• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About
    • About Sam
    • FAQ's about veganism
    • Press
    • Contact
      • Reader Inquiries
      • Business Inquiries
  • Cookbooks
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Video
  • Start Here

It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Cookbooks
  • Recipes
  • Start Here
    • Tips to Use This Site
    • Free Masterclass
    • Press
    • Contact me
    • FAQ About Veganism
  • Join over 500,000 followers

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Cookbooks
    • Recipes
    • Start Here
      • Tips to Use This Site
      • Free Masterclass
      • Press
      • Contact me
      • FAQ About Veganism
  • Join over 500,000 followers

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    May 13, 2018 615 Comments

    Vegan Seitan Steak

    55.4K shares
    ↓ Jump to Recipe

    It finally happened. I've posted my first ever seitan recipe. And it isn't just any old seitan recipe either, I decided that if I was going to post a seitan recipe, it should be THE seitan recipe. It's go big or go home time, so I went all the way to the top of the seitan game, straight to a VEGAN SEITAN STEAK.

    Yes, Vegan Seitan Steak! Mouth-watering, flavor packed, tender, chewy, juicy, flavourful, meat-like texture. You can BBQ, skillet, or pan fry. Then serve whole or slice and put on top of salad for a steak salad or in a vegan steak sandwich. So delicious and satisfying!

    YES, THAT IS VEGAN!!!!! Caps lock on. So much excitement. Can't help it. Yes, I made this vegan steak from scratch in my kitchen, and you can too! I know, it's mind-blowing.

    Vegan Seitan Steak! Yes, it's vegan!! Mouth-watering, tender, chewy, juicy, flavourful, meat-like texture. Amazing! BBQ or pan fry then serve whole or slice and put on top of salad for a steak salad. So delicious and satisfying! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegansteak #steak

    What is Seitan?

    OK, let's talk about seitan. Unfortunately, in the vegan world, there are a lot of unappetizing named foods. Nutritional yeast, tempeh, quinoa, and then you have seitan. If I could re-brand some vegan foods I totally would, but what can you do?

    Seitan (not satan 😈) is a chewy, protein-packed, meat-like food made from vital wheat gluten (another horrid name for a food).

    Vital wheat gluten is a flour made by removing the starches from wheat, leaving behind just the gluten. Gluten is the main protein in wheat and it's also the part of wheat flour that makes dough stretchy and chewy, which is why it's difficult to make gluten-free baked goods that have that same bouncy, chewy texture.

    So, vital wheat gluten can be used to make seitan which has this amazing, chewy, meat-like textured dish that wows.  A lot of the vegan meat substitutes you see in grocery stores or in restaurants are often seitan. If you've ever had a vegan meat and asked: "are you sure this is vegan?" you were likely eating seitan.

    Despite the weird name seitan can be pretty dang healthy too (assuming you don't deep fry it). One of my vegan seitan steaks contains: 295 calories, 42g protein, 22g carbohydrates, 4g fat, 5g fiber, 27.7% iron. Pretty cool right?

    Ok but now, let's get to the real meat of the matter (tee hee), DOES IT TASTE GOOD?

    The answer: silly rabbit, surely you know I would never post a recipe on my blog that isn't (in my opinion) straight up delicious. It took a LOT of experimenting, but I finally nailed the texture and flavours to be incredibly mouth-watering scrumptious. This vegan seitan steak has the perfect chew, is juicy, a little smoky, umami, satisfyingly yum for each and every bite.

    Vegan Seitan Steak! Yes, it's vegan!! Mouth-watering, tender, chewy, juicy, flavourful, meat-like texture. Amazing! BBQ or pan fry then serve whole or slice and put on top of salad for a steak salad. So delicious and satisfying! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegansteak #steak

    How To Make Vegan Seitan Steaks:

    Add all of the vegan seitan steak ingredients to a food processor and pulse to combine, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed until everything is well mixed. Alternatively, if you do not have a food processor you can first mash the cooked lentils with a fork or potato masher, then add everything together in a large bowl and mix well.

