Vegan Chickpea Buffalo Wings (2024)

These vegan chickpea buffalo wings are proof that plant based meat substitutes can be just as delicious!

The beauty of these homemade vegan wings is that they are made using minimal ingredients (all of which I pretty much already had in my pantry) and are so easy to make!

There seems to be a lack of options when it comes to whole food plant based packaged goods.

I wanted to create these vegan “chicken” wings with really clean ingredients that actually emulated the taste and texture of a traditional buffalo wings.

You only need a few ingredients for this recipe:

• Chickpeas

• Vegan Buffalo Sauce

• Rice Paper

• Chives

From Chickpea to “Chicken”

Chickpeas are one of my favorite foods when it comes to vegan cooking. They are incredibly healthy being that they are a great source of fiber, protein as well as being low in fat. They are also wonderfully versatile given they have a relatively neutral flavor so you can adapt them into savory or sweet dishes!

Chickpeas are a great substitute for chicken because when mashed they absorb a lot of the flavor added to them. I used the vegan buffalo sauce from Primal Kitchen. Which makes these vegan buffalo wings only 4 ingredients, 3 if you skip the chives! It is absolutely delicious, not too spicy, creamy with the perfect amount of zing!

Including clean packaged foods makes plant based cooking easy and approachable, especially for those who are new to it.

If you don’t use the blend from Primal Kitchens you can simply mix hot sauce and some cashew butter together. If you’re nut free I recommend adding a little tahini to you favorite hot sauce.

Depending on how spicy and saucy you want the wings you can brush them with extra sauce before cooking and even mix them a bowl of the sauce once they are cooked.

Buffalo sauce is still relatively mild for me so I like to add extra sauce at the end to really pack in the flavor!

Recreating the Texture of Meat

To mimic the texture of wings, I used rice paper to wrap the mixture in. This allows the outside of the wings to get crispy and have a similar texture.

Since most people are getting plant based options, not because they dislike the taste of meat or animal products but for many other reasons, this allows you still enjoy those same flavors and textures.

Having more alternatives that are healthy give more options for those who don’t want to eat meat but still want to enjoy foods they love!

Skip the fryer

These vegan buffalo wings are also made healthier but air frying them instead of deep frying. It provides the same crisp with using less oil. I don’t even add any extra oil on these, just the buffalo sauce and it creates a great texture.

I have been using my air fryer from Power XL for over a year now, multiple times a week and it is truly a game changer. It’s light enough to move around and now I couldn’t live without it!

These pair perfectly with my epic Vegan Ranch Dressing from my Ebook (click here) or my Hemp Seed Ranch Dressing !

FAQs

What if I don’t have an air fryer?

These also can be made on the stove top, just like my teriyaki gyoza recipe! To a sauté pan add a few tablespoons of avocado oil on medium heat. Then place the wings on the pan using tongs (instead of when you’d put them in the air fryer). Sauté on each side for about 3-5 minutes until desired crispiness. Transfer to a plate and then coat with extra buffalo sauce.

Can we bake these in the oven?

Yes, you can bake these in the oven at 425F for about 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through. I recommend spraying with avocado oil before placing onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The crispiness on these can depend on your oven and oven rack so leave in an extra few minutes or broil for 2 minutes after baking for that extra crisp!

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