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Perfectly textured vegan buffalo chicken, complete with the classic sides of pickles, parsley, and vegan ranch dressing. This recipe delivers the kick of traditional wings, all while being kind to animals and utterly irresistible.
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I spent years working in a vegan restaurant that served a MASSIVE amount of vegan buffalo wings, and I have seen them made from straight-up extra-firm tofu, and dry-ass tempeh, to processed frozen drumsticks that try a little too hard for my taste to be exactly like real chicken.
None of those were quite my vibe, so for years I have been working to make a plant-based buffalo wing made out of real food, excelled in the flavor and texture departments, had the protein to rival meat, and could be made easily by home cooks everywhere. With less than eight ingredients and an option to fry or air-fry, you're looking at a gosh darned superstar dish that's ready to make your Super Bowl party bumping in in under 30 minutes.
Of course, these also rock for summer BBQs alongside a fresh batch of homemade vegan hotdogs, plant-based Italian sausages, grilled vegan elote and all your other summertime faves. Let's get cooking and turn your buffity-dreams into a delicious reality!
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🥰 Why this is the best vegan buffalo chicken
✊ Vegan AF: Like all of my vegan meat recipes, this recipe is completely plant-based. No adorable birds have to suffer to make your snack!
🔥 Crispy Perfection Every Time: Working with my vegan drumsticks that have amazing internal and external qualities, and then taking them a couple steps further, these buffalo wings are a masterclass in texture. The double-dipping method - first in flour, then in a spicy batter, and in flour again - ensures each wing is wrapped in a crispy, flavorful crust that holds onto the sauce like a dream.
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide. Like all the vegan recipes I share, it was refined to perfection and then sent out to a diverse group of recipe testers across the globe, who all gave it the thumbs up for consistency, taste, and foolproof deliciousness.
🌶️ Ingredients for vegan buffalo chicken
Vegan Drumsticks
I use and recommend my vegan chicken drumsticks as the “meat” of this recipe, but you can also use the pressed, frozen, and repressed soft tofu I make my vegan tofu katsu with. My drumsticks are made from a mixture of jackfruit, gluten, chickpeas, and aromatic spices, and mimic the texture of chicken with a crispy skin made from rice paper, without the need for processed ingredients. They absorb flavors wonderfully, making them the perfect canvas for the spicy, tangy buffalo sauce.
✅If you want more realistic chicken wing vibes, then use a sugar cane stick, an ice cream stick (popsicle stick) or a strip of raw cauliflower stem in the center of the drumsticks to emulate the bone.
Another option is to use hand-torn pieces of my seitan recipe in place of the drumsticks. Or you can follow the method in this recipe using store-bought vegan chicken pieces, or use small cauliflower florets instead. Cauliflower buffalo wings are one of the essential food groups in the pyramid, right?
Hot Sauce
As an East Coast dweller, I can tell you that Frank’s Red Hot Sauce reigns supreme as the traditional choice for buffalo wings across New York (that’s where Buffalo wings originated). If Frank's isn't available, any mild, acidic, cayenne-based hot sauce (like Louisiana Hot Sauce or Texas Pete) can be used as a substitute to achieve a similar balance of flavors. Ideally opt for a hot sauce that has some onion powder and garlic powder in it.
Now, the lone hot sauce in this recipe is being used in the batter to help curdle the plant-based milk, so if you want to use something else such as lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, that’s fine, as long as you are using buffalo sauce later on to coat your wings.
Buffalo Sauce
Buffalo sauce combines heat with a hint of tanginess, enveloping each drumstick in a creamy, bold flavor. It's typically made from a blend of hot sauce, vegan butter, and spices. My homemade vegan buffalo sauce recipe slaps so hard by using cashew cream to make it even richer (more naturally than margarine too), and also includes a bit of nutritional yeast, fresh habanero and garlic. You should make it for realsies. But if you don’t want to make your own buffalo sauce, you can now find some already-made bottled sauces on the market that aren’t terrible.
Vegan Ranch
Vegan ranch dressing offers a cool, creamy counterpoint to the spicy wings, adding a layer of complexity to the dish. Made from vegan mayo, or silken tofu with herbs, spices, and sometimes a dab of mustard or pickle juice, it's a must-have for dipping or drizzling. If ranch isn't your thing, try a vegan blue cheese dressing, or a simple tahini sauce (my quick Lebanese tarator might be just the thing) for a creamy dip with a different, healthier vibe.
