15 Amazing Seitan Recipes (2024)

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Seitan is the protein-packed meat replacement you should be cooking with. Ready to get started? Try one of these scrumptious seitan recipes!

I've been a big fan of seitan for a LONG time now. I discovered this amazing plant-based protein shortly after I gave up meat, and it quickly became my favorite.

While tofu and tempeh required a little bit of time and adapting on my part, I pretty much knew what to do with seitan right away. Seitan recipes are easy! For the most part you can take (almost) any old meat-containing recipe, and replace the meat with seitan. It's that simple.

I love this stuff so much that I've even come up with a go-to method for making homemade seitan.

Is seitan a new ingredient to you? I'm here to answer your questions!

What is seitan?

Seitan is meat substitute made up of gluten, or the protein component of wheat. See, flour is basically composed of bran, starch, and gluten. If you remove the bran and starch (which can be done at home by a super tedious process of making a dough out of flour and water, then carefully rinsing those components away), you'd be left with gluten. It has a firm, stringy texture that's pretty similar to that of meat. If you add some flavor to that gluten by way of seasonings, you've got seitan!

Since gluten is essentially all protein, seitan is a great source of vegan protein.

But wait, isn't gluten bad for you?

First off, I'm not a medical or nutritional professional, so my opinion is purely that of a lay-person. Personally, I don't have celiac disease or any other condition that causes gluten-sensitivity, so I'm totally fine with including seitan in my diet.

What are some substitutes for seitan?

If you are sensitive to gluten, you'll obviously want to avoid seitan. Butler Soy Curls are my favorite seitan substitute, and they can be used in many of the recipes below, with minor modifications. Texturized vegetable protein (TVP) is another option. Tempeh and tofu are other great plant-protein ingredients, but the trade off is that they don't have much in the way of meaty texture.

For more help, check out my guide to cooking with seitan, and then get started with one of these delicious seitan recipes. They're all vegan, super satisfying, and of course loaded with protein!

Jump to:
  • Vegan Coq au Vin
  • Vegan Pepper Steak
  • Vegan Chicken ala King
  • Vegan Chicken Salad
  • Vegan Beef Stroganoff
  • Beefy Vegan Burritos
  • Vegan Butter Chicken
  • Vegan Hamburger Helper
  • Vegan Breakfast Sausage
  • Vegan Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches
  • Vegan Sancocho
  • Vegan Barbecue Beef Sandwiches
  • Vegan Mango Chicken Stir-Fry
  • Vegan Beef Barley Soup

Vegan Coq au Vin

This super savory vegan stew is made with seitan and veggies in a rich red wine and brandy sauce. Perfect for warming you up on chilly days!

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Vegan Pepper Steak

This vegan spin on classic pepper steak is loaded with flavor and super easy to make. Perfect for a weeknight dinner!

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Vegan Chicken ala King

Made with seitan "chicken" in a creamy dairy-free sauce with pimentos, peas and mushrooms, this cozy stew is great over pasta, rice, biscuits or toast.

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Vegan Chicken Salad

This vegan version of chicken salad gets a flavor boost from fresh dill, along with some crunch from almonds. Perfect for stuffing into sandwiches or piling on salads!

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Vegan Beef Stroganoff

Made with seitan chunks in a luscious cashew-based sauce, this vegan stroganoff tastes just like the real deal!

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Beefy Vegan Burritos

Dicing up seitan super fine makes for a great ground beef substitute. Pair it up with creamy refried beans and spicy sauce, and you've got a recipe for one amazing vegan burrito!

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Vegan Butter Chicken

You'd seriously never guess that this scrumptious curry was both meatless AND dairy-free! Bonus: it's also super easy to make!

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Vegan Hamburger Helper

It's cheesy, savory, satisfying, and absolutely delicious! This vegan spin on Hamburger Helper is BETTER than the classic, and almost as easy to whip up!

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Vegan Breakfast Sausage

This vegan sausage is a great seitan recipe to try if you're interested in starting from scratch! You'll be making a dough from wheat gluten-lentils, and seasonings, then steaming it and slicing it int patties. It's lots of fun and worth the effort!

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Vegan Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

These delicious sandwiches are made with peppers, onions, seitan, and an amazing dairy-free cheese sauce!

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This soup is so comforting and so easy! It's hearty enough for a meal and perfect for chilly days!

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Vegan Sancocho

Sancocho is a Latin American dish that's kind of similar to beef stew...but with all kinds of delicious additions like corn, plantains and root veggies. This vegan version also includes seitan in place of beef!

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Vegan Barbecue Beef Sandwiches

Craving some barbecue but not down with meat? These DELICIOUS sandwiches are the solution! Seitan gets finely shredded and simmered in zesty barbecue sauce before being stuffed into buns and topped with creamy slaw!

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Vegan Mango Chicken Stir-Fry

15 Amazing Seitan Recipes (15)

This Thai-inspired stir-fry features seitan, green beans, and peppers in a sweet mango sauce. It's easy, delicious, and perfect for mango-lovers!

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Vegan Beef Barley Soup

You'd probably never guess this soup was vegan if you hadn't made it yourself! Made with seitan, veggies, and barley in a savory red wine broth, it's both delicious and satisfying!