    Now you know I'm not a fan of hard to find ingredients, but for this recipe, vital wheat gluten is crucial and it's worth the search. If you're lucky, your local grocery store may carry vital wheat gluten, but if not you will be able to find it in a health food store or here on Amazon.

    Vegan Seitan Steak! Yes, it's vegan!! Mouth-watering, tender, chewy, juicy, flavourful, meat-like texture. Amazing! BBQ or pan fry then serve whole or slice and put on top of salad for a steak salad. So delicious and satisfying! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegansteak #steak

    Once mixed, it will look something like this.

    Vegan Seitan Steak! Yes, it's vegan!! Mouth-watering, tender, chewy, juicy, flavourful, meat-like texture. Amazing! BBQ or pan fry then serve whole or slice and put on top of salad for a steak salad. So delicious and satisfying! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegansteak #steak

    Turn the mixture out onto a clean work surface and begin to knead it together. It may be a bit crumbly at first, but keep kneading it for a few minutes until it comes together into a tight ball.

    Vegan Seitan Steak! Yes, it's vegan!! Mouth-watering, tender, chewy, juicy, flavourful, meat-like texture. Amazing! BBQ or pan fry then serve whole or slice and put on top of salad for a steak salad. So delicious and satisfying! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegansteak #steak

    Cut the ball into 4 sections, then use a rolling pin to roll out each section into ½" thick steaks. The dough will be very tough and stretchy, but just keep working at it until you get your desired steak shapes.

    Vegan Seitan Steak! Yes, it's vegan!! Mouth-watering, tender, chewy, juicy, flavourful, meat-like texture. Amazing! BBQ or pan fry then serve whole or slice and put on top of salad for a steak salad. So delicious and satisfying! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegansteak #steak

    Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a boil. Put the steaks in the steamer basket and cover with a lid. It's ok if they are overlapping a bit. Steam for 25 minutes, flipping the steaks halfway through so they steam evenly. They will double in size.

    Steaming the seitan first, cooks the dough through, and makes it juicy and tender. In my experimenting, I also tried boiling and baking the seitan, but steaming it was by far the best method for the ideal texture for a vegan steak.

    Vegan Seitan Steak! Yes, it's vegan!! Mouth-watering, tender, chewy, juicy, flavourful, meat-like texture. Amazing! BBQ or pan fry then serve whole or slice and put on top of salad for a steak salad. So delicious and satisfying! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegansteak #steak

    In a large ziplock bag or air-tight container, mix together all of the marinade ingredients. The oil won't really combine, but that's fine. Remove the steaks from the steamer and coat in the marinade. Let marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes before cooking, or for as long as several days when kept in the fridge.

    I love that I can make these in advance and let them hang out, ready to be grilled up when I desire. They also freeze well pretty well. Just pop the steaks in the marinade and freeze the entire thing, marinade and all. I have found that after frozen and thawed the steaks might suck up more of the marinade so you might want to whip up extra marinade for brushing on when cooking.

    Vegan Seitan Steak! Yes, it's vegan!! Mouth-watering, tender, chewy, juicy, flavourful, meat-like texture. Amazing! BBQ or pan fry then serve whole or slice and put on top of salad for a steak salad. So delicious and satisfying! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegansteak #steak

    How To Cook Vegan Seitan Steaks:

    When you are ready to enjoy the vegan steaks, heat a frying pan, grill pan, or barbecue. When hot, fry or grill the steaks a couple of minutes on each side until grill marks form. Brush the steaks with leftover marinade while cooking to keep them juicy, and also right before serving.
    Serve however you desire. I like mine served with a potato and some greens. I also enjoy mine sliced and put on salad. So many possibilities!

