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.
Nico says
After trying about a dozen other seitan recipes and ending up with either spongy or bready grossness, I had nearly given up. Thank goodness I found this recipe because it is awesome! I never even got around to making the meal these were intended for because I snarfed down the whole batch while it was still hot. Thank you so much, this recipe is going into my permanent rotation.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! Thrilled you love it Nico!
Maya says
Vegetable broth powder is not easily available where I live, are there any substitutes?
Nico says
I didn't have any either so I used vegetable broth as my liquid instead of water. It turned out great.
Sam Turnbull says
If you have my cookbook Fast Easy Cheap Vegan I have a recipe for a homemade vegetable broth powder in there. You could also use vegetable bouillon cube or paste.
Julie says
I just made the nuggets to use in General Tso's later tonight, but I can't stop munching on the sauce-less nuggets! It's ok though, bc they are so easy to make, I can just make up another batch. So yummy. I used a tsp of Trader Joe's Chicken-less seasoning (which sadly they discontinued) in place of the salt, and at the suggestion of another review, used Better than Bouillon in the water. So good! Another amazing recipe that I will use often!
William says
Simply the best! We tossed in cornstarch before frying to add a nice crisp!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed!
Paul says
This recipe was OUTSTANDING! It exceeded my expectations! There is a local asian restaurant that makes amazing vegan dishes, but is pricey. This recipe was as good, if not better than the restaurant version! Felt like i was having take out. Highly recommend.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! That's awesome, thanks Paul 🙂
Jan says
Sam, Instead of using old rags, etc to clean, bowls, utensils, etc. use a rounded pastry scraper, the flexible plastic/rubber multipurpose ones sold for scraping up pasta & pastry dough. Works great, no waste, no mess. And they are easy to clean and inexpensive!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful tip, thanks Jan!
Natalia says
This is the only VWG seitan recipe I have tried that doesn't have "that" flavour. It is magical. The next day it was even better. It tasted like the stock I put in, so use your favorite (I used wonton soup base mix and it was magical). Thank you for this recipe.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww amazing! SO happy you love it Natalia 🙂
Megan says
I was excited for these as wanted a quick seitan that I could make often for some meal prep lunches. Mine were completely the wrong texture, very soft and chewy with no bite... What did I do wrong?
So many positive reviews so if anyone could help me so I could do them again then I would be appreciative!
Robin says
Hey Megan, didn't like how mine turned out either. . i am convinced they
needed more steaming time. I loved the sauce and thought the flavor of the bites was ok. I want these to work so I will try again.
Lara says
I almost never review recipes, but I've made seitan a ton of ways, and almost all of the time it's unsuccessful for some reason. This was amazing, and the non-vegetarians in my family loved it as well. Crispy on the outside, tender but with substance on the inside. Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Lara! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Marley says
Absolutely incredible. Not only is this quick and simple but it's one of the only seitan recipes that I can make flawlessly every time. with other recipes I so often end up with some bits that are still gooey in the middle and the recipes are way more involved and you have to make hours and hours ahead of time. Will definitely return to this recipe over and over!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful, so happy you love it so much 🙂
Louie says
Hi…
Brilliant tried it last night… so versatile!!
What are the nutritional facts of this recipe??
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Louie, the nutrition is at the bottom of the recipe below the recipe notes 🙂
Lisa H says
Has anyone used their air fryer to “fry” the nuggets? I just got one and being a newbie I have no idea what temperature and time to use. Thank you for any suggestions! I love all of Sam’s seitan recipes. If you haven’t tried her beet seitan burgers, stop what your doing and try them now! I double the recipe and put them in the freezer after steaming. Sooo delicious and my carnivore sons LOVE them.
Chloe says
Ahhmazingly delicious, quick and simple. My kids and husband are fans. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made a slight alteration by adding more water and a tablespoon of oil to the dough.The consistency and texture was perfect. This is my new fave!!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you love it, Chloe!
Tracie D. says
I've tried this recipe a couple of time, but the outside is mushy after steaming. Any tips or ideas?
Thanks
Sam Turnbull says
Make sure you read step 4. After steaming the seitan you need to pan fry them. Enjoy!
Tracey says
Thanks Sam, After steaming the seitan was soggy. It puffed up after frying.
Brandon V says
If I could give it 6 stars, I would. I followed the recipe, except I substituted the vegetable broth powder for 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon mixed in the 2/3 cup water. The dough easily came together and didn't stick to my hands at all. Since I don't have a proper steam basket, I used my strainer and steamed in 2 batches. After finishing off in a skillet with the sauce, the taste and texture were exactly what I was hoping for! A chewy texture resembling chicken and full-on flavor which paired very well with white rice. Reheated nicely in the microwave the next day for lunch. Will 100% make again, particularly multiple batches to freeze for easy meal prep.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thanks so much, Brandon! Thrilled you loved it so much 🙂
Melanie says
Can I steam it in my instant pot in the steamer insert?
