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.
Jump to:
Seitan Basics
Let's back up! Perhaps you've never heard of seitan before and am wondering what on earth I'm talking about.
Seitan is a meat substitute that's made from seasoned wheat gluten.
Yes, you read that right: seitan is made from wheat gluten. And that might be why it scares people. But if you don't have celiac disease and you're not gluten sensitive, there's nothing to worry about.
Wheat gluten is the protein found in wheat. It has a very meaty texture, so and when you add some meaty flavors it's the perfect vegan meat alternative in all sorts of recipes — I use seitan in everything from stir-fries to stews to sandwich fillings. It also packs a whopping 25 grams of protein per 4 ounce serving.
You may have even had seitan before without realizing it.
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.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Though there are many ways to make seitan, the method described below is what I consider to be the simplest. We'll be making a simple gluten-based dough and simmering it in broth.
Other methods for making seitan include the washed flour method, where you start with whole wheat flour instead of vital wheat gluten, then rinse the flour to remove the bran and starch. There are also methods including baking and/or steaming your dough, like I've done in my vegan pepperoni recipe.
1. Make the 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 ¼ cup chickpea flour or soy flour is a good place to start. This will give you about 2 cups of seitan. Stir them together in a large bowl.
Add water. 1 cup is a good amount for the batch size we're working with. Mix and form a dough.
2. Knead the 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 the 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. ¼ to ⅓ 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
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
By the time your broth is done, your seitan dough 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.
Tip: The smaller you cut your dough pieces, the more broth penetration you'll get, giving you more flavorful seitan.
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.
Once it's finished simmering, your seitan is ready to be eaten or used!
Shelf-Life & Storage
Store your homemade seitan in the cooking broth, in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for about five days, or in the freezer for about three months.
How to Cook with Seitan
Technically, your seitan is already cooked and you can eat it straight from the pot — I often do!
But you probably want to incorporate it into a dish.
Seitan can be directly substituted for meat in many recipes. Look for recipes that call for distinct pieces or slices of meat. Stir-fries, kebabs and stews are great for using big chunks of seitan. Sliced seitan can be used in sandwiches. I've even finely chopped seitan and used it as a substitute for ground beef.
Seitan lends itself to baking, frying, pan-frying, stir-frying, grilling, simmering and steaming, among many other cooking methods.
I've provided three flavors in the recipe card below: beef, pork and chicken. It's usually best to choose the variation that's closest to the variety of meat your recipe calls for.
From there, it's just a matter of directly substituting seitan for meat in the recipe. The only modification you might need to make is to the cook time. You don't need to worry about seitan cooking all the way through or to a specific temperature like you might with meat, so the cook time in many recipes can be shortened.
Read my article on how to cook with seitan if you need more guidance.
You can also try one of my seitan recipes. I've listed a few favorites just above the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many grocery stores carry packaged seitan in the natural foods aisle. Look for brands like WestSoy, Upton's Naturals and Franklin Farms. If your regular supermarket doesn't have it, try a place like Whole Foods.
Yes! You can use it to make another (smaller) batch of seitan if you'd like. You can also add it to recipes like soups, stews and gravies.
Sure you can! I'd encourage you to first make one of the recipe variations below to get familiar with the process, but experiment to your heart's content after that, adding seasonings to both the dough and broth.
Usually this happens when you let the broth boil too rapidly, which leads to rapid expansion of trapped air within the dough, totally messing up the texture of your seitan. Keep it at a super low simmer, so it's barely bubbling.
Unfortunately, no. Since gluten is the main ingredient in seitan, it really can't be done. I've found that Butler Soy Curls are a great gluten-free option that work in place of seitan in many recipes. Also check out my two other favorite plant-based protein ingredients, tofu and tempeh, both of which are gluten-free.
Seitan Recipes
I also created an entire round-up post of seitan recipes if you need some more inspiration!
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!
📖 Recipe
Homemade Seitan
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
- ¼ cup chickpea flour
- 1 cup water
For the Broth - Pork Flavor
- 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth or water
- ⅓ 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
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 ½ teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
For the Broth - Beef Flavor
- 5 ½ cups low sodium vegetable broth
- ½ cup dry red wine
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ 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.
Video
Notes
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Couple questions-can I reuse the broth?, do you have a recipe for spicy breakfast sausage?
Yup, you can reuse the broth. I have a recipe for breakfast sausage, but it's not very spicy: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/seitan-and-lentil-sausage-patties/ You could try adding some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to add some heat. I'd love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
My favorite recipe. I love it so much I want to make some ahead and freeze. How long does it last in the freezer?
Glad you like it! I've kept it in the freezer for up to 3 months with no issues.
