How To Cook With Vegan Chicken

Realistic vegan chicken is often made from seitan, soy, pea protein, or mycoprotein. But there are also chicken alternatives made from jackfruit and tofu, which taste just as good but are less ‘meaty’. These are good options for those who feel uneasy about eating realistic meat alternatives! 

Plant-based chicken is taking the world by storm - even fast-food restaurants are dipping their toes in. Consumer appetites for meat-free options are growing by the day, and the alternative meat market in the UK is expected to hit $726.8 million by 2025! So it’s clearer than ever that cutting down on animal products will get easier as the years go on.

Chicken is one of the most widely consumed meats, after pork. Not only are there dangerous bacteria in chicken that could potentially make you sick, but the poultry industry also uses antibiotics in harmful doses. We are already suffering the effects of antibiotic resistance as rates of infection increase and are harder to treat.

Our safety isn’t the only concern when consuming chicken. Animal welfare on factory farms is atrocious and practically non-existent. The UK is often thought to have high standards for animal welfare on farms. However, 73% of farmed animals in the UK are kept in factory farms. An animal cannot live in healthy conditions when it is confined to these industrial spaces.

Yes, you can make a vegan 'chicken' alternative from scratch! The beauty of plant-based options is that there are multiple ways to make them. If you’d like a mega realistic, high protein ‘chicken’, you should consider making seitan (wheat gluten), which isn’t as hard as you might think. Making seitan is like making dough and then transforming it into ‘meat’ by using delicious flavourings. Making your own is also cost-effective, as meat replacements can be a little pricey; and being in full control of the ingredients and nutrients you’re consuming is always a plus.