This 2-Ingredient vegan seitan "chicken" is so chewy and juicy. The washed flour seitan pulls apart into shreds that are perfect for adding to any dishes like pastas, stews, sandwiches, salads, stir-fry's, and more!
Have you have seen the viral TikTok trend of making this washed flour seitan? Although this technique may be new to some, 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 Seitan Chicken:
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.
Some Common Questions:
What is Seitan made of?
Seitan is made from gluten. Gluten is the protein which gives dough a stretchy, springy texture. When starch is removed from dough so that only the gluten is left that is seitan.
Can Seitan be made gluten-free?
Unfortunately no. Seitan is made directly from gluten.
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.
lynn says
Looks like so much work. Can't I use vital whet gluten instead?
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, here is my recipe for vegan chicken made with vital wheat gluten. This recipe is for people who want to make washed flour seitan from scratch.
plant luva says
coming from a hard core vegan…such interesting science, great food learning experience & most definitely tasty.
however, maybe having to “wash” til the 5th time shrunk my serving size?
so being that I know how baking and sometimes cooking can be, can i just double the recipe? - thanks
Susan says
Hi Sam, can you tell me is it 222 calories per portion, so total recipe would be 888,
Love all your recipes
Helene says
This was much easier than expected. I used organic "white hard flour" instead of all-purpose flour, and I think this made it easier. The dough was wetter than in the picture. I soaked it only for 45 min though I think 15 might have been enough. I kept the soaking water for the first wash because the dough was already releasing lots of starch. After two washes I was done.
Then I messed up with the simmering: kept the temperature too low for fear of boiling it too hard. After cooling down (quick during winter in Canada) I decided to simmer it for another 30 min. End result looks a little less fibrous (i.e. you get the main "muscles" but it did not dissolve into the tiny 1-2 mm strings) yet the mouthfeel is excellent. Juicier than chicken. Thanks for this and all your seitan recipes!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy it worked for you Helene 🙂
b says
thank you so much for this great recipe! made it yesterday morning and was so impressed by the results that i made another batch that night.
the only thing that freaked me out is when i flipped it over while simmering, the gluten braid dough thing was still very soft, so if you're like me & anxious & reading the comments trying to figure out if it's normal and if it'll firm up: yes, it will 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Thrilled you loved it so much, b! Thank you for the review 🙂
Nicholas (from France) says
Sam, a massive thank you for ALL of your encouraging recipes. LOVE watching you prepare delicious food. You've got BIG fans over here.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thanks Nicholas!
Lois says
This recipe is awesome! I used it to make my first ever seitan and it was so delicious even my non-vegan housemates were snacking it straight from the pan. After frying the pieces, I put them in a greek pitta with salad and tzatziki for a BOMB vegan gyros. I can't believe I used to pay €8 for 400g of a less-tasty version of this from the supermarket. WTF (pun intended)!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! So happy you love it Lois!! 🙂
Sam says
I have a question about the flour used. What exactly do you use in this recipe? I can't seem to find a flour that will yield anywhere near 45 grams of protein per serving. (A serving being a cup of flour based on recipe ratios.)
Sam Turnbull says
For this recipe you use all-purpose wheat flour. By washing away the starch you are left with just the protein which makes it very high in protien.
Suzi says
I am curious about using spelt flour with this recipe. Anyone know? TIA!!
Sam Turnbull says
I believe spelt has less gluten than regular flour, so therefore it would yield a lot less seitan. So I wouldn't recommend it for this recipe.
moly says
hi, mine turned out still wet, I'm not sure why it turned out like that
Sam Turnbull says
It should be moist like chicken is. Is that what you mean?
Janne P Swearengen says
Just made the Two Ingredient chicken and I must say, it was delicious. I made a second batch and let it accidentally 'boil' for a bit. It is still good but was very wet after the night in the refrigerator. I do like this method and will continue to work with it until I can gauge the broth simmering and the broth boiling. Moving on to the Vegan Bacon now!!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you loved it Janne!
Janne P Swearengen says
On the second batch, the time spent actually boiling rather than simmering did impact the texture of the final product. It was good but very wet...just a reminder that simmering is a must and boiling is a no-no. Would a slow cooker work for simmering (even an Instant Pot slow cooker setting). If so, still simmer for an hour?
Sam Turnbull says
That's right, simmering makes a big difference! I am unsure of a slow cooker or insta pot, as I don't use either regularly, but you're welcome to try 🙂
Casey says
Hi, mine turned out too wet, like too moist and would like it firmer like yours pictured. What could I change? I have 9 settings on the hub what number should I simmer at? Not sure if I should be cooking shorter or longer etc. Thanks.
Sam Turnbull says
It sounds like you may need to knead it underwater more and do more washes to remove more of the starch. That's what will make it firmer. Enjoy!
Jake Rayson says
Just to say, metric measurements are out (500g flour, 414g water)!!
Marc Fleetwood says
Hi Sam,
I am going to make this next weekend and was just wondering would it work if I added Tapioca Starch to the original dough?
To clarify I always think that TS tastes like chicken whenever I put it in anything and was wondering if this experiment would be worth a try? And also if you'd have a guess as to how much I should maybe use?
Sam Turnbull says
I haven't tested this so I'm really not sure. I always recommend sticking with the recipe as written to get the best results. Then if you want to make changes you can see how it affects the dish.
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?
Sam Turnbull says
I have, it doesn't work the same. I recommend my seitan tenders recipe instead.
Jenn says
Ok, thanks Sam
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.