Author: 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.
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.
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.
Once mixed, it will look something like this.
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.
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.
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.
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.
How To Cook Vegan Seitan Steaks:
Bon Appetegan!
Sam Turnbull
(click stars to vote)
Vegan Seitan Steak
Servings: steaks
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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
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.
- Fill a large pot with several inches of water and place a steamer basket inside. Bring the water to a boil, then add the steaks to the steamer basket, overlapping them if needed, and cover with a lid. Steam for 25 minutes, flipping the steaks halfway through, or until their internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C) when tested with an instant-read thermometer. If the temperature goes higher, that's perfectly fine—you can't really oversteam seitan. The steaks will double in size as they cook.
- 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! * Learn my secret tricks to making perfect seitan in my free masterclass. Click here to learn more and register.
Notes
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕
More vegan seitan recipes you might enjoy...
Lena says
I just made this recipe tonight and it was so delicious, my whole family loved their "steaks"!!! Thank you so much for this recipe, I'm still amazed at how wonderfully flavorful it was, plus it had a great "meaty" texture. You've created the easiest recipe to follow and I'm so grateful. Thanks again!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you loved them, Lena!!
Sal says
Thanks for sharing! I haven't ever used it as a steak with the marinade, but we use it for carnitas! It makes some awesome tacos! We use this recipe pretty often.
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you enjoy!
Leanne Woodall says
Hi Sam,
I made these yesterday for the first time. I grilled one on the bbq yesterday for a burger & today pan grilled one for on top of a salad. So Delicious!! Next up is a "chicken fried" steak. I'll definitely be making these again & again! Thanks for an awesome recipe.
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Leanne! Thrilled you enjoyed 🙂
Timmy says
Looks great! I’m curious - if I did t have cooked lentils on hand, do you think there are any eligible substitutes? Is there a particular reason you chose lentils? Just trying to figure out if I can make this with what I have. Thanks!
Donna McCarthy says
Ok, stop right there...this is THE seitan recipe you want. I made it tonite, it was absolutely perfect!
I made one small addition by adding 1 tablespoon of vegan Worcestershire sauce to the seitan mix and 1 tablespoon to the marinade. I used dried lentils...1/3 cup dried beans and 1 cup of water, simmer until soft. Smushed the lentils in the Bullet mixer, threw them in the bowl with other ingredients, kneaded, cut, steamed in a colander in a pot for 25 minutes. Do not leave out the maple syrup in marinade!
BBQ along with some thick sliced onions and whole baby peppers, serve on white rice.
Yum yum !
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Love it, thanks Donna!
Tee says
These are AMAZING. My very meat eater husband makes these for me, and he says its a very easy to follow recipe. They are a staple in my diet. I will literally never buy seitan ever again. This is so much better! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Aww so happy you love them so much, Tee 🙂
Sue says
I USUALLY don’t like being redundant, but I must echo all the other reviews and tell you this recipe is fantastic! You are incredibly talented and creative. Thanks Sam. I appreciate you.
Sam Turnbull says
Haha!! Thank you so much, Sue 🙂
Jeanne Barker says
I made the Seitan Steak recipe and used it for fajitas. AMAZING!
As my husband said, "You've found us a new recipe to have regularly."
Since we have not eaten meat for over 40 years, we have no idea if it really tastes like steak, but we love it!
Thank you for all your experimenting to come up with so many wonderful recipes.
Can't wait to try them all.
Thanks, again.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you both enjoyed it so much, Jeanne!
Kim W. says
You've done it again Sam! I've made the Seitan Tenders before and they've been a staple for me. All I can say is wow! Made these steaks for the first time and was blown away by the flavor! Nice meaty taste with the perfect amount of seasoning. The texture was nice and firm but still tender and juicy. I plan on making some vegan cheesesteaks and maybe adding chunks towards the end of your Irish stew recipe for St Patty's Day! Thanks for putting so much time and love into bringing us great vegan recipes!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww yay!!! SO happy you're loving my recipes so much, Kim 🙂
Terri says
My spouse was just about to give up on being vegan!! This recipe helped renew the commitment. We cut the nutritional yeast in half because we find it can overpower other flavors. I also added a tablespoon of vegan Worschshire. Yummy even before the marinade. Steamed in the Instant Pot for 25 minutes. They were the perfect texture once they cooled.
