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Chickpeas and artichoke heart nuggets are coated in a mixture of panko breadcrumbs and cornmeal, and pan-fried up until golden to create these crispy, delicious and satisfying vegan chicken nuggets.
Well, I suppose this was bound to happen.I got the idea in my head back when I posted my vegan chicken Parmesan a few months ago. I even saw a few people commenting on social media that the recipe would be perfect for making vegan chicken nuggets. And so, here I am, with a recipe!
Chickpeas are on of my favorite ingredients for adding meaty texture to vegan dishes. (Proof: I even made them into a meatloaf.)
But I added a little something to this recipe. I didn't exactly follow the vegan chicken Parm recipe. In fact, this is a bit of a hybrid between that recipe and my artichoke burgers from last year. Artichokes are pretty meaty, so I thought they'd be perfect.
One thing about these nuggets: they're fried. Not deep fried, but shallow-fried. So really, if you ever buy frozen vegan chicken nuggets, these are probably no heavier on oil than those, but at least you're familiar with everything that goes into these!
I feel like I have to mention the whole fried thing because when I post a recipe like this I can be sure somebody will ask if they can be baked. The answer, in this case is yes, but they won't be as good.
I tried a baked version a month or so ago and ended up scrapping it because those nuggets were just okay. If you'd prefer to bake them, do so at your own risk (and at a time and temperature of your own choosing, because like I said, I didn't like mine so you probably don't want to use my instructions for the baked version).
FAQ & Tips for Making Awesome Vegan Chicken Nuggets
- Don't overblend your ingredients in the food processor. The mixture will get mushy very quickly, and nobody likes a mushy nugget!
- Make ahead option: the nugget base (meaning the chickpea and artichoke mixture that gets mixed up in the food processor) can be made up to a day in advance and refrigerated.
- The seasonings in these are very mild. I wanted them to be super kid-friendly! Feel free to add extra garlic, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, or your favorite seasonings!
- Can these be made gluten-free? Maybe, but I haven't tested a gluten-free version. My recommendation would be to thicken the batter with a gluten-free flour, such as chickpea, and use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs for the nuggets and coating.
- Can these be baked? Can they be air-fried? They can be baked, but I don't recommend it, and I can't give an exact bake time and temperature (I didn't record them because I didn't like the baked version). I don't have an air-fryer, so I'm not sure if that would work!
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5 from 3 votes
Vegan Chicken Nuggets
Chickpeas and artichoke hearts are shaped into nuggets, coated in a mixture of panko breadcrumbs and cornmeal, and pan-fried up until golden to create these crispy, delicious and satisfying vegan chicken nuggets.
CourseMain
CuisineAmerican
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 584 kcal
Author Alissa
Ingredients
For the Nuggets
- 1(14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained
- 1(14 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ¼cupdiced onion
- 2garlic cloves,minced
- ½cuppanko breadcrumbs
- ½cupcornmeal
- 2tsp.red wine vinegar
- ½ to 1tsp.liquid smoke,to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Batter
- 1cupunflavored soy or almond milk
- ¼cupground flaxseed
- 2tbsp.whole wheat flour
For the Coating
- 1cupcornmeal
- 1cuppanko breadcrumbs
- 1tsp.paprika
- ½tsp.salt
- black pepper to taste
For Frying
- olive oil,or any high smoke point oil
Instructions
Place artichoke hearts into food processor bowl and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add remaining nugget ingredients and pulse again until chickpeas are finely chopped and ingredients are well blended, being careful not to overdo it or the mixture will get mushy. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a container with a lid. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes (or up to a day).
Stir batter ingredients together in a small bowl and allow to sit for at least 5 minutes.
While the batter sits, stir coating ingredients together in a separate bowl. Season with pepper to taste, and add some extra salt if you like.
Remove mixture from refrigerator and shape into 20-24 nuggets.
Coat the bottom of a large flat-bottomed skillet with oil, at least ⅛ inch deep. Place over medium heat. Dip a nugget into batter and gently flip to coat both sides. Transfer to coating mixture and coat both sides. When oil is hot, transfer nugget to oil. Repeat for as many nuggets as you can fit into the skillet, cooking about 4 minutes, until browned on bottoms. Flip and cook until browned on opposite sides. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate. Repeat until all nuggets are cooked, adding oil to the skillet as needed between batches.
