Author: Just 20 minutes to make, and only 7 ingredients, this is by far the quickest and easiest seitan recipe ever!! This vegan chicken alternative is simple to whip up and perfect to add to any meal. Crispy crunchy on the outside, and tender chewy in the middle. The perfect meaty texture to amp up any vegan meal! If you are new to making seitan this is the perfect recipe for beginners to try.
FEATURED COMMENT:
Okay, I never leave comments, BUT THIS recipe is so good! I've only been vegan a year and wanted to start learning how to make my own vegan meat. This recipe is so easy and it tastes great!!! I was so proud of myself for my first try and I will definitely make this again and again! - Ty Snowden ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I came across a video on TikTok by @futurelettuce showing a 15-minute seitan recipe. I had to try it immediately! Unfortunately, even after trying it a few times, I wasn't super happy with the results. The seitan is first fried, and then you cover the pan with a lid for 10 minutes to cook it through. The problem with this is that by covering the seitan after it is fried, it tends to lose the crispy outside due to the steam. Or if you cover it and there isn't much moisture in the pan, then it can run this risk of burning before the seitan is cooked through. And I don't know about you, but soggy burnt vegan chicken just isn't my thing. The end result is spongey and rubbery, and just not super delicious.
But I loved the idea of making a quick seitan recipe so I had to play around with different techniques until I came up with my recipe for the quickest and easiest seitan recipe! In my experience, no matter how many techniques I try, steaming seitan is always a must. Boiling seitan makes it have a brainy spongey texture, frying seitan (without first steaming it) makes it rubbery and spongey, baking it makes it dry and rubbery. Steaming seitan, on the other hand, will yield the perfect meaty, juicy, chewy, yet tender seitan every single time. So even though I tried to get away with a one-pot recipe, it just didn't work for this recipe. The key is to first steam the seitan (which takes only 10 minutes) and then pan fry it for that crispy outside. Vegan chicken perfection!
The result is seitan that is crispy, juicy, chewy, tender, and absolutely amazing!!!! While I love all of my seitan recipes, (you can see them here), they do tend to take an hour or even longer to prepare. So I have fallen madly in love with this recipe as you just can't beat the speed of this one!
How to make the quickest and easiest seitan recipe:
Add about an inch of water to a pot with a steamer basket and bring to a light boil.
In the meantime, whisk together the vital wheat gluten, flour, vegetable broth powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
Pour in the water and mix to form a ball of dough.
Lightly grease the steamer basket, then tear off bite-sized pieces of the seitan dough and place them in a single layer in the steamer basket.
Cover, and steam the seitan for 10 minutes.
If making the sauce, in the meantime, in a small bowl or a measuring glass, mix together the Thai sweet chili sauce, hoisin, soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Set aside. (See notes for other sauce options).
When the seitan is done steaming, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet or non-stick pan. Use tongs to remove the seitan bites from the steamer basket, and place them into the hot oil in the pan. Be careful as it may splatter. Cook the seitan bites a few minutes per side until they are golden brown and crispy.
Remove from the heat and add the sauce and toss to coat. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired and serve hot.
* Learn my secret tricks to making perfect seitan in my free masterclass. Click here to learn more and register.
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)
The Quickest & Easiest Seitan Recipe!! (Vegan Chicken!)
Servings:
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Ingredients
For the seitan:
- ¾ cup vital wheat gluten
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vegetable broth powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup water
For the sauce (optional, see notes for other sauce ideas):
- 3 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons light oil for frying, (such as canola or vegetable)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, for garnish
- 1 small handful chopped green onions or chopped chives, for garnish
Instructions
- Add about an inch of water to a pot with a steamer basket and bring to a light boil.
- In the meantime, whisk together the vital wheat gluten, flour, vegetable broth powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Pour in the water and mix to form a ball of dough. Lightly grease the steamer basket, then tear off bite-sized pieces of the seitan dough and place them in a single layer in the steamer basket. Cover, and steam the seitan for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, in a small bowl or a measuring glass, mix together the Thai sweet chili sauce, hoisin, soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Set aside. (See notes for other sauce options).