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Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!

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About Alissa Saenz

Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

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15 Amazing Seitan Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to steam or boil seitan? ›

Boiling seitan makes it have a brainy spongey texture, frying seitan (without first steaming it) makes it rubbery and spongey, baking it makes it dry and rubbery. Steaming seitan, on the other hand, will yield the perfect meaty, juicy, chewy, yet tender seitan every single time.

Why add chickpea flour to seitan? ›

Ingredient Notes

vital wheat gluten - Currently I use this one from Anthony's. chickpea flour - This tenderizes the seitan by disrupting the gluten formation.

Is seitan better than tofu? ›

Both seitan and tofu are plant-based proteins. However, while seitan is an excellent plant-based protein alternative, tofu is a complete protein (seitan lacks the amino acid lysine). Unseasoned tofu is typically lower in sodium than store-bought seitan, which can be processed with salt, sugar or other flavors added.

How to make seitan less rubbery? ›

There is a way to make it less spongy: Add a little less water and knead it thoroughly. Let it stay for 30 minutes and knead it again, I even use a wooden roll for that. I some times add a tablespoon of potato starch or cornstarch, this adds consistency without making it too rubbery or hard (don't knead as much).

What are the disadvantages of seitan? ›

What are the cons?
  • Not suitable for those with gluten-sensitivities or coeliac disease.
  • Doesn't absorb much flavour.
  • High amounts of sodium (salt) in the packaged product.
  • Seitan is hard to source unlike other vegetarian protein alternatives meaning you may have to venture to a specialty vegetarian “butcher”

Is it OK to eat homemade seitan everyday? ›

Eat it sparingly,” he says. “It's not necessarily a once a day thing, and if you think you need a plant-based option I'd actually suggest tofu over seitan.” That said, Mora says there's no denying that folks can benefit from adding seitan to their menu—especially since it comes in a variety of flavor profiles.

Who should not eat seitan? ›

People who are gluten sensitive or have celiac disease should avoid eating seitan. Allergic Reactions: Some people may be allergic to wheat or gluten and experience allergic reactions after eating seitan.

What is the best flour for seitan? ›

For a better flavor and a cheaper price, try washing the flour and make your seitan from bread flour! The brand of bread flour doesn't matter. Choose a high protein flour for a larger yield. You can make this with all-purpose flour, however you will have a smaller yield.

What can I add to seitan to make it a complete protein? ›

So, seitan is not only a great protein source but also has a good amino acid profile. If you're wondering what else you can add to seitan to make up for its lack of lysine, it's easy – lentils, beans, tofu, tempeh, nuts and seeds.

Which is better, tempeh or seitan? ›

Nutrition and Protein

Seitan is highest in calories and protein, as its main ingredient is vital wheat gluten, which has a similar nutritional profile to protein powder. Tempeh is high in protein, vitamins and minerals, but also low in sodium and carbs.

Is it cheaper to make or buy seitan? ›

Because of its meaty texture, seitan can be used in a variety of dishes, from sandwiches and stir-fries to stews and soups. The best part is that making seitan at home is easy, and it's much cheaper than buying pre-made or store-bought seitan.

Why is my seitan soggy? ›

MY SEITAN IS GUMMY/SOFT AFTER THE FULL BAKE TIME:

If you did, it is likely that there was too much liquid in the dough. You can watch this video on the 86easts deli turkey to see what your dough in most of the 86eats seitan roasts should look like. A too wet, too soft dough is going to make a gummy, soft seitan.

What happens if you eat too much seitan? ›

In those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, eating seitan can cause adverse side effects like swelling, abdominal pain, diarrhea and cramps. It's also not considered a complete protein and needs to be paired with a well-balanced diet to ensure you're getting the amino acids that you need.

Is it better to steam or simmer seitan? ›

While the water simmers in the pot, you'll want to add the seitan to the steaming basket. Doing so will allow the seitan to develop a pleasant texture that is neither too soft nor firm.

Should I rinse seitan? ›

The more starch you wash out, the more chewy your seitan will become, so the end result is up to you. If you're going for the not that washed (NTW) method, you will only want to keep plenty of starch in and your water will still be very opaque, like somewhere between milky-buttermilky.

How should seitan be cooked? ›

Here are a few simple techniques to try: Brown seitan chunks, slices or strips in a lightly oiled frying pan over medium heat. Cook them for five to ten minutes, flipping them once or twice. Browned seitan can be added to stir-fries, curries, sandwiches, wraps, soups, and stews, among other types of dishes.

Which is better boil or steam? ›

Which is healthier – Steaming or Boiling. As steaming doesn't rob the vegetables of their essential nutrients, it is advisable to steam the vegetables instead of boiling them. However, before you steam the vegetables, make sure you wash them in the right way to remove harmful chemicals from the surface.

How long does it take to steam seitan? ›

Prepare a large pot with a steamer basket with 1-2 inches of water on the bottom. Place the pieces of seitan in the basket and steam for 15 minutes.

Is it better to steam or boil meat? ›

Steam Cooking with Meat and Poultry

In fact, Harvard Medical School recommends steaming as a cooking method for a healthy diet.

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