Gochujang Seitan Sandwich Recipe

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🥪 Gochujang Seitan Sandwich Ingredients 

Gochujang

Gochujang is fermented chili paste that brings heat, umami, and a subtle sweetness to the sauce. A lot of the ones available at Asian grocery stores are sneaking high-fructose corn syrup in there like we wouldn't notice, so I grab the one from Trader Joe's which is a cleaner, still stupid-yummy, and doesn't require a degree in chemical engineering to read the ingredient list.

Sambal oelek, Thai sweet chili sauce, or chili garlic sauce mixed with a little miso and sugar can get you close-ish if you can't get gochujang in your 'hood.

Vegan Mayo

If you want to get as close as possible to how we built this at our actual Wall Street and Bryant Park locations, go find my vegan kewpie recipe on the blog because it has more umami and flavor than your average vegan mayo.

Otherwise, Vegenaise will totally get the job done and so will whatever random vegan mayo is vibing in your fridge right now.

Sriracha

I actually have my own sriracha recipe on the blog which came in clutch during the great sriracha shortage era when Huy Fong basically ghosted us all for like 2 years, but if you're buying, Huy Fong is the OG and Ninja Squirrel is also a tasty one. Keep your wits about you tho. Some store-bought srirachas can contain fish stuff, which is weird and mean to fish. 

Rice Vinegar

In this great recipe, we are using it to brighten up the flavor of the sriracha mayo and to loosen its consistency a little. Rice vinegar is genuinely my fave for adding a slightly dairy-like acidity to things. I use it in everything from vegan hollandaise, vegan sour cream, to vegan Alfredo sauce. White vinegar and apple cider vinegar can both be subbed in if you can't get your hands on rice vinegar.

The Seitan

Big cutlets of seitan aren't that easy to find pre-made, and even harder to find in amazing quality. Learn to make either my vegan chicken recipe or washed flour seitan, both of which are taught in my homemade seitan masterclass.

Gochugaru

Korean chili flakes bring mild, flavorful heat, subtle smokiness, and a deep red color to the coating. You'll also find it doing heavy lifting in my sundubu jjigae, chipotle seitan breakfast burritos, and vegan shrimp paste. If you can't track it down, Aleppo pepper flakes are your best bet for a substitute, or mix together some ancho chili powder with a pinch of smoked paprika and just a tiny touch of cayenne.

The Buns

Back when we were serving these at our brick and mortar locations, we used lightly grilled Pretzilla pretzel buns, and listen, that slightly sweet, salty, chewy situation was doing THINGS for this sandwich that a regular bun simply cannot explain. However, you can totally serve this on any ol' vegan bun you can find.

The Kimchi

My vegan kimchi recipe is pretty much formulated to work on creations like this and my Korean BBQ seitan. Otherwise, chopped radish kimchi is also pretty bangin' on this.

If you are using store-bought kimchi, obviously just make sure there is no fish in it. Traditional kimchi will almost always contain anchovies or fish sauce.

📖 How to make a vegan Korean fried chicken sandwich

You've come a long way, follow along with these juicy AF photo-guided steps and helpful tips to crush this sandwich on the very first attempt. Or if you're already in the zone, and just need the TLDR, the printable recipe card is waiting for you at the bottom of the page.

Step One

Sweet Child O' Brine: 

Place the white vinegar, water, agave nectar, mustard seeds, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.

Add the sliced red onion and stir to coat. After 60 seconds, turn off the heat and let the onions sit in the hot brine for 10 minutes. Transfer everything to a container or jar and refrigerate until fully cooled.

Step Two

Oshkosh b'Gochujang:

Place the gochujang, agave nectar, apple cider vinegar, and orange juice in a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk or the tines of a fork. 

After 2-3 minutes, when the mixture is hot and fully loosened, remove from heat and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

Step Three

The Mayo Clinic:

Place all sriracha mayo ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until completely smooth and emulsified. Set aside.

Step Four

Batter Day Saints:

Warm the canola oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. 

Combine ½ cup all-purpose flour with the gochugaru and sesame seeds in a mixing bowl. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the plant-based milk, sriracha, and remaining 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour until smooth.

Step Five

Judge Dredge:

Coat each piece of seitan in the flour mixture, then dip into the wet mixture allowing the excess to drip off. Immediately return each piece to the flour mixture for a second coating to encapsulate the wet batter.

Step Six

Seitanic Panic:

After 90 seconds, when the oil is hot, carefully place the coated seitan into the pan. Fry for 3 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a wire rack to drain.

✅ Air Fryer Option: Lightly spray the coated seitan with oil and arrange in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook at 400°F (205°C) for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crisp.

Step Seven

Toastbusters:

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Place the buns cut side down on the dry pan and toast for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.

Step Eight

Glazey Susan: 

Warm the prepared sauce in the same pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, then add the fried seitan cutlets and coat evenly to glaze.