Serve with dipping sauce of choice.
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Chicken Nuggets
Amount Per Serving
Calories 584Calories from Fat 172
% Daily Value*
Fat 19.1g29%
Saturated Fat 2.6g13%
Sodium 1175mg49%
Potassium 476mg14%
Carbohydrates 87.2g29%
Fiber 15g60%
Sugar 4.5g5%
Protein 16.5g33%
Calcium 70mg7%
Iron 5.9mg33%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Caitlin saysgirrrrrrl.
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- Chelsey says
Oo! I'd never thought of using artichoke hearts for something like this. Awesome idea!
- Lillian says
Looks delish! Could hearts of palms for the artichoke?
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- Alissa Saenz says
Perhaps! I haven't tried so I can't say for sure, but it seems like it might. I'll be experimenting a bit with hearts of palm in the near future, so if it seems like they'll work I'll add a note. :)
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- Keith @ How's it Lookin? says
I gotta try these. Healthy version of a classic food, thanks a lot
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- mila says
Ahhhh these look so fantastic!!!! What a brilliant idea!!!! I buy the Quorn nuggets all the time and love them!!! I may have to give these a go!
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- Katie says
These are amazing! We LOVED them! Have you tried baking them?? Would love to cut down on the oil and not have to fry.
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- Jennifer says
These look awesome! Just a warning though, olive oil actually has a low smoke point and is a carcinogen when you fry it!
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- Monica says
Have you tried baking them?? I'm not a fan of frying thing.
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- Alissa Saenz says
I have, and they were okay, but I wasn't really happy with the texture. You could maybe give it a go, but spray or brush them with a bit of oil if that works with your diet.
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- Pam says
What about using an air fryer? Any idea how long to cook in one of those?
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- Alissa Saenz says
I'm afriad I don't have an air fryer, so I'm not sure! I've heard from some readers that made these in the air fryer with success, but nobody mentioned how long.
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- Melanie says
Are the canned artichokes in water or brine, or something completely different? We can get marinated ones in jars here in NZ, but I suspect that wouldn't be right ...
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- Alissa Saenz says
They're packed in water. We have the marinated ones here in the US and they're different - usually packed in oil with a bunch of seasonings. You might be able to get them to work if you tinker a bit with the recipe and seasonings, or even try rinsing them in water. You could also look around for frozen artichoke hearts or order canned online. Good luck and I hope you can give these a try!
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- Ms Dawson says
You know what I use hearts of palm and they are delish! You can make vegan-crabless-cakes or vegan chickless fried sandwiches. I figured artichokes would work as well but never tried it so thank you for this recipe.
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- Alissa Saenz says
I've been hearing that hearts of palm work well. I have to give that a try! :)
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- Christina says
Have you tried freezing these to use at a later time? I wondered if it would work since you don't bake them, but it would be so convenient to make a ton in advance and save for future uses!
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- Alissa Saenz says
I haven't, but I think it might work. What I often do with veggie burgers is mix everything up and freeze it, then shape pan-fry later. I bet you could get away with something similar here, but you'd also have to batter and coat them after thawing.
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- tatiana says
Just made these and they were delicious! I pan-fried but since they were still soft inside, I toasted them in the toaster oven for a few minutes. Also, I didn't have flaxseed so I just used more panko bread crumbs (the coating turned out perfect). Thanks for the great recipe.
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- Alissa Saenz says
Glad you enjoyed them! Thanks Tatiana!
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- Pam says
Have anyone tried to make these gluten free? I know I can use gf bread crumbs. Just wondering if I should try corn flour for the batter or rice flour OR a gf flour mix.
See AlsoThe Best Vegan Stuffing!Reply
- DaasB says
It might be possible to be able to air fry them!
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- Kachina says
Can you use apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar?
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- Alissa Saenz says
I think so. The flavor might be a bit different though.
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- Zubia khan says
Its so easy and delicious chicken nuggets recipes - perfect for Iftar recipes. I'll must try this
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- Alissa Saenz says
I hope you enjoy!
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- Juliann says
I made these for a family dinner last night and we had the leftovers for lunch today!
These are amazing, the fry up perfectly, have great texture, and are delicious.
