Crafting your very own homemade seitan is super easy. This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to make seitan with vital wheat gluten and a few pantry staples! Plus: a recipe for homemade seitan with three flavor variations.
Early on in my blogging days I posted a recipe for seitan. Just recently I set out to make some updates to that post, namely, rephotographing it, when I realized something more was needed.
A recipe is what kept me from making seitan for about ten years. I’ll explain what I mean below, but for now, suffice it to say, seitan is more of a how-to, choose your own adventure type food. Seitan is super easy to make with the ingredients that are readily available these days, and once you’ve made a few batches you can totally wing it.
I first heard about seitan when I was about nineteen. I was a big fan of the show Christina Cooks with the Class. I loved that show! Ate up all of her seemingly crazy veggie concoctions, literally. One day she busted out some seitan, and I was intrigued, to say the least. I eventually got my hands on some, and later branched out into making my own seitan.
My first experiences with homemade seitan involved following a recipe that called for rinsing and massaging a big ball of wheat flour dough for a half hour or so to isolate the wheat gluten, which was a huge pain in the butt. This was before powdered vital wheat gluten became widely available.
That recipe also involved a big piece of kelp known as kombu, which was meant to give the seitan a savory flavor. The recipe instructed me to use kombu, so I dutifully searched every Asian market within a few city blocks until I found some.
After that I didn’t make seitan again for a while because (1) the whole dough rinsing process was just way to daunting, and (2) I didn’t feel like searching for kombu again.
I totally had it in my head that kombu was essential to seitan making. In my defense, the cookbook I’d been using, which was probably written in 1972, acted like kombu was the biggest deal ever and without it your seitan would be awful.
I know better now, and this is why I’m giving you a recipe today with three flavor variations.
Also, you don’t even have to follow the recipe. Read my instructions below and make seitan your way. The only essential ingredient is the vital wheat gluten, which, thankfully, you can get at natural foods stores and some regular old supermarkets these days.
What is Seitan?
First off, it’s a good idea to have some understanding of what seitan actually is. I feel like it makes people nervous! Seitan isn’t as familiar as good old tofu. But it kind of is.
If you’ve ever eaten a vegetarian restaurant meal and were amazed at how meaty it tasted, you were probably eating seitan. If you’ve ever eaten commercial meat substitutes, they probably contained some seitan.
I don’t eat a whole lot of store-bought meat substitutes though. I prefer homemade seitan because it’s generally a lot better, and I know what’s in it.
Seitan is made from wheat gluten, which is maybe why it scares people. But if you don’t have celiac disease and you’re not gluten sensitive, there’s nothing to worry about.
Gluten is the protein that’s in wheat. It’s what gives bread dough its elastic, stretchy texture. When you isolate the gluten by removing the starch and bran, you’re left with something that has a texture that’s quite meat-like. Season it to taste like meat, and you’ve got seitan.
1. Make Your Dough
As you might have guessed, the dough starts with vital wheat gluten, which will be in powdered form. You can cut the gluten with another type of flour. I like to do this — I find gluten alone results in seitan that’s a bit tough for my taste.
1 cup of vital wheat gluten to 1/4 cup chickpea flour or soy flour is a good place to start. This will give you about 2 cups of seitan.
Add water. 1 cup is a good amount for the batch size we’re working with. Mix and form a dough.
2. Knead Your Dough
Just like with bread making, we need to knead the dough a bit, to develop strands of gluten that give seitan a meaty texture.
About 5 minutes of kneading is sufficient. Let it sit for about 5 minutes after that.
3. Make Your Broth
The broth is what gives your seitan flavor, so you want it to taste how you intend for your seitan to taste. You can do whatever you want here, and this is a great place to experiment. Feel like searching every local Asian market for a big piece of kombu? Totally fine, but if you can’t find one, please don’t let it stop you!
For the batch size we’re going with, six cups of broth is about ideal. If you take a look at the amount of dough you’ve got, six cups may seem like a lot, but it’s not. Your seitan will double or even triple in size while it cooks!
I usually start with low sodium vegetable broth, but water works too. You’ll want a good amount of salt in there (meat is salty!), which is best provided by soy sauce, tamari, or liquid aminos. 1/4 to 1/3 cup of soy sauce is my standard.
From there, it’s all up to you what you add. Think savory flavors. Here are a few suggestions:
- garlic (fresh or powder)
- onion powder
- dried herbs
- wine
- nutritional yeast
- vegan Worcestershire sauce
- miso (this adds quite a bit of salt, so use less soy sauce if you include it)
- liquid smoke
- Kitchen Bouquet, Gravy Master, or another all-purpose seasoning
(this adds quite a bit of salt, so use less soy sauce if you include it)
If you’re not sure where to start, use the recipe below. If has three broth variations for seitan that’s best suited to replace different types of meat: pork, chicken, and beef.
