After the popularity of my Vegan Seitan Steak, which ended up being one of the top 10 recipes of 2018, I wanted to start this year off with an exciting follow-up recipe. Many of you requested a seitan chicken style recipe… well, ask and you shall receive. I introduce to you my Vegan Seitan Tenders! …And yes, it does taste like chicken. Ba dum dum tsk!
It took many, many, many rounds of recipe testing to get these vegan seitan tenders just right, but I finally nailed it. It was important to me that this vegan chicken recipe was more tender in texture than my vegan steaks (which have a chewier texture similar to traditional steak). The tenders needed to be lighter in colour, tasty but still basic enough that you could season them any way you like, easy to make, and of course incredibly delicious.
I tried baking the seitan and boiling it, but in the end, I still preferred my method of steaming the seitan which allows for the best juicy texture without being weirdly squishy (which can happen with boiling). I tried adding chickpeas to the seitan but that made it too mealy and I discover instead, that the key was adding soft tofu which makes the cutlets delicate enough to cut with the side of your fork, but still strong and meaty enough to toss on a grill. I played around with ratios and seasonings until I got it juuuussst so.
The final result: vegan seitan tenders that are, you guessed it, tender. They are juicy and succulent. The tenders are easy to make and can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge for several days, or in the freezer so you can have them on hand whenever you like. Then, the best part is that when you are ready to serve, you can fry them, grill them, marinate them, bake them, or treat them any way you would have treated a chicken dish.
Serve a vegan seitan tender on a bun, bread or crust them, slice them for salad, pasta, or stir fry, cut them into nuggets and fry or bake, add them to burritos, tacos, sandwiches- the options are endlessly delicious!
Just 8 ingredients, 40 minutes to make plus an hour of cooling. 1 recipe makes 6 tenders and each one contains 156 calories, 8g carbohydrates, 26g protein, and 2g fat. Boom!
To make vegan seitan tenders: add all of the ingredients to a food processor and combine.
Continue to mix the dough until everything is well combined and the dough forms a ball.
Alternatively, if you do not have a food processor you can mix everything together in a large bowl working the dough until it forms a ball.
Lightly dust a clean work surfaces with a bit of the vital wheat gluten. Turn the dough ball onto the surface and lightly dust the top with a little more vital wheat gluten. The dough will be soft and very sticky so this will help it from sticking to your hands. Cut the dough ball into 6 pieces and use the tips of your fingers to press each piece of dough into an oval shape about 5″ x 6″.
Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a simmer. Lightly grease the steamer basket and lay the tenders in the basket. If the tenders need to overlap each other, spray the tenders with a bit of oil to stop them from sticking together. Cover and steam at a simmer for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through so they steam evenly. They will double in size.
*If the end appearance of the tenders is important to you, make sure to allow lots of room around each tender to expand. You may want to steam the tenders in batches as when they overlap each other they can sometimes end up as weird shapes. This won’t matter if you plan on slicing them, but you can consider it if you plan to serve the tenders whole.
Once steamed, remove the tenders and let cool. Cover or put in an airtight container and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour, or for up to 3 – 4 days. You can either chill the tenders without any additional seasoning, or you could toss the tenders in your favourite marinade. The tenders shrink and firm up a bit when chilled and this results in the best texture.
Check out my recipes for 12 Seitan or Tofu Marinades for endless flavour combos!
Once chilled, the tenders are now ready to cook with and enjoy. You can treat them any way that you might prepare a chicken breast. Make a vegan seitan tender burger, bread or crust them, slice them for salad, pasta, or stirfry, cut them into nuggets and fry or bake, add them to burritos, tacos, or sandwiches.
In these photos, I fried them in a bit of vegan butter, and seasoned with salt, pepper, parsley, and a squeeze of lemon. This makes the outside crispy and the insides stays nice and tender and juicy. Perfection!
This homemade vegan seitan chicken recipe is easy to make, just 8 ingredients, can be made ahead of time, and once prepared can be used any way that you might have cooked chicken- marinate, bread, fry, crust, bake, grill, BBQ, the options are endless!!!
- 1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten, plus more for dusting
- 300 g soft or silken tofu (1 1/4 cups)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons vegetable broth powder, vegetable instant stock mix powder, or 1 vegetable bouillon cube
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
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Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and pulse to combine until everything is well mixed and the dough forms a ball. Alternatively, if you do not have a food processor you can mix everything together in a large bowl working the dough until it forms a ball.
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Lightly dust a clean work surfaces with a bit of the vital wheat gluten. Turn the dough ball onto the surface and lightly dust the top with a little more vital wheat gluten. The dough will be soft and very sticky so this will help it from sticking to your hands. Do not knead the dough, kneading it will make it tough. Cut the dough ball into 6 pieces and use the tips of your fingers to press each piece of dough into an oval shape about 5" x 6".
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Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a simmer. Lightly grease the steamer basket and lay the tenders in the basket. If the tenders need to overlap each other, spray the tenders with a bit of oil to stop them from sticking together. Cover and steam at a simmer for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through so they steam evenly. They will double in size. Make sure to keep it at a gentle simmer for the best texture.
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Once steamed, remove the tenders and let cool. Cover or put in an airtight container and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour, or for up to 3 - 4 days. You can either chill the tenders without any additional seasoning, or you could toss the tenders in your favourite marinade. The tenders shrink and firm up a bit when chilled and this results in the best texture.
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Once chilled, the tenders are fully cooked and edible, but you can now treat them as you would raw chicken -season and cook them as you desire. The cooking time can be short as they only need to be heated through but prepare them any way that you might prepare a chicken breast. Pan fry or grill them, bread or crust them, slice them for salad, pasta, or stirfry, cut them into nuggets, add them to burritos, tacos, or sandwiches. The options are endless!
Shape of tenders: if the end appearance of the tenders is important to you, make sure to allow lots of room around each tender to expand. You may want to steam the tenders in batches as when they overlap each other they can sometimes end up as weird shapes. This won't matter if you plan on slicing them, but you can consider it if you plan to serve the tenders whole.
Oil-free: for oil-free you can skip greasing the steamer basket and tenders. The tenders will expand and stick together when steaming and may tear when you try to separate them, but the end result will still be equally delicious. 🙂
Freezing: to freeze the tenders, let them cool completely before freezing. Freeze in an airtight freezer bag or container. You can freeze them plain or in the marinade of your choice.
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: you need to steam the seitan tenders before using them. 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
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken.
Bon appetegan!
Sam.
Mine came out spongy, almost bread like. What might I have done wrong?
I made this for the first time today. And its made the cut to become one of my staples for sure!
I do have a question. Should I have pressed the tofu first? Initially the dough was WAY too thin to work with. But I added a bit more Vital wheat gluten until I was able to work with it. And even then it was very soft. So much so that I was worried it wouldn’t hold together while moving to the steamer.
Not only did it hold, they were tasty right out of the steamer. I shared pictures of the end results on facebook.They looked so good my mom the meat eater came over to try it.
I marinaded two cutlets in the coconut curry, heated it up in my grill pan and we had it over salad. She NEVER likes mock meats. But this she ate with a smile.
This was the third time I’ve tried making seitan, and the first time it hasn’t turned out like boot leather. I was eating strips of it as soon as it came out of the steamer – the texture and taste are both great! I used it in a stir fry, and my husband declared it a winner, too.
I then got excited and made the seitan pepperoni, which is also delicious, so I can’t wait to try more of your seitan recipes.
Hail seitan and Sam!
Perhaps I’m biased because this was the first seitan recipe I ever tried, but it’s my favorite. I try three of the marinades each time I make a batch, and so far they’ve all been delicious. I love that it freezes well, because I cook for just myself and am also frequently lazy. It’s nice to be able to put extra in the freezer, and have something so yummy on hand when I don’t feel like doing much more than tossing something in a pan (though I do have to think ahead enough to thaw it out first).
So I gave this a try. Followed the directions closely, soaked 2 of the patties in the balsamic marinade from Sunday to Tuesday. I fried them in the pan as Sam suggests, 2 minutes each side. The flavor from the marinade was good but the texture was not pleasant. They had a rubbery consistency to them, not hard and super chewy like you’re chewing forever but still a soft rubbery chew. They weren’t really enjoyable to eat. What should I do different? I made a double batch so I have 10 more to go. I put 2 more in the Italian marinade so we will probably grill those and see if that helps, then the rest I froze. I am kind of discouraged. Ideas?
