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close up on a plate of golden breaded vegan cutlets.
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5 stars (16 ratings)

Pan-Fried Crispy Vegan Cutlets

These super crispy Vegan Cutlets are made with seitan, white beans, breadcrumbs, and Italian seasonings. Perfect for serving with gravy, mashed potatoes, pasta, and more! Easy to pan-fry or bake.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian-inspired
Servings: 8 cutlets
Calories: 206kcal
Author: Nora Taylor

Ingredients

Cutlets

  • 15 ounce can white beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups vegan chick'n flavored broth or vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Coating and Frying

  • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • few shakes ground black pepper
  • vegetable oil for pan frying
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Mash the beans in a large bowl until no whole beans are left. Add the vital wheat gluten, flour, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, dried sage, salt, broth and olive oil to the bowl. Stir well until the mixture starts to pull away from the bowl.
  • Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead with your hands for 2-3 minutes until you see some gluten strings in the dough.
  • Break the dough into 8 pieces. Press and stretch them into thin cutlet shapes.
  • In a medium bowl, add the breadcrumbs, paprika, dried parsley, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
  • Warm a thin layer of oil in a large cast iron pan or non-stick pan over medium heat.
  • Coat the cutlets in the breadcrumb mixture, one at a time, handling them carefully. Place the cutlets on the pan, flatten with a spatula, cover and cook for 5-7 minutes per side, until crispy and golden brown. Serve immediately if possible, or store in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Notes

  1. You can use cooked lentils, pinto beans or chickpeas instead of white beans.
  2. For the broth, I use Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base.
  3. Bake Instead - You may bake them instead on a lightly oiled pan or parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, then flip and bake for 15 more minutes until crispy and golden brown.
  4. Leftover cutlets can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bake, air-fry or pan fry again until warm.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 8 cutlets | Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 477mg | Potassium: 320mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 218IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 3mg