Best Soy Curls Recipe (2024)

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Soy curls are a vegan meat substitute that’s gaining steam — and it’s seriously delicious. Get convinced with this tasty soy curls recipe!

Best Soy Curls Recipe (1)

“Have you ever made anything with soy curls?” My friend sent me a What’s App message about a new food she’d discovered. I had no idea what they were, but I did know one thing: they were in need of a serious PR makeover. Who wants to eat something called soy curls? (Ew.) But Alex was intrigued. He bought a bag, we tried them, and lo and behold: they were actually good. Like, really good! “Tastes like chicken!” we said.

A few days later, we walked over to a new BBQ restaurant near our house. The menu was straight up of Texas barbecue: except for one dish. “Vegan option: BBQ soy curls!” the menu exclaimed. Inspired by the restaurant, we whipped up a version of our own, and we’re now officially obsessed with this healthy meat substitute. These curls are savory, tangy, and have a texture a little like chicken. Slathered in homemade BBQ sauce, they’re pretty darn amazing. Here’s our best soy curls recipe, what they are, and why you should eat them!

Best Soy Curls Recipe (2)

What are soy curls?

So: what are they, exactly? Soy curls are a meat alternative that’s made by boiling and dehydrating soybeans. The process is totally natural, which makes them a whole food and not a processed fake meat product. We know it might sound a little ify if you’ve never heard of them, but we promise these are legit good. This comes from two verrrry skeptical taste testers (us).

Of all the meat substitute products that exist, Alex and I have found that soy curls are one of the best ones at emulating meat. They have a texture similar to chicken, honestly. For a family who eats mostly vegetarian and vegan, they’re very satisfying. (The only thing they rival? Our “famous” vegetarian meatloaf.)

Best Soy Curls Recipe (3)

Get some soy curls

Are you convinced yet? Butler soy curls is another term you might see for this tasty treat: Butler is the company that makes soy curls. We buy ours online; the link is below.

As a note: You may have heard of something called tofu skins: this is similar, but not quite the same (the methods to make each are a little different).

Get them: Butler Soy curls (3 8-ounce bags) (enough for 6 batches)

How to make this soy curls recipe

Soy curls are very easy to make. Here we’ve combined them with our homemade BBQ sauce to make the legit best faux chicken tenders. They are savory, tangy, and oh so delicious. And the texture? It’s kind of like chicken, honestly. But it’s all plant-based! It’s kind of amazing. We promise: you’re going to love it!

The only thing you need to know is that the curls require soaking before cooking them. You’ll only need to soak for 9 minutes, then squeeze out all the water. That’s it! Then you can cook them in whatever way you’d like.

Here’s how to make this soy curls recipe:

  1. Make the homemade BBQ sauce (our recipe takes just 10 minutes to simmer).
  2. Soak the soy curls for 9 minutes, then drain and squeeze out the liquid.
  3. Saute the curls: heat olive oil and saute the curls for 3 to 4 minutes, then add a bit of BBQ sauce and cook another minute until start to lightly blacken.
  4. Remove from the heat and mix in more BBQ sauce.
  5. Serve with extra sauce for dipping!
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How serve ’em

This soy curls recipe is like a comfort-food style appetizer, kind of like vegan chicken tenders. However, Alex and I also like to eat them when we’re looking for a filling snack or as part of a main dish dinner for the 2 of us with our toddler Larson. (He LOVED them, by the way, making them one of our top recs for vegan recipes for kids.) Here’s what we’d do to dress up them up into a meal:

  • Oven Baked Fries or Seasoned Baked Potato Wedges: Add fries or potato wedges as a side, and these curls are basically dinner!
  • Jackfruit BBQ Sandwich Substitute the curls for the jackfruit in this Jackfruit BBQ sandwich as a super satisfying main dish!
  • Grilled Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwich Another sandwich option is substituting curls for the cauliflower in this tasty sandwich.
  • Radish Chopped Salad Recipe Add them to this radish chopped salad with blue cheese dressing, and you have a tasty main dish salad!

This recipe is…

Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.

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Best Soy Curls Recipe (6)

Best Soy Curls Recipe!

★★★★★4.5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 as a snack, 2 as a main 1x
Print Recipe

Description

Soy curls are a vegan meat substitute that’s gaining steam — and it’s seriously delicious. Get convinced with this tasty soy curls recipe!

Ingredients

Scale

  • 6 tablespoonsHomemade BBQ Sauce, plus more for serving
  • 2 cups soy curls (available here)
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Make theHomemade BBQ Sauce (or try our Vegan BBQ Sauce, Mustard BBQ SauceorSugar Free BBQ Sauce.)Don’t even think about using another purchased BBQ sauce: this one is absolutely worth the 10 minutes it takes to simmer while you wait for the soy curls.
  2. Place the soy curls in a bowl and cover with several inches of water. Soak for 9 minutes. Then drain and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a skillet and heat to medium high. Cook the soy curls for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly browned, stirring often. Add 2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce and continue cooking 1 minute until starting to blacken.
  4. Remove the soy curls to bowl and stir them together with ¼ cup BBQ sauce. Serve warm, with extra BBQ sauce for dipping.
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Soy curls, Butler soy curls, Soy curls recipe, What are soy curls

Last updated: December 2020

vegan vegetarian gluten free

Published on / Last updated on

Categorized In:

  • Dinner Recipes
  • Recipes

Tagged with:

  • BBQ
  • Dairy-Free
  • For Kids
  • Gluten-Free Recipes
  • Plant-Based
  • Soy
  • Soy Curls
  • Vegan Recipes
  • Vegetarian Recipes

About the authors

Best Soy Curls Recipe (7)

Sonja & Alex

Hi, we’re Alex and Sonja Overhiser, married cookbook authors, food bloggers, and recipe developers. We founded A Couple Cooks to share fresh, seasonal recipes for memorable kitchen moments! Our recipes are made by two real people and work every time.