I am planning to try this recipe but the only tofu I could get was firm. Do I need to press it first? Thanks.
I’m only 7 months into veganism with my boyfriend and I finally mustered up the courage to try making seitan. After reading all of the reviews, I chose this recipe as my first foray and made your italian marinade and sweet and smoky marinade while they cooked. I followed your recipe exactly and WE LOVE THEM. Throw a little Trader Joe’s Vegan Pesto on them in a sandwich and OMG.
Thanks for making seitan so easy!
Sam, do you think this could be adjusted for a Chicken Roast…to slice like your Deli Bologna? It tastes sooooo good.
I love this recipe and sometimes use it to make chicken nuggets. To do this, I stop the food processor just before the dough forms a ball. Then I dump the dough onto the counter and tear it into chunks. I pile the chunks into the steamer using spray oil between layers. After 12 minutes, I use a fork to pull them apart and turn them over, and steam for another 12 minutes.
This recipe is delicious I like using in Chinese food one of my favourites is sticky sesame seed covered strips using maple syrup to coat and then rolling them in toasted sesame seeds. Then have on top of mushroom rice. I add a little vegan mayo to the sticky strips and garlic and it is so good. Thank you for your amazing recipes so easy and so delicious.
What do you do with the leftover silken tofu? My package comes with 450g and this recipe only uses 2/3s of it.
The packets I buy are the right size for the recipe if you have left over you can freeze it and use in smoothies later in or just use it that day in a smoothie they are nice. You can also make a vegan icecream with silken tofu.
I was thinking the same and if you have her cookbook, there is a cheesecake you can use the rest of the tofu!!
You can just easily scale up the recipe 450 is 1.5×300, so instead of 6 in the serving size box type 9. I actually make my own tofu (1800g tofu from 500g beans)+6 and scale it up, usually making 36 serving approx and freezing most.
Also, look into making your own tofu. I make 1800g for the price I’d pay for 200 😀
These are great! And so versatile, I use them all week in lots of different meals. (BBQ especially good!!!) I like that it makes six pieces, lasts a while!
I’ve been making seitan using post punk kitchen recipes for years. I was reluctant to try a new way and sceptical that this much easier method work. But I love your tofu crumble recipes so I took a chance and I’m so glad I did. I spent the day making a bunch of your recipes and my freezer is now full of tasty protein sources with no weird ingredients. I’m so excited to cook meals for my family this coming week!!
Amazing!!! So thrilled you loved them so much, Tina! Thanks for trusting my recipe 🙂
Anyone have issues with these plumping up like bread when baked or air fried? Not sure where I went wrong…
I keep making these because my vegan daughters love them, and they are so easy and can be used wherever you’d use chicken breasts. Thanks for this recipe!
Excellent recipe! So easy to make and I used a recipe from your list of marinades. It was so good, especially after a day of marinading.
This website and your book are my go to for cooking. Everything I have made has been delicious!
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂
Hi. I’m only assuming you press the tofu to remove water prior to adding but tried looking for clarification in notes but as far as I can see it doesn’t state. Can you confirm this please
The recipe calls for silken tofu which isn’t made to be pressed so just put in as it is with the other ingredients.
My husband made the recipe…followed it exactly. I found them very chewy….no flavor….did we do something wrong??? Please help….we really want to eat less meat.
This recipe is simply unreal! I’ve made a lot of seitan in my time, and not only does this recipe produce the best results, it also has one of the smallest lists of ingredients with the least prep time (no kneading!), and even takes the least amount of time to cook! Thanks Sam!
Can’t wait to try this recipe. Can I use a vegetable steamer ?
Hi there, do you know if baking would work for this recipe? I’m not able to use a steamer at the moment but the ingredients look amazing. Thanks 🙂
I’d like to know too as my steamer is packed in a box somewhere!
This is easily the best vegan recipe I have ever made. Thank you so much!!!
They are amazing! I’ve used the sweet and smoky marinate, so so good
Wonderful! That’s one of my faves 🙂
I am not a vegan, but my step-daughter is. Hubby is a carnivore, I lean towards ovo-lacto vegetarian. First time making seitan anything. Didn’t have tofu so I used 1/4C chick pea flour and added boxed veggie broth as my liquid until it pulled together as a wet dough. Steamed it in an instant pot with 1-2 cups veggie broth at bottom (stacked 2 cutlets per layer separated by foil) manual high pressure for 20 minutes/L5 minutes/pressure release. Was concerned about stiffened clumps of gluten flour in the dough, but turned out ok. In fridge now waiting to be grilled tomorrow for dinner. Dropped a bit on the floor taking it out…my Lab happily snarfed it down and looked for more, so I’m optimistic. If I can make this with no experience, all these substitutions, and cooking method changes, anyone can! This recipe is full proof (fool proof)!
Wonderful!
Just made these tenders today and I am so happy with how they turned out, and that I have 5 more to enjoy tucked away in the fridge 🙂
I did a tamari, sweet chilli and ev olive oil marinade and seared them in the grill. They were good, but I came home and made a sandwich with one of the grilled tenders that was leftover and it was glorious.
Trader Joe’s Super Bread, manchego cheese, grilled tender, fig preserves and mayo.
Hi! I have made this this morning. Although I dont have a proper steamer so just out a colander over a pan and done a tinfoil lid. They didnt double in size and wondering what i might have done wrong. They disnt change in size. I didnt knead and blitzed in processor for very little time. Thanks!
I am *very* surprised that nobody noticed this before, but when you put measurements to metric, it says 210g vital wheat gluten, but instead it should be 180g (1 cup vital wheat gluten is approximately 120g, so 1 1/2 cups should be 180g). I guess most of the people who made this recipe use cup measurements, and this explains why some people in the comments found the need to add way more water than recipe calls for. Hope you’ll see this and fix it so people don’t make super hard kind of bland vegan chicken tenders lol
Hi Danica, thanks so much for this info! The recipe program I use automatically converts to grams for me, but I guess it was wrong for this measurement. Thanks so much for letting me know! I will update all of my seitan recipes so that the information is correct. 🙂
Hey of course, no problem! I actually made these with 210g vital wheat gluten flour instead of 180g and it was pretty great, definitely not ‘tender’ but in no way any less than delicious! I thought it would be bland and tasteless because of so much gluten flour but the marinade (I used your teriyaki marinade recipe) made it super tasty!
These are very good! The only thing I did different the second time I made them was to blend the tofu and spices in the blender first and then mix it into the gluten and nooch in a big mixing bowl! Voila! No over mixing and no white tiny pieces in my tenders! So amazingly yummy. Thank you so much!
Glad you enjoyed!
THE BEST SEITAN RECIPE EVER!! I have tried a couple of other recipes and they have all turned out differently, some better than others but this one is hands down the best! So easy and the most tender, also your marinade list is fantastic too. I was wondering if you cook it for even shorter time will it be even more tender?
Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you so much, Paula!! The steaks will get firmer the more you mix the dough, so to make the extra tender mix the dough as little as possible. I also find splashing extra marinade on the steaks while they cook makes them juicier 🙂
Tried it today. It was awesome! I am a newish vegan and I have tried other seitan recipes with tofu or chickpeas, but this one is by far a winner and a keeper! .Thank you so much!!
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed!
Hi made them and they turned out well,we froze half of them but needn’t marinate before freezing,do I need to defrost them before cooking them?
Yes, defrost before cooking. Enjoy!
Hi I made them and they turned out good ,we ate half of them and froze the rest.Do I need to defrost them first before cooking,as I needn’t marinate before freezing?
I love this recipe….so easy and so tasty….I’ve noticed the last 2 times I have made them and froze them they seemed to be a little tough after thawing. I’m not sure if tough is the correct word….maybe really firm would better describe. Any suggestions on how to soften them a little? Do you think if I soaked them in some hot broth or water it would change the texture? Or could it possibly be something I am doing when preparing the recipe?
Hi Vickie, I haven’t found them tough after freezing. DO you defrost them before cooking? Allowing them to defrost at room temperature or in your fridge is best. Hope that helps!
This is basically the Breast of Unchicken from Miyoko’s The Vegan Homemade Pantry – is that where you discovered the tofu element? No mention of that anywhere?