- When the seitan is done steaming, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet or non-stick pan. Use tongs to remove the seitan bites from the steamer basket, and place them into the hot oil in the pan. Be careful as it may splatter. Cook the seitan bites a few minutes per side until they are golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from the heat and add the sauce and toss to coat. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired and serve hot.* Learn my secret tricks to making perfect seitan in my free masterclass. Click here to learn more and register.
Cristina says
This is the first and only seitan recipe I have tried, and after reading some of the other comments, I guess I don't need to try any others! I have to admit, I was expecting it to be extra messy, and for that reason, I procrastinated for quite awhile after I found the recipe, but it wasn't so bad at all. (I have added a half tsp of poultry seasoning sometimes, and it's tasty, too!)
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
This makes me so happy to hear, Cristina! Love the addition of poultry seasoning 🙂
Nicole says
Hi Sam, I made this once with the listed sauce and it was awesome! I did find that there was not quite enough water to moisten all of the flour mixture, so I added a little extra (maybe 1 Tbl or less). Is there any disadvantage of adding a little more water to make the dough? I ask because I made it a second time, then after the steaming step, I marinated it in the lemon-garlic-mustard marinade (overnight). Then I browned it in a lightly oiled skillet. It seemed to be a lot chewier than the first time I made it (without overnight marinating). How can I reduce the chewiness factor if I use some of the other marinades you mention? Thanks!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Nicole! A little extra water is totally fine. Overworking the dough, mixing or kneading too much is usually what makes it tough or chewy. Try a gentle hand, just barley mixing it, or slicing it thinner to keep the texture more tender. I hope that helps! 🙂
Nicole says
Thanks Sam! Is steaming at too vigorous boil or for too long also a possible cause? I don’t think I overworked it…. Thanks! I really want to make this recipe my go to for seitan!
Paula says
I have made now setan from scratch since I don't live in the USE so from 2 kg of flour I have prepared approximately 850 grams of seitan- it is cooling off now in the brothh and now how do I approach the recipies of seitan you have?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Paula! My seitan recipes are for making homemade seitan starting with vital wheat gluten, but since you’ve already made seitan from scratch, you can use it just like any cooked seitan. Slice or tear it and add it to your favorite dishes in place of meat. I hope that helps! 🙂
Nicole R says
This recipe finally convinced me to try making seitan! That, and the fact that I was spending too much money buying 8oz packages of Uptons natural and chorizo seitan! This really was easy and so fast! I was worried but my husband loved it! Will definitely try with different sauces! I’m also going to try one of your other seitan recipes! Yay!! So economical, such high protein!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yay!! This makes me so happy to hear, Nicole! So glad you gave it a try and loved it 🙂
Tanya says
Love this recipe so much! I have made several variations including sausage and it always turns out perfect. Thanks!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yay!! So happy you love it, Tanya! 🙂
Haneef says
This was by far the best seitan/vegan/meatless recipe I have every tried, and I've tried many.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Wow, that means so much, Haneef! So happy you loved it! 🙂
Kim says
I've been vegan for over a decade and in that time tried countless seitan recipes. I can never seem to get it right, it always has a weird seitan flavour or I struggle to get the balance right between too tough and too soft. This recipe is actually a game changer! I made it in my lunch break as a quick protein hit and oh my gosh! It's absolutely beautiful - perfect texture and no funny vital wheat gluten aftertaste. It's re-ignited my interest in seitan and I'm now very keen on trying the other sauces mentioned. Thank you!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Thanks Kim! This makes me so happy to hear, especially with seitan, I know how tricky it can be. So glad it worked out for you 😊
Sara says
Amazing! I couldn’t believe I made something that tasty! (Thanks to your recipe and the ease of making it) Thank you!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Thanks Sara! I’m so glad you loved it! 😊
Jane says
Easy and delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Thanks Jane! So glad you enjoyed it 😊
JP says
OMG! I had given up on liking seitan as I tried so many recipes and was always disappointed. AT LAST - thank you Sam! - I found a seitan recipe that I like! The flavour, but especially the texture which I always found problematic in other recipes is great. I cooked mine in my air fryer after steaming as I try to keep low fat (about 7 minutes at 180C did the trick), and that worked out really well. I'd been wanting to add to my protein choices so this is wonderful. Thank you so much!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
This makes me so happy to hear JP!! 😊 Love the air fryer tip too, that’s such a great option. Thanks so much for sharing!
