Vegan Chicken Nuggets

Prepare to be blown away by this Vegan Chicken Nuggets recipe! Crispy crunchy on the outside and juicy, and tender on the inside with an amazing pull-apart texture! The “chicken” in the recipe is made from jackfruit that is marinated overnight so the jackfruit becomes super flavorful. Next, it’s coated in a crispy panko coating and baked, air-fried, or pan-fried (your choice). These might be the best nuggets you’ll ever try!

A lot of vegan chicken nugget recipes use tofu. And while I love tofu I wanted a more convincingly chicken texture. Hellooo jackfruit. I love a good pulled jackfruit sandwich just as much as the next person, these vegan chicken nuggets might be my new favorite way to enjoy jackfruit!

The jackfruit provides the perfect neutral base that sucks up the marinade perfectly. Once coated and baked it holds its flavor and has the perfect tender pull-apart texture. The crispy coating, the juicy jackfruit, you cannot go wrong! Whether you are making these for your kids, or (like me), you’re just a kid at heart, you will love these and will want to make them on repeat!

If you are new to jackfruit, it is indeed a fruit. You can often find it covered in sticky syrup in cans, but in this recipe, the key is to use young green jackfruit that is in brine or water (not syrup). When the jackfruit is young (and not fully ripe), it’s much starchier and not sweet, it’s actually very neutral in flavor which is perfect for seasoning it however you like. Once the young jackfruit is cooked it has a shredded texture that is very similar to chicken.

These days, many major grocery stores carry jackfruit, but if you can’t find it in your grocery store, check out health food stores, or international grocery store, or order it online.

To Make This Vegan Chicken Nugget Recipe:

Prep & marinate the jackfruit:
Drain the jackfruit and rinse well. Pat dry with a clean dish towel and try to get out as much water as possible. Cut the jackfruit into nugget-sized pieces. (Some cans of jackfruit come already chopped so you may not need to do this if your jackfruit pieces are a good size already).

In a medium bowl or sealable container, mix together the broth, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add the jackfruit. Marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes, but overnight in the fridge is best.

Coat the jackfruit:
Separate the marinade from the jackfruit and pour the marinade into a separate bowl. Place the flour in another bowl. In a third bowl, mix the panko with the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper.

Take a piece of jackfruit and coat it in the flour shaking off the excess. Dip it back into the marinade to wet the flour. Then finally dip it into the panko mixture, evenly coating it. Place the coated jackfruit on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with all the jackfruit to coat. Spray the top of the coated jackfruit pieces with spray oil so that there are no dry spots.

Cook the vegan chicken nuggets (choose one option, I baked mine):

Oven method: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
Bake for 10 minutes, flip, spray with more oil to cover any dry spots, and bake for another 5–10 minutes, until they are evenly browned and crispy.

Air-fryer method: When you are ready to cook the jackfruit, preheat your air fryer to 370°F (188°C).
Air-fry the nuggets in a single layer for 8 minutes (working in batches if needed). Flip, spray with more oil to cover any dry spots, and air-fry for another 4–8 minutes, until they are evenly browned and crispy.

Frying method: In a large skillet, add about ½ inch of oil and heat. To test if the oil is hot, drop a small piece into the oil. If it bubbles the oil is ready to use. Working in batches, carefully drop the jackfruit nuggets into the oil in a single layer. Fry for a couple minutes per side until golden, then flip and fry for a couple minutes more on the other side. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

These vegan chicken nuggets are:

crispy on the outside, tender and flavorful on the inside
great for serving with your favorite dipping sauce
tastes like junk food, but they are actually healthy!

More vegan chicken-inspired recipes you might enjoy:

The Quickest & Easiest Seitan Recipe
2 Ingredient Vegan Chicken
Vegan BBQ Shredded Tofu
Vegan Seitan Tenders (Chicken Breast)
Easy Sticky Teriyaki Tofu
Lemon Garlic Soy Curls
Baked Tofu Bites
Almond Rosemary Lemon Crusted Tofu

If you try this vegan chicken nuggets recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don’t forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.

Print Recipe

Crispy crunchy on the outside and juicy, and tender on the inside with an amazing pull-apart texture! The “chicken” in the recipe is made from jackfruit that is marinated overnight so the jackfruit becomes super flavorful. Next, it’s coated in a crispy panko coating and baked, air-fried, or pan-fried (your choice). These might be the best nuggets you’ll ever try!

Prep Time20 minutes

Cook Time20 minutes

Total Time40 minutes

Course : AppetizerMain CourseSide DishSnack

Cuisine : American

Servings: 4 (makes about 30 nuggets)

Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken

Ingredients

To marinate the jackfruit:

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Prep & marinate the jackfruit:

Drain the jackfruit and rinse well. Pat dry with a clean dish towel and try to get out as much water as possible. Cut the jackfruit into nugget-sized pieces. (Some cans of jackfruit come already chopped so you may not need to do this if your jackfruit pieces are a good size already).
In a medium bowl or sealable container, mix together the broth, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add the jackfruit. Marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes, but overnight in the fridge is best.

Coat the jackfruit:

Separate the marinade from the jackfruit and pour the marinade into a separate bowl. Place the flour in another bowl. In a third bowl, mix the panko with the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper.
Take a piece of jackfruit and coat it in the flour shaking off the excess. Dip it back into the marinade to wet the flour. Then finally dip it into the panko mixture, evenly coating it. Place the coated jackfruit a prepared baking sheet or plate (see cooking options below). Repeat with all the jackfruit to coat. Spray the top of the coated jackfruit pieces with spray oil so that there are no dry spots.

Cook the nuggets (choose one option, I baked mine):

Oven method: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.Bake for 10 minutes, flip, spray with more oil to cover any dry spots, and bake for another 5–10 minutes, until they are evenly browned and crispy.
Air-fryer method: When you are ready to cook the jackfruit, preheat your air fryer to 370°F (188°C). Air-fry the nuggets in a single layer for 8 minutes (working in batches if needed). Flip, spray with more oil to cover any dry spots, and air-fry for another 4–8 minutes, until they are evenly browned and crispy.
Frying method: In a large skillet, add about ½ inch of oil and heat. To test if the oil is hot, drop a small piece into the oil. If it bubbles the oil is ready to use. Working in batches, carefully drop the jackfruit nuggets into the oil in a single layer. Fry for a couple minutes per side until golden, then flip and fry for a couple minutes more on the other side. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.