I'll defiantly be making them again!Reply
- Alissa Saenz says
I'm so glad they were a hit! Thanks so much Juliann!!
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- Sandy says
This is the first recipe I cooked in my new Phillips Air fryer. It was a game changer! Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. An awesome recipe! Thank you so much.
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- Alissa Saenz says
That's awesome! I've been itching to try an air-fryer and now I have another reason. :)
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- Shannon says
Can I sub the corn flour for almond flour?
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- Alissa Saenz says
I think that would work, but I haven't tried it myself so I can't be totally sure.
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- Denise McGruder says
Want to try recipe but was wondering, if I baked what temp and how long?
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- Alissa Saenz says
I didn't keep my notes on the baked version because I wasn't super fond of it, but I'd guess at 400 degrees and say check them every few minutes after the first 10.
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- gulab jamun recipe - gulab jamun says
oh girl!! you recipes are awesome. I am following your recipes from a month and my family loved every dish which i cooked.
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- Alissa Saenz says
I'm so happy to hear that!! Thanks so much for letting me know!
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- Dana says
I don't know why I'm so surprised, but these are absolutely DELICIOUS
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- Alissa Saenz says
Yay! I'm glad you're enjoying them!!
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- Emma says
What is the serving size? All your recipes say serving size but don't say what the size is. Is the label for the whole batch? 16g protein is whole batch?
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- Alissa Saenz says
The recipe makes 4 servings, so the nutrition info is for 1/4 of the batch - 5 or 6 nuggets, depending on how big you make them. :)
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- Ashley says
What can you replace the flour and meal with my aunt has corn and wheat allergies
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- Alissa Saenz says
I'm not sure! Chickpea flour might work, but I can't say for sure without trying it myself.
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- Jolesia says
Do you freeze them?
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- Alissa Saenz says
I haven't, but I'm pretty sure they'd freeze just fine. :)
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- Christie Graham says
Amen. Just because you don’t want it to be meat doesn’t mean you can’t get behind fried.
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- Alissa Saenz says
Agreed!
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- Desi Food Recipes says
I making another meatloaf formula, and one of the fixings is horseradish, but instead than blend it into the whole loaf(which will make it less recognizable
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- Amber says
I made these for my kids and ended up eating half of the batch by myself. They loved them too! Great recipe!Reply
- Alissa Saenz says
I'm so glad you like them!
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- Shauna says
I made these tonight and loved them! I baked them at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through. I think this recipe would make a great chicken pattie! Thanks for sharing!
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- Alissa Saenz says
I'm so glad you liked them! I think they'd be great as patties too. Thanks Shauna!
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- Ebony Gardner says
I made these. The flavor is great but it reminded me more of Salmon Croquette than chicken! It may be because I use cornmeal in my croquettes. Thanks for the recipe!
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- Alissa Saenz says
Interesting! I've never had salmon croquettes myself! Glad you like them though!
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- Wanda says
First time at your site I saw this recipe. Tried it tonight
It’s delicious ! I used marinated artichokes because that’s what I had on hand and lightly rinsed and drained them. I set the nugget mixture in the refrigerator overnight and then fried them up tonight
To those who want to bake these it might be possible to fry them in some oil in a skillet and then bake but I agree with Con Veg that just baking is not for this recipe
I will definitely make these again and was genuinely impressed in the texture and flavor
I used a small ice cream scoop and then dipped in the batter and breading. After I put them in the skillet I lightly pressed them down with the edge of the spatula to semi-flatten themReply
- Alissa Saenz says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks so much for sharing your results!
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- Rida Ali says
Really Like the way you explain the whole process. I will try this one for my kids.
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- WoChaye says
Have anyone tried to make these gluten free? I know I can use gf bread crumbs. Just wondering if I should try corn flour for the batter or rice flour OR a gf flour mix.
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- Richard Hardy says
Thanks for the recipe. Anyone who amplified the underrated artichoke is a hero (or heroine) in my book. I followed your recipe to the tee and used an air-fryer for 16 minutes (flipping at the 8-min mark) and they are wonderful. Dipping them in Date Lady date bbq sauce is heavenly. Add a side of brown rice for a nutrient dense powerhouse meal. Love your recipe and thanks so much!Reply
