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Meal prep is so much easier with this Vegan Chicken in the fridge! This high-protein, homemade seitan recipe is juicy, succulent, and surprisingly easy to make. If you've never had seitan before, it's a chewy, meaty vegan chicken substitute that tastes way better than anything store-bought. Make a batch ahead of time and keep it in the fridge or freezer for quick, satisfying meals all week.
FEATURED COMMENT:
This is the BEST seitan I've ever had and I make this recipe frequently. I freeze the tenders in packs of two and make a different marinade for each pack. - Saraswati ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
After the popularity of my Vegan Seitan Steak, which ended up starting a love of making seitan, I got a lot of requests for a seitan version of a vegan chicken recipe. Well, ask and you shall receive. I introduce to you my Vegan Chicken! ...And yes, it does taste like chicken. Ba dum dum tsk!
What is Seitan?
Seitan (pronounced say-tan) is a high-protein, meat-like food made from vital wheat gluten, the protein-rich part of wheat. When mixed with liquid and cooked, it becomes chewy, firm, and savory, making it one of the best vegan meat alternatives out there.
It's been used for centuries in Asian cuisines and is sometimes called wheat meat or mock duck. In this recipe, we turn it into juicy, tender vegan chicken you can use in everything from stir-fries to sandwiches to sheet pan dinners.
Bonus: It's budget-friendly, freezer-friendly, protein-packed and WAY more delicious than most store-bought options.
Why You'll Love This Vegan Chicken Recipe
Store-bought vegan chicken is often rubbery, bland, or packed with additives, and it's pricey. This homemade version is juicy, tender, packed with flavor, and budget-friendly.
- Juicy and succulent. No dry spongey seitan here! I've balanced the ingredients and flavors in this vegan chicken recipe so it turned out tender and delicious.
- Easy to make. Just 8 ingredients, and most of the work is hands off. I love batch cooking this and stocking my freezer full of plant-based chicken!
- Great for meal prep. This recipe can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge for several days, or in the freezer so you can have vegan chicken on hand whenever you like.
- Perfect swap for any chicken recipe. Once steamed and cooled, you can swap this into any of your favorite chicken recipes. My favorite way to enjoy it? Marinate the tenders overnight, then pan-fry until golden. Chef's kiss.
- A wholesome alternative. 1 batch makes 6 cutlets and each one contains 156 calories, 8g carbohydrates, 26g protein, and 2g fat.
Ingredients:
- Vital wheat gluten: Vital wheat gluten is wheat flour with most of the starch removed (leaving behind almost pure wheat protein)! It is an ancient process, and this wheat protein is what makes seitan have that meaty texture. Unfortunately, there is no substitute. And that means this recipe cannot be made gluten-free. For a vegan gluten-free chicken-inspired recipe try my Baked Tofu Bites.
- Soft or silken tofu: This gives the seitan a juicy, tender texture. Be sure to measure carefully and use the right tofu type, firm or extra-firm will make the seitan too dense.
- Seasonings: Nutritional yeast, onion powder, vegetable broth powder or bouillon, garlic powder, and salt make it taste like chicken. (Do I need to change the name of my blog now?)
How To Make Vegan Chicken
- Combine: Add all of the ingredients to a food processor.
- Process: Turn on the food processor and mix the dough until it forms a ball.
- Shape: Turn the dough out onto a surface lightly floured with vital wheat gluten. Divide into 6 pieces and shape each into an oval.
- Steam: Add the vegan chicken to a greased steamer basket set over simmering water. Cover and steam for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time.
- Cool. Allow the vegan chicken to cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerate for an hour before using; if you'd like, you can chill it in a marinade for extra flavor. (Check out my recipes for 12 Seitan or Tofu Marinades for endless flavor combos!)
- Cook. The world is your oyster! Use this vegan chicken any way you'd use chicken breast. In these photos, I fried them in a bit of vegan butter, and seasoned with salt, black pepper, parsley, and a squeeze of lemon. This makes the outside crispy and the inside stays tender and juicy.
