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
- Addthevital wheat gluten,whole wheat flour,garlicand onion powder to a bowlandstiruntil well combined (photo 1).
- Addthewaterandmixuntil all ingredients are well combined (photo2).
- Placetheseitan in the bowl,coverwith a kitchen towel, andlet restfor10-20 minutes(photo 3).
- Make a ballwith the seitan dough (photo 4).
- Addall the remaining ingredients to alargepot,stir, andbring to a boil. Thenadd the seitan(photo 5).
- Simmer partially covered for 1 hour(photo 6).
- Remove from the heatand allow it to cool a bit.
- You canuseyourseitanimmediately.
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.
- 这个食谱只能用重要的小麦面筋，但我认为如果你再加一些面粉面筋的质地会更好。鹰嘴豆或鹰嘴豆粉也是不错的选择。
- Garlic and onion powder are completely optional, but they will make your seitan taste even better.
- 蔬菜汤和酱油能让面食有一种神奇的味道，也能让面食有漂亮的颜色。如果你不吃酱油，就加一些盐来调味。
- 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.
- 如果你愿意，可以把食谱切成两半或两倍。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, orvegan tacos.
Looking for more meat substitutes?
Did you make this必备配方吗?
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Seitan
- Prep:10 mins
- Cook:1 hour
- Total:1 hour 10 mins
- 41x
- How To
- Japanese
- Vegan
Servings41x
Seitan is one of my favorite kinds of meat substitutes. It’s delicious, easy to make, and requires only 8 ingredients. Super simple!
Ingredients
- 1 cupvital wheat gluten (120 g)
- 1/4 cupwhole wheat flour (35 g)
- 1 tspgarlic powder, optional
- 1 tsponion powder, optional
- 1 cupwater (250ml), at room temperature
- 8 cupsvegetable stock, (2liters)
- 1/4 cuptamari or soy sauce (65ml)
- A small piece of kombu, optional
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.
- 将面筋放入碗中，盖上厨房毛巾，静置10-20分钟。
- 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 likevegan fajitasorvegan tacos.
Notes
- 我发现如果你用量杯来测量，这个配方会更精确，因为不同品牌的小麦面筋的重量可能不同，但如果你没有，就用一个普通的杯子或马克杯，加入相同体积的小麦面筋和水。如果需要的话，你也可以用天平加水或加水或加水。
- 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.
- 如果你愿意，可以把食谱切成两半或两倍。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.
- 营养信息不准确，因为我没有包括我们稍后要丢弃的食材(蔬菜高汤，酱油或酱油，海带)。我不知道面筋在烹饪过程中吸收了多少成分。这就是为什么谷胶的钠含量高于10毫克。
Nutrition
- Serving Size:1/4 of the recipe
- Calories:154
- Sugar:0.4 g
- Sodium:10 mg, see notes
- Fat:0.7 g
- Carbohydrates:13.3 g
- Fiber:1.2 g
- Protein:24.4 g
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.
I made seitan today and I thought it was great. Recently I have tried several of your recipes and liked them all. Thank you for your guidance.
Hi Huel! I’m so glad you liked it
My sister made me this and it was delicious … she did not alter the recipe and we made chicken burgers out of it. Yummmm!!
★★★★★
Hi Doreen! Sounds so good
should seitan ball be completely covered by stock while simmering for an hour?
Hi Jerry! It is important to cover the seitan, but don’t worry if you don’t cover it completely.
I had never made seitan before so was a little apprehensive but it turned out to be really easy and it didn’t fall apart when I cooked it. I recommend this recipe!
★★★★★
嗨,伊芙琳!Thanks for your kind comment
I made the seitan today. Oh it was delicious. Thank you so much for sharing the recipes.
Hi! I’m so glad you liked it Thanks for your comment!
我用这个做了纯素食的蒙古“牛肉”，我的杂食男友第二天仍然对它赞不绝口。我们今晚要再做一次，尝试不同的食谱。质地非常好!
Hi! I’m so glad you both liked our seitan
My sister made it for us and OMG I BEGGED HER TO NEVER STOP BRINGING IT OVER!!! Finally she just forked over the recipe
★★★★★
Hi! I’m so glad you both liked it
I never knew it was so easy. Where do you buy your vital wheat gluten from?
Also, can you blend some beans, chickpeas to help with the texture so it’ll be easier to digest?
★★★★★
Hi! We usually buy it in an herbalist shop, but you can also find it on Amazon I haven’t tried it myself so I’m not sure if it works, sorry!
Is there any protein meat that can be made without gluten or msg?
Hi! Have you tried to make tempeh or tofu?
Making seitan from whole flour isn’t complicated, and almost impossible to get wrong, but it is a longer process, and wasteful if you don’t use the residual gluten-free by-product. But I make seitan using whole flour all the time, because gluten flour is far more expensive to buy than ordinary flour.
★★★★★
Hi Alexandra! Thanks for your kind comment
副产品如何使用?
Omg I was always so afraid to make my own but with this was as easy as 123! I’m filipino so a lot of our dishes are meat based so this is the perfect solution to still have the best of both worlds! Thank you for this
★★★★★
Hi! Thanks for your kind comment I’m glad you liked it!
和食谱稍有不同，但效果很好!Really juicy “meat” with so much flavour – would definitely recommend!