Adding tofu to seitan isn’t a new idea, you can see it in this post here for example, which was published before Miyoko’s book or my recipe. I’m always careful to give credit where it is due, but this recipe was based on my own experiments and my steak recipe. 🙂
The only seitan recipe that has ever actually turned out successful for me! Love that the food processor does all the work. I love how versatile the tenders are, I’ve even used them to make fried chick’n! My non vegan partner loves them as well. The only downside is cleaning the food processor (gluten is so sticky!) but an old sponge, soap and elbow grease do the job- plus it’s totally worth it! Amazing recipe!
So thrilled you loved it so much, Amanda!!
Hey Sam,
I made these last night and you’ll have to change the name of your website to “it does actually taste just like chicken”. So easy, great texture, great taste. This recipe is set to become a staple in my house.
Subs: I substituted the dried onion and garlic for fresh, and didn’t add the water. Blend the onions and garlic with the salt first, to make a purée then add the rest of the ingredients.
Thanks very much for the great recipe.
Haha! So happy you enjoyed, Elise 🙂
Hi Sam, thank you for the wonderful-looking recipe! I tried making this yesterday and mixed the ingredients by hand because I don’t have a food processor. I ended up with a stringy, piece-y mess that did not form one solid ball, and after mixing it for too long it turned chewy, so I ended up throwing the “dough” away before steaming 🙁 Any tips on how to mix everything when doing it by hand?
I would start by mixing together everything but the vital wheat gluten, then mix that in It should make a soft tender dough. Hope that helps!
This was my first time making seitan and I have to say your recipe and instructions nailed it perfectly.We just made breading batter, coated and fried the strips and they were so delicious! Our area grocery stores stopped stocking the Beyond Meat “chicken” strips and we have been craving a substitute, your recipe worked perfectly. We’ll miss the pea based option, but to find a recipe that has a similar consistency has made my family so happy. Thank you for sharing!
You’re most welcome, Elaine! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Just made this recipe for the fourth time now and they are really fantastic, the tenderest seitan I’ve ever made for sure! The first time I made them they overlapped in the steamer and all stuck together, so from then on I’ve cooked them in batches – both ways they tasted fine, but only the batch cooked versions looked nice.
Not sure if it’s a chicken-like texture but works fab in the same sort of recipes, I’ve had then fried up in salads, breaded whole with a katsu curry, and even into smaller portions and battered and deep fried as nuggets, all turned out fab. I usually use Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base where the recipe calls for vegetable broth powder, and find three heaped teaspoons of that (along with a healthy dash of MSG) gives a result that’s extra flavoursome and chicken-y. One of my favourite seitan recipes for sure, and definitely the easiest.
Wonderful! Thrilled you love it so much, Jaq 🙂
So sad, I was excited for these =/ but the texture was like tofu, maybe I did something wrong? But the texture was nothing like chicken -_-
I have a similar recipe with chickpeas, but adding tofu makes it less calorie intense, plus it has fewer carbs.
I really like the texture and flavor!
Hi everyone! I just made these yesterday and cooked them as chicken fajita tacos. Flavor and texture were fine, but both me and my girlfriend ended up quite bloated. I have to mention that I substituted the tofu for chickpeas because I could not find tofu. I would also like to mention that none of us have any kind of gluten intolerance; we have previously had the sausages recipe from this website and eat whole brain bread almost every day. I am pretty sure that the substitution -not the chickpeas themselves, but the fact that they were steamed being already cooked – are the reason for the bloating. Any insights? Sorry for the long post, and thanks a lot for the amazing recipes Sam!
I really want to make shredded chicken seitan to put in soups as I find this is when I crave chicken the most. Would this texture work for shredding or do you think it would be too soft? I am wondering if kneading it some would create a texture that could be shredded?
Thank you!
I think it should shred just fine. The texture is very similar to chicken. ENjoy!
I think I will give it a go then. Thanks!
Could you possibly use firm tofu? i have ran our of silk / often tofu.
I’m sorry if this has already been asked but I didn’t read every comment. Would this be ok to use in a soup that would otherwise call for chicken, or would this become mushy or gummy? Thanks!
Yes it should be great, but I would add them at the end just before serving so the texture doesn’t get weird. Enjoy!
Great recipe. Easy to make and nice flavour. Love that it is no knead. And I am not too fussy about the exact weight with this recipe. It always turns out perfect. And they freeze really well. One of my favourites now.
Wonderful!
Great recipe Sam! Thanks for your hard work. I threw two into the freezer before Dh could eat them all.
Glad you enjoyed!
Can I substitute the tofu with something else (soy free)?
I would recommend trying my seitan steaks which are already soy free. 🙂
My first time making seitan so I was a little nervous, but it was easy and very tasty. Excellent as a sandwich on sourdough with vegan cheese and mayo.
Wonderful!
I used firm tofu because silken tofu is harder to find and more expensive around here, so I added a little extra water, and they turned out perfectly! I made some tenders and some wings following your other recipe. I also blended everything in the food processor except the vital wheat gluten because it gets too thick. It works to have another bowl to mix that in. Thank you!
So happy you love it, Mandy!
How long do these last in the freezer?
Hello! Thank you so much for your wonderful blog! Quick question, would this recipe work without the oil?
I’ve made this twice. The first time was good, but the Seitans were a bit flat, but the second time I steamed them in two batches so they were not stacked, and they came out great!
I do have a question though: is it possible to use a KitchenAid Stand Mixer instead of the food processor? If you have tried it, how would you compare the two methods, and the results?
Thanks!
Rick
That’s great Rick! I’ve never used a stand mixer (I don’t have one), but as long as it’s able to combine all the ingredients without overmixing, I think it should work fine. ENjoy!
Thanks Sam. Mine just finished steaming. They look so cool! I’ll be adding them to your Caesar salad for lunch. Your recipes are always reliable. Keep up the great work;
Thank you!
Is there a vegan chicken tender recipe with no tofu?
i have been making my own seitan for almost 15 years now and have tries *many* different recipes. this is without a doubt the BEST (and easiest) recipe i have come across. this is wild, thank you!
Aww yay!!! Thrilled you love it so much, walter 🙂
I’d give this 6 stars if I could. It’s a great fool proof recipe. Whole family loves it. I cook in Instant Pot manual setting with 1 inch water. Put tenders on the trivet for 25 min. I also just experimented and made the “dough” cut into strips and wrapped around 8 inch kebab sticks to make a chicken satay. This is recipe is great no matter how you slice it!
Wonderful! Thrilled you enjoyed, Kristen 🙂
Kristen, did you use a natural pressure release or a quick release at 25 minutes? I’m also looking to adapt this for the Instant Pot and would be appreciative of any advice!
Sam!! I made these and wow, they are out of this world! The taste, texture, and overall structure are remarkable. I hand mixed mine in a large bowl and the dough came out beautiful! I feel like you gave us the secret that Morningstar Farms uses for their Chik’n Strips and I now can make my own rather than buying them. Yay!! Thanks Sam for all of your recipes, you are awesome! ✨❤️
Aww you’re most welcome, Janine! Thrilled you love it so much 🙂
Hì Sam,
Thank you very much for your delicious recipe. I like it , so amazing.
You’re welcome 🙂
Hi Sam,
I love your website and recipes. What brand of silken tofu are you using? I realize I am in the States and you are in US but I am wondering if this might account for how my tenders are turning out.
I use Sunrise tofu. I have no idea if it’s available in the states. I hope that helps!
It’s difficult to find tofu here that is under 500 grams. I wish there was some here that sold Soya but it seems like it’s primarily in Canada and two other countries. Thanks for all your hard work!
You can always save the reamaining tofu to use in another dish 🙂
I love a lot of your recipes, I mainly cook for my son and his girlfriend when they visit. She is gluten free, is there an alternative to the vital wheat gluten?
Thanks so much! Unfortunately, there is no alternative to vital wheat gluten. You can try my tofu or bean recipes tho!
I would LOVE to try this recipe, unfortunately u dint have a steamer, is there any other way i can cook it?
Seitan needs to be steamed but you can make a DIY steamer using one of these methods.
I am not vegan or even vegetarian at this point, but I have been more and more interested in going vegan for several reasons, and my significant other would be on board with me for the same reasons, so I feel we are already off to a good start! I love to cook, experiment and “wing” recipes when I am familiar with a recipe, but I feel that I will be looking to replace the tastes and textures of meat, eggs and cheese, so for now I have been trying out various vegan recipes while eating carnivorous stuff out of my refrigerator and freezer. Decided not to replace anything with any animal derived food, but instead start stocking up on vegan items (yay for Amazon and all the health food sections at my local stores!) and deplete my animal derived foods as I am trying to figure out if we can make the vegan lifestyle (It’s not a diet, I know!) work for us. Or for me, at least. I know my SO has a huge barrier food in the form of this sinfully delicious French hard yellow cheese derived from goat milk, which I can easily call my barrier food too, because this cheese is absolutely out of this world. But. I am not letting one cheese stop me from trying!