Tips for Perfect Seitan Chicken
- No food processor? Use a bowl. It takes a little more work, but it's still easy! Just the ingredients to a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the dough forms a ball.
- Make any shape you like. You can shape the seitan into small bites or nuggets, make the seitan into a big slab to slice and pan-fry, whatever! Just keep in mind that shapes that are thicker will take more time to steam.
- Cook in batches if needed. Seitan expands while steaming, so leave space in the basket or cook in batches.
- Make them extra chicken-y. You can mix poultry seasoning into the seitan mixture and/or use a vegan chicken bouillon instead of vegetable. (Poultry seasoning doesn't actually contain any poultry, it just has herbs and spices often used with chicken!)
How to Use This Vegan Chicken
Think of this like your plant-based chicken breast, you can marinate it, grill it, fry it, roast it, or slice it into your favorite recipes. Try it in stir-fries, sandwiches, tacos, salads, pasta dishes, or even breaded as vegan nuggets. I personally love it pan-fried with one of these marinades (my favorite is the sweet & smoky), or chopped up in my Vegan Chicken Caesar Salad.
How to Store
- Refrigerator: Refrigerate this vegan chicken in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: To freeze the seitan, let it cool completely and then transfer it an airtight freezer bag or container. If you'd like, you can freeze it in a marinade.
More Vegan Chicken Recipes You Might Like:
- Buttermilk Fried Oyster Mushrooms
- The Quickest and Easiest Seitan Recipe (Vegan Chicken)
- Vegan Chicken (Washed Flour Seitan)
- Vegan Chicken Wings
- Vegan Orange Chicken
If you try this vegan chicken recipe, let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Vegan Chicken (Seitan)
This homemade Vegan Chicken is juicy, flavorful and easy to make. It's a meal prep staple you can use in so many different ways!
Servings:
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Ingredients
For the vegan seitan tenders:
- 1 ½ cups vital wheat gluten, plus more for dusting
- 1 block (10.6oz/ 300g) soft or silken tofu, (1 ¼ 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
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add the vital wheat gluten, tofu, water, nutritional yeast, onion powder, vegetable broth powder, garlic powder, and salt 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 in a large bowl mash the tofu using a potato masher until smooth. Add the water, nutritional yeast, onion powder, vegetable broth powder, garlic powder, and salt and mix. Lastly, mix in the vital wheat gluten to form a dough.
- 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".
- Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a gentle 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 gentle simmer for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through or until the seitan's 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.
- 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.
- 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!* Learn my secret tricks to making perfect seitan in my free masterclass. Click here to learn more and register.
Notes
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
Serving: 1 serving (recipe makes 6 servings) | Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 486mg | Potassium: 187mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2mg
⭐ 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! 💕
Hannah says
This is my go to Chickn recipe! I have made it definitely more than 50 times if not more than 100. I’ve used it cold for salads, hot for stir fry’s, I breaded and fried it and even in a hungry low grocery time ate it straight up with some dip for a high protein snack! I use a not chicken bouillon cube and/or poultry seasoning to amp up the flavor.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Wow, that means SO much, Hannah! 💚 I love all the ways you’ve used it—and eating it straight with dip during low-grocery times is very relatable 😂 Thanks for the amazing comment!
Marcel says
Hi Sam,
Honestly, of course I've tried my hand at seitan before. Still, most of those attempts always came out a bit rubbery and not quite usable at dinner time.
And then this recipe! It changed everything and now I have a dish that impresses me, my famous roommate (the picky one :-)) and other people that "would like to try a vegan dish some day".
The soft byte makes it very impressive, and very tasty.
I marinated the tenders with a sweet chilly-tamari marinade. I served an easy beet-salad (potatoes, gurkins, onion and a dash of curry powder).
Thank you for posting this excellent recipe!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
This absolutely made my day, Marcel! I love how you served it, and I’m thrilled it won over even the picky roommate 😄 Thanks so much for taking the time to share!
Jason says
I love this! First time making seitan and I’m hooked on how easy it is and can be prepared in advance for easy weeknight meals. How would you recommend it be breaded if I want to try that?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Jason! Love that you’re hooked 😄 I recommend a simple flour → plant milk → breadcrumbs or panko setup, then pan-fry or bake until crisp. Works great!
