Vegan schnitzel is comfort food at its finest. Chickpea cutlets are breaded in saltine cracker crumbs, and pan-fried until golden.
Vegan schnitzel makes a cozy Sunday dinner, or a terrific main course for Oktoberfest, Thanksgiving, or any holiday celebrations.
The first time I tried schnitzel, it wasn’t called that. It went by pork tenderloin sandwich, a Midwestern mainstay I grew up eating (long before I went vegan).
But the popular Austrian and German schnitzel is basically the same idea: thinly pounded meat, coated in breadcrumbs or crushed saltines, and fried until crispy.
Recently, I developed a recipe for a vegan pork tenderloin sandwich (riffing off of the popular chickpea cutlets in Veganomicon).
While tweaking the seasonings and adding a crunchy breading, I ate many a vegan schnitzel. And I came to realize that it was just too delicious to be saved for sandwiches alone.
This toothsome and inviting meat-free schnitzel, seasoned with rosemary and thyme, is equally good as a main course.
Serve it with comforting side dishes like mashed potatoes with dollop of vegan compound butter, and sautéed summer squash. It would also make a stellar addition to your fall dinners and winter celebrations.
In this post:
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.
Saltine crackers: Crunchy saltines are used for the breading. If you don't have saltines, replace them with butter crackers like Ritz, which are often vegan. (Read the nutrition label to be sure.)
Vital wheat gluten: This high protein flour is essential for this recipe. Look for it with other types of flour in natural grocery stores and online.
Bob's Red Mill is my go-to, or you can sometimes find vital wheat gluten in flour bulk bins.
Chickpeas: Also known as garbanzo beans, use made-from-scratch or canned beans that have been drained.
Garlic: Use a firm clove with unbroken skin, and no signs of sprouting. If you’d rather, replace fresh garlic with ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic, then add it with the other herbs and spices in the flour mixture.
Panko: These Japanese breadcrumbs are mixed into the dough, not used as the outer breading. Panko can be replaced with standard breadcrumbs.
Seasonings: Dried thyme, dried rosemary, paprika, and pepper.
Oil: Avocado oil is my preferred option, but any neutral-flavored, high heat cooking oil works here.
Bouillon: Better Than Bouillon no chicken base is what I use. It adds salt, richness, and great flavor. If you prefer, water + bouillon can be replaced with vegetable broth.
Tamari: This Japanese soy sauce adds salt & umami. It can be replaced with any soy sauce you like, coconut aminos, or Bragg’s liquid aminos.
Liquid smoke: I like to use Wright's, because of the short ingredient list. Look for liquid smoke near the barbecue sauces in most supermarkets and big box stores. If you prefer, liquid smoke can be omitted.
Liquid smoke is made by burning wood and then cooling the smoke so the water vapor condenses into droplets. It adds a delicious layer of smoky flavor to the vegan schnitzel.
Non-dairy milk: Opt for unsweetened, unflavored non-dairy milk. Any kind that you like works here – including store-bought or homemade soy milk, cashew milk, or almond milk.
Cornstarch: A slurry of corn starch with non-dairy milk is used as the dipping liquid for the breading in place of the usual egg. It also helps forming a light, crispy coating when fried.
Step by step instructions
This section shows how to make this recipe at a glance with process photos of the steps. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.
1. Crush saltine crackers in a food processor until they have the texture of breadcrumbs. Then transfer to a plate, toss with pepper, and set aside.
2. Put drained chickpeas and minced garlic into the food processor. Pulse two or three times until the chickpeas are broken up and chunky. (They should be the texture of chickpea tuna salad, not hummus.)
Don’t have a food processor? Put the crackers in a freezer bag, remove as much air as possible, seal, and then crush with a rolling pin until they have a breadcrumb texture. For the chickpeas, smash them in a bowl with a fork or potato masher.
3. Add the following to a large mixing bowl and combine with a spoon:
- Crushed chickpeas and garlic
- Vital wheat gluten
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Dried thyme
- Dried rosemary
- Paprika
4. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the liquid ingredients with a fork or whisk:
- Avocado oil
- Water
- Better Than Bouillon, no chicken base
- Tamari
- Liquid smoke
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir with a spoon. Once it starts to form a dough, use your hands to knead and combine everything, until it forms strings of gluten.
6. Form the dough into 7 evenly-sized balls.
7. In traditional schnitzel, meat is pounded flat with a mallet. In this vegan version, use your fingertips and palms to smash each one on a cutting board until they are about ¼ inch thick.
8. Use a fork or whisk to combine non-dairy milk with cornstarch in a shallow bowl. Then dip each cutlet into the milk mixture, drip off excess liquid, and dredge completely in saltine crumbs.
9. Once all of the cutlets are breaded, put a shallow layer of oil into a skillet, and bring to a medium high heat.
Pro tips: Since the cutlets are large, you may only be able to get two into a skillet at a time. For optimum browning and easiest flipping, don’t overcrowd the pan.
Don’t put in so much oil that it covers the cutlets. They fry nicer and don’t get too oil-logged if the oil doesn’t go over the top. The oil should only be about halfway up the cutlet.
10. Fry until fully browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Cover with a lid while it cooks, so that it can get completely done inside.
11. Once it’s golden brown on both sides, move it to a lined plate or wire rack to drain. Repeat until all of the vegan schnitzel is fried.
