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Vegan schnitzel cut into strips topped with a lemon slice.
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5 from 33 votes

Best Vegan Schnitzel

Learn the secrets to making your own authentic German Vegan Schnitzel from scratch. You can make a bunch and keep them in the freezer for later – perfect for your meal prep and quick dinners. Plus, each schnitzel costs less than $2! Tasty, easy to make, and budget-friendly – all in one awesome recipe!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Frying15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Austrian, German, Vegan
Servings: 8 Schnitzel
Calories: 495kcal
Cost: $1.88 per Schnitzel

Equipment

Ingredients

Seitan

Stock to cook the Seitan

Breading

  • 200 grams flour
  • 1 teaspoon each ground black pepper and season salt
  • 250 mililiters aquafaba brine from a can of chickpeas
  • 350 grams bread crumbs eg: vegetable, canola, or avocado oil

Frying and Serving

  • fresh lemon slices to drizzle onto schnitzel
  • neutral oil that is suitable for frying

Instructions

Preparing Seitan Dough

  • Combine all dry ingredients for the seitan in a mixing bowl: vital wheat gluten, chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt.
  • In a measuring cup, whisk together vegetable broth, soy sauce, and tahini.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and combine until well mixed. You can use a spatula to do so. Use the paddle attachment or a dough hook if using an electric mixer. Knead together until the ingredients are just combined, then let it rest for 5 minutes.
  • Preheat your oven to 355°F (180°C) while you shape the seitan dough into cutlets.
  • While the dough is resting, add all the ingredients for the stock to cook the seitan into a wide casserole dish. Whisk until well combined.

Shaping the Seitan into Cutlets

  • Divide the dough into eight equal pieces (approximately 115g / 4oz per piece).
  • Use a rolling pin or a meat pounder to roll out or hammer each piece of dough until it is about ¼ - ½ inch thick (which is ½ to 1cm thick). To prevent sticking, lightly wet your hands and rolling pin/meat pounder with a little bit of water.

Cooking the Seitan

  • Place the cutlets into the casserole dish, ensuring they are completely covered. Cover the dish with a lid. If no lid is available, you can use foil or a baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour, flipping the cutlets at 45 minutes, being careful to avoid them sticking together too much.
  • Remove the dish from the oven, uncover it, and allow the cutlets to cool in the broth for approximately 15 minutes. You can store them wrapped in parchment in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight or for several days, or proceed to the breading station right away.

Breading the Seitan

  • Once the seitan is cooked you can go ahead and set up your breading station! You need three deep plates or bowls: one with flour, black pepper, and season salt, another with aquafaba, and the third with breadcrumbs.
  • First, dredge the seitan cutlets in the flour mixture. Make sure to flip it to cover both sides! Then pass them through the aquafaba. Finally coat them with the breadcrumbs, ensuring they are breaded all around. Continue until all your seitan cutlets are breaded.
  • Optional: double bread the cutlets. You can freeze the breaded cutlets in freezer-friendly bags overnight or for up to three months to achieve a meatier and chewier texture.

Frying the Schnitzel

  • In a large pan or skillet, heat about 1 inch of oil to 350°F to 375°F (which is 175°C to 190°C). To check if the oil is hot enough when you don't have a Thermapen, place a wooden spoon or chopstick into the oil; if small bubbles form around it, the oil is ready. Make sure to use oil with a high smoke point, typically around 400-450°F which is 204-232°C.
  • Fry the seitan schnitzel until they turn golden brown, approximately 3-5 minutes on each side.
  • Once fried, transfer the schnitzel to a paper towel-lined plate to let the excess oil drip off. Serve the schnitzel hot with a spritz of lemon, and offer your desired sides and sauce.

Other Preparation Methods:

  • Baking: Preheat your oven to 355°F (180°C) and place the breaded schnitzel on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spray or brush generously with oil. Then bake for about 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, spraying or brushing with more oil as needed, until they're golden and crispy. Baking time may vary, so keep an eye on them.
  • Air fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C). After breading, lightly spray or brush schnitzel with oil for crispiness. Place in a single layer in the air fryer basket, do not stack or overcrowd your air fryer! Air fry them for 10-15 mins, flipping halfway through.

Video

Notes

Storage: Store seitan after the first cooking (before breading) tightly wrapped with plastic or parchment in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. Store breaded and fried vegan schnitzel in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheat it shortly before serving.
Freezing before frying: After breading but before frying the seitan, freeze it in a freezer-friendly bag or container for up to 3 months. Label it with the freezing date and check it twice a month. To prepare, heat oil in a pan, add frozen schnitzel and fry until golden brown following the recipe.
Freezing after frying: After frying, let any leftover schnitzel cool to room temperature. Individually wrap them with plastic wrap or parchment paper, place them in a labeled freezer bag or container, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight and then pan-fry lightly until crispy and heated through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 schnitzel (ca. 120g) | Calories: 495kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1915mg | Potassium: 437mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 380IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 159mg | Iron: 7mg