This is to say that I have been researching mainly meat, cheese and egg replacement recipes recently. Yes, I am one of these lurkers, lol. I understand that being vegan will mean stocking up on some new pantry staples like wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, agar powder, chickpea flour and so on, but I am not looking to keep 50 different items, half of which will be used maybe twice a year. Having said that, I so appreciate your simple recipes! I may not make something that calls for an exotic ingredient, but your seitan chicken tenders called for stuff that I tentatively stocked up on already, so…
I don’t have a blender at this time, so I used my hand blender to mix the ingredients and I am sure that the dough was not mixed as properly as it should have been, but I proceeded anyway. The tenders did not double (they did puff up quite nicely though), presumably due to not developing enough fibrous texture because of the poor mixing job I did, but darn, they seemed cooked anyway and their texture and flavor was great as it was! I diced them up the next day and made a curry stir fry with some prepackaged stir fry veggie mix and coconut milk and it was a fantastic meal. Just yum. Matter of fact, I am snacking on cold leftovers as I am typing this. 🙂
Thank you for all the work that you are putting into your website and the time you spend perfecting your recipes for everyone. I so appreciate the tips, replacement suggestions and most of all, thank you for making me feel welcome. 🙂 Hats off to you!
You’re most welcome, Beata! Glad you’re enjoying my recipes 🙂
Hi Sam,
I am obsessed with these AND your marinade recipes for them. My family won’t eat tofu or tempeh and so I’ve had to get creative with vegan proteins for dinner… they LOVE these. I’m currently making them for the 4th time.
Question, though: do you have any tips on cleaning the food processor afterwards? Soaking it seems to almost make it worse!
Yay! So happy to hear that!!! I either like to let my food processor sit out overnight so that it dries and I can flake off most of the residue, or I cut up old t-shirts to make rags that I can dispose of after cleaning. Enjoy!
First time, I just tried to wash everything by hand immediately, and I found that my kitchen sponge had to go in the trash afterwards. No rinsing the seitan leftovers out of the sponge, lol. Second time around, I found that a pretty easy way for me is to let everything soak immediately (no food processor here, so just using my hand blender and a bowl plus a spoon to scrape the sides of the bowl while mixing the dough), and once the seitan is cooking, I use my fingers to scrape out the seitan leftovers and any residue while rinsing the bowl and the mixing parts. Then I simply run my hands all over the bowl to wash off any residue. Then, everything can be washed with soap, either by hand or popped in the dishwasher if safe to do so. Then, you have to wash your sink too, to get rid of the residue. And the counters, because the vital wheat gluten just seems to float in the air and get on everything, lol. Still, even with all this washing, it is so worth making Sam’s seitan creations!
WHAT IS THIS MAGIC?!!! I got to admit I was intimidated of making these for fear I would surely mess it up but was pleasantly surprised of how easy the recipe was. They were scrumptious! I pan fried them in vegan butter with some salt and pepper and sprinkled them with some lemon juice. I have some marinating in teriyaki and Italian marinade too. I try them tomorrow. And it DOES taste like chicken! Thanks Sam!
Haha! You’re most welcome, Kim 🙂
Would you know how to do the steaming in an Instant Pot?
Thanks so much and looking forward to try this.
Hi Sam, You’ve excelled once again. I was expecting that the chicken tenders would be somewhat similar to the steaks, but no – definitely has a chicken flavour and texture when I lightly fried a fillet for my lunch today. I’m looking forward to chickun sandwiches, curry, sweet ‘n sour and schnitzels! Thank you!
You’re most welcome, Alice!! Thrilled you loved the seitan tenders so much!
Hi, made these on Sunday and ate them just as they are, like a ‘chicken fillet’ after pan frying them, as part of a traditional Sunday dinner, my daughter, who has only recently gone vegetarian, said they tasted surprisingly like chicken. I thought they were delicious too.
I have some left in the freezer. How do you recommend using from the freezer, defrost first or cook from frozen please?thank you, your cook book is the most used one on my shelf, as everything is so easy and I usually already have or can easily buy the ingredients.
So thrilled you and your daughter enjoyed them so much, Mandy!! I recommend letting them thaw before cooking them. I usually let them thaw on the counter for a few hours, or in the fridge overnight. Enjoy!
These came out soooo good! I will need to double the recipe next time. I only had frozen firm tofu but added more water. Thankyou for making the ingredients so simple. One of my friends wants to learn to cook healthier but gets confused and just gives up if he doesn’t have all the ingredients. I’ll send him this recipe 🙂
That’s awesome, Tara! So happy you enjoyed. For your friend, my baked tofu bites are even easier and might be less intimidating than working with vital wheat gluten for a new cook. Or you could send both 🙂
Turned out wonderful. I actually had to use firm tofu and still was great. So easy too, thank you!
So happy you enjoyed, Jonathan 🙂
Another great recipe, Sam! I made these for the fam last night (after marinating them overnight in your sweet and sour marinade), and I couldn’t believe how easy it was and how tasty they were compared with store-bought seitan. I’ve had the recipe for a while, but I was inspired to use it after watching your video. I sure hope you’ll make more! You’re my go-to recipe person. Thanks for this one!
Aww yay! Thrilled you enjoyed them so much, Erin and very glad the video inspired you. Honoured to be your go-to recipe person!!! 🙂
After chilling these chicken pieces in a marinade overnight, I want to reheat them as is. How long do you think they should be reheated, and at what temperature (in Fahrenheit)? I want to take them hot or at least warm to a vegan potluck as is, not incorporate them into some other dish.
My favourite way is to fry them in a bit of oil just a couple minutes per side. Enjoy!
hi!!! i think i might have make this for thanksgiving – unless you have a better idea for me. the ‘tofu turkey’ that i usuallly order is unavailable. so, my question is can i use mori-nu sillken tofu?
Any brand of silken tofu should work just fine. Enjoy!
Hi! I wanted to try this, but can I cut the dough into small balls to make it like a buffalo wing size? Or would you recommend steaming the dough the size you did then cutting it after it is done steaming? Thank you!
Absolutely! I actually have instructions for exactly that, so just follow my seitan bites recipe. Enjoy!
I made these today. I liked that the recipe was so easy, just put everything in processor!
I learned, finally, to season tofu and seitan as I seasoned before I became a vegetarian.
Now, there’s no mystery. My favorite recipes “before” have the same taste. I don’t know if you use tofu often, (I’m a newbie to you site) but if you do, check out the process of freezing tofu in its package, defrosting pkg. of tofu, and freeze again, then use. It changes the texture of the tofu. You can pull it apart and make chicken nuggets (with added seasonings, of course).
You have a great thing going here. Great website!
Thanks Allie! Yes I know that technique. I’m so happy you’re enjoying my recipes, welcome to my site 🙂
Question about freezing the tofu in its package – can I do that with a package of shelf stable tofu and if yes, do I need to open it at least a little bit to drain some liquid, or can I just pop the sealed carton into the freezer, then thaw, then freeze again until ready to use? The only thing I found online was showing a package of refrigerated tofu with a slit in the package to drain the water before freezing… Thank you so much!
I made these tonight and they are delicious and so easy to make. I’m so happy I found this site!
Aww that’s so awesome! Thrilled you enjoyed, Erin and welcome 🙂
These are amazing and you are a GENIUS! Can I braise these? Like bake them in a coconut milk sauce?
Instead of simmering them for a long time in a sauce, I would recommend lightly frying them, removing them from the pan, making your sauce and adding them back in just before serving for the best texture. I find when they cook in hot sauce for a long time the texture can get a bit too soft. Hope that helps!
I made these seitan chicken tenders this weekend, marinated them in your Italian-style seitan marinade, then dipped them in cornstarch, soy milk, and seasoned breadcrumbs, then pan-fried them. So, so, good. My boyfriend is not a vegan (and loves his chicken!) and when asked what he thought, he said “it was surprisingly chicken-y, and arguably better than chicken because it didn’t have tough bits or weird textures you sometimes get with meat.” That is a win. Thought I’d share
Wow that’s amazing, Andrea! Love that story 🙂
I used this recipe to make vegan chicken and waffles! The chicken turned out perfectly. Thanks, Sam for the thoughtfulness you put into each recipe!