About Us

Best Soy Curls Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you soak soy curls too long? ›

Soy curls come dehydrated and require soaking before use. Soak in warm water for 10 minutes. Be careful not to soak for too long or they will become mushy.

How much water do you use for soy curls? ›

Place soy curls in a bowl then pour 2 cups boiled water over soy curls. Let stand 10 minutes to rehydrate. Drain and pat dry, squeezing liquid out of the soy curls(I use my salad spinner to remove liquid then pat dry in a towel).

Do soy curls go rancid? ›

Soy Curls are an all-natural product that do not contain any preservatives or additives. They also contain natural fats and will go rancid when stored on your pantry for long periods of time.

What are the ingredients in soy curls? ›

Soy curls are made of non-GMO soybeans. The process of making them starts with soaking the soybeans in water. They're then cooked and stirred to break the beans down into mush. Then the mush is extruded (i.e., pushed through a small opening) into stringy shapes, which are dried at a low temperature.

How do you know if soy curls have gone bad? ›

The most obvious sign that soy curls have gone bad is a change in smell. They should have a neutral odor; if they smell sour or strange, it might indicate that they're no longer good.

How long do soy curls need to be cooked? ›

Finally, you'll either bake the soy curls for twenty-five minutes, or you'll air fry them for 10-12 minutes. Allow your chicken-style soy curls to get nice and saucy before baking or air frying them. The soy curls can be baked in the oven or air fried for a chewy-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside texture.

How many cups is 8 oz of soy curls? ›

Soy Curls or approx. 4 cups dry.

How do you get water out of soy curls? ›

I like to pour the soy curls in a round sieve, then use a clean bowl to really press the extra liquid out of them. Return the soy curls to the large bowl and add the garlic powder, salt, and any additional seasonings or flavor variations as desired. Mix well.

Do you refrigerate soy curls? ›

They keep at room temperature for up to 6 months if unopened. For long term storage, you can stash them in your fridge or freezer for upwards of a year. Once rehydrated though, they're best enjoyed as soon as possible. Cooked or par-cooked soy curls can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Do soy curls taste like tofu? ›

If you're not consuming added sugar, don't add any sugar to them. Soy curls are similar to tofu in that they don't really have any flavor of their own but they act like sponges and will soak up whatever you give them. They contain no sodium, cholesterol, sugar, or trans fat of their own.

Are soy curls the same as soy chunks? ›

Soy Curls: soy curls are of course a soy product that are just dehydrated soy chunks. You can get them from Butler's Foods. They are a great product to always keep on hand because they last a while, they are a great source of plant-based protein, and are very versatile!

Do soy curls freeze well? ›

How long do soy curls last? Once rehydrated and cooked, you will need to store the soy curls in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How healthy is soy curls? ›

In addition to protein and healthy fats, soy curls are high in fiber, containing 6 grams of fiber per serving, which can help aid in digestion and prevent constipation. They are also a good source of iron, calcium, and other essential minerals that are important for maintaining a healthy body.

Do you have to soak soy curls? ›

Soy curls come dehydrated, so you will need to soak them in hot water to reconstitute them first. They have a nice chewy texture and a very neutral flavor, so they're a great canvas for any of your favorite spices and sauces.

What can I use instead of soy curls? ›

Soy Curl Substitute: while soy curls can be easy to find in some parts of the world, they can be very difficult to find, or very costly in other places. Soy Chunks, Soya Chunks, TVP Chunks are all basically the same thing, just in different shapes, so try looking out for these instead.

How many hours can I soak soya beans? ›

Rinse the dried soybeans, rubbing them together gently to remove any surface powdery residue, and remove any dark or discolored beans. Soak the beans in enough water to cover the beans for 6-8 hours or overnight. Soaking time is a bit longer than for other types of beans.

How long can you soak soya chunks? ›

How long should soya chunks be soaked? Ideally they need just a 10 to 15 minutes soak to hydrate and soften them. But if you are someone having a trouble digesting protein, then soak them in luke warm water for 3 to 4 hours. Oversoaking in boiling hot water makes them too mushy.

How long to soak soy protein? ›

1-Rehydrate the proteins by covering them with boiling water and the vegetable stock for 20-30 minutes. Or bring to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes until the proteins are soft and thoroughly flavored.

How long to soak textured soy? ›

When learning how to cook with TVP, you must first rehydrate it in liquid. Luckily, rehydrating textured vegetable protein is incredibly easy. To rehydrate your TVP, pour boiling water or broth over the desired amount and let it soak for 5-10 minutes, or until it's reached the desired texture.

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