These vegan chickpea buffalo wings are proof that plant based meat substitutes can be just as delicious!
The beauty of these homemade vegan wings is that they are made using minimal ingredients (all of which I pretty much already had in my pantry) and are so easy to make!
There seems to be a lack of options when it comes to whole food plant based packaged goods.
I wanted to create these vegan “chicken” wings with really clean ingredients that actually emulated the taste and texture of a traditional buffalo wings.
You only need a few ingredients for this recipe:
-
Chickpeas
-
Vegan Buffalo Sauce
-
Rice Paper
-
Chives
From Chickpea to “Chicken”
Chickpeas are one of my favorite foods when it comes to vegan cooking. They are incredibly healthy being that they are a great source of fiber, protein as well as being low in fat. They are also wonderfully versatile given they have a relatively neutral flavor so you can adapt them into savory or sweet dishes!
Chickpeas are a great substitute for chicken because when mashed they absorb a lot of the flavor added to them. I used the vegan buffalo sauce from Primal Kitchen. Which makes these vegan buffalo wings only 4 ingredients, 3 if you skip the chives! It is absolutely delicious, not too spicy, creamy with the perfect amount of zing!
Including clean packaged foods makes plant based cooking easy and approachable, especially for those who are new to it.
If you don’t use the blend from Primal Kitchens you can simply mix hot sauce and some cashew butter together. If you’re nut free I recommend adding a little tahini to you favorite hot sauce.
Depending on how spicy and saucy you want the wings you can brush them with extra sauce before cooking and even mix them a bowl of the sauce once they are cooked.
Buffalo sauce is still relatively mild for me so I like to add extra sauce at the end to really pack in the flavor!
Recreating the Texture of Meat
To mimic the texture of wings, I used rice paper to wrap the mixture in. This allows the outside of the wings to get crispy and have a similar texture.
Since most people are getting plant based options, not because they dislike the taste of meat or animal products but for many other reasons, this allows you still enjoy those same flavors and textures.
Having more alternatives that are healthy give more options for those who don’t want to eat meat but still want to enjoy foods they love!
Skip the fryer
These vegan buffalo wings are also made healthier but air frying them instead of deep frying. It provides the same crisp with using less oil. I don’t even add any extra oil on these, just the buffalo sauce and it creates a great texture.
I have been using my air fryer from Power XL for over a year now, multiple times a week and it is truly a game changer. It’s light enough to move around and now I couldn’t live without it!
These pair perfectly with my epic Vegan Ranch Dressing from my Ebook (click here) or my Hemp Seed Ranch Dressing !
FAQs
What if I don’t have an air fryer?
These also can be made on the stove top, just like my teriyaki gyoza recipe! To a sautĂ© pan add a few tablespoons of avocado oil on medium heat. Then place the wings on the pan using tongs (instead of when you’d put them in the air fryer). SautĂ© on each side for about 3-5 minutes until desired crispiness. Transfer to a plate and then coat with extra buffalo sauce.
Can we bake these in the oven?
Yes, you can bake these in the oven at 425F for about 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through. I recommend spraying with avocado oil before placing onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The crispiness on these can depend on your oven and oven rack so leave in an extra few minutes or broil for 2 minutes after baking for that extra crisp!
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Vegan Chickpea Buffalo Wings
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and slightly mashed with a fork
- 1/4 cup vegan buffalo sauce
- 1 tbsp chives, minced
- 1 package rice paper
Instructions
- Drain and rinse chickpeas and use a paper towel or kitchen cloth to pay dry.
- lace chickpeas in a medium sized bowl and mashed about 3/4 of them with the back of a fork.
- Then add in 1/4 cup of vegan buffalo sauce and chives. Mix until well combined.
- Pour mixture into a sauté pan and sauté on medium heat for 10-15 minutes then allow to cool for 10 mins.
- Using kitchen scissors, cut rice paper in half. Place one at a time in a dish of water and soak for about 5 seconds. Then place onto a cutting board or plate.
- Add 2-3 tbs of chickpea filling and shape into a long rectangle or drumstick shape. Then pull the ends of the rice paper in to wrap the “wing”. Wet another half piece of rice paper and wrap it again so it is double wrapped. Repeat this process until you run out of filling. Makes about 8-10.
- Set all onto a plate and use a kitchen brush to brush on extra buffalo sauce onto each side. Double coat to make it spicier!
- Put them into an air fryer and cook at 400F for 7 mins, then flip and cook for another 4-5 mins. Remove and coat with extra buffalo sauce.
- Add as much extra sauce as you like depending on spice level.
- I love to top with extra chives and pair with my vegan ranch dressing.Enjoy!
Video
Amazing recipe, I 100% recommend this if you have an air fryer. I first tried this in the oven and it went okay, but it is a whole lot better and crispier in the air fryer. I cant wait to experiment with different fillings, too. Thank you for opening my eyes to this, Justine!
Hi Jake! Thanks so much for letting me know and I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Pan frying is also another option, similar to my rice paper dumplings 🙂 Hope you can try and enjoy more recipe soon!
Have you experimented with freezing these? Thanks!
No I haven’t but I feel like it could work and maybe coating with extra sauce before freezing and/or after reheating. 🙂
Really enjoyed these!
I used a normal oven and turned them a bit more frequently (through fear of my v sticky rice sheets sticking).
It was a great way to add a different texture to a cleaner vegan meal vs all the processed stuff!
Very tasty and filling. And very clever idea!
SO happy you enjoyed the recipe!! Thank you so much for your feedback! 🙂
Do you have any experience with prepping them in a few hours in advance, cooking them when ready. I’m newer to rice paper and wondering if the wraps could sit in the fridge for a couple hours before baking.
yes you can meal prep by cooking according to instructions then reheat in oven when ready to eat 🙂
Super delicious… Such a fantastic idea. I filled mine with the Buffalo chickpea salad from VegeCooking because I had leftovers from class and it was so similar. I sauced them a bit much so they needed longer to crisp up, but fantastic!!
Yum!! Soo happy you enjoyed the recipe 🙂 I like extra sauce too!
Made these tonight after seeing your Instagram reel and hole cow!! I love these so much!! I wanted a little more protein, so i added 1/2 a block of tofu to the mix but otherwise followed the recipe. It was so good, I’ll make these again for sure.
amazing!! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Chickpeas are a great source of protein too but I love that you made your own variation!:) It’s so great to experiment with recipes. These are also great with BBQ sauce etc!
Can’t wait to try these! How long would you suggest baking in a traditional oven and how frequently would you turn them? Thank you!
Awesome! I could includes under FAQs in the recipe for stovetop and oven baked options and times 🙂