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing! Thrilled you loved them and that they helped renew your commitment!! 🙂
Allie says
First time ever making seitan and with this recipe it was a SMASHING SUCCESS!! Thank you so much for this easy, fantastic recipe! I made this a day ahead of my planned meal (fancy homemade ramen for Valentine's day). I thought for sure I ruined it when I let all the water boil away (oops) and then added more water to the pot which just boiled up over onto the seitan (double oops) but it still came out super great. Hooray! It looks so much like meat and has a much better meat-like texture than any meat substitute I've made before. Boyfriend was très impressed, as was I.
Sam Turnbull says
That's wonderful, Allie!! SO thrilled you loved it so much 🙂
Fenice says
These steaks are amazing - delicious, chewy and so flavourful! I made the seiten (6 steaks rather than the 4 specified in the recipe) early this morning, so they could have a lovely bath in the marinade and put two into a grill pan this evening. The size worked well for tonight's dinner and I'm really looking forward to grilling the remainder tomorrow.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww that's wonderful, so happy you enjoyed, Fenice 🙂
Jim says
have made your seitan chicken, seitan sausage, and other recipes from your cookbook....but this was by far the best, it came out great just the way you wrote it up..no changes....loved it
Sam Turnbull says
So thrilled you loved it, Jim!
Lydia says
Hi Sam!!
Would this recipe work to cut up for "beef" stew??
Love your blog and I can't wait to try this recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
If you want something "beefy" I would recommend my seitan steaks! Note that I find seitan can get a bit weird when boiled so I would pan fry it and add it last. 🙂
Lydia says
Thanks, Sam!! I'll let you know how it goes!
Julie Colin-Thome says
I've been vegan for two years now and have put off using vital wheat gluten as two out of six of us are gluten intolerant. But today, I thought, "To hell with it, I'm making us some vegan steak". So glad I have tried it at last because everyone loved it. The two that are intolerant said they would save their "cheat" day for this! It's actually quite fun to make too. Not as time-consuming as I originally thought and the fact it can be prepped ahead and frozen is fab. I doubt the rest of the packet will be around for long.
I learned to be a vegan cook from you, so thank you for yet another fantastic, easy recipe.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww you're most welcome, Julie! Thrilled you loved the steaks so much 🙂
Shanna says
Are you using the entire can of lentils, 15 oz?
Nancy Lyn Rupp says
For months I let my inner critic (who’s a freaking jerk) discourage me from trying this recipe. I decided not to be a wuss and made the streaks. They turned out amazing. I gave the expensive, grocery store box of pre-made seitan the finger.
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Love it! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Jose says
I loved these! Thanks for the recipe. The first time I made them I made two and then froze the other two. Interestingly enough, my wife and I liked the frozen ones a little better. Maybe they had more time with the marinade? I made them again today and doubled the recipe to freeze them all. I'd really prefer to use canned lentils for ease and texture too. For whatever reason, my cooked lentils lost their skins and mixed in the steaks in a weird way. Still, I love these and they've become a family favorite!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you love them, Jose 🙂
Sam says
I made these in the weekend and WOW! First time making seitan and they turned out GREAT! Spot on with texture (so much like steak from what I remember) and the flavour is SOOOOO good! I will definitely be making these again and may even experiment with different seasonings. This is a great base recipe to play around with. Thinking of rolling them out thinner and making schnitzel! Thank you so much Sam for this recipe, it's genius! Tenders are next on my list.
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing!! Thrilled you enjoyed it, Sam! Great name by the way 😉
Joe says
Hi Sam,
I was in the mood for a vegan burger last night but none of the recipes I found looked appealing. So I decided to modify this recipe instead. I used all the ingredients listed but added a few more: a handful of rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, smoked paprika, smoked salt, MSG and Worcestershire sauce. It turned out great! I’ve been avoiding the supermarket for a few days due to Coronavirus so my fixin’s were pretty light. Even so I thought my little experiment was a huge success.
Now off to the store for mustard, burger buns, lettuce, tomatoes and maybe an avocado or two 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing!!! I'll have to try that 🙂
Maraika Mason says
Great Texture. Tender but a little chewy also. And a little crispy on the outside. I grilled in a pan on the stove. Really good flavour. I marinated for 4 days in a ziplock baggie in the fridge. Makes 4 really big pieces. Husband says one of the best tasting mock "meats" I have ever made for us. I cooked fresh lentils and we had the steak with a nice mango and quinoa salad. Top marks !
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful!! thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Maraika 🙂
Mandy says
Absolutely delicious and meaty texture! I never really ate steak before, but for some reason, I was really craving something like steak and potatoes, so this was perfect with a baked potato and roasted green beans. Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
Thrilled you enjoyed it, Mandy 😉