Serving ideas
Vegan schnitzel is wonderfully comforting. It pairs beautifully with any cozy fall and winter side dishes like:
- Mashed potatoes & easy meatless gravy
- Sautéed summer squash and zucchini
- Apple chutney
- Fall salad with apples & candied pecans
- Oven-roasted Brussels sprouts with apples
- Vegan au gratin potatoes
- Vegan potato salad
- Vegan creamed kale
- Mushroom risotto with vegan sausage
- Roasted fennel with vegan parmesan
- Lemony cauliflower
- Air fryer roasted radishes
Storage instructions
Store leftover vegan schnitzel in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat in a single layer in the air fryer at 390 degrees for about 8 minutes or until warmed and crispy.
To freeze, put the fried cutlets into a freezer-safe container or freezer bag with parchment between each one. They will keep for 3 to 6 months.
FAQ
Sadly, no. I tried both baking and air frying the vegan schnitzel, and it just didn’t work.
Saltines contain little oil, and are pretty dry on their own. Once the cutlets are breaded in them, even when sprayed generously with avocado oil, they become dusty in the mouth.
They really need to be pan-fried to have a crunchy, moist, and pleasing texture, and to make the flavors pop.
If you really want to try this sandwich without frying, you could toy with baking an unbreaded version. Put lightly oiled, unbreaded cutlets on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, flip, and continue baking another 8 to 10 minutes or until firm and golden brown.
Unfortunately, no. Vital wheat gluten is essential for the structure and chewiness of this recipe.
If you’re looking for a satiating vegan and gluten-free main course, try:
* Lemon rosemary tofu
* Fried polenta stacks
* Grilled portobello mushrooms
* Air fryer stuffed peppers
* Vegan cauliflower steaks with romesco
If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!
📖 Recipe
Crispy vegan schnitzel (Breaded chickpea cutlets)
Ingredients
- 1 sleeve saltine crackers about 35 to 40 crackers
- Few dashes of black pepper
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas fully drained
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil plus more for frying
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon Better Than Bouillon, no chicken base
- ¼ cup tamari
- ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
- ½ cup non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Put all of the saltine crackers from one sleeve (35 to 40 crackers) into a food processor. Pulse or combine on low until the crackers have the texture of breadcrumbs. (If you don't have a food processor, put the crackers in a freezer bag, remove air, seal, and then crush with a rolling pin until they have a breadcrumb texture.)
- Once they're broken into small crumbs, move the crushed saltines to a dinner plate, and toss with a few dashes of black pepper. Then set aside.
- Add drained chickpeas to the food processor along with a minced clove of garlic. Pulse 2 or 3 times until the chickpeas are just broken up and chunky. You want them to be the texture of chickpea tuna salad, not hummus.(If you don't have a food processor, you can crush the chickpeas in a bowl with a fork or potato masher.)
- Add the chickpeas and garlic to a large mixing bowl along with vital wheat gluten, panko breadcrumbs, dried thyme, dried rosemary (crush with your fingers as you add it), and paprika. Stir with a spoon to fully combine.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine 2 Tablespoons avocado oil, water, Better Than Bouillon no chicken base, tamari, and liquid smoke. Stir with a fork or whisk until everything is fully combined and the bouillon has dissolved. (If you'd rather, you can replace the water & bouillon with ½ cup vegetable broth instead.)
- Add the wet ingredients from the medium-sized bowl into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Combine by stirring with a spoon. Then once it becomes a dough, start using your hands to knead the dough and combine everything, making sure to get any dry flour from the sides of the bowl. Continue kneading for a few minutes, until you see strings of gluten forming in the dough.
- Break the dough apart into 7 equal-sized portions, knead each one, and shape into balls. Then smash each one on a cutting board using your fingertips and palm of your hand. They should be thinner than a burger patty, about ¼ inch thick. (If you see any holes in the dough, they're too thin. Re-form a ball, and try again.)
- Once all of the dough has been formed into thin patties, make a dredging station. In a shallow bowl, combine non-dairy milk with cornstarch using a fork or whisk, until there are no lumps. Get the plate with crushed saltines, along with a couple of empty plates for the breaded vegan tenderloins.
- Now it's time to dredge them. Dip each flattened cutlet into the milk mixture. Let any excess liquid drip off so that it doesn't make the saltines wet. Then dredge the cutlet in the saltine coating, covering each side fully. Use your hands to make sure the saltines fully coat every part, even pressing into it lightly, if necessary. (If you find that your cutlet tears or comes apart in the milk mixture, that means it was pressed too thin. You can fix it by pressing the dough back together with your fingers, and even using some of the saltine crumbs as binding to hold it together.)
- Once all of the vegan schnitzel is breaded, put a shallow layer of oil into a skillet, and bring to a medium high heat. DON'T PUT IN SO MUCH OIL THAT IT COVERS THE SCHNITZEL. It fries nicer and doesn't get oil-logged if the oil isn't too high. The oil should only come about halfway up the side. (For optimum browning and easiest flipping, don't overfill the skillet. Depending on the size of your pan, you may only be able to fry a couple at a time.)
- Fry each breaded cutlet until fully browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Cover the skillet with a lid as it cooks, so that the schnitzel can get completely done inside. Once it's dark golden brown on both sides, move it to a lined plate or wire rack to drain. Repeat until all of the vegan schnitzel is fried, and add more oil to the skillet, as needed.
- Once all of the schnitzel has browned, serve with your favorite side dishes – like mashed potatoes, applesauce, and a green vegetable.
Shell
So delicious! Another great way to use chick peas! Great idea.
Cadry Nelson
So glad you’re enjoying it!