You’re most welcome, Alexa! Now I’m craving vegan chicken and waffles…
Hi Sam! You have going vegan fun with your great recipes. I have the most success when I take my recipes and make them vegan. Question… l I made the seitan tenders and I had to add way more water than your recipe called for. I kept adding until it formed a ball and went on from there. I live in Colorado and wondered about low humidity causing it to need more water, but I’m flummoxed! Everything else was fine, a little chewy which I think is the correct texture. Have you ever heard of this before? Thanks and keep sending the recipes…your vegan toast dunking sauce is the best!!!
Hi Lydia, I haven’t head about that before, no. I don’t know much about low humidity cooking, but it sounds like it was more likely an error in measuring. Difficult to know without being in the kitchen with you. Sorry I can’t be more help!
I found that I had to add a bit more water. I’m in Texas and the air is very dry sometimes. I’m sure it has something to do with the humidity.
I made this yesterday for the 4th and they were so tasty! I chopped them up in chunks along with some veggies and made kabobs. They were a hit!
Oooh sounds delish! So happy you enjoyed them!
Hey! Could you make them without onion powder? It appears I forgot it lol. Also would you crumb them as you would normally?
Hi Amy, you can skip the onion powder, but I would try amping up some of the other flavours to help replace it. I’m afraid I’m not sure what you mean by crumb them…
Tried these last night and stored in the fridge until today- tried cooking three ways to test out but every time the inside is still super gummy/doughy? Even from the fridge they’re floppy and can be ripped apart like dough. I’m wondering if I didn’t mix and incorporate well enough (used hands, no food processor) or maybe they were too crowded in the steam basket and didn’t fully “cook” i did the 25mins. I’m going to try again but any advice on maybe why they came out almost “under cooked”?
Thank you!! Appreciate it!
Hi Ken, it’s difficult to know what’s going on without being in the kitchen with you, but they should be pretty stiff once cooled in the fridge. So perhaps you are having problems mixing them or steaming them as you mentioned. Try watching the video in the post so you can see the texture everything should look like at every stage. Hopefully, that will help. Enjoy!
I have made these before with great results. My question is . . . if I make a double batch but can only fit one batch in my steamer, will the other batch be ok just waiting (in or out of the fridge?) or should I made the seitan one batch at a time? I don’t want it to get tough or too poofy in the meantime. Thx in advance.
So happy you love them Margie! I have made two batches in a row, letting the first batch steam while the others waited on the counter. They turned out just fine! Enjoy 🙂
I swapped the tofu for chickpeas (tofu is not easily available where I live) and added a bit of white miso, I swear It tastes exactly like chiken!!!
It was delicious, thanks 😀
Amazing! So happy you enjoyed 🙂
Erin, did you use the same measurements for the chikpeas? How much miso did you use? I rather use chickpeas instead of tofu. TIA
HI
I am also curious about your measurement for the chickpea and miso as I always have those ingredients on hand , but have to plan ahead for the tofu. It would be good info to have
Thank you
Erin,
Did you use the same amount (300g) of chickpeas?
Hi Sam! I made these on the weekend and grilled them with the Veganomicon Pantry Barbecue Sauce on Saturday, a Moroccan harissa garlic barbecue sauce on Sunday and today your lemon mustard marinade, that’s been marinading since Saturday.
My brother just said “You’re so close! I would probably order these a second time in a restaurant!”
I’ve made your recipes before, and will continue. Your ideas are great & your YouTube videos are amazing.
Thank you for dozens of bang on vegan meals!
Sean
Aww that’s so awesome!!! So thrilled you are enjoying everything so much, Sean 🙂
Can I sub extra-firm tofu for soft tofu? I’d really love to make this but all I have is extra-firm tofu.
P.S. my family loves your recipes. My family and I aren’t vegans but I find your recipes are on-point when I want a meatless and tasty meal. Thank you!
I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe as the texture is key. So thrilled you are enjoying my recipes so much, Sonia 🙂
Hey 🙂 Today was the 2nd time I made theese tenders. The first time I think I accidentally used too much gluten so they turned out a bit dense, but since I liked the taste I wanted to make them again.. they definitely turned out better this time and were really tasty but I’ve had the same problem steaming them both times.. they seemed kind of undercooked after only 25mins of steaming (they were still pretty light in color and kind of soft and bendy, not firm), so I steamed them longer, maybe about an hour in total..I assume that’s the reason why I’m still not 100% happy with the texture.. Does “overcooking” affect the texure? I’d be pleased if you could tell me what should the texture exactly be like when they’re done.. (I don’t want to throw the whole batch away because they’re undercooked..it happened once xd)
Thanks a lot 😉
Hi Maja, the tenders will be full cooked at 25 minutes and will be soft and bendy as you mentioned. They will tighten and firm up once chilled. Then you can pan fry them which will add the colour. Enjoy!
HOLY TOFU!!!! These are AMAZING!!! Perfect texture and neutral flavor for marinades! Thank you!
Me again—I noticed that the tenders I didn’t use and marinated for the next day were MUCH chewier and tough. How do I avoid this?
Thanks!
Hi Lucy, I would reccomend storing them in a marinade, even if it’s just a splash of water so they don’t dry out. Enjoy!
Yay!! SO thrilled you loved them so much, Lucy 🙂
What would be best way to bread this? Pre-vegan I would have used egg, and I worry milk would just soak in
Hi Corinna, you can use my breading method that I use on my Crispy Breaded Tofu Steak, Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower, Crispy Vegan Lemon Tofu, or Almond Rosemary Lemon Crusted Tofu for inspiration. 🙂
When using a bouillon cube it says to dissolve the cube un 2 cups water, but your recipe says 2 teaspoons vegetable stock. So use 2 teaspoons of the product of the cube and water?
Hi Kyleigh, use 2 teaspoons of the powder or the cube crumbled. Do not dissolve it in water. Using the powder directly really adds a great punch of flavour. Enjoy!
I am allergic to soy. Is there a substitute for the tofu that I could try?
Hi Luanna, I would recommend making my Vegan Seitan Steaks which don’t use tofu. Enjoy!
I’m curious if using something jelly-like could work as a substitute, like mixing psyllium with a bit of chickpea flour.
Very new to vegan cooking and mostly just playing around with how certain food substitutes react.
I have been making seitan for years now and haven’t ever thought of this. Beautiful share, on my list for grilled chicken seitan.
I hope you love it!
I don’t have a steamer, and was planning to use a pressure cooker to try my hand at these tenders. Do you have any suggestions on how long to steam these in a cooker similar to an Instant Pot? I’m hoping I can still acheive the desired texture with this method!
I read through many of the comments and didn’t see any addressing this question, I’m sorry if you’ve answered it already!
Thanks!
Hi Kaylynn, I don’t actually have a pressure cooker myself and have no experience with one so I can’t recommend it for this recipe. You can always make a DIY steamer with one of these techniques. Enjoy!
Hi! Did you press the tofu at all?
No need! Just use it straight from the container.
I have never had much luck making seitan, so I didn’t have much hope for this recipe. I even had a backup dinner planned for when I inevitably failed at these tenders. I was so surprised at how easy the recipe was and how delicious these were! The texture and flavor was perfect. I pan fried them as suggested, with vegan butter and parsley/salt/pepper, and then served with roasted asparagus and potato wedges. I will definitely be making these again and again!
*I didn’t have broth powder so I used Better Than Bouillon paste
Oh that’s so wonderful, Britton! So thrilled you loved them and that they turned out for you 🙂
These are amazing!!!
FYI every time I’ve made these I’ve needed 250g of vital wheat gluten, 215g just didn’t cut it!
That would make it a bit chewier, but if that’s the texture you prefer, then perfect! 🙂
Hi there,
we aren’t vegans, not even vegetarians but we make both your seitan steak and seitan tenders on regular basis. We try to eat no meat at least two days a week and beside chickpea burgers – your seitan is our favorite. We serve it to our guests too and everybody’s really impressed. Thank you so much for these delicuous recipes!
