Have you have seen the viral TikTok trend of making this washed flour seitan? Although this technique may be new to you, making seitan in this way is actually a historic technique that has been documented in China since the 6th century, most commonly consumed by Buddhist monks! The process of washing the flour separates the starch from the gluten (wheat protein) which makes for an incredibly meaty and delicious 2 ingredient vegan chicken! So cool!
Nowadays you can buy vital wheat gluten (the wheat protein) which allows you to skip the washing the dough process. But for me, curiosity piqued when I saw these TikTok videos and I knew I had to give this ancient technique a try myself.
My goodness, I'm sure glad I did, because making 2 ingredient vegan chicken is fun and although it's a bit time-consuming, each step is actually pretty easy! And the results are SO worth it. This is the most chicken-y vegan chicken I have ever tasted!! Washed flour seitan is chewy and juicy. The seitan pulls apart into shreds that are perfect for snacking on alone, or you can add them to practically any dish- pasta, sandwiches, salads, soups, wherever you like!
I don't blame you if you aren't interested in this long process, and if that's the case, try making my vegan seitan tenders or (even easier) my baked tofu bites. Both recipes are perfect vegan chicken subs. But if you are feeling up for it, then you're in for a treat! The process is enjoyable and the washed flour seitan is so so so worth it!
How to make 2 Ingredient Vegan Chicken (washed flour seitan):
Make the dough ball (10 minutes active work)
Mix the flour and water together in a large bowl to make a shaggy dough. Using your hands begin kneading the dough in the bowl until it forms a ball. Dump the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead the ball of dough well for 5 - 8 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, sprinkle the dough with flour as needed. Alternatively, if you have a mixer with a dough hook you can use this to knead the dough.
Soak the dough (1 - 2 hours hands-off)
Put the kneaded dough ball in a large clean bowl and cover it with cool water. Let rest in the water for 1 - 2 hours or overnight.
Wash the dough (15 - 20 minutes active work)
Wash 1: drain the water off of the dough ball, then cover the dough with fresh room temperature water. Squeeze the dough under the water, squishing it between your fingers. The dough will be tough at first but will quickly soften and feel slimy. Continue squishing the dough until the water for 3 - 5 minutes is opaque thick milky white, this is the starch separating from the gluten. Drain off the starchy water. You can either discard the water or save it to use to make vegan bacon!
Saving the starchy water: let the water sit overnight. The starch and water will separate. You will see the yellow water on top, and the white starch which will sink to the bottom. Pour off and discard the water leaving behind just the starch. Store the starch in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week or it can be frozen to use later.
Washes 2 - 3: repeat the process of squeezing the dough underwater, squishing it, and kneading it for several minutes before changing the water. The dough will start to fall apart into clumps, this is a good thing! Drain the starchy water, using a strainer to catch any bits of gluten dough. Note: I save the starchy water from the first 3 washes but do not save the rest of the water from the washes as there will not be much starch.
Washes 4 -5: keep repeating this process and the dough will start to come together again. The dough will be the texture of soft chewing gum and will be beige in colour. When you reach this stage, and the water becomes mostly clear you are done washing! Let the dough rest in a strainer for 10-20 minutes while you prepare your simmering broth.
Braid and knot the dough (5 minutes active work)
After the dough has rested for 10 - 20 minutes, gently stretch the dough into a long rectangle. Use a pair of scissors or a knife to cut the dough lengthwise into three strands leaving the top attached. Braid the dough, gently stretching it as you go. Tuck the loose ends into the braid.
Gently stretch the braid and then tie it into 1 - 2 knots, tucking in any loose ends. Stretching, braiding, and knotting the dough will give the dough long stringy textures that mimic the muscle fiber texture of chicken.
Simmer the dough (1 hour hands-off)
Add the vegetable broth, soy sauce, onion powder, and garlic powder to a medium pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the dough ball and gently simmer the dough for about 1 hour, flipping the dough halfway through.
Cool the dough (1 hour - overnight hands-off)
Allow the dough to cool in the broth. I like to cool it overnight in the fridge but if you're in a pinch, you can add some ice to the broth to encourage it to cool faster.
Shred the vegan chicken (5 minutes active work)
Use two forks, or your fingers to pull the 2 ingredient vegan chicken apart into shreds. Follow the grain of the dough to get the best shreds. Now you can enjoy the vegan chicken cold, or heat it up and add it to any dish you desire.