Pickles, Parsley, and Red Onion
Finely minced pickles, chopped fresh herbs and minced red onion are great for garnishing your wings, bringing a whisper of freshness to balance a dish that’s been cooked a couple of different ways before it hits the plate. Other garnishes that are untraditional but CRAZY delicious are sambal matah, sambal dabu dabu, and Turkish ezme.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Vegan Korean Fried Chicken
Slather your fried wings in gochujang BBQ sauce, then after roasting ‘em, serve them over a bed of vegan kimchi fried rice, or as a side to Sundubu Jigae. You can mince fresh vegan kimchi, and mix it into some vegenaise as an alternative to the ranch dressing, and use Korean Oi Muchim or minced pickled burdock root in place of the regular ol’ pickles.
Thai Chili Vegan Buffalo Chicken
In place of the buffalo dipping sauce, generously coat the wings in Nam Prik Pao. Serve with a side of nam Jim jaew over vegan khao pad, pad woon sen, or slice the wings and serve them over vegan drunken noodles.
📖 How to make vegan Buffalo Chicken Wings
Make this perfectly on your first shot by following these step-by-step instructions with helpful tips. Or you can follow along with the easy-to-print recipe card towards the bottom of this page.
Step One
Drumstick Setup
Start by either creating or thawing your own vegan drumsticks or picking up some ready-made. Then, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
The oven’s just for finishing though. You will also need to get your frying set up ready.
For frying, warm the oil in a pot over medium-high heat until it hits the sweet spot between 350°F and 360°F (177°C to 182°C), or set a countertop deep fryer to that temperature range. Check the temp with a thermometer or use a deep fryer set to this range.
✅Going the air fryer route? Get it preheated as directed and have cooking spray at the ready.
Step Two
Dusting Station
Pour a generous amount of all-purpose flour into a dish. In a separate bowl, whisk together plant-based milk, hot sauce of your choosing with flour until it transforms into a smooth, thin batter.
Step Three
Coating Carousel
Working one at a time, thoroughly coat each drumstick in flour, then transfer it to the bowl of batter and ensure it’s completely coated. Then, another flour coat is used for that essential crispy exterior that helps encapsulate the batter. Arrange them on a tray lined with parchment as you coat all the wings.
Step Four
Golden Fry
Fry the drumsticks for 4-5 minutes until they're beautifully golden and crispy, then let them breathe on a paper towel.
✅ If you are using an air fryer instead, just spritz a little more oil on the coated wings and air fry for about 7-8 minutes until crispy golden brown, turning once as they cook to make sure they cook evenly.
Step Five
Cool Down
Especially if you have fried the wings, let them cool and drip off excess oil for a few minutes on a wire rack over a baking sheet.
Step Six
Buffalo Bath
Once cooked, give those drumsticks a toss in a generous amount of buffalo sauce.
Step Seven
Lock in the Flavor
Roast the coated wings for 12-15 minutes to let the sauce meld beautifully with the crispy coating.
Step Eight
Serve with Style
Plate your buffalo wingies drizzled with extra sauce and vegan ranch. Sprinkle over your finely minced fresh garnishes, and if you are going for the traditional setup, serve it up with celery sticks and carrot sticks.
If you want to get wild, you can slice the cooked wings, and scatter them over tortilla chips with vegan chorizo, vegan cheese sauce, and vegan sour cream to make some next-level game day nachos.
🍽️What to serve with this vegan buffalo chicken recipe
To me at least, wings are the perfect excuse for summer bbq stuff.
I love some to go with my vegan chili, whether you are serving it in a hat or not.
Some vegan cornbread too? Uh, yeah, now we are talking. Or rock these wingies with some nachos piled high with your fave salsas. Mine are (in no particular order) salsa macha, salsa roja, habanero salsa, and tomatillo salsa verde.
👉Top tips
- Master the Heat: Use a frying thermometer (AKA candy thermometer) to keep the oil consistently between 350°F and 360°F to ensure they cook perfectly. If the oil is too cool, they will absorb more oil, and if the oil is too hot, the outside can get dark in color before the inside becomes firm.
- Thorough Coating is Key: No one wants a bland Buffy! Make sure the wings are thoroughly coated in buffalo sauce, and then don’t even think about skipping the roasting so that the sauce absorbs into the coating. Then, when you serve a small drizzle of extra sauce gets them all juicy and sexy again.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can make this dish suitable for a gluten-free diet by substituting all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend and ensuring your vegan drumsticks and buffalo sauce are gluten-free.
