for you.
We use the liquid from the canned chickpeas for many recipes. Known as “aquafaba”, it makes an easy egg replacer acting as a binder in recipes such as this one.
Although you could skip toasting the breadcrumbs, we find it adds flavor and a bit more crunch to the texture. It also provides a nice golden nugget color.
But now, on to our Vegan Chickpea Nugget recipe.
Chickpea Nugget
Our natural-style nugget easily replaces the chicken nuggets or the fake meat alternative ones. Spice it up a little if you choose, or just adjust your sauces for the intended flavors. These make great lunch meals, easy summer dinners, or game day snacks. Make extra, they store in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings
Calories 124 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup breadcrumbs panko work well, or use whole grain crumbs
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 15 ounce cans garbanzo beans undrained
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon onion onion powder
Instructions
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375°F. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Place the panko on the baking sheet. Bake until toasted and golden-brown, about 5 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool while preparing the nuggets. Line the baking sheet with fresh parchment paper or wipe down the silicone baking mat.
Place the oats in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Process into a fine flour.
Transfer to a large bowl.
Drain the chickpeas over a bowl or large measuring cup, saving the chickpeas and liquid separately.
Place the chickpeas into the food processor; add the salt, garlic, and onion powder. Pulse until crumbly. Keep mixture in the food processor.
Whisk 1/2 cup of the chickpea liquid in a small mixing bowl until foamy. Add the foamy chickpea liquid and 1 cup of the oat flour to the food processor. Pulse until the mixture forms a ball.
You may have a little oat flour remaining. If the mixture seems too loose, use this flour to add to the chickpea mixture a little at a time until it reaches a moldable consistency.
Divide the chickpea mixture into 24 equal portions and shape each one into a nugget. Coat each nugget completely in the toasted panko and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake until crispy, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
Want a spicy seasoned nugget? Add a teaspoon of each: chili powder and smoked paprika to the panko after baking. Use more or less, according to your tastes.
Have you tried this recipe?
Please comment below and let us know how you enjoyed it.
Read More
Vegan Potato Soup- Our Recipe
Vegan Potato Soup Recipe – Comfort Food!
How Vegan Diet Can Help Liver Problems
Italian Pasta with Chickpeas
Ethnic Cuisine From Around the World
Special Vegan Holiday Recipes
Vegan Potato Soup Recipe – Comfort Food!
FAQs
Plant-based chicken products like Alpha's Chik'n Nuggets will commonly contain fewer calories, less sodium, less saturated fat, and less total fat than meat-based equivalents. Importantly, our Chik'n products contain no cholesterol, but they all contain desirable potassium, iron, and calcium.
What do vegan nuggets taste like? ›
The breading of the "Nuggs" is crispy and the vegan meat is soft, but since they're so thin, the vegan chicken itself is hard to judge. The texture of the wheat- and soy-based vegan meat certainly doesn't bounce back as chicken would. But there are some hints of chicken flavor in these nuggets.
Do vegan nuggets contain gluten? ›
Does Beyond Chicken Nuggets contain gluten? Yes, Beyond Chicken nuggets contains wheat.
Why are Impossible nuggets so good? ›
Our nuggets are made with soy protein to deliver that meaty bite. Soy is packed with plant-based protein and is a good source of amino acids and essential minerals like potassium. Sunflower oil gives Impossible “Chicken” Nuggets their juiciness.
What is the most unhealthy vegan food? ›
33–37: Vegan Foods You May Want to Limit
Vegan junk food: Vegan ice cream, candy, cookies, chips and sauces generally contain just as much added sugar and fat as their non-vegan counterparts. Plus, they contain almost no vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds.
Why vegan meat substitutes are the worst junk food? ›
From a nutritional perspective, these additives, fortification and manipulation mean a high proportion of these products fall into the classification of an ultra-processed food, which are typically associated with poor health outcomes.
What are dirty vegan nuggets? ›
The new option consists of vegan chicken nuggets made by The Vegetarian Butcher that get dirtied up by being slathered in smoky barbecue sauce and topped with crispy onions.
Are McDonald's plant-based nuggets vegan? ›
McDonald's openly states “not vegan or vegetarian”
Various German publications have reported over the past few days that the patties and nuggets may come into contact with animal meat and that milk and eggs are included in the recipe.
Are plant-based nuggets better than chicken nuggets? ›
Vegan chicken nuggets contain various raw ingredients like soybean, wheat protein, and more. Peas, legumes, and fava beans are popular raw materials for the vegan meat industry. Also, plant-based or vegan chicken nuggets have lower fat content, thus proving to be a better alternative.
What are Domino's vegan nuggets made of? ›
Then there are the nuggets, which are plant-based soya protein covered in southern-fried breadcrumbs. If you get the pizza or the nuggets, you'll find it's served with a vegan version of the iconic garlic and herb sauce, of course.
Yes, Beyond Chicken Tenders are certified vegan.
Are Chick Fil A fries vegan gluten-free? ›
Yes, the fries at Chick-fil-A are naturally gluten-free. Because they're fried in a separate fryer, there is no risk of cross-contamination with gluten-products. They are safe to eat on a gluten-free diet.
Why did Impossible nuggets get recalled? ›
The plant-based meat company Impossible Foods has announced a recall of its Impossible Chicken Nuggets Made from Plants and Impossible Wild Nuggies because the products may contain small pieces of wood, according to a blog post on the company's website.
Are Trader Joe's Impossible nuggets healthy? ›
How do Impossible Chicken Nuggets compare to animal chicken nuggets, nutritionally? Impossible Chicken Nuggets have no cholesterol and 60% less saturated fat and 30% less total fat than the leading animal chicken nuggets*— plus, they also have 13g protein per serving.
Why are nuggets unhealthy? ›
Nuggets are fried in hydrogenated oil and contain high amounts of sugar, fat, and preservatives. This makes them an unhealthy choice, especially if you eat them often.
Is vegan chicken healthier than real chicken? ›
Vegan chicken is lower in cholesterol, calories, fats, and sodium. Vegan chicken matches up the taste of real chicken because of the substitutes used in preparing it without many health and environmental risks compared to traditional chicken.
Are Impossible nuggets healthy to eat? ›
Compared with megabrand Tyson chicken nuggets, Impossible's largely soy- and wheat-based original nuggets are nutritionally superior except that they're lower in protein.
How many calories are in vegan chicken nuggets? ›
Nutritional Information
| Typical Values | 5 Nuggets (118g) |
|---|
| Calories | 270 |
| Total Fat | 6g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.5g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
6 more rowsThe Verdict: Most varieties of processed chicken nuggets should be eaten sparingly. Besides offering little nutritional value, there contain an overwhelmingly high amount of preservatives.