Mela says
Outstanding! My whole family, even the meat eaters, love this recipe, and it is soooo easy:)
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy to hear that Mela! 😊 Love when it’s a hit with everyone. Thanks so much!
Julian says
I love seitan, but I'm always too hungry at dinner time to wait the 1hr+ that a full loaf takes to cook, so this recipe was a godsend for the nights when I need something comforting and properly filling but can't manage much energy to cook. I come back to this recipe so often, it's absolutely been a game changer for me and I'm so happy I stumbled across it. Thank you for making my low-energy evenings infinitely easier (and tastier)!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
This makes me so happy to read, Julian! Thanks so much for sharing 😊
Kristine says
I love these, and i love your seitan wings. Do you think in a pinch, tossed with buffalo sauce these could mimic wings?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
That is so funny you asked that, I was just discussing this with my husband! Yes, absolutely!! Steam, pan-fry and toss the seitan pieces in buffalo sauce and they’ll totally scratch the wing itch 😄
Karen Simon says
Hi Sam, would adding nutritional yeast and substituting chickpea or pea protein powder for the regular flour work in this recipe? Thank you.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Karen! Great question. I don’t recommend swapping the flour for chickpea flour or pea protein powder in this recipe, since it would change the texture a lot and can make it dense or gummy. If you want extra flavor though, you can definitely add a tablespoon or two of nutritional yeast!
Anita says
Id love to know how much in weight this recipe makes please.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Anita! I'd estimate this recipe makes about 10–12 oz (roughly 300 g) of cooked seitan bites. 😊
P says
Delicious! Would whole wheat flour work instead of the AP?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Great question, P! Whole wheat flour will work, but expect a slightly firmer/chewier texture.
Phyl says
😍This recipe is so good & so much easier!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Phyl! Yayyy I’m so happy you liked it 😍
Ram C says
Awesome recipe - worked perfectly and family loved it! Used it in a vegan souvlaki
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So glad it worked well for you, Ram! Using it in vegan souvlaki sounds amazing.
Nicole says
Would this still work if I want larger pieces of seitan chicken? I want to make some burger patty sized
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yes, that should work! Just keep in mind thicker pieces will need a bit more steaming time to cook through evenly. I’d check the internal temp reaches at least 160°F (71°C) when tested with an instant-read thermometer to be safe 😊 You could also try my Seitan Burger recipe or my Seitan Chicken Tenders recipe if you prefer.
Dominique Benoit says
I had had no luck with seitan before I tried this recipe. Not only was it over-the-top delicious, it convinced my husband that seitan could replace animal protein. Two winners in one! Made this with rice and pan-fried bok choy. Fantastic. Thank you for your delicious recipe.
I was so blown over, I bought your book!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Wow, this made my day, thank you so much! And welcome to the cookbook club 🥰
Lise says
is there a club??? i have two of your cookbooks and omg fantastic. i thought i liked the chicken steaks but easy seitan is now my favorite. every recipe i have tried -uncomplicated and delicious thank you
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Haha I love this comment, Lise! 😄 Thank you so much for cooking from my books and recipes, that truly means the world to me.
Emma says
Do you think that substituting the water for “not chicken” broth would add even more to the chicken flavor profile? I’m so excited to try this one!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yes, that would work great! Just watch the salt level since some broths are are quite salty 🙂
Jim Zachary says
I'm not sure what seitan you are referring to but I have not found making seitan to be any more "messy" than anything else I make in the kitchen. It's certainly more sanitary and less hazardous than most raw meat. Thanks.
Amina says
My absolute fave seitan recipe. So quick, so easy, I always come back to it!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Amina! That makes me so happy, thank you! I’m thrilled it’s your go-to. 😊