When I made it I used chickpea flour instead of wheat, for the seasoning in the mix I included: 2 garlic cloves, 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp of garlic pepper, pinch of salt and 3 tsp of nutritional yeast. The only other thing I did differently was that I only used about 6 cups of stock, and about 45ml of soy sauce. I also cut the seitan in half before cooking it.
But yeah great recipe and would recommend!
★★★★★
Sounds so good I’m glad you liked it!
First time making seitan as a new vegan and I’m so impressed with how easy it is! Made 2 batches last night, one with garlic and herbs and one with carribean spices which is my favourite!
Thank you so much
★★★★★
So glad you liked our seitan recipe Lisa Have a nice day!
This was incredibly easy to make. I ended up keeping it in the fridge in the broth that it was cooked it. Seemed to marinate itself. Used it for burittos, in soups, and fried up alone. Thanks for the recipe, I had vital wheat gluten for months and was wondering how to use it!
★★★★★
Hi Laureen! I’m so glad you liked it!
我第一次尝试自己做麸质，我想找一个简单的食谱!结果证明它很美味:味道浓郁，有嚼劲，口感很好。
★★★★★
Hi Porco! I’m so glad you enjoyed our seitan
How much does this make? I’m looking at making your fajitas, and it calls for 1/2 pound of seitan.
Hi John! Don’t know exactly but maybe 1/3 pound of seitan
Fantastic seitan, I tried making it years ago and it was a massive fail. This was meaty, yet not too dense. I made a stir-fry with it, and it was delicious.
I tweaked the recipe by adding a teaspoon of Marmite, gotta get those vitamins somewhere
Hi! I’m so glad you liked our seitan recipe Have a nice day!
When you say that it’s ok to double the recipe is 8 cups of broth enough for double the dry ingredients or double that too?
Hi Susie! You have to double both
My ball came apart as it was simmering. I used 1/4cup chickpea flour instead of whole wheat. Should I have used more or it is ok it came apart? Mine also still seems kind of soft after an hour of simmering. Should I simmer it longer?
Hi Kat! It is ok to use 1/4 cup chickpea flour. But, have you follow the instructions to a T?
Try to do it again simmering it for 1 hour at low temperature. Let’s see if this happens again!
Hope I have helped you Have a nice day!
Hi Kat and Iosune,
我做了两批，一批用公制，另一批用杯子。由于一些奇怪的原因，一个公制的开始崩溃在煨。我注意到面团有点稀。
Still tastes good though!!
Been a vegan a long time. Tried many such recipes. This is by far the best, easiest and tastiest yet. The pinch of seaweed is a nice touch. We will be making this again and again!
Hello Rick, I am so happy you liked the recipe. Have a nice day
Hi there really looking forward to making this but I cant find wheat gluten, I’m living in Uganda at the moment. Whàt can I use alternatively? They some wonderful flours over here.
你好史蒂夫!I’m so sorry, but you need to use vital gluten to make this recipe…
Would I be able to use all purpose flour instead of whole wheat flour? Thank you!
Hi Audrey! Yes, Any type of flour will do
thank you so much for your easy recipe, i have seen other recipes where you wash the dough, why you do not need to wash it?
Hi Silvia! You’re so welcome. People used to make seitan with regular flour, so they had to wash it, but if you use vital wheat gluten, you don’t have to
谢谢你的食谱。简单美味，我会经常做。我把面团放在浓汤里煮，浓汤里有两个蔬菜汤块、一杯切碎的生蘑菇、一个切碎的洋葱、5片切碎的白菜叶和老抽，倒入2升水。汤汁变成了一种美味的酱汁，在煮的过程中，面团里的面粉使其稍微变稠。有些浸透了面筋的外缘。非常深刻的印象。我每次都会用不同的口味来保持惊喜。
嗨,莎莉!You’re so welcome So glad you liked it!
Iosune, I’d like to add chickpea flour; can you tell me how much to use? And will the whole wheat flour remain 1/4 cup?
Hi Linda! I would omit the whole wheat flour and use 1/4 cup of chickpea flour instead
Easy recipe, and it came out well. Would try it again but knead it more and not leave it in stock overnight as I prefer a tougher texture.
★★★★
你好,萨拉!So glad you liked it
嗨，我应该用小火还是中火炖麸质呢?
Hi Myranda! I usually simmer it at medium heat
I made seitan last night for the first time following your guidelines. I used chickpea flour and for spices added – celery salt, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, fresh oregano and fresh thyme. For the broth, used veg stock, soy sauce and a red miso paste. Slices up the seitan today and lightly pan fried for a sandwich and it was LOVELY! A very meaty flavour! Thank you!!
纳尔吉斯你好!听起来太好了!So glad you enjoyed it Have a nice day!
This looks amazing! Can I use the finished piece sliced as sandwich meat or do I need to cook the slices?
Hi Ana! Yes, you can, but I prefer to sauté them a little bit before eating them
我希望这个食谱可以不含麸质。你看，我有乳糜泻，我需要GF的选择。许多替代肉类含有小麦面筋，这使得你很难吃到肉味的食物。
嗨,珍妮特!You’ll find so many gluten-free recipes on the blog made with legumes, tofu and tempeh