We came into this with every intention of making this vegetarian nuggets recipe taste as close to actual chicken nuggets as possible. We failed, and have resolved into thinking you can't really recreate that without meat. But our effort led us to something better. And honestly, what are you doing looking for vegetarian nuggets expecting it to taste like McDonald's?
This recipe needs a lot of ingredients. However, this mix of vegetables and spices gives it its unique taste and helps it mimic the shape of real nuggets. You'll definitely need a food processor to make this recipe. You can go old-school and crush them all together. But that's probably going to take you a couple of hours.
Ingredients
Nuggets
- 1 can chickpeas, drained
- 2 cups oyster mushrooms
- 1 cup cauliflower
- 1 small white onion
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 cup fine breadcrumbs
- salt, to taste
- neutral oil, for frying
Batter
- ½ cup rice flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 to 1 ½ cups cold water
Place chickpeas, mushrooms, cauliflower, onion, cayenne pepper, turmeric, garlic powder, oregano, breadcrumbs, and salt in a food processor.
Blitz ingredients until well combined. The texture should look like a rough dough.
Using an ice cream scooper, form mixture into nuggets and set on a lined baking tray. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a large pot to 350F. For the batter, whisk together rice flour, cornstarch, flour, and baking powder in a large bowl.
Slowly whisk in water and keep the mixture cold.
Remove the nuggets from the fridge and dip them into the batter.
Fry the nuggets until golden brown, about 2-3 mins.
Remove from oil and set aside on a paper towel.
Serve immediately with your choice of dipping sauce on the side.