That’s wonderful Manya!! So thrilled you are enjoying eating less meat 🙂
I’ve made these three times, and each time they’ve been perfection. I’ve sautéed them in a wild mushroom, shallot wine reduction sauce for a pasta dish. We had them as fajitas, and I made country fried nuggets style with a buffalo ranch dipping sauce for a party. Which btw the meat eater crowd could not get enough of them and swore I was lying they were vegan. TOTAL WINNING RECIPE. Thank you!!
Wow!!! Sounds amazing Lisa!! So thrilled you are loving them so much!!! 🙂
This looks so real. Loved the texture of your tenders.
Thank you so much, Sophie! Thrilled you enjoyed 🙂
Hi, can I use firm tofu instead?
Not for this recipe, no.
Hi Sam,
I made this recipe last week and it didn’t turn out the way a lot of people have said. It was extremely chewy. I followed the recipe exactly as far as ingredients go. I used soft tofu and did not knead the dough. The only thing that I can think of is maybe I steamed the seitan at more of a boiling temp and not simmering temp. Any thoughts?
Boiling vs steaming will definitely affect the tenders texture so that could be the reason. You also want to make sure you let them cool completely before eating them. Marinating them for a few days will help tenderize them as well. Hope that helps!
Hi Sam,
Super excited to try this out! I use a vegetable base for my broth. It’s like a paste (Better Than Bullion), do you think I could use that instead of the vegetable powder or does it need to be dry? Thanks!
I would recommend sticking to a dry powder since I haven’t experimented with the paste and I can’t be sure of the results. If you give it a try, however, let us know how it goes. Enjoy!
I use Better Than Bullion (vegan chicken base) for this recipe and it always turns out delicious 😉
Hi Sam,
What kind of steamer do you have?
I use a steamer very similar to this one.
Hey! This may sound like an odd question… but could I substitute the 2 tbsp of water for 2 tbsp of my favourite hot sauce instead of add in the hot sauce as well as the water but increasing the wheat gluten by 2 tbsp also…? And also maybe a tap of cayenne? For spicy “chicken” tenders? I realise this may change the colour a bit but I have to add heat to things!
Hi Aubrie, you can definitely add cayenne in there or any small amounts of dry spice. I wouldn’t recommend adjusting the liquid or vital wheat gluten ratios. Traditional spicy chicken tenders would be seasoned on the outside with spice rubs, marinades or sauces, so I actually recommend spicing it up after the seitan is steamed and cooled. Enjoy!
Thanks! Hopefully will get to try this soon
These were soooooo good! I cut the seitan into tenders and used the breading recipe from your zesty tofu and fried them up in a pan. We made crispy seitan sandwiches!Thank you!
OOoooh sounds delicious! So happy you enjoyed 🙂
Just finished eating the first batch I made about a month ago. Ready to make more. I will definitely be making this recipe often and NOT be buying the store-bought seitan chicken any longer (it’s too expensive anyway).
Awesome! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much. 🙂
When I make these 5″x6″ the finished product is super thin…how thick should the 5″x6″ pieces be before steaming?
Yep, they will be pretty thin, you can see in the photos how thin mine were, I would say about 1/2 an inch thick. They will double in size. Hope that helps!
Thanks Sam!
Steaming my second batch right now!! I’ve made them the other day, and ate everything so quickly as I loved them so much!! I now made them in nuggets shape/size, and will enjoy them with your BBQ sauce from your cookbook…. thank you Sam for your passion and hard work ❤️
Aww you’re most welcome, Hedwig! So happy you are enjoying my recipes so much 🙂
I was so impressed with the ease of the recipe and the results. No kneading!! I made them yesterday and pan fried 2 this morning in a little oil, marg, lemon, salt and pepper, parsely. Them came out looking just like your picture and with great texture, tenderness and flavor. I think the tofu is what does it. Like some other commenters I was a bit confused about whether they were actually cooked when coming out of the steamer or not. Just thinking you might want to explain that in your notes at the end of the recipe. I will definitely be using them in a variety of ways. Thank you so much! I have used other recipes of yours in the past with good results.
So thrilled you enjoyed them, Margie! I will make notes for that 🙂
I’m so pleased with how easy this recipe is! I made one batch and split it into half no-chicken breasts (3), and half into bites/wings (17) with a honey “sticky garlic sauce” (using Bumble vegan honey). BUT I have a few things I would change next time. 1) Next time I will double the water (to 1/4 cup). When I followed the directions, the dough didn’t really form a ball, just a bunch of crumbly bits, because it was too dry, so I had to knead it to get it into one body. I think this over-kneaded my batch of wings and made it super chewy, like hard-to-eat-and-tear-a-bite-off-chewy. I haven’t tried the tenders yet, but I imagine they’ll be the same, however, easier to eat cut up into bite sized pieces.. 2) Due to the issue above, I would also make this recipe with weighted measurements when they are provided to make sure I’m getting the correct wet/dry balance. I can’t wait to make this again! I’m used to making seitan with mashed beans, and the tofu sub is amazing for the texture and moisture. Thanks IDTLC!
Glad you enjoyed it mostly! Hopefully next time it works out a little better for you. It should be quite soft and not dry at all so it sounds like a measurement might have been off.
In our Pre-Vegan days Parmesan Chicken was a regular family Sunday meal, my kids always made if for me for Mother’s day, & we made it for dinner parties and took it to church families who needed a meal. We have a lot of memories associated with that particular food. After changing our diet I thought we would never have it again. I saw this recipe for Seitan Tenders and thought is was worth a try to replicate a 30 year family tradition. I made a Vegan version of Parmesan Chicken with the Seitan tenders for my husband & I. It was so close to the real deal My husband said “the taste & texture is so close” and if he were blindfolded he might not know the difference. Thanks for another great recipe. We loved it! In this case it does taste like chicken. 🙂
That’s so amazing!! I’m thrilled you were able to veganize one of your favourite traditions 🙂
Stephanie, how did you prepare your Vegan parmesan chicken?
I would like to know Also!
These were so easy to make and they came out great! I used the tenders in a cashew stir fry over cauliflower rice and it was delish!
Yay! Thrilled you loved them so much, Sherri 🙂
This was really easy to make and the flavors and textures were just right!
Awesome! Thrilled you loved it, Katy 🙂
Question about soft tofu. Is it the soft tidy in the refrigerated section or the aseptic box that’s shelf stable? Or does it matter?
I used the one from the refrigerated section, but either would work great here!
I made these the night before last. It was a spur of the moment thing, I was already prepping for my “real” dinner 😉 and while getting the nooch out of the cupboard I discovered a packet of silken tofu that needed using up and remembered seeing your photo… So I thought a sort of scallopini could go well with the spinach-mushroom pasta I had planned… and what can I say, they were AMAZING!!! So quick to mix together. I left them to cool on the window sill and fried up 2 as soon as they had cooled down.
I pan-fried them in vegan butter with a splash of lemon juice and they were super tender but had a bit of bite,
Thank you so much for this recipe <3 The best meal of 2019 so far!
That sounds amazing! So thrilled you loved them so much, Eibhlin 🙂
So quick, so easy and so tasty. Seitan can be a faff but not this recipe. I’ll be cooking this again for sure. Thank you.
Wonderful!! Thrilled you loved it so much, Elaine 🙂
I followed the recipe exactly.. they did not grow (double in size) after steaming. I pan fried them in vegan butter and lemon juice. They were really rubbery, had to use a steak knife.. They tasted ok, but I can’t guess what went awry!
Hi Lori, it sounds like something went wrong during the cooking, or perhaps a measurement was off, as seitan always grows when it cooks. These tenders poof up quite a lot and then as they cool they shrink a bit. Other things that could make the rubbery are over-kneading the dough (this recipe requires no kneading), boiling the water instead of keeping it at a simmer, or not letting them chill completely before preparing. Hope that helps!
Very interesting info, I will try again. Is it possible that the VWG was stale? I got it out of a bulk bin. Curious!! Love your food passion, thanks!!!❤️
I don’t believe that would be the problem, vital wheat gluten is shelf stable for years. Thanks 🙂
Sam .. thanks for the added info about not over-kneading and about keeping the water at a simmer. My first batch (made last week) never did poof up, but with attention to those two details, my second batch .. just now done, are PERFECT!! Poofed up just like the Pillsbury Dough Boy!!
I just love how quick and easy these come together! And the flavor is out of this world good!!
Wonderful!! So happy we could figure out the problem. I will add some notes to the recipe to make sure everyone stays on track 🙂
Hello from Germany!