I like to fry my vegan chicken shreds in a bit of oil and season generously with salt and pepper. If making ahead of time, shred the chicken and store it in the leftover broth. It will keep well in the fridge for 5 - 7 days or it can be frozen.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
2 Ingredient Vegan Chicken!
Ingredients
For the vegan chicken:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cups water
For the vegetable broth simmer (feel free to season as you prefer):
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
Make the dough ball (10 minutes active work)
- Mix the flour and water together in a large bowl to make a shaggy dough. Using your hands begin kneading the dough in the bowl until it forms a ball. Dump the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead the ball of dough well for 5 - 8 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, sprinkle the dough with flour as needed. Alternatively, if you have a mixer with a dough hook you can use this to knead the dough.
Soak the dough (1 - 2 hours hands-off)
- Put the kneaded dough ball in a large clean bowl and cover it with cool water. Let rest in the water for 1 - 2 hours or overnight.
Wash the dough (15 - 20 minutes active work)
- Wash 1: drain the water off of the dough ball, then cover the dough with fresh room temperature water. Squeeze the dough under the water, squishing it between your fingers. The dough will be tough at first but will quickly soften and feel slimy. Continue squishing the dough until the water for 3 - 5 minutes is opaque thick milky white, this is the starch separating from the gluten. Drain off the starchy water. You can either discard the water or save it to use to make vegan bacon!Saving the starchy water: let the water sit overnight. The starch and water will separate. You will see the yellow water on top, and the white starch which will sink to the bottom. Pour off and discard the water leaving behind just the starch. Store the starch in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week or it can be frozen to use later.
- Washes 2 - 3: repeat the process of squeezing the dough underwater, squishing it and kneading it for several minutes before changing the water. The dough will start to fall apart into clumps, this is a good thing! Drain the starchy water, using a strainer to catch any bits of gluten dough. Note: I save the starchy water from the first 3 washes but do not save the rest of the water from the washes as there will not be much starch.
- Washes 4 -5: keep repeating this process and the dough will start to come together again. The dough will be the texture of soft chewing gum and will be beige in colour. When you reach this stage, and the water becomes mostly clear you are done washing! Let the dough rest in a strainer for 10-20 minutes while you prepare your simmering broth.
Braid and knot the dough (5 minutes active work)
- After the dough has rested for 10 - 20 minutes, gently stretch the dough into a long rectangle. Use a pair of scissors or a knife to cut the dough lengthwise into three strands leaving the top attached. Braid the dough, gently stretching it as you go. Tuck the loose ends into the braid. Gently stretch the braid and then tie it into 1 - 2 knots, tucking in any loose ends. Stretching, braiding, and knotting the dough will give the dough long stringy textures that mimic the muscle fiber texture of chicken.
Simmer the dough (1 hour hands-off)
- Add the vegetable broth, soy sauce, onion powder, and garlic powder to a medium pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the dough ball and gently simmer the dough for about 1 hour, flipping the dough halfway through.
Cool the dough (1 hour - overnight hands-off)
- Allow the dough to cool in the broth. I like to cool it overnight in the fridge but if you're in a pinch, you can add some ice to the broth to encourage it to cool faster.
Shred the vegan chicken (5 minutes active work)
- Use two forks, or your fingers to pull the vegan chicken apart into shreds. Follow the grain of the dough to get the best shreds. Now you can enjoy the vegan chicken cold, or heat it up and add it to any dish you desire. I like to fry my vegan chicken shreds in a bit of oil and season generously with salt and pepper. If making ahead of time, shred the chicken and store it in the leftover broth. It will keep well in the fridge for 5 - 7 days or it can be frozen.
Georgie says
I've seen this process floating around, I'd have to give it a go.
I wonder if a basic seitan recipe made from VWG could be followed instead of the wash, and then using the braiding method onward to try and get that stringy result.
Would be fun to experiment.
Sam Turnbull says
I've been experimenting with this, and it is a challenge. I haven't figured out the trick yet, but will post the recipe when I do!
Georgie says
Perfect! I look forward to trying it 🙂
Kathryn Gannon says
Go to "Full of Plants" Thomas makes great shredded chicken by using VWG and a stand mixer.
Jenn says
I was wondering the same Georgie.. I don't want to wash the flour..LOL
Anyone tried with VWG?
Sonya says
This is incredibly cool! I am going to try this. Think I want to add vegan chicken bullion to the vegetable broth.
Sam Turnbull says
Great idea!
leslie says
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!! Will definitely may againI assume if i want to freeze my sheds, I just wrap & freeze? - Leslie
Sam Turnbull says
Yep! I like to freeze my shreds in the broth to keep them moist 🙂
Shannon Kobayashi says
Everything worked perfectly, but it came out very firm and almost rubbery. It squeaks when i chew it! im going to try again with less kneading. Heres hoping!
