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    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    May 13, 2018 574 Comments

    Vegan Seitan Steak

    55.0K shares
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    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.

    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

    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 271 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 mins
    Cook Time35 mins
    marinate30 mins
    Total Time45 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Canadian, French, Italian
    Servings: 4 steaks
    Calories: 295kcal
    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
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    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! 
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    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

    Bon appetegan!

    Sam.



     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Darina says

      May 06, 2022 at 9:11 am

      5 stars
      Wow this is so good!! The texture is perfect, great recipe!!

      Reply
    2. Nicole says

      April 27, 2022 at 10:42 pm

      I made this and I loved it! My boyfriend on the other hand didn’t. He didn’t like the marinade. What else could I marinate it in?

      Reply
    3. Genie says

      April 24, 2022 at 1:51 pm

      I can't tell you how many times I've made these over the last like 4 years?! They are the very best! I even use this recipe when I am planning to make Philly cheese steaks or fajitas. My whole family loves these steaks and I haven't disliked a recipe of yours yet. Thanks so much for doing what you do 🙂

      Reply
    4. Tim says

      April 16, 2022 at 11:44 am

      5 stars
      I just made some for the second time cause some turned out quite hard and breadlike the first time I tried the recipe.
      I used an microwave steamer to steam them, maybe it just was too much heat or smth, I dont know.
      This time some of them puffed up and completly turned into bread, does anyone have an idea why? Fortunatly I didn't use the whole batch, so I wrapped the rest in aluminium foil and steamed them that way - problem solved, they were tender and juicy.

      Those were amazing, an easy way to do some mealprep and get my protein intake!

      Reply
    5. Anya says

      April 14, 2022 at 3:55 pm

      Sam, this recipe is marvelous. I usually have problems with seitan steaks not cooking all the way through so I just tried this recipe and I divided the dough into 6 pieces, steamed, and pan fried them. They are so juicy even my meat loving co-worker loved it (I first gave her a small piece to try and she asked for a bigger piece!). This one is going to be a keeper!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        April 14, 2022 at 5:25 pm

        That's wonderful Anya! If you happen to have a cooking thermometer, seitan needs to reach at least 160F internally, then you know it's cooked through 🙂

        Reply
    6. Christal says

      April 03, 2022 at 5:06 pm

      5 stars
      We live this recipe and have made it many times but this time it came out too soft but it was still good. Any idea what would make it too soft?

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        April 06, 2022 at 6:12 pm

        Kneading it less will make it soft, and kneading it longer will make it tough. I also find that when you cook it to finish it, it can change the texture. My favorite way is to pan fry but baking it can sometimes make it softer. Hope that helps!

        Reply
        • Joe says

          April 11, 2022 at 8:49 pm

          5 stars
          Also if you don’t steam it long enough the seitan will have a yucky squishy texture. Just put it back in the steamer and you’ll be good to go.

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