Makes 8 cutlets
This recipe is a Veganomicon favorite! Vegan food that will put your lonely steak knives to work? I’m in! As the years pass I make modifications to all my recipes, as you probably do, too. This one is pretty faithful to the original, only I’ve increased the quantity because might as well. Why not have extra cutlets for tucking into sandwiches or chopping up over a Caesar salad?
I’ve paired down the ingredient list a little bit — it doesn’t exactly need the garlic and lemon peel, although I’ve listed them as optional. Sometimes I’m just not in the mood to break out the microplane grater (I can get pretty damn lazy.) I’ve also taken a few pictures so that you can see exactly how they should look throughout the prep. And last but not least, because people always ask, I’ve added food processor instructions. Hopefully this makes the recipe even easier and more foolproof then it was, and I think it was already pretty easy.
A couple of other things: Wheat gluten can vary from brand to brand. These come out great with either Arrowhead Mills Brand or Bob’s Red Mill, although I think Bob’s brand makes them a bit firmer. Also, you should only use storebought breadrumbs unless you plan on tweaking the recipe. I’ve tried homemade breadcrumbs and they come out way to mushy.
The texture we’re looking for is firm and a bit crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. I find that for the best texture you should let the cutlets rest after cooking for 10 minutes or so before digging in.
1 16 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup vital wheat gluten
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
Olive oil for pan frying
Optional ingredients:
4 cloves garlic, pressed or grated with a Microplane grater
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
In a mixing bowl, mash the chickpeas together with the oil until no whole chickpeas are left. Use an avocado masher or a strong fork. Alternately, you can pulse the chickpeas in a food processor. We’re not making hummus here, so be careful not to puree them, just get them mashed up. You can also sneak the garlic cloves in here instead of grating them, just pulse them up before adding the chickpeas. If using a food processor, transfer to a mixing bowl when done.
Add the remaining ingredients and knead together for about 3 minutes, until strings of gluten have formed. The strings should look like this (click photo for an even closer up view):
Preheat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over low-medium heat. Cast iron works best. If you have two pans and want to cook all the cutlets at once then go for it, otherwise you’ll be making them in two batches.
Divide the cutlet dough into 2 equal pieces. Then divide each of those pieces into 4 separate pieces (so you’ll have 8 all together). To form cutlets, knead each piece in your hand for a few moments and then flatten and stretch each one into a roughly 6 by 4 inch rectangular cutlet shape. The easiest way to do this is to form a rectangle shape in your hands and then place the cutlets on a clean surface to flatten and stretch them. (OK, maybe my surface wasn’t that clean.)
Add a moderately thin layer of olive oil to the bottom of the pan. Place the cutlets in the pan and cook on each side for 6 to 7 minutes. Add more oil, if needed, when you flip the cutlets. They’re ready when lightly browned and firm to the touch. I’ve found that they cook more thoroughly if I cover the pan in between flips. I also use my spatula to press down on them while they’re cooking, that way they cook more evenly.
Now let them rest for a bit and you’re done!
Just made these again-they’re are my husband’s favorite entree. He thinks they are similar to chicken fried steak. I personally don’t like the texture when they are fried (a bit too doughy). So I decided to divide the dough and make them 3 ways-fried, steamed and then browned, and baked. The baked ones were the easiest and fastes to make but they were a little too dry and crunchy; the steamed ones were my favorite, chewy but not doughy and browning them on the outside gave them just a bit of crispness; my husband still likes the original fried recipe best and said the other versions tasted like health food. I guess I will just have to make “his and hers” from now on.
I can’t wait to try this. I’m thinking they’d make a kickass parmesan-type dish, with tomato sauce and some daiya cheese.
i just made these today for my (non-vegan) housemates and everybody loved them! they were so simple to prepare and super yummy and filing. i’ve been a vegan for a month so far and i’m so glad to have found this recipe! i’m sure it will be a staple in my house before long.
I have been pondering these for about a month now. Just made them tonight. Fabulous! I doubled the recipe before I tasted them, and I’m so glad I did. These cutlets are delicious! Great flavor! I paired them with mashed potatoes and the Veganomicon mushroom gravy. Perfect meal.