Mitzi says
Wash the floor a little less. I’ve made the same error and it was rubbery.
Sam Turnbull says
Did you let it rest in the broth in the fridge overnight? And then did you tear and fry it up freshly? It will soften in the fridge a bit and it will be less squeaky/firm when warm 🙂
Kim Emons says
Just made this. Wow, it is really easy. Fried it up, made some hot sauce, dumped it on top of the vegan chicken and WOW...SO GOOD. It's what I remember chicken to be like. I'm not a seitan fan at all and this doesn't taste anything like seitan. Another winner Sam! Next I'm trying the bacon from the starch water.
Sam Turnbull says
That's awesome, Kim! So thrilled you loved it 🙂
Babsy_Eats says
I couldn't resist trying this easy looking recipe and wow was I impressed.
A couple of tips for people is to have 2 big bowls and a colander at hand for moving this back and forth in between washings and for the first couple of washes, keep squishing the dough through your fingers and don't stop - don't be tempted to rinse and refill. I really got a ton of the starch out the 1st two washes (and saved that water for other recipes), 5 washes total so for those washing 12 times, you are doing too little.
I also used cheap Aldi flour, $1.18 a 5 lb bag and it still worked and was the best shredded seitan I have ever had.
I have a picture on my Instagram so others can see, same name here - Babsy_Eats. This recipe really works beautifully and it was actually fun to make and was a much need arm exercise. Thank you so much Sam.
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful, Babsy_Eats! So thrilled you enjoyed it and thanks for your tips 🙂
Holly says
Mine disintegrated during the first two washes. I was left with about a half a cup of slimy mush that never came back together again, and that little bit pretty much disappeared during the third wash. Any idea what went wrong?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Holly, yes it does break apart. As you can see in step 2 of washing I say "The dough will start to fall apart into clumps, this is a good thing! Drain the starchy water, using a strainer to catch any bits of gluten dough." Were you using a different type of flour? A flour that is very low in protein would yield a very small amount of seitan, so that's another reason that could have happened.
Lora Doggett says
This was easy to do and a joy to eat. Thank you for this!!!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome!
Flo says
Thanks ever so much Sam for another awesome made easy recipe!
Have you tried frying before simmering?
Pepper is sending hugs and wags to Chickpea.
Hugs from France 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
I haven't but I imagine that would make for a chewier skin. Hugs from Canada 🙂
Carla says
Incredible. This is a very versatile and delicious recipe. It might take a bit of time, but it is a really simple and enjoyable process. Thank you, Sam.
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Carla! So thrilled you loved it so much 🙂
Amanda S says
As soon as I saw this come through in my email, I knew I had to try it. It was the first recipe from Sam that I had to really plan for as everything else is so fast! This one takes time and muscles.
Firstly, I halved the recipe for my first try. I would add that after about* 12-15 washes I still had cloudy water but I followed the recipe note indicating that the dough should feel like chewed gum (thanks for that comparison btw, it's funny but also churned my stomach!)
*I say about 12-15 because at one point I just let the tap run over the bowl as I squished the dough.
I will 100% try this again but I'll keep squishing the dough until the water is clear as my final product was a little gummy in texture.
Tanya Hopper says
All has went went up until broth time, it's been in for half an hour and I went to flip it and it's still all soft and slimey (but remaining in a ball), will it harden as it cools!? Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Yes it will!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Amanda, next time try washing the dough for much longer during each wash- continue squishing and kneading the dough under the water for 3 -5 minutes, before draining the water and adding fresh water. I think you will find it turns out better next time. Enjoy!
Tracy Watson says
Hi Sam,
When the dough is sitting overnight the first time, before washes, is that in the fridge? I tried making this and after 16 washes I was still getting opaque water. I had used generic all purpose flour, had put it in the fridge for 8 hours.
Thanks,
Tracy
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Tracy, in the fridge or on the counter is fine. I usually begin washing my dough after sitting just for an hour and I just leave it on the counter. It sounds like you aren't washing the dough for long enough with each water change. To make it a little clearer, each time you wash the dough, you should be squishing it many times under the water before changing the water. I usually squish it for 3 - 5 minutes with each water bath. Hope that helps!
Stuart Twineheart says
Made this twice already, simply amazing. Thanks as always, Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing! I love that! 🙂
Susan Pratt says
Hi Sam! Thanks for sharing this recipe. Any idea how the name seitan came about? It’s unfortunate that it sounds so unappetizing when it is SO delicious! I name my recipes Wheat Meat but I feel there could still be a better name. We vegan bloggers should unite and come up with a better name! What do you think?