    Vegan Seitan Steak! Yes, it's vegan!! Mouth-watering, tender, chewy, juicy, flavourful, meat-like texture. Amazing! BBQ or pan fry then serve whole or slice and put on top of salad for a steak salad. So delicious and satisfying! #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegansteak #steak

    Bon Appetegan!

    Sam Turnbull

    Print Recipe
    4.99 from 330 votes

    Vegan Seitan Steak

    Inspired by the amazing recipes for vegan steaks by The Happy Pear and Veggie Rose.
    Yes, it's vegan!! Mouth-watering, tender, chewy, juicy, flavourful, meat-like texture. Amazing! BBQ or pan fry then serve whole or slice and put on top of salad for a steak salad. So delicious and satisfying! 
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time35 minutes mins
    marinate30 minutes mins
    Total Time45 minutes mins
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : AmericanCanadianFrenchItalian
    Servings: 4 steaks
    Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

    Ingredients

    For the vegan seitan steaks:

    • 1 ½ cups vital wheat gluten
    • 1 cup cooked lentils, (I used canned)
    • 6 tablespoons water
    • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

    For the vegan seitan steak marinade:

    • ¼ cup water
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    To make the vegan seitan steaks:

    • Add all of the vegan seitan steak ingredients to a food processor and pulse to combine, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed until everything is well mixed. Alternatively, if you do not have a food processor you can first mash the cooked lentils with a fork or potato masher, then add everything together in a large bowl and mix well.
    • Turn the mixture out onto a clean work surface and begin to knead it together. It may be a bit crumbly at first, but keep kneading it for a few minutes until it comes together into a tight ball. Do not over-knead the dough, the more you knead it, the tougher the steaks will be, so knead it just until it comes together. Cut the ball into 4 sections, then use a rolling pin to roll out each section into ½" thick steaks. The dough will be very tough and stretchy, but just keep working at it until you get your desired steak shapes. 
    • Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a boil. Put the steaks in the steamer basket and cover with a lid. It's ok if they are overlapping a bit. Steam for 25 minutes, flipping the steaks halfway through so they steam evenly. They will double in size.
    • In a large ziplock bag or air-tight container, mix together all of the marinade ingredients. The oil won't really combine, but that's fine. Remove the steaks from the steamer and coat in the marinade. Let marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes before cooking, or for as long as several days when kept in the fridge.

    To serve the vegan seitan steaks:

    • When you are ready to enjoy the vegan steaks, heat a frying pan, grill pan, or barbecue. When hot, fry or grill the steaks a couple of minutes on each side until grill marks form. Brush the steaks with leftover marinade while cooking to keep them juicy, and also right before serving. 
      Serve however you desire. I like mine served with a potato and some greens. I also enjoy mine sliced and put on salad. So many possibilities! 
    " player-type="default" override-embed="default"]

    Notes

    Freezing:  pop the steaks in the marinade and freeze the entire thing, marinade and all. I have found that after frozen and thawed the steaks might suck up more of the marinade so you might want to whip up extra marinade for brushing on when cooking.
    Vital wheat gluten is essential to this recipe, and there is no substitute. Therefore this recipe cannot be made gluten-free. For a vegan gluten-free chicken inspired recipe try my Baked Tofu Bites recipe.
    Steaming tips: 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.
    Cleaning tips: vital wheat gluten is very sticky and can destroy dish brushes and cloths. So what I like to do is save old clothes, sheets, or towels that are too shabby to donate, and cut them into rags. I use these rags to clean up after preparing a seitan recipe and discard the rag once finished.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1steak (recipe makes 4 steaks) | Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 874mg | Potassium: 471mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 330IU | Vitamin C: 3.4mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 5mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    More vegan seitan recipes you might enjoy...

     

    « Super Easy Vegan Croissants
    Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kelly says

      September 15, 2023 at 11:33 pm

      5 stars
      I haven't played with seitan in a long time. I decided to make this last night and the steaks were SUPER MEATY and tasty, so this is the perfect recipe if that's what you're after. Wondering if I could sub the lentils for chickpeas or white beans?