I've tried many different seitan recipes, and most were pretty complicated. None gave me the texture or flavor I was looking for. I made the chicken flavored seitan last night and it turned out perfect. The broth was incredible. I could barely stay out of it while the seitan was cooking. Best of all, it was so easy! I didn't want to waste the broth so I quickly made another batch and threw it into the same broth. I'll freeze one batch and use the other. Using the Instant Pot is a great idea, though I don't think I'll pressure cook it. I'll just simmer it in there.
My all-time favorite seitan recipe is Alissa's Mongolian Beef recipe. Soooo delicious. Since none of my seitans turned out before, I was using purchased seitan for that recipe. This seitan is better than store bought. I can't wait to make the beef flavored seitan so I can make a big batch of the Mongolian Beef.
This recipe is so good!! I have made it for dinner and my fiancé loved it. Thank you for sharing.
I've been vegan for almost six years and some how have never made home made seitan until NOW! holy smokes it is soo easy to make and so delicious!!
i'm making the pork flavored seitan right now so i'm excited :)
Firstly - thank you. This is my "go-to" seitan recipe and we love it! Our broth usually ends up as a bit of a mix of the 3 recipes you provide, depending on what's in the cupboard, but it always works.
Secondly, and this is the big deal (!), if you keep the broth and use it as the stock for vegan gravy, no-one who has tasted it believes it's vegan. We tend to use "The Nutrition Lady" gravy recipe, but exchange stock for this broth. With Christmas here, thank me later!!
Hi
I am thinking of making this recipe but adding soya flour to boost the amount of protein in the sietan
What ratio of soy flout to wheat gluten would you recommend?
Hi Neil! I would try simply subbing it for the chickpea flour, so that would be a 1 to 4 ratio. Enjoy!
Do you have any recommended brands for the vital wheat gluten or the flour? I'm pretty new to this but I'd love to be able to eat meat less, so I look forward to trying it.
Bob's Red Mill is my favorite brand for both ingredients. Good luck and enjoy!!
what can I do with the leftover broth after the seitan is all gone (eaten) ?
You can use it to make more seitan, or add it to gravies and stews.
How much Kitchen Bouquet or Gravy Master would you add?
I'd start with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon.
Hi , I am looking for the video of how to make seitan of your blog but I could not find . May you send me a link of making seitan . Thank you
Hi Jane! I don't have a video on that. If I make one in the future I'll add it to this post!
This looks amazing and I can't wait to try it. My sister and I aren't vegan, but my dad is, and he is super fussy! I want to make it like grilled tandoori chicken pieces. Do you think we could use Indian spices in the broth to.achieve this?
You could try adding spices, but I'd also recommend making a marinade and soaking the seitan after it's made. You could probably use find a recipe for tandoori chicken and follow it almost exactly, but using the seitan instead of chicken. I'd love to hear how it turns out if you try!
Wow. I tired making seitan once before with a recipe from a very pricey cookbook from a very pricey NYC vegan restaurant and it was a miserable failure. For the record, the restaurant is still my favorite. I made this from your recipe just as it's written and cooked it in the "pork" broth. It's not easy to find that sweet spot where the broth is simmering but it's not breaking into a boil but I must have done okay because it's not tough and it cooked up just fine. I chopped it into smallish pieces and sauteed it with some ginger and garlic, then added some soy sauce, coconut brown sugar, and a little sesame oil and ate it over some purple barley, which is kind of strange but that's what was cooked and ready to go. Honestly, the texture is very close to that weird pink tinged pork I used to eat with shaved noodles at my fav Chinese restaurant. I feel like I just rode a bike without training wheels! Now I'm curious to try the other recipes that include the seasoning in the VWG to see how they turn out. Thanks for this, honestly. I needed a truly beginner recipe to make me a believer!
Hi! I’m about to make it obvious I’m new to the vegan world. Your recipe blog has been very helpful for a newbie like me :-)
I’ve been interested in seitan, but I’m not sure how to handle it in various recipes. Does it crumble well so it can used in spaghetti? Can it be formed into patties for “hamburgers”? Any tips would be useful, and the pictures all point to it looking like a loaf of bread.
Thanks again!
It doesn't crumble, but you can chop it finely to make a ground meat substitute, like I did here: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/beefy-vegan-burritos/ And it won't hold together on it's own to form burgers, but there are recipes out there that use gluten to form burgers, like this one: https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/the-best-vegan-seitan-burger/ My best advice would be to cook up a batch (or buy some at the store) and start trying out recipes so you get a fell for it. I've got lots on this site! Try a few of these: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/tag/seitan/
This has been my go-to recipe for chicken seitan because of the simple ingredients. Comes out perfect every time. :) Thank you!
Have you tried freezing seitan? Does it freeze well? I like to make large batches and freeze some for easier food prep in the future.
