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.
I am very happy to find you blog, and will try you recipe in the next few days. I had purchased commercially made seitan from the local specialty grocery store before and did not enjoy it, which was very different from yours. Some Chinese Buddhist practitioner are vegans for religious reason and their main protein source is from wheat gluten and soy, which are cooked into various shape and texture, and we call your seitan ‘gluten ball’. The dough is usually steamed or torn into small pieces and deep fried before incorporated into various recipes, which gives a total different texture.
I notice you immerse the dough right into the broth. I have watched other videos where they wrap it in cling wrap or tin foil. Does that make a difference?
I’ve only ever wrapped my seitan up when steaming it (like in this recipe: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/seitan-and-lentil-sausage-patties/). I probably wouldn’t wrap seitan that was going to simmer, just because it seems like might prevent some of the liquid from getting into the seitan.
Hi and thank you so much for this recipe. I was looking for vegan protein sources to make hot Chinese food with and this is great. So far I have used the chicken and the beef broths.
I’m sure you already thought of this: I like to use a bit of the broth mix for some of the water when I mix up the gluten. It gives it a bit stronger of a flavor an, as far as I can tell makes no difference to the texture. I also save the broth and reuse it once or twice more by adding a bit of vegetable broth or water to it.
Thanks again and regards
I do the same thing. Use broth instead of water. I also add a little bit of steel cut oats to the mix while it’s dry. It will give it a little more of a meaty texture when it’s done cooking. If you add oats you have to do it while it’s dry. Then add the liquid. If you do it the other way around the oats won’t stick.
I thought about adding oats but I’m not sure how much to add! What would you recommend for a batch?
I’ve never considered adding oats, so I’m not sure! Are you just adding them for texture? If so, I’m thinking it would be best to start with a small amount – maybe 1/4 cup or so – and then decide it you want to increase the amount in later batches. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
Hi Alissa! I’m new to cooking and so forgive a silly question! I love the taste of this seitan (thank you!) but the texture was too smooth for my liking would really like to add the steel cut oats as suggested by Jacob. I see you’ve given a suggested quantity but (and here comes the silly question!) do I need to cook those oats first or just add them as they are?
Hi Sharon! I’ve never tried adding oats, so I’m really not sure, but I think you could add them dry. I’m guessing they’d cook and soften up with the seitan. I have added other ingredients like cooked lentils, finely chopped artichoke hearts, and jackfruit for texture, so you could try those as well.
Hello, I posted a question the other day and it’s no longer visible. Maybe an error occurred…? I was asking for help re the suggestion of adding steel cut oats… do I cook the oats first, or mix them with the seitan mixture as they are and they cook during the overall cooking process?
Sorry about that! I have to approve all first time comments manually and just hadn’t gotten to yours yet. You should be able to see it now, along with my response!
Ok thanks for the nutritional info but how much is “per serving” what’s the serving size?
It’s for 1/4 of the batch – roughly 2 ounces.
I made the seitan with the “pork”-flavored broth yesterday, and it was AMAZING! I can’t wait to try the other broth flavors. Thank you for this great recipe!
Can I use gluten free flour instead of chickpea ?
I haven’t tried, but I don’t see why not!
Super excited to try this! Every recipe I’ve found requires baking and I’ve had more than a few oven explosions in the process. This seems so simple and looks great!
Sorry, hit send too soon – when you freeze it, do you freeze it in the broth in Tupperware or wrapped in Saran Wrap balls? And what’s the best way to defrost? Countertop or steaming?
No worries! I freeze it in tupperware in the broth. I usually defrost it on the counter or microwave. I hope you enjoy it!
Does normal flour work?
I think so! I haven’t tried, but I’ve heard from readers that it does.
Can I use all purpose flour instead of chickpea flour?
Never mind I just read the message above. Thank you :)
This is AHHH-MAZING. I made the beef-flavored version last night, for my husband to use it in a Peruvian Lomo Saltado dish today and HOLY SMOKES it’s so good. He’s carnivorous and even liked it! I’ll be using the remainder sliced onto sandwiches, and in vegan ramen this weekend. THANK YOU for saving my vegan sanity – I’m writing this in the pandemic lockdown and am grateful to not have to rely on blocks of tofu for my “meaty” protein!!
Alissa, I just want to let you know that I made your pork seitan today. It was delicious. My husband and daughter were very complimentary. Thank you so much for a great recipe!
First time making seitan and this was really tasty!! I did the chicken version and saved the broth for next time as another reader suggested. Next time I will use broth instead of water, too. My only question is how come this didn’t have that “meat” look? That’s my goal. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Glad you enjoyed it! How did your seitan look? Mine usually doesn’t look very meaty – I think slicing it is what gave it that appearance in the photos.
Hi there!
Love the recipe, but what if you decide not to use the broth? How would we store it/keep it then?
Thank you!
Were you thinking of using a different recipe that doesn’t call for broth? If that’s the case, just place it in a sealed container or bag, and refrigerate and freeze. For this recipe I would definitely store it in broth to keep the moisture and flavor in your seitan.
My seitan doesn’t seem to double or double in size. Not sure what I did wrong. The broth was simmering, not boiling. I followed the instructions as I understood them. Flavor was ok but they just weren’t as big as I expected them to become.
I accidentally let it come to a rolling boil. Not sure how this affected it as I’ve never made it before. Why is a boil not good vs a simmer?