Rita says
the "chicken" was so tough we couldn't chew it.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Rita! I’m sorry that happened. That texture usually means the seitan was over-kneaded or cooked too aggressively after steaming. The dough should be mixed just until combined (no kneading), then gently steamed and cooled before using. That resting step makes a big difference in tenderness. I hope that helps!
Sara N says
My go to recipe. So easy and can be used as my protein in salads and stir fries.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
We're so happy to hear it!
Betty says
I have made the tenders - easy-peezy - and am looking forward to eating them. But I would like to use them in a non-vegan recipe (from my pre-vegan days) that requires baking. Since the recipe calls for baking more than an hour, I suspect with the seitan chicken it should be considerably less than that. Can you suggest a reasonable baking time? Many thanks.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Betty, awesome! The Seitan is already fully cooked, so you are really only heating it through. I would prepare the rest of the dish ahead of time, bake as instructed, then add in the seitan in the last 15 - 20 minutes to heat through. Enjoy!
Betty says
Thanks, Sam. The recipe I have in mind includes a sauce that the chicken would be cooked in, so perhaps I should just bake the whole thing for 15 to 20 minutes, rather than cook the sauce and then add the seitan?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yes you could try that! Enjoy!
Liezl says
Hi there! This is awesome! I’m thinking of coating these in batter and crumbs and popping them into the airfryer. For airfrying the seitan, what temp/length would you recommend?
Liezl says
PS! Thank you soooo much for this blog. I just poured over this for the whole evening. My partner has a capsicum allergy which makes most recipes incredibly difficult and so many vegan recipes just rely on any peppers for taste. You have excellent base recipes that we can really use and play with. This blog is a gamechanger for me!! I can’t wait to try everything else!!!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Liezl, aww wow thank you so much! I am thrilled you are enjoying my blog so much 🙂 For air frying, yes that would work! Make sure you steam them first then let cool in the fridge overnight. Then I’d try 400°F (200°C) for about 8–10 minutes, flipping halfway, just until crisp 😊
Linda says
Wow! This was amazing! I did a double batch and shaped some into steaks and some into nuggets. The texture had such a satisfying chew. I wonder whether this recipe can be shaped into a log and boiled so that I can shred it afterwards.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Very cool! If you try the log method, please let us know if it works out.
Susan Ottwell says
Used homemade chickpea tofu, and just to see what would happen, used my multi-pot steam air fry feature. About 5 minutes a side and they're terrific. I think they'd probably be better steamed and let sit in a marinade for a day or two, but I didn't want to wait this time.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So thrilled it worked for you Susan!
Susan Ottwell says
I learned two things: One, I will never again use the food processor. It took me three days to get it clean! I have a big stainless steel bowl and plenty of time to mix it by hand. And two, I steam-fried half then steamed the rest. While the steam-fry results were interesting, the steamed results were much more what I had expected.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Thanks for sharing your experience, Susan!
Silke says
Hi there, I have a soy allergy, is there something to substitute the tofu? Or does it work without it?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Silke, I would try my quick and easy seitan instead. Similar recipe, but no tofu! I hope that helps!
Susan Ottwell says
I made chickpea tofu; it's not difficult. you can find recipes on the internet. I put it in a small pot in my steamer pot for 20 minutes instead of standing and stirring, and it works great.
Elina says
Oh my god this recipe is the best seitan I've ever made!! I breaded half the batch and made a seitan parm and seitan katsu with those and had it bare in a caesar salad, somehow the texture gets better the longer it sits in the fridge! I really believe this will be a weekly staple from now on!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
That sounds delicious!
Ann Green says
OMG! I made these two days ago - they've been marinating in the Sweet and Smoky marinade. I only had firm silken tofu, so used that. They are SO DELICIOUS! I love the texture; and the marinade is spectacular. This is the second recipe of yours that I've made. The pepperoni was the first. You'll be my go-to for all things seitan from now on. THANK YOU!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Ann, yay that makes me so happy to hear! I'm so glad the tofu still worked well and that you're loving the recipes 🥰 thank you for the kind words!
sherrie says
I was a little scared with using the tofu …. Very sticky …. But WOW …. I am always going to make sure I have some in the freezer for those last minute protein adds to meals.
