Seitan

Seitan is one of my favorite kinds of meat substitutes. It's delicious, easy to make, and requires only 8 ingredients. Super simple!

Seitan, also known as wheat meat, is one of my all-time favorite plant-based meat alternatives. I eat it every single week because I love its taste, but also because is so versatile you can use it to replace real meat to make pretty much every recipe that calls for meat.

I easily made it with only 8 ingredients. One of them is vital wheat gluten, so if you have gluten sensitivity or suffer from celiac disease, this recipe might not be for you. However, there're so many alternatives, like tofu or tempeh. Let me know how it goes!

How to make seitan – Step by step

• Add the vital wheat gluten, whole wheat flour, garlic and onion powder to a bowl and stir until well combined (photo 1).
• Add the water and mix until all ingredients are well combined (photo 2).
• Place the seitan in the bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rest for 10-20 minutes (photo 3).
• Make a ball with the seitan dough (photo 4).
• Add all the remaining ingredients to a large pot, stir, and bring to a boil. Then add the seitan (photo 5).
• Simmer partially covered for 1 hour (photo 6).
• Remove from the heat and allow it to cool a bit.
• You can use your seitan immediately.

Pro tips

• I find this recipe is more precise if you use a measuring cup as the weight of the vital wheat gluten may vary from one brand to another. If you don't have one, just use a regular cup or mug and add the same volume of vital wheat gluten and water. You can also use a scale and add more or less water if needed.
• This recipe can only be made using vital wheat gluten, but I think seitan has a better texture if you also add some type of flour. Garbanzo bean or chickpea flour is also a good choice.
• Garlic and onion powder are completely optional, but they will make your seitan taste even better.
• Vegetable broth and tamari or soy sauce give the seitan an amazing flavor and also a beautiful color. If you don't consume soy, just add some salt to taste.
• You can make your own vegetable stock from scratch using the veggies you have on hand or even some vegetable scraps. I find boullion so convenient, but store-bought vegetable stock is also okay. You could use water, but you'll get a really bland seitan.
• Kombu is a type of seaweed and it's also optional. I use it to infuse the broth and make a more flavorful seitan.
• It's really important to use a large pot as the seitan doubles its size while cooking.
• Feel free to cut the recipe in half or double the ingredients if you want. If you make a large ball, it could be a good idea to divide the dough.

What is seitan?

Seitan is a kind of meat substitute. If you're wondering what is seitan made of, it is essentially made with wheat protein, aka gluten or vital wheat gluten.

Is seitan healthy?

It is, as long as you can eat gluten. So be careful if you have any intolerances! Seitan is high in protein and minerals, but low in carbs and fat. It's a healthy source of plant-based protein to include in your meals. Besides, it's delicious!

How can I use seitan?

Use seitan to make any recipe that calls for meat. It has a similar flavor and texture, that's why it's a popular vegan substitute for meat. Besides, seitan is much healthier than regular meat, as it is cholesterol-free.

To serve it, I usually fry, sautée, grill, or boil it and season it with some herbs and spices such as paprika or black pepper. As it has a pork or beef-like texture, it makes great soups and stews, as well as stir-fries, vegan fajitas, or vegan tacos.

Looking for more meat substitutes?

• Vegan Chicken
• Vegan Steak
• Tempeh
• Vegan Sausage
• Vegan Pepperoni

Did you make this seitan recipe?

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4.88 from 16 votes

Seitan

Seitan is one of my favorite kinds of meat substitutes. It's delicious, easy to make, and requires only 8 ingredients. Super simple!

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr

Total: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings: 4

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Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

½x1x2x

• ▢ 1 cup vital wheat gluten
• ▢ ¼ cup whole wheat flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder, optional
• ▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder, optional
• ▢ 1 cup water, at room temperature
• ▢ 8 cups vegetable stock
• ▢ ¼ cup tamari or soy sauce
• ▢ A small piece of kombu, optional

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Instructions 

• Add the vital wheat gluten, whole wheat flour, garlic, and onion powder to a bowl and stir until well combined.
• Add the water and mix until all ingredients are well combined. You don't need to knead the seitan, just mix until well combined, that's all.
• Place the seitan in the bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rest for 10-20 minutes.
• Make a ball with the seitan dough. It doesn't have to be perfect as it won't change the flavor or texture, just will make your seitan more beautiful.
• Add all the remaining ingredients to a large pot (vegetable stock, tamari or soy sauce, and kombu), stir, and bring to a boil. Then add the seitan.
• Simmer partially covered for 1 hour. You don't need to stir while it's cooking.
• Remove from the heat and allow it to cool a bit.
• You can use your seitan immediately or refrigerate it in an airtight container in the stock for about 7-10 days. You can also freeze it in an airtight container, but discard the stock and cut the seitan into big chunks (or slice it) before freezing it. It can last up to 6 months in the freezer.
• Use it to replace meat in any dish or recipe you want like vegan fajitas or vegan tacos.

Notes

• I find this recipe is more precise if you use a measuring cup as the weight of the vital wheat gluten may vary from one brand to another, but if you don't have one, just use a regular cup or mug and add the same volume of vital wheat gluten and water. You can also use a scale and add more or less water if needed.
• This recipe can be made using only vital wheat gluten, but I think seitan has a better texture if you also add some type of flour. Garbanzo bean or chickpea flour is also a good choice.
• Garlic and onion powder are completely optional, but they will make your seitan taste even better.
• Vegetable stock and tamari or soy sauce give the seitan an amazing flavor and also a beautiful color. If you don't consume soy, just add some salt to taste.
• You can make your own vegetable stock from scratch using the veggies you have on hand or even some vegetable scraps. I find boullion so convenient, but store-bought vegetable stock is also okay. You could use water, but you'll get really bland seitan.
• Kombu is a seaweed (just in case you haven't heard about it before) and it's also optional. I use it to infuse the stock and to make the seitan more flavorful.
• It's really important to use a large pot as the seitan doubles its size while cooking.
• Feel free to cut the recipe in half or double the ingredients if you want. If you make a large ball, it could be a good idea to divide the dough.
• Cooking time doesn't include the time you need to wait while the seitan is resting.
• Nutritional info is not accurate as I don't include the ingredients we're going to discard later (vegetable stock, tamari or soy sauce, and kombu). I can't know the exact amount of those ingredients that the seitan absorbs while cooking. That's why the amount of sodium of the seitan is higher than 10 mg.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.3g | Protein: 24.4g | Fat: 0.7g | Sodium: 10mg | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 0.4g

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below and let me know how it was!

Course: How to

Cuisine: Japanese

Author: Iosune Robles

Update Notes: This post was originally published in December of 2017, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions, and tips in January of 2022.