Author: Homemade Vegan Deli Slices take 10 minutes prep time, they are easy to make, freezer-friendly, high in protein, they're cheaper and healthier than store-bought, and they taste and have a texture just like smoked turkey! These deli slices are juicy, meaty, tender, and seasoned to perfection! I love making these deli slices and storing them in my fridge or freezer so that I always have the makings for an epic vegan sandwich!
After making my recipe for vegan roast turkey, I became obsessed with vegan turkey sandwiches! Lately, I've been tweaking the recipe slightly to make these smoked turkey slices. This recipe is a bit quicker and easier to make than the original, mainly because you don't need to do the extra steps of adding a rice paper skin and roasting it. Just form the dough, steam, let cool, and you have yourself meaty, juicy, tender homemade vegan deli slices. Layer the slices on a sandwich, add them to a wrap, or do what I like to do and just have a slice or two with a bit of mustard as a quick snack. YUM!
WHAT INGREDIENTS DO YOU NEED?
- Firm tofu- Using firm tofu in the homemade vegan deli slices adds texture and moisture. Make sure you use firm tofu (and not medium or extra-firm tofu). Firm tofu will get you the best results. There is no need to press the tofu before using, just drain, break it into chunks, and add it to the food processor.
- Vital Wheat Gluten: (also called gluten flour). This is wheat protein. You can buy it in health food stores or online on amazon. This high protein flour is what gives this roast its meaty texture and it is essential for this recipe. Unfortunately, there is no gluten-free option. The combo of vital wheat gluten and tofu in this recipe make it very high in protein!
- Nutritional yeast: adds a rich nuttiness to the roast.
- White miso paste: adds umami to the roast. White miso paste is actually brown in color so don't be confused by that, but ensure you get the kind that is specifically called "white miso paste" or "white type" for the best color and taste.
- Vegetable broth powder: this is my hack for adding a ton of rich flavor instantly. You can buy any brand, I used this one, or you can buy vegetable broth cubes.
- Liquid Smoke: liquid smoke is a natural product made from the condensation of a fire. This is literally smoke flavor in a bottle. Adding this to the seitan is what gives the vegan deli slices a slightly smoky taste.
- Other spices and seasonings: I also add onion powder, garlic powder, salt, apple cider vinegar, and sage to make these slices extra tasty.
Common Questions:
Can Setian be made gluten-free? Is there a gluten-free alternative to vital wheat gluten?
Unfortunately, there is no gluten-free alternative that can be used to make seitan. Vital wheat gluten is literally pure gluten. Gluten is the protein in wheat flour. Gluten is what gives bread its bounce and stretch, which is why it's difficult to find gluten-free bread with the same kind of bounce. Using vital wheat gluten is what makes seitan so meaty so there is no substitute. If you are looking for some vegan gluten-free sandwich fillings try my Baked Tofu Bites, Vegan Egg Salad Sandwich, Jackfruit Salad Sandwich, or Ranch Chickpea Salad Sandwich.
How do I steam seitan?
From my experience and years of recipe testing, steaming seitan is the best way to cook it for the perfect juicy meaty texture. I recommend getting a steamer pot if you plan to make seitan often, or you can use a DIY method if you do not have a steamer. Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the foil-wrapped seitan to the steamer basket and steam for 1 hour, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 160F (71C). The seitan will puff up in the foil and become tight. Once steamed, remove and allow to cool. For the best texture let the seitan cool overnight in the fridge.
Can I use an Instant Pot to steam seitan?
I have heard from several fans that you can steam seitan in an Instant Pot for about half the time of regular steaming. I have not yet tested steaming seitan in an Instant Pot because I find it so easy to steam my seitan on the stove as it's completely hands-off, but if you give it a try let us know!
How to make Homemade Vegan Deli Slices:
Food processor method: Add the tofu, nutritional yeast, water, miso paste, onion powder, vegetable broth powder, garlic powder, liquid smoke, apple cider vinegar, salt, and sage to your food processor. Using the S-blade, blend the mixture until it is completely smooth. Lastly, add in the vital wheat gluten and mix well until it forms a ball in your food processor (1 - 2 minutes of mixing). This should happen pretty quickly, but if it doesn't just ensure the ingredients are mixed well, and then you can form the dough into a ball by hand. *Do not knead the dough, kneading it will just make it tough and rubbery.
By hand method: If you do not have a food processor, use a blender or immersion blender to blend together everything but the vital wheat gluten together until smooth. Now in a large bowl, use a strong spatula or wooden spoon to mix in the vital wheat gluten, mixing well, until a ball forms (you may need to use your hands as well). *Do not knead the dough, kneading it will just make it tough and rubbery.
Place your ball of seitan on a sheet of aluminum foil, then use your hands to pat it into a log shape. It doesn't have to be perfect.
Wrap the foil around the seitan log securely but not too tightly. I like to do a double layer of foil to ensure it is wrapped well.
Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the foil-wrapped seitan to the steamer basket and steam for 1 hour, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 160F (71C).
