National Waffle Day: Chicken and Waffles

If you've ever taken a social media or blogging workshop, or researched ideas for food blog posts, one piece of advice that usually shows up is writing about one of the many unofficial national food holidays (check out one of the many lists all over the internet). Never worry about coming up with ideas for a blog post again! You could plan a two-part blog post on December 30th and 31st to celebrate National Baking Soda Day, then National Vinegar Day, like so: "I Started Mixing the Dry Ingredients of This Cake, Which Included Baking Soda" and "Then I Added The Wet Ingredients, Including Vinegar. What Happened Next Made My Jaw Drop. Find Out Below!" If today's post had a ridiculous title, it would be, "She made vegan chicken and waffles. The secret ingredient will blow your mind!"

All sorts of major brands have jumped on board, making holidays like #NationalCheeseDoodleDay and #NationalPizzawiththeWorksExceptAnchoviesDay become trending topics. You'll see social media managers sending out tweets like "Happy #NationalDeviledEggDay! Also, don't forget to pick up SnuggleFresh dryer sheets on your way home!" and "Did u know u need water to grow peanuts which r in trail mix? Celebrate #NationalTrailMixDay: think about that while using our water filter." Truly poignant marketing.

Now my point is that like most things in this world, these silly food holidays are best celebrated in moderation. Browse some lists and pick a few that fit with the theme of your blog or social media page if you're ever in need of some inspiration.

Vegan Chicken and Waffles

Today is an unofficial national holiday I can really get behind. It's National Waffle Day (not to be confused with National Waffle Iron Day or National International Waffle Day), so I present to you vegan chicken and waffles! This is one beast of a recipe, some level 5 vegan material.

The waffles are dense, crispy, and not too sweet, and have a toothsome bite from the addition of oats to the waffle batter. They're topped with crispy seitan bacon and breaded "chicken" seitan. I used Upton's Naturals bacon and chick seitan, but you can use homemade seitan or any brand you like.

I decided to bake the chicken part of the chicken and waffles because frying is messy. Top the waffles with the vegan bacon, breaded seitan, a pat of margarine, and a healthy dose of maple syrup for a seriously decadent brunch.

Get the recipe:

📖 Recipe

Vegan Chicken and Waffles

Yield: 8 waffles

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

These vegan chicken and waffles are made with a wheat and oat waffle topped with breaded seitan, vegan bacon, vegan butter, and maple syrup. They make for a seriously decadent brunch!

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Ingredients

For the breaded seitan and vegan bacon:

• Canola oil or cooking spray
• ⅓ cup non-dairy milk
• ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ⅓ cup flour
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoons garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 8 pieces Chicken-style Seitan
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 6-8 strips vegan bacon

Waffles:

• 2 ½ cups flour
• ½ cup oats
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups non-dairy milk
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons canola oil

Toppings

• 2 teaspoons vegan butter or oil
• Vegan margarine
• Maple syrup

Instructions

For the breaded seitan:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or foil and coat with a light layer of oil.
2. Combine non-dairy milk, apple cider vinegar, and cornstarch in a small bowl.
3. Combine cornstarch, flour, breadcrumbs, and herbs and spices in another small bowl.
4. Break the seitan into bite-sized pieces.
5. Dip the seitan in the milk mixture, then roll around in the bowl of flour. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with each piece.
6. Bake for 15 mins, flip the pieces, and bake for another 15 minutes.
7. Heat the canola oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
8. Cook the seitan for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden and crispy. Remove from heat and set aside.
9. Add more oil if needed, then cook the vegan bacon for 2 minutes on each side. Set aside.

For the waffles:

1. Combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the lemon juice or vinegar to the non-dairy milk and let sit for a minute.
3. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and gradually mix in the milk and lemon juice or vinegar, maple syrup, and canola oil. Stir until just combined.
4. Cook in a waffle maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

To serve:

1. Place 1-3 waffles on a plate, then top with cooked seitan, and vegan bacon.
2. Add vegan margarine and maple syrup to taste.

Notes

• You can use any kind of seitan you like, homemade or store bought. My Chicken Seitan recipe would work well for this dish.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 2 waffles and toppings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 985Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1000mgCarbohydrates: 113gFiber: 4gSugar: 23gProtein: 53g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on seitanbeatsyourmeat.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.

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