Rocio says
Yes! That's the way I did them today.
Melanie says
How long did you steam it for? With the lid closed?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Melanie, I haven't tried it, but I've heard many have had success with it, and you can steam it for about half of the time. 🙂
CeaCea says
I am continually impressed at the recipes I find on here. I have 2 thank u on behalf of the animals first and on behalf of anyone finding your recipes as recipes like this makes it EASY 2 go and STAY VEGAN!!! So thank u 4 all u r doing! And sharing with the world 2 make it better and tastier!
Seitan, (like brussel sprouts IMHO) if done right is a true miracle and vegan gastro game changer! If done "wrong" is horrific and years ago I tried all the wrong-4-me recipe which had me boiling them 2 a spongy brain like texture.
I find that steam and/or baking IS the way 2 go, so u had me at quick, easy and no wrapping even! Quick & easy was right and I can see this being the base of so many of my comfort favs: nuggets, sesame nochicken (just made some with my first test batch), wingz...some sort of BBQ something... I did not try your marinades just yet as I have the aforementioned plans with this lol
As far as the texture, really wonderful. As 4 the taste, it's pretty good but I can still taste the odd tell-tale taste of seitan, even in my final dish, so I will try 2 work with more spices in the base batch 2 see if that can't get neutralized using them how I did. I'll keep spices the same though when I make this with one of your marinades.
Truly brilliant game changer recipe --is there a Nobel Peace Prize we can nom u 4? Seriously.... these recipes can change the world 4 the better! THANK U!!! Keep up the great work!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww melt my heart, thank you so much CeaCea! So thrilled you love my recipes so much and that they have helped you! A tip for seitan, try buying different brands of vital wheat gluten, some have a stronger flavor than others. Also try adding a splash of apple cider vinegar, some people think that helps the taste. Enjoy!
Leah says
Ok, pros and cons:
Pros- super easy and fast. Flavor is great.
Cons - something went seriously wrong in the marinating stage. At first I took it off the fire to soak in the marinade as instructed- but then I saw my precious crispy little bites go soggy.. I figured I should toss it back on the fire to get some crunch back but then, with the marinade, it turned impossibly sticky. Like glue your teeth together sticky. I'd love for this recipe to work for me and I'd be glad to hear how I could get the marinade part right. I am a complete seitan newbie 🙂 thanks!
Leah says
Me again. After attempting to wash the dishes I would give the recipe two stars. Not fun to be soaking the food out of your dishes instead of eating it. Worst kitchen fiasco I've had in years. Putting this here so other newbies learn from my mistake..
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Leah, please read the cleaning tips in the recipe notes.
Iz says
Hello, i love this recipe and it's really delicious - i used a teriyaki marinade at the end! The only slight downside is i find the seitan quite chewy after following the steps - Sam what would you recommend to make it a bit firmer, more time steaming? Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
You can try kneading the dough a little bit which will make it tougher the longer you knead it. I also find letting the setian rest in the fridge overnight gets the best texture. Enjoy!
Jan says
Use a rounded pastry scraper, the flexible plastic/rubber ones sold for scraping pasta & pastry dough. Works great, no waste, no mess.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Leah, the sauce isn't a marinade, it's just a quick sauce. There is no need to let them soak, you just enjoy them right away while they are still crispy. I also recommend making sure the seitan is well browned on all sides so that it stays crispy. Enjoy!
Emma says
This is one of my favorite recipes to make! I typically multiply the recipe by 5-10x and then batch steam everything before putting it in the freezer. It's so easy to pull these out from the freezer and either pan fry them with a sauce or put them in the air fryer as a more chewy chicken nugget substitute. The flavor in these is really good.
Sam Turnbull says
Love the idea of batch cooking this and freezing it! Seitan freezes so well 🙂 So happy you love them so much, Emma!
Kaitlin says
The sauce recipe is delicious and the seitan was ok.
Its a great recipe if you want something quick and easy with seitan in it.
Just as a note to help others:
I’ve never just steamed the seitan before until this recipe. Not the biggest fan compared to how I learned to make it In culinary school.
I was taught to make sauté some onion and garlic and then add tomato paste to give it some more umami taste . Then I blend that paste with the remaining ingredients except for flours. Then you mix the flours with the wet mixture for about 3 minutes. The more you knead, the more texture you get.
Shape it in to a log or rectangular block and cover tightly with foil and poach it in boiling broth or water for an hour. Let sit in pot for another 30 minutes. Unwrap and store it in air right container with liquid for atleast 8 hours. Sauté when ready to cook.
This stays good in fridge for about a week and you can even freeze it.
Another tip: if you want a lighter texture in your seitan, try using chickpea flour instead of AP 🙂
Hope this helps!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Kaitlin, you will find that I have many seitan recipes on my blog and some are more similar to your technique. This recipe is for the quickest and easiest seitan which takes only 20 minutes from start to finish. If you want a longer seitan recipe I recommend you check out some of my other recipes here. Hope that helps!