The seitan will puff up in the foil and become tight. Once steamed, remove and allow to cool. For the best texture let the seitan cool overnight in the fridge. You can now slice and enjoy your homemade deli slices! Use a sharp knife or deli slicer to cut thin slices. You can store the seitan covered in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze it for later.
These homemade vegan deli slices are:
- Meaty
- Juicy
- High in protein
- Easy to make
- Perfect for layering into sandwiches
More delicious vegan sandwich filling recipes:
Vegan Baloney
Vegan Egg Salad Sandwich
Jackfruit Salad Sandwich
Ranch Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Tofu Caesar Wrap
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Homemade Vegan Deli Slices (Smoked Seitan Turkey)
Servings: vegan smoked turkey log (about 1.7 pounds) makes enough for 8+ sandwiches
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Ingredients
- 1 (14 oz/ 396 g) package firm tofu, drained
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons vegetable broth powder, vegetable instant stock mix powder or 1 vegetable bouillon cube
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground sage
- 1 ½ cups vital wheat gluten
Instructions
- Food processor method: Add the tofu, nutritional yeast, water, miso paste, onion powder, vegetable broth powder, garlic powder, liquid smoke, apple cider vinegar, salt, and sage to your food processor. Using the S-blade, blend the mixture until it is completely smooth. Lastly, add in the vital wheat gluten and mix well until it forms a ball in your food processor (1 - 2 minutes of mixing). This should happen pretty quickly, but if it doesn't just ensure the ingredients are mixed well, and then you can form the dough into a ball by hand. *Do not knead the dough, kneading it will just make it tough and rubbery.By hand method: If you do not have a food processor, use a blender or immersion blender to blend together everything but the vital wheat gluten together until smooth. Now in a large bowl, use a strong spatula or wooden spoon to mix in the vital wheat gluten, mixing well, until a ball forms (you may need to use your hands as well). *Do not knead the dough, kneading it will just make it tough and rubbery.
- Place your ball of seitan on a sheet of aluminum foil, then use your hands to pat it into a log shape. It doesn't have to be perfect. Wrap the foil around the seitan log securely but not too tightly. I like to do a double layer of foil to ensure it is wrapped well.
- Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the foil-wrapped seitan to the steamer basket and steam for 1 hour, or until the seitan's internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C) when tested with an instant-read thermometer. If the temperature goes higher, that's perfectly fine-you can't really oversteam seitanThe seitan will puff up in the foil and become tight. Once steamed, remove and allow to cool (the foil will loosen slightly as it cools). For the best texture let the seitan cool overnight in the fridge. You can now slice and enjoy your homemade deli slices! Use a sharp knife or deli slicer to cut thin slices. You can store the seitan covered in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze it for later.* Learn my secret tricks to making perfect seitan in my free masterclass. Click here to learn more and register.
Maryann Howard says
It is easy to make, moist and tender.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you enjoyed it Maryann!! 🙂
maria says
I love how easy and tasty this recipe is!
I encourage all who are looking for a vegan deli meat recipe to use this recipe with the food processor method. So much time and energy saved! You must however follow all the steps in the recipe to a T. Thank you Sam
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Thank you so much Maria! So glad you love it, and thank you for the review 🙂
Kate says
Is it possible to sub washed flour for vital wheat gluten?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Kate, washed flour and vital wheat gluten are actually two different methods of making seitan. Washed flour seitan starts with regular flour—you knead and rinse it to wash away the starch, which leaves you with gluten (the protein). Vital wheat gluten is a store-bought flour-like powder where the starch and protein have already been separated. Because of this, they can’t be swapped 1:1 in a recipe—the water content, texture, and process are totally different. If you want to try the washed flour method, you can check out my recipe for that. I hope that clears it up!
Joeri says
I followed the blender method. The mixture was very dry, I added water, didnt want to add to much because the recipe didn't call for it. I steamed it for an hour. It ended up being very rubbery, chewy sadly. Any tips or ideas what went wrong?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Thanks for giving it a try, Joeri! It sounds like a couple things may have gone off: if the mixture was very dry before adding the vital wheat gluten, it’s possible not everything was blended smoothly enough. This step is key for getting that juicy, meaty texture. Also, it’s super important not to knead the dough or overmix once the gluten goes in, as that can make it rubbery. If you give it another go, I recommend watching the texture closely before adding the gluten—it should be a thick but smooth paste. Hope that helps!
Steph says
I really want to try this recipe. I don't use it because aluminum leaches into the food.
Do you have a suggestion on what can be used instead of foil?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Steph, you'll be happy to learn that I already included an aluminum foil alternative in the recipe notes 🙂 Enjoy!
Donna says
amazing recipe!! I did double the garlic powder, added a little paprika and gravt master to make it a little darker. Also used seasoning salt instead of regular and poultry seasons which also had rosemary and some other seasonings. tastes so much better than grocery vegan slices and saves tons of money. I steamed mine in the instapot for 40.minutes with 10 minutes natural release. Worked like a charm. Thank you for a great recipe!! I am wondering if you can make it with fennel and sage for a sausage flavor. Will try that next.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Terrific! You may want to reference this recipe for spicing a sausage flavor: Vegan Italian Seitan Sausages
starling says
Thanks for the instant pot directions, I will be trying this!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Enjoy!
