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!
Best Soy Curls Recipe (5)

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

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

What to soak soy curls in? ›

Water: Soy curls come dry in the package, so they need to be rehydrated in a mix of water and broth for 5 minutes or so before cooking.

How does butler make soy curls? ›

We soak the beans in spring water (no chlorine). Then the beans are stirred while being cooked. Soy Curls™ are dried at low temperature thus ensuring the natural goodness of the whole soybean high in fiber and omega-3.

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.

Are soy curls good for you? ›

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.

Are soy curls more processed than tofu? ›

Soy Curls

These protein-packed strips are different than soy products like tofu and tempeh because they are considered minimally processed.

Do you have to rehydrate 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.

Do soy curls make you gassy? ›

Like beans, soy products are derived from a legume. Some people have a hard time digesting the sugars in legumes which results in gas when eaten in large amounts.

Do soy curls need to be refrigerated? ›

Soy Curls™ are an all natural product and do not contain any preservatives or additives. Keep them refrigerated or frozen to keep them fresh.

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 to tell if soy curls are 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.

Can you eat soy curls raw? ›

You always want to rehydrate soy curls before eating them. This is because: 1 - Soy curls are bland AF if you don't rehydrate and flavor them. They're a completely blank canvas, which is why we use them in so many different ways.

What is a substitute for 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.

Are soy curls healthier than chicken? ›

Soy curls contain some fat, but they are generally low in fat compared to meat-based protein sources. They are especially low in saturated fat, often contributing to heart disease and other health problems.

How much water do you use for soy curls? ›

Soy curls are dried and crispy, so they will need to be rehydrated before you can use them. Simply place them in a bowl and add about 1.5 cups of hot water and let them soak. I like to flavor the water, to add some flavor to the soy curls, otherwise, they are very bland, so I personally use a tablespoon of marmite.

How do you soak soy? ›

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 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.

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 do you soak soya chunks overnight? ›

I personally prefer to boil my soya chunks in lightly salted water for 5 minutes prior to adding them to any recipe. You can also opt to pour boiling water over the top and leave them to soak for a few hours, or cover with cool water and soak them overnight.

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