      Reply
    2. Brittney says

      September 13, 2023 at 10:38 pm

      5 stars
      Truly enjoyed this texture! Absolutely amazing. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Jess @ IDTLC Support says

        September 14, 2023 at 2:54 pm

        Fantastic!

        Reply
    3. Elina says

      August 12, 2023 at 11:35 am

      5 stars
      I love this recipe! It’s my go-to. I’ve made it a bunch of times. I double or triple all the spices, including the liquid smoke, and add some more, even fresh garlic sometimes. I also make 50% more of the marinade and baste with any that’s leftover. The thing about seitan is that you have to add all the flavor. And we like loads of flavor!

      Reply
      • Jess @ IDTLC Support says

        August 14, 2023 at 11:48 am

        Excellent! Thanks for sharing your tips!

        Reply
    4. Patricia Sackett says

      July 19, 2023 at 4:11 pm

      My husband and I really like the seitan steak. We aren't vegan or vegetarian but when we want steak and don't have any or want meat, this recipe is a nice addition to our line up of foods. I have visited several vegan sites and this is the easiest and most straight forward. Thanks

      Reply
      • Jess @ IDTLC Support says

        July 27, 2023 at 7:33 am

        We're thrilled to hear it!

        Reply
    5. Tanya says

      July 13, 2023 at 3:37 pm

      Are there any instructions for steaming in the instant pot?

      Reply
      • Jess @ IDTLC Support says

        July 18, 2023 at 3:39 pm

        Other readers have tested it and told us it works best to steam in the Instant Pot for 13mins, let out the steam, and then turn them over to steam them for another 12 mins.

        Reply
    6. vanni says

      May 13, 2023 at 1:41 am

      any idea how to cook this in an instant pot?

      Reply
      • Jess @ IDTLC Support says

        May 16, 2023 at 3:02 pm

        Other readers have tested it and told us it works best to steam in the Instant Pot for 13mins, let out the steam, and then turn them over to steam them for another 12 mins.

        Reply
    7. AR says

      May 12, 2023 at 8:36 pm

      UGH I took the recipe literally when it said put all steak ingredients in the blender together. NO DON'T DO IT. I have a Vitamix and it was not able to blend with the vwg in there. Always put the other ingredients in the blender then pour it on the vwg. I hope you change the recipe to reflect that. Now I have a ton of unpleasant lentil parts all through it.

      Reply
      • Jess @ IDTLC Support says

        May 16, 2023 at 2:51 pm

        I'm sorry you had a bad experience with this recipe. It is designed to be pulsed in a food processor, which works differently from a blender.

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Sam Turnbull

    Hi Friends!

    I'm Sam. Bestselling cookbook author and full-time vegan recipe creator! I LOVE vegan food, but it didn't start that way. As someone who comes from a family of hunters, butchers, and chefs I'm the last person I thought would go vegan. Here's My Story →

    Join over 500,000 followers

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Amazon.com • Amazon.ca • Barnes & Nobel • Indigo • Kobo

    Amazon.com • Amazon.ca • Barnes & Nobel • Indigo • Kobo

    Footer

    • Amazon
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Footer

    COPYRIGHT

    I love when you share! All of the images and text on this site is the property of It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken. Feel free to share photos and quotes with a link back to my original post. Do not share entire recipes, large bodies of text, or edit my photos in anyway without first obtaining permission from me. Social media shares are always welcome. Thank you!


    AFFILIATE LINK DISCLOSURE

    On this site, I sometimes use affiliate links. This means that if you were to make a purchase through one of these links, It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken would receive a small cut, at no cost to you.

    Privacy Policy | Contact | About | Sponsor Newsletter

    COPYRIGHT © 2022 - IT DOESN'T TASTE LIKE CHICKEN