Yup, it freezes great! I usually freeze it in the broth. It should be good for at least 3 months.
This has become my go to seitan recipe. I heeded your instructions to increase the seasonings which has made it taste so much better. My picky daughter even likes it. Thanks so much
Do you think quinoa flour would be a good flour to cut the wheat gluten with?
I haven't tried it, but I don't see why not!
I have been nervous about making seitan. So when I found your recipe I thought I would give it a try. So I finally have all my ingredients and I have one question after reading through all the reviews. Can you put the seitan in a food processor after its cooked to make crumbles? Can't wait to try your recipe.
I actually chop mine by hand to make crumbles (you can see an example in this recipe: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/beefy-vegan-burritos/), but I think a food processor would work too. Good luck and I'd love to hear how it turns out!
Here is my real question I guess:
How Much:
Vital Wheat Gluten
Beans
Liquid
This way I just go to the cup board grab n mix!
I'd go with 1 cup gluten, 1 cup of liquid, and 1/4 cup of beans. Good luck!
Hi Alissa;
First off thank you so much for writing a basic recipe that I've wanted to keep off the top of my head and not run to my computer every time I wanted to throw a batch for the week together! Now I just study this and go! Love it! I am still reading the thru the replies for ideas but still wanted to ask you a few questions.
Season the dough and the broth? The water, instead of water use a broth to season "with in"? This willl not over do it will it?
I love the "adding beans" instead of just flour, for nutrition "lentils", and also the steel cut oats! Wow! So just so I get this right, 1/4 beans?
Sorry, want to run to my kitchen, mix recipe in brain no book or computer recipe! lol
Hello Alissa. This recipe looks great. I am going to try making the chicken version for a vegan Coq Au Vin. Have you ever tried quinoa flour instead of chickpea? I have some in the kitchen and would like to use it.
Hi Shelli! I haven't tried quinoa flour, but I think it would work. Vegan coq au vin sounds delicious! I'd love to hear how it works out if you try.
Hi I really want to make this as i’m always looking for good meat substitutes that could be a good source of protein as i’m vegetarian and also allergic to many protein sources that are common in vegetarian cooking and I was wondering if you could use regular all-purpose flour in place of the chickpea flour because i’m severely allergic to chickpeas :( I want to know if it will give the seitan the same texture and flavor or if it will even work
All-purpose flour will work! It will give your seitan a slightly different texture and flavor, but it'll still be good. You can also experiment with other types of flour - I sometimes like to use soy flour.
I've been cooking vegan for a while now but had put off making my own seitan. I tried the first time with a different recipe and it did not go well. Was nervous to try this recipe especially because it takes over an hour. I am SO glad I did!! This recipe is really easy, and the seitan turned out amazing! Incredible texture and I love how you give different flavors to try. I had most of the ingredients around the house. Saving this to keep making. Much cheaper then buying this much seitan, do yourself a favor and make this recipe!!
I am gluten intolerant. Is there a recommendation for flour that I can use along with the chickpeas flout?
I'm afraid there isn't. Gluten is the main ingredient in seitan, so a gluten-free flour wouldn't work. I don't have any gluten-free recipes that are similar to seitan, but soy curls are an option that you can buy. They're gluten-free and work in a lot of the same dishes as seitan! I usually order them on Amazon.
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!
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.
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.
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’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!
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!
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!
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!
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?
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!
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!!
Can I use all purpose flour instead of chickpea flour?
Never mind I just read the message above. Thank you :)
Does normal flour work?
I think so! I haven't tried, but I've heard from readers that it does.
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!
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!
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.
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!
Omg thank you so much, this is absolutely amazing an free recipe is perfect!! I used an electric mixer and the dough was a bit wet, so I added a bit more chickpea flour. I cooked it yesterday and prepped 4 dinners for the week adding quinoa, broad beans and chickpeas and a bit of hummus.
I saved the stock I cooked the seitan in as I’ll be using it throughout the week as it’s very tasty and I’m also adding it to my dinner to give it back a bit of moisture.
I made this and the sauce was really good! It was rubbery though ? Is that normal ? I only cooked it for a hour on low. Also when j heat them up they get more rubbery. Thanks!!(:
Usually when it turns out rubbery it's because the broth was boiling too rapidly. Could you turn it down any lower while keeping it at a simmer? I usually keep mine so low that it's barely simmering at all. I'm glad you liked the flavor!
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.
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.
This was awesome!!! First time making seitan, I used the chicken broth flacoring but improvised for the poultey seasoning. I cut the seitan into a variety of sizes and then used some in a stir fry and it was delicious! I had two meat eaters try it and they loved it too. Thanks for the awesome recipe!