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    Home » Main Courses

    Vegan “Fish” Sandwich

    Published: Jul 16, 2020 · Modified: Sep 8, 2022 by Larisha Bernard · This post may contain affiliate links · 14 Comments

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    This vegan fish sandwich with homemade vegan tartar sandwich will blow you away! No tofu needed and can completely oil free. Can be Top 8 Allergen Free. 

    A vegan fish sandwich with tartar sauce lettuce and tomatoes.

    Many times as people are transitioning from omnivore to vegan, pescatarian is a stop in between. However, changing from pescatarian to vegan can be difficult. This vegan fish sandwich will help.

    We wanted to create a soy free (meaning no tofu) vegan fish sandwich that still had the same flakey texture and a similar taste obviously without causing any harm. 

    Additionally, we wanted to make a vegan tartar sauce because in our book, you can’t have one without the other! 

    Luckily, with a few simple ingredients, we finally found something we are proud of sharing. 

    So, if you are looking to finally make the switch from pescatarian to vegan, you are vegan already and want to have something you remember, or any other reason, then this is the vegan fish sandwich that you have been looking for! 

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    a vegan fish sandwich with vegan tartar sauce, lettuce and tomato.

    What ingredients do I need to make a vegan fish sandwich?

    There are a few parts to these vegan fish sandwiches.  First, there’s the actual “fish” mixture patties.  Then the batter to give them a similar deep fried taste you usually come to love, and then the tartar sauce. 

    The full amounts are listed in the printable recipe card below. 

    For the vegan “fish” patties, you will need: 

    • Hearts of palm
    • Artichokes 
    • Breadcrumbs (use GF If needed)
    • Old bay seasoning 
    • Dried nori
    • Celery salt
    • Black Pepper
    • Smoked Paprika

    For the Batter

    • Chickpea flour 
    • Salt
    • Pepper
    • Garlic powder
    • Old bay seasoning
    • Dulse flakes 
    • Oat milk

    For the Vegan Tartar 

    • Vegan mayo
    • Fresh Dill
    • Lemon juice
    • Capers
    • Chopped pickles
    • Salt
    • Pepper
    A vegan fish sandwich patty.

    How do I make a vegan fish sandwich?

    To start, you are going to add all the ingredients for the patties into a food processor.  Pulse, scraping down as needed, until the mixture is combined.  You don’t want any big pieces of artichokes or hearts of palm, but you still want some flakey parts and don’t want it to be super mushy.

    Separate the mixture into 4-5 equal size balls depending on the thickness of the sandwich you want.  Press all the ingredients together and shape into either square or circular patties. 

    Place on a plate or baking sheet and place in the fridge to firm up a bit while you make the batter. 

    In a bowl, combine all the dry batter ingredients.  Then, pour in the oat milk. Whisk together to combine.  Let sit for 5 minutes (It will get thicker). 

    If you are deep frying, heat your oil to 350 degrees while you wait.  See below for instructions if air frying. 

    While waiting, make the tartar sauce by combining all the ingredients into a small bowl.  Place in fridge until sandwiches are ready.

    Once your oil is ready, remove the patties from the fridge. Very carefully, take a patty and dip into the batter on both sides, allowing any excess batter to drip off.

    Place the patty on a metal spatula and low it into the oil for 5 seconds before releasing into the basket.

    *If you place your battered patty directly onto the basket it will stick to the basket. Allowing the oil to start to fry the patty for just a few seconds before placing in the basket prevents this. 

    Cook for 3-4 minutes and then remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. 

    Repeat with remaining patties. Once all your patties are done, place on a bun with desired toppings and vegan tartar sauce. 

    A hand holding a vegan fish sandwich with vegan tartar sauce.

    Can this be an oil free fish sandwich?

    Yes!  You can air fry these vegan fish patties. 

    Make the patties exactly as described above.  Once you let them sit for a few minutes to solidify more, you can put them directly into the air fryer or if you want a bit of a crunch still, you can do so with breadcrumbs. 

    Mix 1 cup of breadcrumbs (gluten free if needed) with the dry seasonings from the batter mixture. Stir to combine and then press breadcrumbs on both sides of your patties. 