Lea says
Found this online: The term seitan is thought to have come from the combination of several words: sei, meaning “made of,” and tan, the first character in the Japanese word tanpaku, which means “protein.”
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! It's not the only terribly named food. How about nutritional yeast? haha. To quote wikipedia "The word seitan is of Japanese origin and was coined in 1961 by George Ohsawa, a Japanese advocate of the macrobiotic diet, to refer to a wheat gluten product created by Ohsawa's student Kiyoshi Mokutani. In 1962, wheat gluten was sold as seitan in Japan by Marushima Shoyu K.K. It was imported to the West in 1969 by the American company Erewhon.[6]"
aquarowena says
First time making seitan with the washed flour method. Really enjoyed the process and found it easier than I thought. The only thing is, I will skip the Soy sauce in the simmering liquid as it made my seitan too dark. Looking forward to making my next batch!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it!
nancy stein says
Hi Sam,
Made this last night and it turned out great. In 13 years of being vegan this is the first time I have washed my flour to make seitan as I always used vital wheat gluten flour. Well, it turned out amazing and the first thing I noticed is that it didn't have a flour after taste as some seitan using VWG can give you. Great Job Sam Thanks for this recipe! We love your other chick'n and steak recipe as well!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi nancy! So thrilled you enjoyed it! And I agree, it really doesn't have that vital wheat gluten taste. Pretty cool!
Susan Connor says
So glad to see you re-educating folks with this method. Back in the 70's (Yes
I'm old) we used to wash whole wheat flour and make "Wheat Meat". Such a
great way to make amazing seitan!!
Lea says
Wheat meat......Haven’t heard that term since.....well....the seventies.... A rose by any other name.....
Sam Turnbull says
Hahahaha!
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing!! It's such a cool technique 🙂
Maggie says
Could you do this with essential wheat gluten to add protein...I wonder
Sam Turnbull says
This recipe is basically pure protein. The process here is to separate the starch from the gluten (wheat protein). So the end resulting vegan chicken is almost all protein. Check out the nutrition info 🙂 For recipes using vital wheat gluten, you can check here.
Sarah Johnson says
Hi Sam I have a bag of wheat gluten I don’t know what to do with. Could I use this instead of flour? And would it mean I could skip some steps?
Sam Turnbull says
Not for this recipe. I have a ton of recipes that use vital wheat gluten, you can see them all here. 🙂
Rebecca says
It would be really helpful to make a video of how to make this recipe. Particularly for me seeing how you braid and tie the knot of dough.
Sam Turnbull says
I'll keep that in mind! In the meantime you can watch this video which is really helpful 🙂
Lea says
??? No Video ???
Shawn says
Hi Lea, just click on the words "this video" and the video is linked 😉
Loula says
I made this today and it turned out great. I can't wait for the bacon recipe! I tried to wing it but i couldn't get it right.
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you loved it, Loula!!
lea says
I remember doing this decades ago to make fake shrimp. I didn't know how much time it would take and didn't make a large amount....while the result was really really good.....it took so much time for so little yield..... I never did it again....but that "chik'n" looks really good so I may go for it.....one more time....
Sam Turnbull says
It does take a bit of time but I think it's fun and yeilds such fun results! I will be posting a quicker version of this recipe soon so stay tuned! Also, do you have that recipe for vegan shrimp? I'm trying to work on a vegan shrimp recipe now!
Darya Carney says
A word of caution: seitan can be hard to digest, even if you're not technically gluten intolerant.
Sam Turnbull says
I've never had a problem with it and I eat it often 🙂
Cheri says
Will a white whole wheat flour work for this to replace the all purpose flour? Thank you for the recipe.
Chanan Elias says
You can use any flour with high protein percentage. Nothing below 11% I use spelt flour with 13.4% protein, and it comes out great. You will need to adjust your water to flour ratio as it differs.
Sam Turnbull says
Great tips Chanan! I would add that you should make sure it is flour that contains gluten. A gluten-free flour (even if it contains high amounts of protein) will NOT work for this recipe. 🙂
Chanan Elias says
Cheri says
Thank you Chanan and Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
Yes it will! Enjoy!
Myrna Wacknov says
How does this compare with soy curls?
Sam Turnbull says
This is chewier and more pull-apart, to me this is more similar to chicken.
Suzy says
Just want to be clear, after the first overnight soak, you do the subsequent 5 washings all in one day? 20 minutes after another, after another, yes? I'm intrigued too!! I must try this!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Suzy, the first soak you can do for just 1 hour, or overnight if you prefer. For the washing, you just keep on going until the water is almost clear, not need to stop in between. Enjoy!
Shelly Smith says
What the?! This looks crazy! Nice job, Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha, thank you Shelly!