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.
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.
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.
When preparing the seitan with the provided sauce recipe I love to serve it over a bed of rice with a side of cooked greens such as broccoli or spinach. Of course when you are using different sauce recipes, you can get as creative as you want! BBQ seitan bites would be great served with vegan potato salad, macaroni salad, or mac and cheese. Yum! For jerk seitan bites, try serving them with rice and peas and coleslaw. If you're using an Italian sauce try tossing them onto pasta. The options are endless!
Bon Appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
The Quickest & Easiest Seitan Recipe!! (Vegan Chicken!)
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.
Mary Ann says
I have no clue whatsoever about vital wheat gluten or seitan. Does this taste good, hard to make? How do I learn more about this stuff? I am willing to try new things. But at the same time, I don't want to spend money on something I may not even enjoy. Any help would be appreciated.
Kaitlin says
I find that vital wheat gluten can pretty much take on the taste of whatever you add in to it when preparing it. The texture of also depends on how much you knead it. So, I recommend watching some videos on how to prepare it. It is a good meatless option though!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Mary Ann, this is a recipe to make your own homemade seitan. The key ingredient is called vital wheat gluten which is basically just wheat protein. You can find it at health food stores or here on amazon. Vital wheat gluten alone doesn't taste good as it's basically just flour. But when you mix it ingredients and cook it like in the recipe I provide above it makes an amazing vegan meat substitute that has the taste and texture of meat. Hope that helps!
Jim Webster says
So very good. Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
You're welcome! 🙂
Nan says
I have a really great vegan pepperoni recipe where the seitan is rolled tightly in foil like a big sausage ant then baked. I was making some and decided to do this recipe too and try baking but baking instead of steaming. Well...it came out a bit tough and dry. Better after freezing and frying it on a cast iron skillet. Next time I think I'll steam it first.
Sam Turnbull says
I always recommend you try my recipe as written for the best results 🙂
Rachelle says
Hi Sam
Can I use something besides vegetable broth powder? Thank you and I love your recipes!
Sam Turnbull says
You can use instant stock mix powder or vegetable bouillon 🙂
Phil says
First attempt for my daughter and I to make this recipe and it is delicious.
Did find we needed a little more water than the recipe called for to incorporate all the ingredients, and next time I will take smaller pinches, but this recipe is a keeper.
Thank you for posting it
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you both enjoyed it 🙂
Tara says
Absolutely delicious at fast! I have only made seitan once (for Christmas roast last month) but it took long so I thought I'd never make it again. I came across your recipe this morning and thought I'd give it a shot for lunch. I ended up putting them in the oven instead of frying and I actually liked the result a lot. Served with pasta and tomato sauce. Tender on the inside and crisp on the outside. Will definitely try again!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it so much Tara 🙂
Pangaea says
Hi! I am fairly new to making seitan. So far the only one I've made successfully was a meatloaf type that was baked. This will be really different. I have 2 questions. When you add the water and mix it into a ball, do you knead it at all? Or do you just mix enough to get everything equally moistened? My second question is that I wondered if I could use chickpea flour instead of all purpose flour? The "store bought" seitan that is my favorite lists chickpea flour as an ingredient. I just thought I would ask. Thank you so much for posting this recipe! It definitely looks easy. I'm crossing my fingers that I'll like the texture,
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Pangaea, There is no need to knead the dough, just mix it. And I always recommend trying my recipes as written first. Then if you decide to make a change the next time you can see if you prefer the result. Enjoy!
Pangaea says
Thank you so much for the fast response! I really appreciate it. I’m determined to get good at making all kinds of versions of seitan, and I’ve saved a few of your recipes to try. They look really good! I’ve ordered the powdered veggie broth, so I should be able to make this later on this week. I’ll let you know how I did Thanks again!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Pangaea says
Hi Sam! I cooked this recipe for dinner this evening. OMG!! It turned out absolutely perfect! I am so thrilled! This is one I will definitely add to my go-to recipes, and will use various sauces. The texture is really good! I am definitely going to double, or triple the recipe, and freeze it. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Pangaea! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much 🙂
Shaileen F says
I have made this many times and it is sooooo good!! I have used a garlic sticky sauce as well and it was unreal!
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing! So happy you loved it Shaileen 🙂
Steph Tennis says
Made this and used the sriracha marinade from your other post. LOVED IT!!! And I’m a seitan pro. I love how quick and easy this is. Thanks so much 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you loved it, Steph 🙂
BTS says
I was skeptical making this recipe because I’ve had bad luck with Seitan. Even when the dough ball was really mushy I thought for sure it was going to be mushy inside. Nope! It came out perfect. I kept some plain and dipped in our favorite hot sauce then I made your teriyaki sauce and then a sweet and sour chili garlic sauce. It was so good and easy! I would love to pair this when we make cauliflower wings for a second option with more protein.
Curious if you would have some suggestions for air frying them?
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed them so much!! Pan frying them get's the best texture, but I think they should work in an air fryer as well. The might come out a little dry is all. Enjoy!
Izzi says
Just made it tonight, served over soba noodles and it was delish. Thanks for another great recipe...it was super easy and sooo good.
Andrea says
OMG! This is the best thing I have ever made. This was super easy and fast. Love this.
mimi says
Merci!! I love the steaming process. Simple but good!!
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you enjoyed!
Maria says
I love this sauce and I will make it again. I didn’t have the Thai sweet chili sauce so I used A substitute. Next time I’m going to make my own seitan because I use the store-bought seitan and it was quite tough. I still served it over rice and ate it like a little piggy. One thing I did a little bit different is I sautéed shallots and garlic because I love those and I added a little bit of sesame oil when I was frying the seitan.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it, and yes, homemade seitan is awesome!