How did it turn out? Usually cooking it at a rolling boil will result in rubbery seitan.
Your website makes being vegan so easy. I have made many fake meat meals, but until finding your website and the explanations of the recipes I did not fully understand why certain ingredients were used. I feel like you have provided me with a license to create super fantastic vegan meals. And in this time of Covid-19 I hope many meat eaters find your website and understand that they don’t need to rely on slaughter houses and meat packing plants for their protein. Thank you!
I seldom leave reviews but I feel I have to. i was so sure this was going to suck but was shocked at how great it came out!
Important changes: season your dough! I added onion and garlic powder as well as salt and pepper. Probs should have added more, but didnt think about it till I was already kneading the dough.
I used half veg broth half water.
After I took it out of the bath, I seared the F out of it using a salt and pepper rub with some vegan worcestershire sauce. The setain became nice and crisp on the outside. The inside looked and tasted like chicken!
Excited to see how it tastes tomorrow! Thank you for this super easy recipe!
I just made this recipe with the chicken broth. This was by far the easiest recipe I have done and the tastiest. I threw the ingredients in my Kitchen-aid mixer with my dough hook. It worked great. This is now my new favorite! I’m looking forward to making a bunch of it and freezing it. My husband, who is somewhat picky, loves it too.
How long did you mix it with your dough hook?
Hi! is there any use for the broth when you’re done cooking?
You could use it to store the seitan or to make another batch. I’ve also used it in gravy, and you could probably add it to soup!
Just made the ‘Pork’ flavor recipe. I was always put off by the idea of making seitan as it seemed very difficult. But now that i discovered that you can make it an an instant pot i am addicted to doing it. That is why i wanted to leave this comment for anyone else. You can make any of the recipes by mixing the ingredients the same. Then you will need 1 cup additional broth which is poured into the instant pot. You then wrap the kneaded loaf in cheese cloth and then cook on high-pressure for 30 minutes. It is super simple and yields great results. The cheese cloth can then be washed and re-used for zero waste.
Thanks for the tip! I recently got an Instant Pot but haven’t had a chance to experiment with making seitan in it yet. I’ll give your method a shot!
Made seitan for the first time the other day. Had liquid smoke in the cupboard and didn’t even think to use it. Question, do you ever use the cooking stock for anything. It’s so flavourful, although salty and wondering how I can use it again.
I’ve used it to make gravy and added it to stews before. I’ve also heard from some readers that saved it to make a second batch!
Hi Alissa, I’ve just made the Beef flavoured version and it doesn’t appear to have increased in size at all! I haven’t tasted it yet. Should I have kneaded it longer like bread (underproved)? Either way, I’ve enjoyed the experiment and we’re going to eat it stir fried tomorrow.
Hi Lou! I’m really not sure as I’ve never had that happen before. If you didn’t knead it for long enough that could be the culprit. The only other thing I can think of is keeping the cooking temperature too low. I hope that helps and you’re still able to enjoy it!
Thank you for your seitan recipes. I made the chicken and beef flavored seitan batches, and they were fantastic. I used the beef for bulgogi and bibimbap, and the chicken for fajitas. I must confess, I didn’t expect seitan to have such great taste and texture, but I decided to try cooking it because I’m looking for lower carb plant-based protein options to fit my dietitian’s diabetic carb allowances of 30-45 grams of carbohydrates per meal while getting enough protein for necessary metabolic processes. Seiten has more protein than most animal meats! I was starting to worry that I’d have to start eating animal meats again so that I don’t get nerve and blood vessel damaging diabetic blood sugar spikes in my effort to eat a healthier and more ethical diet. Between your seitan, lentil meatballs (they go great with zucchini noodles or roasted eggplant and homemade marinara sauce!), and another kind vegan cook’s homemade tofu chorizo recipes, my worries are gone. Thank you so much for helping this diabetic aspiring plant-based eater out.
Hi Alissa, I cooked it again and kneaded for a lot longer. It came out perfect and 3 times the size (note to self: buy a bigger sauce pan). Our first outing was with black bean sauce. Very satisfying and very filling. Thank you for your recipes. We appreciate them.
Do you think you could add gluten to a paste of vegetables to make patties and if so, can you recommend a recipe?
Thanks again for this marvellous resource.
Hi Lou! Glad it worked out! I suspect you could make patties, but I don’t have any recipes. The closest thing I have is this vegan sausage recipe: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/seitan-and-lentil-sausage-patties/ You might be able to switch up the seasonings and sub veggies for the lentils.
Omg hi. I just started my vegetarian journey, and looking for me at subs and I’m just wondering if you can subs the chickpea flour with canned chickpea? How would you alter the ratio of it??? I’m sooo excited to try this recipe!
I don’t think canned chickpeas would work – they’d probably add too much moisture. You need to use some sort of flour.
Hello! thank you for this recipe–I just made it. I did have a question though: is it important to make sure every bit of the dough is submerged during cooking? My four piece were ice-berging a little bit. I flipped them halfway through (not sure what help that was, if any). I just want to know for next time, if I should flatten the dough to where it is small enough to be covered by your prescribed amount of liquid. Thanks!
No problem if it’s not all submerged! I usually end up with about a third of my pieces floating above the surface. Flipping them was probably a good move – I try to do that a couple of times while they cook, if I can remember. I hope you enjoy the seitan!