4. Simmer Your Gluten
By the time your broth is done, your gluten should be sufficiently rested. Cut it into smaller pieces. I recommend cutting it into at least 4 pieces because (1) if they’re too big the broth won’t fully penetrate them, and (2) remember that they’ll expand during cooking, and if they get too big the broth will no longer cover them.
Bring the broth to a boil. Lower the heat until it’s just at a simmer, and then add the dough pieces. Set the timer for an hour and keep an eye on the pot. You don’t want to let it get to a rolling boil, or your seitan might end up overcooked and chewy. I like to keep mine just barely simmering.
5. Cook it Up
Technically, your seitan is already cooked and you can eat it straight from the pot — I often do!
Cut it into smaller pieces if you’d like, and if you aren’t using it right away, store it in the broth. It’ll be good for about 5 days in the fridge. If you’d like to use it more than five days out, you can seal it up and freeze it.
Now that you know how to make seitan, what should you do with it? You can use your seitan in place of meat in lots of recipes, or start with a recipe developed specifically for seitan. Here are a few to get you started:
Vegan Mongolian Beef (pictured above)
Seitan & Chickpea Salad with Dill and Almonds
Vegan Seitan and Mushroom Reubens
Teriyaki Seitan and Veggie Kebabs
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Homemade Seitan
Crafting your very own homemade seitan is super easy, and you don't even need a recipe. This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to make seitan with vital wheat gluten and a few pantry staples! Plus: a recipe for homemade seitan with three flavor variations.
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1/4 cup chickpea flour
- 1 cup water
For the Broth - Pork Flavor
- 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth or water
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
For the Broth - Chicken Flavor
- 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
For the Broth - Beef Flavor
- 5 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Stir the vital wheat gluten and chickpea flour together in a medium bowl.
Add the water and stir to form a soft dough.
Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead it for 5 minutes.
Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes.
While the dough rests, stir all of the broth ingredients for your choice of broth together in a large pot.
Place the pot over high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to a low simmer.
Cut the dough into at least 4 large pieces, or if you prefer, smaller strips or chunks.
Add the dough to the broth.
Allow the broth to simmer for 1 hour, uncovered, watching closely to ensure it stays at a low simmer (don't allow it to rapidly boil).
Remove the pot from heat and allow it to cool a bit.
When the seitan is cool enough to handle, you can cut it into smaller pieces if you like. Use it in a recipe immediately, or store it in the broth. Refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze.
Recipe Notes
The nutrition information is very approximate for this recipe, since there are three flavor variations and it's difficult to estimate just how much broth is absorbed during cooking.
Instead of making the dough with water, can I use the broth to give it a meaty taste all the way through?
You could! You might need to water it down a bit – I think it’ll be pretty intense if you use it at full strength.
Ian the broth cooking necessary to the recipe, or could you replace half of the water in the dough with broth and just eat it out of the oven?
You can make seitan in the oven, but I’m not sure if it would work with this particular recipe, or what adjustments you’d need to make for it to work. You can adapt this seitan sausage recipe if you’d like to experiment a bit: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/seitan-and-lentil-sausage-patties/
What is considered a serving size?
A fourth of the batch, which is approximately 3 ounces.
Hello, I’m new to this and want to try your Teriyaki Seitan and Veggie Kebabs recipe; also the Vegan Mongolian Beef. If I make my own seitan using your homemade seitan recipe; do I still need to boil it in a flavored broth before using it in one of these recipes?
Thanks!
Hi Pat! Yup, you still need to boil the seitan in broth before incorporating it into a recipe. Enjoy!!
Thank you!
Reworking our diet due to hubby’a diabetes. Hve vital wheat gluten and found you looking for recipes. NOT vegetarian.But this looks interesting and something I might make…..
Do you happen to have a tempura batter for veggies. That is one thing I’m looking for.
I do! Here’s a link: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/easy-tempura-vegetables/ I hope you enjoy both recipes!
Hey Alissa! I just wanted to leave a comment to let you know how great my Seitan came out. This was my first time making it and your recipe made it way less intimidating. I tried the “chicken” version and it had such a great flavor. The broth it was cooked in tasted so good that I actually made a gravy out of it and put it over mashed potatoes. Will definitely be using your recipe whenever I want more Seitan (probs tomorrow, who am I kidding lol). Thank you so much for this!
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Marissa!
Hey, Alissa! Do you think it’d be okay to use all-purpose flour rather than chickpea or soy? Thanks!
Hi Lisa! I think that would work!
How many ounces is a serving? It isn’t listed in your Nutritional Facts. I’m really looking forward to making this for my daughters who are vegan. It’s so expensive buying vegan meats in the store, so I have high hopes for this recipe! I’ll let you know how it goes.
