How to Cook Seitan: Vegan Cooking 101 (2024)

Whether you're looking to eat less meat or cutting it out entirely, exploring the world of plant-based meat alternatives is a fun and exciting journey. With so many vegan and vegetarian meat options on shelves, you might have trouble knowing which to choose. That's where we come in. The Bob's Red Mill team has tried and tested nearly all of the plant-based products out there to help you determine which ingredients deserve a spot in your recipe book. With plant-based diets gaining in popularity, the available options for meat alternatives have never been more incredible. From simple, wholesome ingredients to convenient products, the options are plentiful for those looking to expand their protein sources. Seitan, pronounced "say-tan," is a long-time favorite of plant-based eaters. And as a meat alternative that has been a staple in health food stores for several years, it's time that you try it out for yourself. If you're considering adding seitan to your diet, continue reading as our cooking experts explain what it is and how to cook with it.

What Is Seitan?

How to Cook Seitan: Vegan Cooking 101 (1)

If you're trying seitan for the first time, it's important to note that this is not a new product. So, what is seitan exactly? Seitan is an old ingredient that has been incorporated into dishes for centuries. Previously referred to as "mian jin," seitan has been enjoyed in China since the 6th century. Much later, in the 1960s, "main jin" was reintroduced as seitan, combining the Latin words "sei" (meaning "made of") and "tan" from "tanpaku" (meaning protein).

Since its reintroduction, seitan is most commonly used as a vegan meat substitute due to its chewy texture. Premade seitan is available in several different varieties ranging from sandwich-style slices to sausages and patties. The type of seitan you choose to purchase or make will largely depend on the recipe you're making. As with all convenience products, it's essential that you check the ingredients and expiration dates when purchasing seitan from the store. Many pre-made seitan products are loaded with processed ingredients and preservatives that are not a part of a healthy diet. If this is the case, we suggest making a basic seitan recipe at home instead. By making seitan at home, you'll know exactly what's inside and prepare it in a way you enjoy.

What Is Seitan Made Of?

Knowing how to cook seitan properly requires learning more about the ingredients it's made of. Seitan is primarily made of wheat gluten flour—a pure protein that is derived from wheat. If you've baked a loaf of bread before, chances are you've used wheat flour. When you bake with wheat flour, the wheat protein in it works to build up long chains that hold the mixture together. This protein is directly responsible for adding elasticity, structure and texture to your baked goods. Using wheat protein to make seitan helps create a chewy and "meaty" texture, making the ideal plant-based meat substitute for all of your favorite dishes.

This being said, if you're gluten intolerant, then seitan is not the best option for you. For individuals able to tolerate gluten, it is entirely safe to enjoy and an excellent choice if you're looking to spice up your meals without overloading them with calories and fat. As a low-fat, low-calorie food, seitan doesn't contain any cholesterol. However, it does boast a robust amount of protein. While the protein found in seitan is a vital part of a healthy diet, it's important to note that it does not contain all essential amino acids. Because of this, seitan is not considered a complete protein. Luckily, completing the amino acid profile can quickly be done by combining seitan with other protein sources like legumes, chickpeas and nutritional yeast. Additionally, small amounts of chickpea flour, soy flour or soy sauce can be added to your seitan dough to complete the amino acid profile.

Ingredients Commonly Used to Make Seitan

Wheat Protein (Vital Wheat Gluten Flour)

Gluten, the natural protein found in wheat, helps improve the texture and elasticity of the dough it's used to make. As the main ingredient in seitan, it acts as a binder for the popular meat substitute and can be used to make meatballs, meatloaf, veggie burgers and even tofu. To make seitan, vital wheat gluten is mixed with spices and combined with water to make a dough. The dough is then cooked through a process of steaming, baking, broiling or grilling. Seitan's texture becomes chewy and meat-like when cooked, making it the ideal vegan/vegetarian substitute for popular meat-filled dishes.

Chickpea Flour

How to Cook Seitan: Vegan Cooking 101 (2)

Bob's Red Mill Chickpea Flour is stone ground from whole garbanzo beans. An excellent source of fiber and a popular ingredient in many baked goods, chickpea flour, is commonly used in gluten free recipes. However, it's recently become a popular addition to vegan seitan dough as it helps complete the protein source with additional amino acids. In addition to essential amino acids, chickpeas are loaded with protein, dietary fiber and iron. As one of the creamiest and tastiest beans, chickpea flour lends a sweet, rich flavor to whatever recipe it's added to.