I made these tonight and they were really gummy and chewy…it was really hard to swallow. What did I do wrong? Kneaded too much? Cutlet too thick? Will it be less gummy if I cook them in the oven? I really want to get this recipe right! It looks so good, I want to taste like they look! 🙂
I made these last night and they were great! I pan fried them and they were nice a crispy on the outside. They were a little on the greasy side from soaking up the oil but that’s my error. I’ll definitely be making these again.
I am in love with these. It was great to have to pull out a knife to eat my dinner for a change. I made them last week and am ready for another batch already. I think that next time I make them, I’ll breakout the Kitchen-Aid and let it knead the dough,
I made these and my family enjoyed them. Especially my picky little 5 year old who hates anything new so that says alot. My inly complaint is that I had a funny aftertaste in my mouth and I personally think it’s from the vital wheat gluten because I’ve had that taste before. Anyone have any suggestions as to how I can avoid that? Thank you for all your great vegan recipes!
I LOVED this. Even my Dad, who noms on ribs all day liked it! I am going to try it with the mushroom gravy next time. 🙂
I made these over the weekend and added some chopped mushrooms..DELISH!…
I’m making these weekly now, so I might as well start making the double batch and freezing ’em! Love love love! My fave way to eat them is on an Italian roll, with Daiya and sauce… marinara… or Isa’s Sanctuary Dressing… or most recently, a vegan creamy garlic dressing… so so good!
Mine were stringy and very unpleasant to swallow. I was so sure that I followed the recipe to the letter- I’m a chef so have no problem with following cooking directions. Sure hope someone can give me a hint as to what’s wrong, because I have 6 cutlets in the freezer. I used half fine commercial breadcrumbs and half panko, because i was afraid the bread crumbs would be too fine.
Try baking the ones you have in the freezer. I find that if they come out stringy they are undercooked, so I bet they can be saved! Not sure if the panko could be the culprit.
Thanks, probably undercooked.
I love this recipe! Last time, I had a gluten-free dinner guest, so I subbed brown rice breadcrumbs and xanthum gum. They turned out great! However, I myself did not like the way my tummy reacted to the xanthum gum. So I am gonna try guar gum next time I need to make them GF. Meanwhile, for tomorrow’s bbq, and gonna make the classic recipe!
OMG. I just made these for the first time, and I understand why everyone is wild about them!
I’m in love with these, and so is my husband. He couldn’t wait to have them again. Question though, freezing – is that pre-cooking? I could seriously eat these every day. And they don’t even have soy!!
Thank you SO much for this recipe.
Izzy; I make these on a regular basis and freeze them after frying them – then wrap in foil and warm up in my toaster oven. Works well for me. Others in this forum have said they freeze before cooking, so I’m guessing you could do either.
Also – anybody else tried these with a cranberry relish on the side (like omnivores with turkey dinner)? Works so well for me that if I’m pressed for time I forgo the gravy if I have cranberry or lingdonberry sauce in the fridge.
Hi, Isa
I cant find vital wheat gluten…any suggestions on how I could use flaxseed meal (perhaps?) with any other binders?
Thanks!
Good Morning,
My family is aiming for less gluten. Is there a replacement for the wheat gluten?
Thanks!
No, not in this recipe, it’s really dependent on the gluten.
Do you ever make these with any other sort of beans? Thanks!
Yes, white beans are great.
I hadn’t made these in a long time so I really enjoyed them when I made them for dinner tonight. I’m trying to cut down on sodium so used coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce and cut the olive oil in half, adding extra veg stock instead. I think they turned out really well. Next time I think I’ll use seasoned bread crumbs, omit the thyme and, after browning them, make a baked cutlet parmigiana with Daiya.
I just made a second batch of these today, after making them for the first time a couple of days ago from the Veganomicon cookbook. This is seriously rad stuff. I keep tempting my non-vegan parents to try it, after commenting how good the kitchen smells when I make it.