It’s a quarter of the whole batch, which works out to approximately 1/2 cup or 3 1/2 ounces. I hope you and your daughters enjoy it!
Hey, Alissa! Thank you for the recipe! It sounds so delicious but I avoid gluten. Have you got gluten-free seitan recipes?
Unfortunately I don’t. Seitan is by definition wheat gluten, so there’s no getting around that. Have you tried soy curls? They’re gluten-free and have a very similar texture to seitan. They’re sold dehydrated, so you could use any of the broth mixtures from this recipe to rehydrate them for a similar flavor (although if you use the beef one I’d let it simmer a bit to cook off the alcohol in the wine). You should be able to use them as a substitute in lots of recipes that call for seitan. :)
Thank you! I haven’t tried soy curls but I will do it =)
What would one portion size of Seitan be? Trying to gather the portion of seitan that would give the 25.9 grams of proteing
Just saw it in a comment about! About 1/2 cup! Thanks!
No problem! Enjoy!
You can also “cut” vital wheat gluten with soya mince (tcp) – a quarter cup unto one-and-a-half cups of vital whelwheat gluten.
This changes the texture considerabky, and helps avoid the seitan becoming rubbery, espeially if, like me, your preferred cooking methos is the steamer.
TYPO alert – that should have read TVP
Interesting! I’ll have to give it a try! Thanks David!
Hi Alissa,
I was trying to conceive a sliced faux liver recipe, and your recipe inspired me. Instead of the pate or chopped version. I was wondering if I could utilize wheat gluten into it somehow, to get a silky but chewy texture. Perhaps add it with the mushroom-lentil mix, make it a soft dough, then press it in a tofu press? I really wanted to get your opinion on it before I start making a mess in the kitchen :)
I’ve never actually had liver, but based on your description I think you could achieve the result you’re going for by adding some powdered wheat gluten and seasonings to a mushroom and lentil mix and maybe blitzing it in the food processor. I think baking it using the method from this recipe might work: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/seitan-and-lentil-sausage-patties/ It’ll definitely take some trial and error though! I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it.
Thank you for taking the stress out of making seitan.
I’m going to make my own, like you I’m not fond of any
of the store meat substitutes. Your article has really put me at ease. Much appreciated.
Glad you found it helpful! I hope you enjoy your seitan!
Hi Alissa,
Today was my first time making seitan an I have to say it turned out great. I ended up doing buffalo “chicken” wings with it. When simmering the dough, I cut it in 6 equal pieces and I have to say that smaller would have been better. I couldn’t taste the broth all the way through the piece.
Overall great recipe!
Thanks!
I’m glad it worked out for you! And I love the idea of making this into buffalo wings – I might have to try that myself!
I am wanting to try the Mongolian beef dish but have no experience with wine. How do I shop for dry wine?
Look for something like cabernet, chianti or malbec – those are all dry varieties. If you’re still uncertain, just ask an employee at the liquor store for guidance – there’s usually someone working there who is knowledgeable when it comes to cooking wines. Good luck!
Hi I was looking at the nutritional information you posted and I was wondering if there is any way to reduce the amount of sodium this recipe contains?
Most of the sodium comes from the soy sauce and vegetable broth. You could try using low sodium varieties of each, or you could reduce the amount of soy sauce and sub water for a portion of the broth. Enjoy!!
I have a 17 mo old than I’m raising vegan and I would love to try this recipe in my house hold BUT are there ANY substitute for all of the sodium content in this recipe that is equally as tasty? The sodium content is extremely high and I definitely don’t want to my toddler to eat that much sodium
Most of the sodium comes from the soy sauce and broth. Try cutting back or using low sodium varieties. Enjoy!
can you freeze and reuse the broth for later?
Absolutely!
So once its finished in the broth how do I go about cooking it later? Would you fry it or heat it up another way? Thanks!
You can fry it up, add it to stews or incorporate it into any recipe that calls for seitan! I’ve linked a few recipes at the bottom of the post, just above the recipe for seitan.
To freeze the seitan, do you freeze it in the broth or by itself? Thank you x
I find freezing it in the broth works best!
I tried this recipe the other night to use in your philly cheesesteak recipe (we LOVED the nacho cheese sauce btw!!) but unfortunately the seitan ended up still doughy after simmering. Do you think this was because my heat wasn’t high enough? I had it basically on the lowest setting… Not sure if I should try adapting for baking in the oven now.
Hmmm…it shouldn’t be doughy after simmering for that long, as long as the water was actually bubbling the whole time. My best guess is an error in measurement. If you’re trying to salvage the mixture, baking it in the oven might help. I’m glad you love the cheese sauce though!
Hey is there a way I could make this into seitan beetroot burger? :) Thanks!
Perhaps! I’m thinking you could shred or mince the seitan and use it to replace half the beets in a recipe like this one: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/beet-burgers/