A Korean-inspired vegan fried chicken sandwich: crispy, flavorful fried oyster mushrooms, spicy gochujang mayo, tangy radish kimchi all sandwiched between soft buttered buns.
Fried chicken sandwiches will always have a special place in my heart — it has always been one of my go-to comfort foods. It’s one of those sandwiches that you bite into and suddenly lose the ability to speak. Simple, but just so incredible!
For this recipe, I also love to use homemade seitan in place of oyster mushrooms. To prepare, I like to make incisions with a knife and pull the portions apart with my hands to achieve irregular texture.
Vegan Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich
Course: LunchCuisine: KoreanDifficulty: Medium2
sandwiches30
minutes15
minutesA Korean-inspired vegan fried chicken sandwich: crispy, flavorful fried oyster mushrooms, spicy gochujang mayo, tangy radish kimchi all sandwiched between soft buttered buns.
Ingredients
140 grams brown oyster mushroom cluster (about 70 g each)
50 grams vegan radish kimchi (taken from my homemade vegan kimchi)
2 milk bread buns, toasted with vegan butter
- Vegan Kimchi Buttermilk
1/2 cup non-dairy milk, I used soy milk
1/4 cup kimchi juice (taken from my homemade vegan kimchi)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- Flour Dredge
50 grams (1/3 cup) all-purpose flour
20 grams (3 tablespoons) corn starch (or potato starch)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons gochugaru (korean chili flakes)
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
- Spicy Mayo
3 tablespoons vegan mayo
1 tablespoon gochujang (korean chili paste)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon spicy chili crisp, I used Lao Gan Ma
salt, to taste
Directions
- Prepare Kimchi buttermilk & Flour Dredge. In a bowl, whisk together non-dairy milk, kimchi juice, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, combine all-purpose flour, corn starch, baking powder, gochugaru (korean chili powder), and black sesame seeds. Follow with about 2 tablespoons of the kimchi buttermilk. Rub the flour in-between your fingertips (as if you were counting money) to get the extra flaky bits that will fry to crisp. Once complete, set aside as well.
- Prepare the Spicy Mayo. Simply combine vegan mayo, gochujang (korean chili paste), light soy sauce, and spicy chili crisp (solids only). Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, then set aside.
- Bread the Oyster Mushrooms. Set up dredging stations. First place the oyster mushroom cluster into the kimchi buttermilk. Note: Make sure the buttermilk seeps into the center of the cluster. Let the excess buttermilk drip, and dredge the mushroom in the flour mix. For the double coating, bring the patty back into the vegan buttermilk, shake off any excess, then into the flour dredge once more. Note: Be sure to really pack in the breading so it won’t come off while frying.
- Fry the Oyster Mushrooms. Heat up a generous amount of vegetable oil in a pan/wok until around 180 C (356 F), or until a wooden chopstick immediately bubbles when placed in the oil. Once oil is up to temperature, carefully place the patties in, being careful not to overcrowd the pan/wok. Fry until crispy and golden-brown, then remove from the oil and let drain on a wire wrack.
- Assemble the Sandwich. Spread softened vegan butter onto your burger buns and toast until golden-brown & crisp. Build the sandwich using the vegan fried chicken, gochujang mayo, and radish kimchi (excess liquid squeezed out). Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Vegan Chicken Substitute. In place of oyster mushrooms, you can also use whole-cuts such as homemade seitan, fried tofu cutlet, or cauliflower katsu. Anything that isn’t a mushroom I’d marinate for ~1 hour to fully impart the flavors.
- Kimchi Buttermilk. Using kimchi juice not only provides enough acid to curdle the plant-based milk, but adds such a remarkable umami dimension.