These seitan kebabs are marinated in sweet and savory teriyaki sauce and made with fresh veggies and pineapple chunks. They're delicious, vegan, and perfect for summer grilling, but you can also bake them in the oven!
Some people seem a little stumped when I talk about vegan grilling. "Is that even a thing?" they ask. Others have looked at me apologetically when inviting me over for a cookout. "I mean, you can come over and hang out...sorry you won't be able to eat like everyone else and all..."
Little do they know that vegan grilling is totally a thing. And it's the best kind.
Anything an omnivore can cook on the grill can totally be veganized. Case in point: these seitan kebabs.
I adapted this recipe from a chicken kebab recipe that my mom used to make when I was growing up. It was super simple: swap out the chicken for seitan. Seitan is my favorite all-purpose meat substitute. I can simply replace meat with seitan in everything from stir-fries to curries to Reuben sandwiches.
They turned out just as delicious as I remember mom's kebabs being when I was a kid.
And if you don't feel like grilling or just want to make these during the non-grilling months of the year, I've got you covered — these kebabs can easily be cooked up in the oven too!
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Low sodium soy sauce. Regular soy sauce will work, but you might want to water it down a smidge to prevent the kebabs from turning out too salty. Liquid aminos and tamari will also work.
- Brown sugar. Make sure this is organic, as conventional sugar may be processed using animal bone char.
- Rice vinegar. Look for this in the international aisle of your grocery store.
- Toasted sesame oil. This can also be found in the international aisle.
- Fresh ginger.
- Garlic.
- Seitan. Store-bought or homemade seitan will work in this recipe. If using store-bought, make sure to buy it in chunks or large pieces that can be cut into chunks so that they fit nicely on the skewers.
- Pineapple.
- Vegetables. The recipe calls for red bell pepper, zucchini, and red onion, but you can absolutely replace any or all of them with your favorite kebab veggies. Summer squash, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes would all be great options.
- Sesame seeds.
- Fresh cilantro. This is optional, and just for sprinkling on the kebabs before serving. Skip it if you don't like it.
How They're Made
The following 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!
Start by marinating your seitan. Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, grated ginger and minced garlic in a shallow dish. Cut the seitan into bite-sized pieces and add them to the dish.
Let the seitan marinate for anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours. Just make sure to cover the dish and place it in the fridge if marinating them for longer than 2 hours.
Cut your veggies and pineapple into bite-sized pieces as well, then load them onto skewers, along with your seitan pieces. Brush the vegetables and pineapple with some of the excess marinade.
Tip: If you're using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 20 minutes before getting started. This will prevent them from burning when you cook the kebabs.
Fire up the grill or oven! You can either grill your seitan kebabs over a medium flame for about 10 minutes, or roast them in the oven at 400°F on a baking sheet for 15 minutes.
Top your kebabs with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and optionally some fresh cilantro before serving.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover seitan kebabs will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months. I find it's generally easiest to remove them from the skewers before placing them into a storage container.
More Vegan Grilling Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Teriyaki Seitan Kebabs
Equipment
- 8 skewers
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup organic brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons freshly grated ginger
For the Kebabs
- 16 ounces seitan, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 1-inch)
- 1 cup diced fresh pineapple (about 1-inch pieces)
- 1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ medium red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
For Serving
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Stir the marinade ingredients together in a shallow dish. Continue stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
- Add the seitan. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours. Make sure to cover the dish and place it in the fridge if marinating the seitan for more than 2 hours. Reserve any excess marinade when done.
- Arrange the seitan pieces on skewers along with the pineapple chunks, bell pepper, pieces, zucchini, and onion.
- Brush the pineapple and vegetables with some of the excess marinade.
To Grill the Kebabs
- Lightly oil a grill and build a medium flame.
- Grill the kebabs for about 5 minutes on each side, until everything is lightly charred (See Note). Carefully baste the kebabs with some of the excess marinade as they grill.
To Bake the Kebabs
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly oil a baking sheet.
- Arrange the kebabs in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake the kebabs for about 15 minutes, carefully turning them halfway through and basting them with some of the reserved marinade.
To Serve
- Sprinkle the kebabs with toasted sesame seeds and optionally fresh cilantro.
- Serve.
Notes
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Whats the name of the Seitan that you use
I usually use Westsoy or make my own: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/how-to-make-seitan/
Hi Alissa :o)
With this recipe do I need to cook the Seitan in broth first or just marinating? So sorry if I'm being stupid but I've just been looking at your recipe on how to make chicken/beef/pork style Seitan recipes where you had to cook first.
Many thanks
Linda
Hi Linda! Totally reasonable question! You do need to simmer the seitan in broth first, then marinate, and then bake or grill. :) Enjoy!
Hello! Firstly, in the kebab step 3 - I think the verb you're after is "skewer" (it's a verb and a noun, you skewer with skewers). "Skew" is to shift something off balance or off direction - it's how things become askew.
Secondly, and way more importantly - the recipe is awesome, thanks so much! I love that you've included a baked version - my grilling skills are the stuff of legend, but sadly not in a good way.
Lol. Thank you! That does sound about right. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!