Just about the only two changes I made to this recipe, is using 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder (since I’m too lazy to use the garlic press too), and instead of thyme and sage (because I didn’t have it in the pantry), I used 1/2 teaspoon of (vegan) poultry seasoning since it had both thyme and sage in the ingredients (and a few extra, but oh well). I’m pretty sure besides the minor changes, it tastes pretty darn close to what you intended and holy smokes, I can’t get enough of it.
Another thing I like about these is its cheaper than buying processed mock-meat products. One batch (the Veganomicon recipe) gives me 4 servings of protein. A whole can of chickpeas can give me two batches of these, and I think that’s just awesome. Who says that being vegan is expensive.
I know this recipe is going to be a keeper in my house for the rest of my life as a vegan. Thanks you Isa and Terry!
Back again with more coments to add……..
I have aready said that I love this reciepe, now I can expaned on way that is. First off I don’t use “plain breadcrumbs” not because I don’t want to, its because I can’t find the damn things (In a city of 100 000 people). They are either loaded with sugar or there is no sugar but they have parmesan in them!!! (My fiance is a sugar free vegan) So I use fried chicken coating, without sugar in it!?!
It’s about 78g per package. After that the only thing I add to a normal batch is 1/2 tsp rosemary.
Now for the special batches.
Vegan Wiener Schnitzel
Using fried chicken coating instead of breadcrumbs, substitute 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup German beer (I use Löwenbräu) for 1/2 vegetable broth/water. Continue as normal with the recipe. Divide into 4 schnitzels, press thin. Place some breadcrumbs (or more chicken coating) on a plate, coat each side of the schnitzel. Cook for 10min on low-medium heat (3.5 on a shitty electric stove) flip and cook for another 6min. Let rest for 10min and serve with lemon wedge.
I made this with hot apple and cabbage salad, and Laugenbrötchen (Pretzel Rolls)
Vegan Meat Balls
Fallow the recipe as per normal but add,
2 small onions (Chopped fine)
4 cloves of garlic (Diced)
3 tbsp chopped basil (Fresh is better but living in Canada so that doesn’t always work)
1 tbsp Vegan Grated Topping (Parmesan Flavor)
1 tsp Oregano
Roll into balls (I get around 13-19 of em’) Cook at medium-high heat for 15-20min moving meat balls constantly.
We have this with spaghetti (Put dried rosemary, and basil in the water you use to boil the spaghetti in) and a simple tomato sauce on top.
As I have said before I’m an omnivore, living very happily with a vegan. She has never cooked any of these recipes………. because I love doin’ it. This one single recipe has no limits, trust me.
I’m going to try Vegan Chickin Kiev tonight, using the cutletes, some tofurky slices, Daiya vegan cheese, and I’m goin to bake em’. I’ll let ya know how it goes.
And thanks Isa……. love the Veganomicon and PPK!
I added some red quinoa to the meatlessballs and they look more like meat, taste good, and have even more protein.
These are so delicious; thank you for this recipe! I may try baking them as well.
I love these chickpea patties. Today my husband grilled them. I made the recipe and then he just brushed the grill with olive oil and cooked them for about 20 minutes. Tasted great!
This was sooooo good! Best vegan food ever for sure! Isa you’re the best best best 🙂
I just had a crew of 13-year-old omnivores screaming and clamoring for these. Seriously. I LOVE this recipe!
This looks fantastic! I cannot wait to try them!!! Does anyone have a good recipe for mushroom gravy??
I made this over the weekend along with your mushroom gravy and it was fantastic even the meatlovers were all over it! Thank you for a wonderful dish!!!
Absolutely delicious!! I love it! I will always keep it in our house. A must have for vegans!!
these were delicious although tasted a little heavy to me. i think i overdid the olive oil — but loved the crispy outside it gave me (one batch i added water half-way through because the pan was dry — these were not as good). i imagine they’re not quite as good baked or with the spray.
ohmygodsogood.
Hey I would love to make these. Is there a substitute for the Vital wheat gluten doesn’t have to be gluten free gut easy to find. I live on a small island in the Caribbean and things like xanthum gum and wheat gluten are not available down here. Any suggestions?
sorry just not gut