Ingrid says
This is the easiest recipe for seitan, and the flavor is delicious! I've avoided making sandwiches because store-bought vegan meats are full of ingredients I don't want AND they're expensive. With this recipe I've got lunch meat for days, and it freezes well so I can grab just what I need as I go. Thank you Sam for showing me the way!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yay!! I am so thrilled you love it Ingrid, thank you so much for the review!!
Schou says
This recipe was very disappointing unfortunately. I was really excited to try it but it lacked flavor.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Schou, I’m so sorry to hear the recipe didn’t meet your expectations. Did you happen to make any substitutions? The recipe includes lots of seasonings—nutritional yeast, white miso paste, onion powder, garlic powder, broth powder, liquid smoke, vinegar, salt, and sage—so it’s designed to be flavorful, but still mild like traditional turkey deli slices. I appreciate your feedback and hope you’ll give another recipe a try!
Mary says
I'll be honest--I'm not vegan. 🙂 However, while I love lunch meat, I don't love all the questionable and unhealthy stuff that goes into meat-based lunch meats. When I saw this recipe, I had to try it and I'm so glad I did! It was delicious! I should have suspected it would be good when I took it out of the food processor, and it smelled good. It was super easy to make and even the cats were pestering me for a taste (which they gobbled up). I made a sandwich from it and sliced the rest to go into the freezer for when I want a "lunch meat" sandwich. So delicious and I'm ready to make another vegan dish--I just might convert!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Wow that's so amazing Mary!! I am so happy you loved the deli meat so much. So wonderful that you are so open minded. I hope you enjoy many more vegan recipes 🙂
Josh says
Do you know that this is one of the few seitan recipes I can find online that doesn't call for kneading the dough, and also doesn't call for frying or cooking it more after baking? Maybe the food processor method kneads the dough without added hand-kneading? But I don't have one so I did not knead the dough, and it is spongy and not good... Maybe you should point that out?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Josh, You're right—most seitan recipes call for kneading, but I’ve developed my method specifically to avoid that because kneading makes seitan tougher, chewier, and gummier. Instead of baking (which can make it dry and spongy), I always steam my seitan for a tender, juicy, and super meaty texture. It sounds like you may have skipped a key step, which is why the texture didn’t turn out quite right. If you try the recipe again and follow my instructions closely, I’m confident you’ll get much better results! If you’re interested, I also have a free masterclass where I share all my best seitan-making tips and tricks. You can check it out here. 😊
Kati says
My family loves this recipe! We use it as a "lunch meat" but I also slice it in strips and make "cheesesteaks" out of it. This is easy to make ahead and have a quick lunch or dinner for the kids, especially on sports nights!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Awesome! I am so happy you love it Kati!!
Annie says
I absolutely love this recipe!! I make it regularly for not only my household but a friend's also. Thank you so much for all your hard work providing these recipes and tips.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yay! I am so happy you love it so much Annie, thank you for your review 🙂
JD says
There are so many Ads on this page now it barely loads
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi JD, sorry about that! I have updated the page layout so hopefully it loads better for you now. 🙂
LEONELA VILA HERNANDEZ says
I have only 1 cup of vital wheat gluten on hand and would love to make this, but the recipe calls for 1.5 cups. What can I use to make up the half cup?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Leonela, the correct measurements are essential for this recipe, so I wouldn't recommend replacing anything. Instead, you could half the recipe and use 3/4 cup of vital wheat gluten. I hope that helps!
Jan says
Can I substitute the apple cider vinegar?
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
You could try lemon juice in its place.
Karen says
This is absolutely delicious. Comes out the exact same every time. I have made this numerous times since it was posted. I usually make a ton and slice it down and freeze it in batches. It’s one of my favorite recipes on here.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Great! Thanks for sharing!
SUE says
This turkey tastes so weirdly authentic! Bring s me back to my teen years!!! Thanks Ssam.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
We're glad you found it a very close substitute!
Klara says
When freezing this recipe, can you freeze the slices or does it have to be the log? Would love to have this ready to go for sandwichs!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Klara! Yes, you can definitely slice before freezing! It’s super handy for sandwiches. Just make sure to wrap the slices really well to prevent freezer burn. Enjoy!
Melissa says
This was fantastic! Thank you! By far the easiest and best seitan I've made yet. And it's going to save us a lot of money not having to buy tofurky slices each week now.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hooray! That's great news!
Karlie says
This worked great on the first try. So easy to be able to just blend everything in the food processor and throw in the steamer.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Terrific!
Eileen says
Súper easy and very tasty. My favorite vegan deli slices are so expensive and often out of stock. This was a perfect substitute for the store bought ones.
Just need to perfect my knife skills to make the slices consistently thin.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
We love to hear it!
Alison says
I made this for my family and I should have made a double batch! Everyone loved it!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
That's great to hear!