I would love to try your recipe but in our country we don’t measure with cups but by weight in grams.
Is it possible for you to write it down for me?
Best wishes,
Susi
Hi Susi, there is no easy translation as cups and spoons are volume measurements, and grams are weight measurements. The good news is that I am working at giving a metric version of my recipes so stay tuned and keep an eye out for that!
Hello Sam,
thanks for the quick answer!
Yes, I know the difference. The problem though is, that it is very inaccurate to go by volume. If you have a scale please try it out. If you cook with cups it’s always different. I am glad, that most cooks and bakers in the US and UK nowadays measure by weight in grams!
I just love your website! Thanks for all the work.
Susi
I am an avid seitan-maker, with many “chicken”-like cutlet recipes in my back pocket. This is by far a favorite! It is tender and full of protein, with a satisfying chew, takes marinades well, and is super versatile. I modified the recipe slightly to make it more chicken-like, using “chicken salt” (vegan) instead of regular salt and Better Than Bouillon’s “Not Chicken”. I don’t know if that made it taste substantially better, but I enjoyed the outcome. I did notice that this recipe doesn’t include apple cider vinegar, which many people think reduces the “gluteny” taste that bothers some people in seitan (doesn’t bother me, though) Sam, do you think adding 1/2-1tsp of ACV would change the recipe significantly? Have you experimented with it?
Aww that’s wonderful!! So happy you love it so much, Ashley!! I didn’t find this recipe had that gluteny taste (I know just what you mean), but I don’t think a small amount of apple cider vinegar would change the outcome too much if you wanted to try it. Enjoy!
This is now my all time favorite chicken seitan recipe!! I have tried a zillion recipes….simmering, baking, in foil, out of foil…all with mixed results. Most of the simmered recipes I tried turned out spongy which is really yucky! This is probably the closest I have ever come to a “chicken” taste and texture! Just awesome! I made the steak last night….absolutely fantastic! Any plans for a “pork” recipe? I have so many vegan cookbooks it’s ridiculous, but yours is my go to. Your mac and cheese is my favorite!! You are the best!!
Oh yay!!! So thrilled this is your favourite, Vickie! I’m so honoured you are enjoying my recipes so much. 😀
Ok, Sam…tell me what I did wrong! 🙁 I cooked them on the griddle portion of my Lodge Cook-It-All for about 4 minutes on a side. Too long? The texture was a bit chewy. Did I over-process? I tried very hard to stop when it came together as a ball. It was, as you noted, very sticky, so I thought I had it right. I was worried about the measurements. I measured the 300g of silken tofu (which was just a little less than a whole package). But when it came to the VWG I was very confused after reading some of the comments. I used 1 1/2 cups, but I agree that a weight measure would be good. Also my “vegetable cubes” were listed as “large” (huh??), so I don’t know if that affected the flavor. I have the other ones in the freezer; 2 in Teriyaki and 2 in BBQ sauce. Husband ate without hesitation though! That means they were still good!!
It sounds like you did everything right, and it’s difficult to know what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you. Make sure you keep the steaming seitan at a simmer and not a boil. Other than that, try letting them marinate in the fridge for a few days, I find they get more tender. ENjoy!
“…without being in the kitchen with me?” Well c’mon over!!! 🙂 I have the others in the freezer, so I’ll report back when I take them out and cook them. But put in a weight measure for the seitan if you can. Thanks Sam!!
Haha! Thanks, Suzy! We are working at converting all of the recipes to metric as well, so hold tight 🙂
These are so easy and delicious, even when you keep them really simple! I cut them into strips next, and used this recipe (http://vegweb.com/recipes/best-breaded-and-fried-seitan) for batter — AMAZING. Thanks Sam, you’re the best!
Awesome!! Delighted you love them so much, Maia 🙂
Sam, this recipe is amazing! I followed your directions and when all was done I thought, huh? Then I took a bite OMG I was eating chicken! It does taste like chicken, only better! Thank you. You are amazing!
Hahaha! You’re most welcome, Mike! Delighted you are enjoying my recipes so much 🙂
Hi! I planned on making these this weekend, but the store was all out of soft and silken tofu. Would this work with firm tofu? It’s what I have on hand. Thanks!
I haven’t tested it, but I don’t think you would get the exact same results and the texture will be different. I would recommend waiting until you are able to get your hands on some soft tofu. Enjoy!
I ended up making it with the firm tofu. It was a bit chewy, but still tasted amazing! I’ll definitely be making it again with silken tofu. I’m looking forward to trying the steak seitan recipe next.
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed! Chewiness might come from the firm tofu or over kneading the seitan.
It was a hit! Everyone loved it! Yay! I’m the only vegan in the house and it’s nice to have something that is easy to make and that everyone will enjoy.
I’m looking to invest in a good size steamer/pot. Any recommendations? (I made this batch on my two small ones)
Yay!! So happy you enjoyed it so much, Megan 🙂 As for steamer, I have one very similar to this one which I love!
Love it! This recipe was so easy to make and very delicious! A lot of seitan recipes I have are very tough but this was nice and juice, even after pan frying up the steamed pieced
Sam, you are the best! Thank you again for another amazing, simple, delicious recipe!
I made these yesterday with soft tofu and I was super disappointed at the result in my food processor. It didn’t form into a ball like your photos at all! It was more like crumbly cookie dough. I added a bit more water, but it didn’t seem to be helping. However, the dough did stick to itself OK, so I decided to go for it. I pressed it into patties and steamed them and… they came out great! Not the ideal texture, but good enough. My partner and I both agreed they were superior to store-bought versions we have tried.
I will try silken tofu next time, and look forward to the addition of weight for the VWG. I’m not sure which of these (or what else) made mine so different from yours, but I love that even though they weren’t picture perfect, they still taste awesome!
So happy you enjoyed, Marsha! I don’t know if this will help, but next time try maybe blending the mixture in the food processor a little longer. Mine looks weird at first but I just let it whizz around and then all of a sudden it starts magically coming together. So happy you enjoyed it anyways and prefer it to store-bought!
Oh my God so so so good. Literally life changing. Made them and my husband freaked out cuz he thought I was making chicken can’t wait to play with the recipe. I’m thinking of making them into sausage shapes and adding extra spices to the dough next time
Yay!!! Haha, I love freaking people out. So happy you loved them, Jo!
These look great can there be a substitute for the silken soy?
You could use soft tofu. Enjoy!
Hello! I made these yesterday and the flavour was great but they were very chewy and a bit tough. I followed the instructions to a tee on Thursday, then fried them in a little olive oil with lemon juice til golden brown. What did I do wrong? ?
Seitan can get tough if it is over kneaded. No kneading is required for this recipe, you just want to dough form a ball then you’re good to go. If you still find it tough try marinating it in the fridge for several days. They should be very tender. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for your reply. I didn’t knead, but tossed everything in the food processor. Maybe I blended it there for too long? Then I just rolled it into a ball as instructed…..
Try letting it marinate for a few days. 🙂
I just made these today using the Instant pot – I tried half of the batch steaming them for 20 minutes using the “steam” function, and the other half using high pressure on manual for 3 minutes then letting the pressure come down on its own before opening. They both look identical so I think the IP will work for all of us who have one – I greased the steamer tray before using it and put in a cup or so of water before each batch – about up to the bottom of the steamer – it was not an exact science at that point!. Hope this helps!
This is so good read! I was wondering how they would work in my IP. Thanks for sharing your trial runs!
Great tips!! Thanks for doing that experiment, Diana. I’m sure it will help many 🙂
When you steam these, do you boil the water first, then put the seitan in the steamer? And then do you leave the stove setting on high or turn it down to a simmer (with the lid on I assume?)? Thanks for clarifying the steaming process.
Bring the water to a simmer, add the seitan to the steamer basket, and continue to simmer for 25 minutes, flipping the seitan halfway through. Enjoy!
How do you know the seitan is ready to be removed from the steamer?
It will be ready at 25 minutes and will look like it has doubled in size. Enjoy!
Made these last night . Marinated in a lemon pepper marinade overnight.I am super excited to try these for dinner tonight !!!
Yay! I hope you love them 🙂
Just made this! Wow! I predict this will definitely be one of your top 10, if not No. 1, for 2019. I couldn’t wait for the pieces to be refrigerated (you said the texture would improve) so I sliced off a piece just cooked and it was delicious. I can’t wait to use in some of my recipes. I’ve been buying store-bought chicken seitan for years because I never found a recipe for chicken seitan, but now I will nix the store-bought for this. By the way, I tried your vegan steak recipe when you first published it, and it was great too! Keep those wonderful recipes coming….