    Air fry at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. 

    Can this be Top 8 Allergen Free fish sandwich?

    The only ingredient in the patty or the batter that contains a top 8 allergen is breadcrumbs.  Just replace with a gluten free breadcrumbs (like these plant based breadcrumbs or these GF panko breadcrumbs. 

    For the tartar sauce, use a soy free mayo. 

    Can I prep this vegan fish sandwich ahead of time?

    Yes, once made and cooled, you can store these in an air tight container for up to 3 days.  Just reheat and serve. 

    We will say that they are best fresh. 

    A hand holding the ultimate vegan black bean burger.

    What are other vegan burgers I should try?

    Once you try our amazing vegan burger, you may be wondering what other delicious vegan burger ideas you should try.  We’ve rounded up a few that we would like to try ourselves. We thought they looked so good!

    • The Best Vegan Black Bean Burger
    • Vegan Chickpea Burger
    • Vegan Lentil Burger

    Pin this vegan fish sandwich for later:

    The words vegan fish sandwich overlayed onto a sandwich.
    a vegan fish sandwich with vegan tartar sauce, lettuce and tomato.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 11 votes

    Vegan Fish Sandwich with Vegan Tartar Sauce

    This vegan fish sandwich with homemade vegan tartar sandwich will blow you away! No tofu needed and can completely oil free. Can be Top 8 Allergen Free. 
    Prep Time20 minutes mins
    Cook Time10 minutes mins
    Total Time30 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 4 sandwiches
    Calories: 581kcal
    Author: Larisha Bernard

    Equipment

    • Deep Fryer or Air Fryer

    Ingredients

    For The Vegan "Fish" Patty

    • 14 oz can hearts of palm, drained and rinsed, let off as much water as possible*
    • 14 oz can artichokes, drained and rinsed, let off as much water as possible*
    • 1 ½ cup panko breadcrumbs (use GF if needed)
    • 2 tablespoon dried nori, buy flaked or shred a whole piece into small flakes
    • 1 tablespoon low sodium old bay seasoning
    • ½ teaspoon celery salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

    For the Batter (If Making in Air Fryer – see notes below)

    • ½ cup chickpea flour
    • ½ tablespoon low sodium old bay seasoning
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon pepper
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon dulse flakes
    • 1 cup oat milk

    Vegan Tartar Sauce

    • ½ cup vegan mayo
    • 1 tablespoon capers, chopped fine
    • 1 tablespoon relish (or same amount dill pickles, chopped fine)
    • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
    • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon pepper

    Optional Toppings

    • 4 buns
    • tomatoes
    • lettuce
    • vegan cheese

    Instructions

    For the "Fish" Patties

    • Add all the ingredients for the patties into a food processor. 
    • Pulse, scraping down as needed, until the mixture is combined. 
      *You don't want any big pieces of artichokes or hearts of palm, but you still want some flakey parts and don't want it to be super mushy.
    • Separate the mixture into 4-5 equal size balls depending on the thickness of the sandwich desired.  Press all the ingredients together and shape into either square or circular patties. 
    • Place on a plate or baking sheet and place in the fridge to firm up a bit while you make the batter. 

    For the batter (If Making in Air Fryer – see notes below)

    • In a bowl, combine all the dry batter ingredients.
    • Pour in the oat milk. Whisk together to combine. 
    • Let sit for 5 minutes (It will get thicker). 
    • Heat oil to 350 degrees while you wait. 
    • Once oil is ready, remove the patties from the fridge.
    • Very carefully, take a patty and dip into the batter on both sides, allowing any excess batter to drip off.
    • Place the patty on a metal spatula and low it into the oil for 5 seconds before releasing into the basket.
      *If you place your battered patty directly onto the basket it will stick to the basket. Allowing the oil to start to fry the patty for just a few seconds before placing in the basket prevents this.
    • Cook for 3-4 minutes and then remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. 
    • Repeat with remaining patties.
    • Once all patties are done, place on a bun with desired toppings and vegan tartar sauce.

    For the Tartar Sauce

    • Combine all the ingredients into a small bowl. 
      *Can make while waiting for oil to heat up. Place in fridge until sandwiches are ready.

