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Vegan Sweet & Sour "Chicken"

3.07 from 82 votes
This dish pairs crispy homemade seitan with a deliciously sticky sweet & sour sauce.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Prep Time for Seitan 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the crispy seitan ("chicken")
  • 1/3 cup (40 g) cornstarch
  • 1 batch seitan (recipe here), cooled and removed from broth
  • 1/4 cup (60 mL) cooking oil of choice
For the sauce
  • 1/3 cup (80 mL) maple syrup or agave
  • 1/3 cup (80 mL) low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) sesame oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced (or 1 tsp jarred minced garlic)
  • 1/2 inch fresh ginger, minced
  • 1-2 tsp (5 - 10 mL) chili garlic sauce, optional use 2 tsp for more spice
  • 2 tsp (5 g) cornstarch + 2 tbsp (30 mL) water
For serving (optional)
  • Prepared rice
  • Sesame seeds
  • Chopped green onion

Method
 

Make the crispy seitan ("chicken")
  1. Place the cornstarch in a mixing bowl and set aside.
  2. Cut the seitan into bite-sized pieces.
  3. Place the seitan pieces into the mixing bowl and shake around so that all the pieces are lightly coated in cornstarch.
  4. Heat the oil on a non-stick large frying pan over medium heat.
  5. Remove seitan from the bowl, leaving the excess cornstarch. Place all of the seitan into the pan.
  6. Allow the pieces to get crispy on all sides, cooking for a few minutes on each side, stirring and flipping occasionally.
  7. Once crispy, remove the seitan from heat and set aside.
Make the sauce
  1. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the soy sauce and maple syrup and whisk.
  2. Add rice vinegar and sesame oil to the mixture and mix.
  3. Next, add the minced garlic, ginger, and chili garlic sauce (if using). Mix.
  4. In a separate, small bowl, combine the cornstarch with the water. Mix until the cornstarch is dissolved to create a slurry.
  5. Add the cornstarch/water mixture to the saucepan and mix again.
  6. Turn up the heat to medium-high and let the sauce cook until it becomes thick and sticky, constantly stirring while it cooks. Once it has thickened, turn the heat to low.
Combine and serve
  1. Add the crispy seitan to the pan and mix until completely coated.
  2. Serve as-is or over cooked rice. Top with sesame seeds and chopped green onion, if desired. Enjoy!