Margie says
Great recipe! Thanks. I love the convenience of freezing after steaming and cooling. I can just pull a few out at a time to fry from frozen or defrosted state. They go well with just about any sauce. I think freezing improves the texture a bit. . . . Not that they're bad to begin with. Some of mine were a bit thick so I cut them in half thickness-wise to make them easier to fry.
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you love it Margie 🙂
Dorothy says
Yes, finally a seitan that comes out perfectly! I LOVE this recipe. Something about the combination of vital wheat gluten and AP flour and the steaming makes these sooo tender. Bonus points for it being an easy and fast recipe too.
Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you love it Dorothy!! 🙂
Kristen says
Great recipe. My 8 yo loves it and can make it herself. Also good adding vegan beef bullion powder to make beef version and adding it to Hungarian goulash.
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful!
Georgie says
Your 'vegan steak' and 'vegan tender' recipes are my go to seitan recipes. I haven't found any recipes that can beat them, and recommend them to anyone looking to make seitan at home.
As much as I love them, they are a bit more complex so I love the idea of this quick and easy version.
How do you feel the flavour of this recipe compares to the vegan tender recipe you have?
Sam Turnbull says
It's similar but this recipe is chewier more like the texture of pork or beef.
Annelies says
Wow Sam, this is amazing!! I have many seitan recipes I use as "favourites" for our family, but this beats them all hands down! I have been meaning to make these bites since you first published the recipe, but only managed to do so a couple of days ago. We have been missing out the past 3 weeks!! The children all absolutely love it and have to make sure they get some before dad eats them all 😀 I have had to double the recipe, with today's request of tripling it for tomorrow. We are hooked! I haven't tried it with the sauce yet, as don't have all the ingredients on hand atm, but yesterday I just sprinkled the (in toasted sesame oil) fried bites in some salt and drizzled some dark soy sauce on top, today I just sprinkled them with salt. The bites barely make it to the table!
My 16-yr old son can often be found in the kitchen making one or other seitan recipe as part of his fitness/gym/bulking regime, and I know this one will become top of his list.
Your reader Beata has provided some wonderful and delicious tips, I'll be trying them over the next few days. No risk of getting bored of these, the options are endless. Thank you so much for this!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww you're most welcome, Annelies! I'm so thrilled you love it so much. And yes, so amazing to have such great fans on this blog! I'm loving all of the recipe variations 🙂
Missy says
Sam, I love this being so quick and easy! I also love your seitan steaks! (I just had one for dinner last night) Do you think it’d be possible to do a beefy version of this with just a free seasoning tweaks? Thanks! Love your blog and you tube channel! ❤️
Beata says
I've had great luck with beef flavorings by using Better Than Bouillon vegan beef base and vegan Worcestershire sauce. I think black pepper and maybe a touch of ketchup could be nice to add too?
For this particular recipe, I would use a heaping tablespoon of the vegan beef base plus maybe 2 tablespoons of vegan Worcestershire sauce (I would start with 1 tablespoon of sauce and do a taste test to make sure I am not using too much) and I would probably lessen the water by a few tablespoons to account for the liquid in the vegan base (I know it's a paste but still more moist than the broth powder listed in the recipe card) and for the liquid coming from the Worcestershire sauce.
I actually posted the variation of this recipe that I made using tofu and vegan chicken base in the comments right here, just a few comments down!
Missy says
Awesome! Thank you for the great suggestions! I’ll check out your recipe too!
Beata says
I actually made the beef flavored bites last night and the steamed (not fried yet) bites are hanging out in the fridge to get extra meaty for dinner in a day or so - I will be sure to post about my results afterwards!
Beata says
It just also occurred to me that if you love the seitan steaks, you could try flavoring these bites the same way the seitan steaks are flavored. 🙂
Missy says
I’ll be anxious to hear how they turned out! Good suggestion on the seasoning recommendation!
Beata says
Had my beef flavored bites for dinner the other night - while I would definitely up the seasoning (I think I used only 1 tablespoon of vegan beef bouillon and 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire and methinks at least 2 tablespoons or even more of each would be better) and add some tomato paste or ketchup, the bites were meaty yet super tender! No gristle here, lol.
The bites browned very nicely and since I was feeling lazy, I literally just used about half a bottle (so maybe 5 ounces) of Coconut Secret Garlic sauce to flavor the bites and my dinner was nothing short of scrumptious! To get the stir fry vibe though, I would definitely go for a thicker sauce (say, like the one Sam suggests in her recipe) but this just goes to show how versatile these little nuggets are!
BTW, writing this made me hungry so I went to the kitchen to steal a few pieces of now fried and "sauced" leftover beef bites and they are even better and more meaty (definitely more substantial in their mouthfeel) while still tender! Note to self, steam, fry AND THEN store the bites to make them extra meaty!
Next up in my kitchen, flavoring these the same way Sam's steak is seasoned! 🙂 Thank you again, Sam!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Love all of your variations Beata!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much Missy! I have been thinking about this too! I will give it a try 🙂
Lisa says
Just made these for a second time, this recipe is absolute gold. I have to add a little more water to combine everything, scant cup total, maybe because I live in Colorado? I used a two layer approach in my steamer this time - using both the pasta basket and the higher veggie steamer tray for a single batch. Fry 'em as crisp as you like - still chewy in the middle, YUM. Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you love them, Lisa!
Sarah says
Hi! This looks great! Do you think it will turn out the same if I made it into a roast instead of bites? Maybe pan sear and then bake after streaming? Not as quick but still an easy recipe. Looking for an easy roast for Thanksgiving.