Thanks again for an amazing recipe
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hooray! We're happy you liked this recipe!
Penelope A. Treat says
I just want to let folks know that these work very well cut up and added (cold) to salad also. Hmmm, might there be a ‘chef salad’ recipe in our future? Pretty please? 🙂
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
We're happy to hear that! Have you tried the Vegan Chicken Caesar Salad?
Gregory says
I made a comment here almost a month ago, and now, since I have all the necessary ingredients (including silken tofu!), I should say: it's so meaty and juicy, thank you for your recipe! I didn't use any marinade, just fried it with some soy sauce exactly like I usually did with chicken to see if it would work for me, and it does! Next time I MUST marinade it!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Amazing!!! So thrilled you came back and gave it a go Gregory!! And even happier you loved it 🙂
Jonathan says
I made these recently and put them in the freezer in pairs. They are quick and easy to make. We’ve eaten them twice already, fried, with a rainbow salad. We eat the seitan chicken bites frequently now, so I was a bit dubious about the tofu in this recipe. They are delicious! The texture is very similar to how I remember chicken breast. I’m going to try them next in a tikka masala. You’ve worked your magic again Sam.🪄
Thank you for all your fab recipes👏👏👏
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Terrific! Glad you enjoy these and we hope your tikka masala turns out amazing.
Jenn says
I made these using the Italian seasoning method of your tofu bites and they were so good! I'm a little newer to working with VWG so having the mix of tofu and VWG is helpful. I made these with mashed potatoes, stuffing and green beans. Even my non veg friends liked it!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yum! Sounds delicious!
Sam says
Great recipe! However, the tenders still stuck to each other even when I greased them. Do you have any other tips to keep them from sticking, or should I just use even more grease? Additionally, I've noticed that similar recipes generally recommend wrapping seitan with foil or parchment paper for steaming. Why do you not recommend this?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Sam, great name! 😉 Wrapping seitan in foil is typically done to form a shape, like in my turkey roast or pepperoni recipes. You can definitely do this if you’d like. Was your steamer basket hot and steaming when you added the tenders? If the tenders have time to settle and stick together before cooking, they may stick a little more. You can try adding a bit more oil, but if they do stick, no worries! Just gently separate them, and they’ll still be perfectly delicious. Enjoy! 😊
Meredith Scroggin says
Hi!! I love your recipes and consider them somewhat of the holy grail. Do you have any tips/recipes for shredded seitan chicken? Others I’ve looked at usually don’t steam. Thanks!!!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Meredith! Aww thank you so much!!! I ALWAYS recommend steaming seitan as it is the key to giving it that meaty juicy perfect texture. If you would like a shredded chicken version you could make these chicken tenders or my quick and easy seitan, steam them, season them with just a bit of salt and pepper and pan fry in oil, then just use a large knife to chop them up into shreds. I hope that helps!
Gregory says
Can I use firm tofu instead of soft and if yes, do I need to do something additional (add a little more water maybe???)? Sorry, I'm new here and don't know the nuances 😅
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Gregory! Welcome! Soft or silken tofu really does give the best texture, keeping the seitan light and tender. You can use firm tofu in a pinch, but just know it might make the tenders a bit denser. If you go that route, be sure to blend it really well, and you can add a tablespoon or two of water to help the dough come together. Hope that helps, and happy seitan-making! 💪
Gregory says
Damn, I've just accidentally commented under another comment. Sorry again! 😅😅
Meghan Boyd says
We made these for Christmas dinner and they were fantastic. I made a double batch and 6 of them I used the barbecue marinade she recommends and grilled them and the other 6 I country fried and they turned out perfect. Plus, huge bonus, so easy to make. These will continue to be made and turned into other “chicken” style recipes! Thanks for another great one Sam!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
You're most welcome Meghan! I am thrilled you loved them so much! 🙂