Wonderful!!! So very happy you love it so much, Jane! Thanks for the great review 🙂
Since I wrote the above review, I’ve made Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas with your vegan chicken recipe. It was excellent. Love it!
Ooooh that sounds SO good!!!!
How much fiber in each tender, please? I’m trying to figure net carbs.
1 recipe makes 6 tenders and each one contains 156 calories, 8g carbohydrates, 26g protein, 2g fat, and 1 g fiber.
thank you!
Hi Sam
My family and I made the tenders yesterday. Wow! So impressed with the texture and flavour. Good job!
A question though please; what is the approximate weight per serve of the finished tender? We made a triple batch so I’d like to balance the nutritional content of each serve as best I can. Appreciate your help.
Thanks in anticipation
Michael
I’m not supposed to have soy… think I could sub white beans for the tofu? Either way these look great!
From my experiment the seitan got a bit grainy with the addition of beans but you are welcome to try it. Enjoy!
I have just made a batch of these for my son and we fried off half of one to try it out as it is, without any marinade – it is without question the easiest and quickest Seitan recipe I have followed so far and it tastes delicious – as a non-vegan I can say that it really does taste like chicken and it even has the same texture. It crisped up beautifully in the frying pan and I can see endless possibilities for using them in recipes. Nice one Sam! If you are posting recipes this good on the website I can’t wait to see what you are holding back for your (hopefully) second book!!
Aww that’s so wonderful!! Thank you, Mary!! So thrilled you love the recipe so much, and it’s cool to hear that even as a non-vegan you think it tastes like chicken!! It’s been so long for me, it’s difficult to remember sometimes. Haha!
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but when you put them in the fridge or freezer, are they already cooked? So the point of cooking again is to add more texture? And would you cook them the exact same way/time as chicken? But just to add additional flavor and texture? Not like cooking to avoid it being raw? Thanks!
Not a dumb question at all! Once steamed the seitan is cooked and totally edible, but at this point, think of it as steamed chicken, it won’t be particularly exciting. You can prepare it any way that you might prepare chicken which will add more flavour and texture. Personally, I love to marinate them and then fry them a couple minutes per side, so they get slightly crispy on the outside. You probably don’t need to cook it as long as you cook chicken because they are already cooked through. Just as long as they are hot all the way through they will be delicious. Enjoy!
So excited to try these! How many minutes did you cook the chicken in the pan with the lemon and seasonings?
Just a couple minutes per side until they were crispy on both sides 🙂 Enjoy!
OMG Sam! You are some kind of wizard, I am sure of it. Holy smokes, so excited to make these this weekend!!!
Haha! Awesome, I hope you enjoy 🙂
I have struggled to make a tasty seitan for over a year now and this is it!!!! The consistency is perfect. Not rubbery and not dry. I’m enjoying a batch right now for my lunch that I marinated in a garlic/ginger marinade. Thank you so much Sam. From now on this would be my go to recipe 🙂
YAY!!! Thrilled you enjoyed the recipe so much, Lucia 🙂
This looks so great, thank you! I spend $50-$80 a month on gardein tenders for my children, so I’m excited to try it!!! If I wanted to do them breaded and baked, could I use your crispy breaded tofu steak recipe for the breading, then do 400 degrees for 18-23 minutes like your crispy vegan lemon tofu recipe? I’m going for something similar to chicken nuggets, lol. You’re awesome, thank you so much for your time!!
Oh I hope you love these and can save a bit! 🙂 I would recommend trying my recipe for Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower but sub this seitan for the cauliflower 🙂
I make your recipe for seitan steaks all the time. I mean when I finish one batch I make another. They are great. I used to make my seitan steaks without the lentils they are so much better with your recipe. I can hardly wait to make the chicken flavored steaks. Thank you.
That’s wonderful, Mike!! Thrilled you are enjoying my seitan recipe so much. I hope you love this one too 🙂
The “It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken” genius made an “It Tastes Like Chicken” hack! Ha, ha, ha!
I’m trying these tonight! They look fantastic and I so appreciate the ideas to marinade for more options. Well done!
Bahahaha! It’s true… I hope you love them, Bev 🙂
So I couldn’t wait. I made these this afternoon and they are fantastic! I marinated half of them in Greek salad dressing with my homemade souvlaki spice to make souvlaki for tonight and refrigerated the other half for more experiments. The texture and taste is amazing – probably the best seitan I’ve made so far. Next time I will make them in two batches or two pans as you weren’t kidding when you say they double! Thankfully I followed your tip and sprayed them with oil narrowly avoiding a sticky disaster. Thanks Sam – you are so amazing and smart!
Do you have the recipe for the jerk or sweet chili marinade shown in the picture?
I pretty just much used a bit of sweet chili sauce and a splash of soy sauce for the sweet chili, and jerk marinade and a splash of water for the jerk. Maybe I should make a post with several different simple marinades? 🙂
Would be great ;o)
I’m wondering the same thing about the Instant Pot. Would the time need to change to do them there? Thanks for this recipe! I can’t wait to try it out!
Hey all! I’m new to cooking and don’t have a steamer. Do I need to get one or is there something else that I can use?
You can make a DIY steamer using one of these methods, or you could buy a steamer pot fairly inexpensively on Amazon if it’s something you think you will use enough. Enjoy!
So you don’t knead them at all? And can this be done with an Instapot for steaming instead?
I’m wondering the same thing about the Instant Pot. Would the time need to change to do them there? Thanks for this recipe! I can’t wait to try it out!
I successfully made these in the Instant Pot Duo which has a saute function. I added the water to the Stainless Steel liner, inserted a trivet, and one steamer plate. I then preheated the Instant Pot by selecting ‘Saute’ and adjusted the temperature to ‘less’ which does a wonderful job of simmering. Once the Instant Pot was preheated, then I loaded two additional steamer plates with legs, 3 seitan tenders per plate and then placed a glass lid on. I canceled the previous program and selected ‘saute’ once again, made sure the temperature was on ‘less’ and adjusted the time to 25 minutes. They cooked perfectly! Thank you Sam for sharing this wonderful recipe!!! God Bless.
Thanks so much for these detailed instructions!! So helpful!
That’s right, no kneading is needed. I don’t have an instapot so I’m not sure, but if there is a steaming option, that should work just fine. Enjoy!
These look fabulous. I can’t wait to try them. I’ve never worked with vital wheat gluten before. As a matter of fact, I’ve seen it at the store and wondered what it was for. Now I know. Thanks for all the work that went into this recipe. I love your work! You have made this vegan journey a joy for me.
I was so intimidated at the thought of vital wheat gluten, it sounded scary, it’s not scary or difficult at all, it does exactly what it says, it’s not fussy like dough or anything, give it a try, I think you will be surprised, I sure was.
Awww, melt my heart! Thank you, Denise! I hope you love working with vital wheat gluten. It’s pretty amazing what it can do!
I can’t see the Seitan in this recipe. Am I missing something obvious?
Seitan is what is made from the wheat gluten.
This is a recipe to make homemade seitan. Seitan is a dish made using vital wheat gluten.
Do you think these might freeze well?
Sam mentioned that you can freeze them …. see the info. at the top of the blog. “The tenders are easy to make and can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge for several days, or in the freezer so you can have them on hand whenever you like. Then, the best part is that when you are ready to serve, you can fry them, grill them, marinate them, bake them, or treat them any way you would have treated a chicken dish.”
This is different to the recommendation for the steak seitan recipe … there you can place them in the marinade and freeze them. I’m wondering which way will lead to the tastiest seitan?
♀️I went back & see it written clearly… thanks for taking the time to reply
Thanks for your help
Absolutely! You can freeze them once they are cooled. Freeze them plain or in a marinade of choice. Enjoy! 🙂
We can’t use the wheat gluten, is there something else that would work?
Unfortunately, no. Vital wheat gluten is key to this recipe. 🙁
These look amazing. Well done.
When working with VWG, I have found that giving the weight vs. volume insures best results for all. Would you happen to know what the VWG weight was that you used?
Nice point. I have to admit that I always measure by volume. But this yields inconsistent (but still always delicious) results in texture. Good suggestion to give both weight and volume measurements in recipes…at least, for things where humidity etc can have a large influence.