Nutritional Yeast

Nutritional yeast is commonly used as a vegetarian dietary supplement and grants a cheesy flavor to recipes. High in vitamin B-12 and protein, it's a great addition to your favorite basic seitan recipe. Additionally, nutritional yeast can be added to any sauce, scrambles, kale chips, crackers, biscuits and sprinkled over foods like vegetables, popcorn and baked potatoes.

Additional Ingredients

In addition to the ingredients listed above, extras like legumes, spices and crumbled tofu can be added to your seitan to boost the nutritional value and texture.

How to Cook Seitan

How to Cook Seitan: Vegan Cooking 101 (3)

There are many different ways to cook seitan. To help you get started, we've listed a few of our favorite cooking styles below.

Simmering Seitan

What You'll Need:

  • A pot
  • A large portion of seitan

Simmering seitan is a popular way to cook this meat alternative. To properly simmer seitan, you'll need to start with a pot and a large portion of seitan. Instead of placing your seitan in boiling water, be sure to simmer it until it's fully cooked. Water or vegetable stock can be combined with soy sauce, miso paste, nutritional yeast or additional spices. Because the seitan will be directly combined with the liquid you create, it will soak up the different flavorings and create a soft, sponge-like texture. This smooth texture can be used to create a meat alternative that works well when sliced into thin slices and fried for sandwiches, cut into strips and tossed with veggies and rice, or chopped into chunks, simmered in gravy and served over mashed potatoes.

Steaming Seitan

What You'll Need:

  • Steamer or steaming basket
  • Seitan

To steam properly, start with a steaming basket or steamer and add water to it. While the water simmers in the pot, you'll want to add the seitan to the steaming basket. Doing so will allow the seitan to develop a pleasant texture that is neither too soft nor firm. When steaming seitan, the protein will remain smooth instead of creating a hard crust.

Baking Seitan

What You'll Need:

  • Baking sheet
  • Seitan

For a seitan recipe with a firm consistency, instead of steaming or simmering it, we recommend baking it in the oven. Baking seitan will dehydrate the batter and present an even crust on the outside. To bake the seitan properly, start by placing it on a lightly greased baking sheet and cooking it at 180°C - 200°C/360°F - 390°F. To prevent your seitan from becoming too dry, make sure you marinate it beforehand.

Add Seitan to Recipes

Beef and Potato Farro Pilau

A dish that commonly uses basmati rice, this recipe substitutes farro to provide an added heartiness and deep, nutty flavor. To transition this Beef and Potato Farro Pilau into a plant-based one, use vegan seitan as an alternative to beef. Doing so will keep the filling nature of the meal while adding comfort and warmth that vegan and non-vegan guests will enjoy.

Beef Empanadas with Peppers and Onion

How to Cook Seitan: Vegan Cooking 101 (4)

Craving empanadas sans the animal products? Start by making these Beef Empanadas with Peppers and Onion, and replace the beef with cooked seitan. A great alternative to a meat-based filling, seasoned seitan will help capture the original flavors of this recipe, creating a dish that will leave everyone full and satisfied. Additionally, a recipe that's naturally gluten free, just a little bit of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Masa Harina is added to our Gluten Free Pie Crust Mix to make an enticing crust.

Now that you know the best way to cook seitan, let's put that knowledge to the test! Whether you use one of the recipes listed above or choose to create a dish of your own, adding seitan to your weekly meals is a great way to boost your intake of plant-based protein. From everyone at Bob's Red Mill, we wish you a healthy and happy day!

How to Cook Seitan: Vegan Cooking 101 (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to cook seitan? ›

Boiling seitan makes it have a brainy spongey texture, frying seitan (without first steaming it) makes it rubbery and spongey, baking it makes it dry and rubbery. Steaming seitan, on the other hand, will yield the perfect meaty, juicy, chewy, yet tender seitan every single time.