    Video

    Notes

    *Do not add your hearts of palm or artichoke hearts dripping wet or your sandwich will turn out mushy.  If you forget this part, you can add more breadcrumbs and let sit for 15 minutes in the fridge. 
    *See post for notes about Top 8 Allergy Free variation
    **Nutritional facts are just estimates. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. 
    For Air Fried Sandwiches – 
    Make the patties exactly as described above.  Once you let them sit for a few minutes to solidify more, you can put them directly into the air fryer or if you want a bit of a crunch still, you can do so with breadcrumbs. 
    Mix 1 cup of breadcrumbs (gluten free if needed) with only the dry seasonings from the batter mixture. Stir to combine and then press breadcrumbs on both sides of your patties. 
    Air fry at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1sandwich | Calories: 581kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 1770mg | Potassium: 2003mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 1526IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 175mg | Iron: 5mg
    Tried this recipe? 🌟Share So We Can See! @makeitdairyfree or tag #makeitdairyfree!
    A collage of vegan fish sandwiches with vegan tartar sauce.

    This post was originally published on 2/28/2020 and updated on 7/16/2020 to include a video.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Natália

      December 09, 2021 at 10:23 am

      Hi, do you think this recipe would work without hearts of palm and substitute it with artichokes only? Hearts of palm are hard to come by in Europe. Thanks :).

      Reply
      • LarishaBernard

        February 09, 2022 at 10:24 pm

        Never tried so we wouldn’t have an answer for that

        Reply
    2. Shamika

      May 27, 2021 at 10:28 am

      I’ve never left a review before, but I had to comment on how amazing these were last night!! I miss fish the MOST and on rough days it was my go to. thank so much for sharing this recipe.

      Reply
      • LarishaBernard

        May 28, 2021 at 2:36 pm

        So glad that you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking time to leave your thoughts! Have a great day

        You may also enjoy this: https://makeitdairyfree.com/chickpea-vegan-tuna-salad/

        Reply
    3. Nicole Murphy

      September 07, 2020 at 10:17 pm

      5 stars
      Made this tonight and it was so delicious! I was craving a fish sandwich and this recipe hit the spot! Thank you so much. I can’t wait to try your other recipes 😋

      Reply
      • LarishaBernard

        September 10, 2020 at 6:54 am

        We’re so happy to hear that Nicole! Thanks so much for sharing. Have a great week!

        Reply
    4. Nikita H. Layne

      August 30, 2020 at 11:21 am

      I made this recipe in the airfyer and it was absolutely delicious! My non vegan family keeps asking when I’m going to make it again! Thank you!

      Reply
      • LarishaBernard

        August 30, 2020 at 8:22 pm

        So happy to hear that Nikita! Thank you for taking the time to let us know!

        Reply
    5. Jay

      August 11, 2020 at 7:56 pm

      This has an amazingly fishy flavor! Can you please make crab cakes? I am sure you will make them have a crabby flavor as well

      Reply
      • LarishaBernard

        August 11, 2020 at 8:45 pm

        We’re so glad you liked it! Crab cakes are on our list to test!

        Reply
    6. Natasha

      July 21, 2020 at 5:28 pm

      5 stars
      This sandwich was great and easy to make thank you so much!

      Reply
      • LarishaBernard

        July 21, 2020 at 10:15 pm

        We appreciate you so much for taking the time to leave a review and so happy to hear that you’re enjoying the recipe.

        Reply
    7. Iman wolf

      July 18, 2020 at 4:28 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve never left a comment in a blog before, but I had to do it today! Wow wow wow! I never thought I would have a classic fish sandwich after going vegan! This recipe is amazing ! I had to tweak it a bit as I wanted to bake it, and wow it turned out so good ! I left chunks in the patty, and used wakame and miso in the patty instead of nori. For the baking I used a vegan buttermilk and Panko crumbs and baked it at 400F for 20 minutes !

      Thank you for the inspiration ! Wow ! 😍

      Reply
      • LarishaBernard

        July 28, 2020 at 9:58 pm

        We’re so happy to hear that. Thank you for sharing your swaps and taking the time to leave a comment. We appreciate it so much! Have a great day!

        Reply

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