You will also need to use a gluten-free chicken (my drumsticks recipe is unfortunately not, as it contains vital wheat gluten). You can use soy curls, or another option is to slightly smash pieces of young jackfruit, marinate them with a little vegan poultry seasoning, and use those to make GF buffalo chicken nuggets.
Yes, you can bake them in the oven. After coating, place the drumsticks on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20-25 minutes or until crispy, turning halfway through. You will still need to toss them with the sauce, and return them to the oven, lowered to 350°F (175°C) for their final roast.
Increase the heat by adding more hot sauce or a spoonful of shatta to the buffalo sauce mixture, or include a pinch of cayenne pepper to the flour coating for an extra kick.
Buffalo drumsticks are REALLY best consumed immediately after having been made. But when there’s a will, there’s a way!
Storing in the Refrigerator 🌡️
Place any leftover vegan buffalo wings in an airtight container made of glass or metal and refrigerate. They will stay fresh for up to four days. For best results, keep the sauce separate and toss just before reheating.
Freezing for Later 🧊
To freeze, let the wings cool completely after cooking. Arrange them on a tray lined with parchment paper, ensuring they're not touching, and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to a reusable silicone bag or container. They can be frozen for up to two months. Freeze the sauce separately in a small container.
Thawing Frozen Wings 🔥
For the best texture, thaw your vegan buffalo wings in the refrigerator overnight. If you're short on time, you can reheat them directly from frozen, but you may need to add a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
🔥 Oven Reheating
To reheat, toss the thawed (if you froze ‘em) wings in buffalo sauce and warm them in an oven that’s been preheated to 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes.
Drizzle and garnish as you normally would with fresh buffalo wings
✌️My faves to serve with Vegan Buffalo Chicken:
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Learn to make plant-based meat from the seitan master himself, in this super-fun & informative class with Chef Adam Sobel!
Vegan Buffalo Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 8 vegan drumsticks my recipe, or store-bought
Flour:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Batter Mix:
- ½ cup unsweetened plant-based milk
- 3 tablespoon Original Frank's RedHot Sauce or other mild, acidy hot sauce of your preference
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
To Finish and Serve:
- 1 cup canola oil sunflower oil, or vegetable oil for frying
- 1 cup vegan buffalo sauce my recipe, or store-bought
- Vegan ranch dressing
- Finely minced pickles
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Finely minced red onion or shallots
Instructions
- Prepare 12 vegan drumsticks using my recipe, or store-bought ones for convenience. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- For the coating, measure 1 cup of all-purpose flour in a shallow dish. This will be used for the dry coat of the drumsticks.
- To make the batter mix, whisk together unsweetened plant-based milk, hot sauce, and 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour in a bowl until smooth.
- If frying, heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat until it reaches a temperature between 350°F to 360°F (177°C to 182°C). You can verify this using a frying thermometer or by setting a countertop deep fryer to this range. For air frying, preheat your air fryer according to the manufacturer's instructions and ensure you have cooking spray ready to coat the drumsticks.
- While the oil is heating, working one at a time, roll each drumstick in the flour, ensuring it's fully coated. Tap off any excess flour. Then, dip the drumstick into the batter mix, allowing any excess to drip off. Then coat the battered drumstick again in the flour to encapsulate the batter. This will ensure a crispier, better-textured crust. As you batter the drumsticks, add a little more flour to your bowl of flour if it starts getting too wet or is running low. Place all of the coated drumsticks on a parchment paper-lined baking tray.
- For frying: Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, fry the drumsticks until they're golden brown and crispy on all sides. This should take about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove them from the oil and let them drain on a wire rack.
- For air-frying: Place the coated drumsticks into an oiled air-fryer tray, and spray with additional cooking spray. Air fry at 350°F (177°C) for 10-12 minutes, or until they're crispy and golden brown, turning halfway through baking.
- Once cooked, toss the vegan drumsticks in 1 cup of vegan buffalo sauce until they're evenly coated. Place the coated wings onto a lightly oiled, parchment paper-lined baking tray and roast at 350°F (175°C) for 12 minutes or until most of the sauce has absorbed into the breading.
- To serve, arrange the saucy drumsticks on a platter. Drizzle with a little extra buffalo sauce, vegan ranch dressing and sprinkle with finely minced pickles, chopped fresh parsley, and finely minced red onion.
Notes
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