How is seitan most commonly cooked? ›

Simmering seitan is a popular way to cook this meat alternative. To properly simmer seitan, you'll need to start with a pot and a large portion of seitan. Instead of placing your seitan in boiling water, be sure to simmer it until it's fully cooked.

What is the best flour for seitan? ›

For a better flavor and a cheaper price, try washing the flour and make your seitan from bread flour! The brand of bread flour doesn't matter. Choose a high protein flour for a larger yield. You can make this with all-purpose flour, however you will have a smaller yield.

How to make seitan not rubbery? ›

The texture of the dough will be extremely rubbery so you want to cut the wheat gluten with some other type of flour. This will give it the flaky, stringy, break apart texture you are looking for. A ratio of 5:1 gluten to flour should work out nicely. Boil your gluten dough in vegetable stock for flavor.

Who should avoid seitan? ›

While seitan is a versatile plant-based protein, people with celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or gluten allergy should avoid it.

Is it OK to eat seitan everyday? ›

How Often to Eat Seitan. As Churchill pointed out, it's about finding the perfect balance when incorporating seitan into your diet. “Eat it sparingly,” he says. “It's not necessarily a once a day thing, and if you think you need a plant-based option I'd actually suggest tofu over seitan.”

What are the disadvantages of seitan? ›

What are the cons?
  • Not suitable for those with gluten-sensitivities or coeliac disease.
  • Doesn't absorb much flavour.
  • High amounts of sodium (salt) in the packaged product.
  • Seitan is hard to source unlike other vegetarian protein alternatives meaning you may have to venture to a specialty vegetarian “butcher”

Does seitan need to rest after cooking? ›

Unless I state otherwise in a recipe, you better LET IT REST. I often have people message me that the texture of their setian is off/gummy/soft or anything but right, and most of time it is because they did not let it rest. Seitan, much like myself, appreciates a nice long nap.

How to know when seitan is done? ›

Cook until the seitan is hot and the veggies are as tender as you like.

What to pair with seitan for complete protein? ›

If you're wondering what else you can add to seitan to make up for its lack of lysine, it's easy – lentils, beans, tofu, tempeh, nuts and seeds. However, there's no need to combine these foods as a varied diet ensures we get all amino acids we need in a day so don't obsess with complete protein.

Is it cheaper to make your own seitan? ›

The best part is that making seitan at home is easy, and it's much cheaper than buying pre-made or store-bought seitan.

What does the vinegar do in seitan? ›

Red wine vinegar: The acid in this recipe helps tamp the particular flavour that vital wheat gluten can impart on seitan. Washed flour seitan doesn't have the same ~stank~ that wheat flour seitan does, so it doesn't need it.

Why does my stomach hurt after eating seitan? ›

It's generally low in calories but high in protein and pre-packaged varieties may also contain extra sodium, additives and fillers as well. In those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, eating seitan can cause adverse side effects like swelling, abdominal pain, diarrhea and cramps.

Does seitan need to be marinated? ›

When it comes to marinating seitan: the longer the better, and if possible marinate the seitan overnight. When this is not possible, grill or fry the seitan first before coating it with the marinade.

How do you get the wheat taste out of seitan? ›

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR (ACV)

I typically use about 2 tablespoons in a 4-6 serving size seitan dish. You'll want to add it into your wet mix. If you're adding other vinegars or heavily-acidic ingredients, you may want to cut back on the amount of ACV, even just a little.

How to make seitan taste good? ›

soy sauce or tamari - Adds saltiness, umami, and depth of flavor. balsamic and apple cider vinegar - Vinegar rounds out the flavor profile and helps disguise the subtle bitterness of vital wheat gluten. fat - Including a little bit of oil or other fat improves the overall flavor and tenderizes the seitan.

Does store-bought seitan need to be cooked? ›

Another thing that makes seitan super easy to work with is the fact that it's already cooked. Store-bought seitan can be eaten right out of the package, and it'll taste pretty good!

Can you bake seitan instead of steaming it? ›

For a softer texture with nice chew, opt to just bake your seitan. Bake it once to set it, pull it out of the oven and then baste it with your BBQ sauce and then place it back in the oven. For a firmer texture with some smoky char, opt for grilling your seitan after you baste it with your BBQ sauce.

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