Air Fried Mushroom “Chicken” Nuggets

I’ve not eaten meat for many more years than I ate meat, but one of the foods I enjoyed as a child carnist, was chicken nuggets. I never liked the texture of a meat as a kid, which is why I finally gave it up when I was 13. I would eat really processed meats like hot dogs and chicken nuggets because I didn’t like the texture of meat. It’s really amazing anyone survives childhood. As a vegan, I like to try to find ways to get BBQ sauce in my mouth, because it’s so good. These mushroom nuggets have such a great texture and taste that I theorize kids might even eat them. Someone please let me know if this is true as I am blessed to be a three time dog mom, but I don’t even know anyone who has kids to test these. If you are an adult who likes childhood foods, these are also for you. They’re also healthy as mushrooms are a great source of vitamin D, and we all know chickpeas are the world’s most complete food. They’re vegan, gluten free, and oil free as well. This is how we made them:

Ingredients:

Mushroom Meat:

4 cups shredded king oyster mushrooms (about 8-10 mushrooms depending on size), shredded

4 cups veggie stock

1 flax egg (1 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp warm water mixed and set aside to gel for 5 minutes)

¼ cup chickpea flour

1 tsp poultry seasoning

¼ tsp salt

Batter:

½ cup sparkling water

¼ cup chickpea flour

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp paprika

¼ tsp oregano

¼ tsp garlic powder

Few grinds black pepper

Pinch of cayenne

1 cup gluten free bread crumbs

Directions:

In a small saucepan, bring the veggie stock to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Add the mushroom shreds, and cook for 5 minutes.

Drain the mushroom shreds and use a tea towel or a paper towel to press out excess liquid. You want the mushrooms reasonably dry.

In a food processor, add the mushroom shreds, ¼ cup chickpea flour, poultry seasoning, and salt. Pulse a few times. Leave some of the shredded texture! You don’t want a pile of mush!

I made test batches 4 times perfectly and messed up the batch for the photos, and yes, I still ate them, but no they weren’t as good!

Stir in the flax egg, and then line a plate with parchment paper. Form the mix into nugget shapes and stick them in the freezer for about an hour. It should make around 20 nuggets depending on the size of your shape.

Just before the hour is up, mix up your batter. In a medium bowl, add the ingredients and mix to combine. In a small bowl, add the breadcrumbs.

Spray your air fryer basket with a little oil or line it with parchment paper.

Dip your nugget in the batter, and then into the breadcrumbs. Place them into the air fryer basket and cook in batches (don’t stack them) at 370 F for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Serve with our homemade BBQ sauce!

Loving our nuggets? Tag us in your photo on Instagram @notthatkindofveganofficial or on Facebook for a shoutout!