Amazing Vegan Seitan Steak Recipe

if you aren’t make homemade vegan seitan steaks this is your sign to start! these seitan steaks are a fun recipe, packed with protein, and perfect for a summer dinner.

I went vegan in 2016 and it took almost 2 and a half years after to finally try making seitan. While I was very skeptical I was pleasantly surprised. Since then I have been working on different seitan recipes and a recipe that always comes out delicious is a seitan steak! This recipe is a little time consuming but the results are well worth it!

what is seitan?

Before we even get into the ingredients for this recipe I want to discuss about what seitan is in case this is your first time hearing about it. Seitan is a mockmeat made with vital wheat gluten. So, if you can’t have gluten unfortunately this isn’t a recipe for you, but feel free to check out my amazing vegan tofu steaks. Now you may be wondering, what is vital wheat gluten? It is the protein found in bread. No, we aren’t making bread. When the vital wheat gluten is kneaded and mixed with other ingredients it turns into a meat-like texture. It works perfectly to make amazing meaty mockmeats!

the ingredients

• Vital Wheat Gluten: the main ingredient in vegan seitan steak. It is the protein component found in gluten. It is very protein rich and creates a nice meaty texture.
• Cannellini Beans: the beans help to add texture and create a softer consistency in the seitan. You can also use chickpeas.
• Pomegranate Juice: when cooked it creates a beautiful brown color within the vegan steaks.
• Soy Sauce: adds umami and color the vegan steaks.
• Liquid Smoke: this is optional but it adds in a nice smokey flavor as if you just grilled them.
• Seasonings: feel free to play around with the seasonings you add in! I like to do garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast, and black pepper, and salt.
• Water: this helps to bring the mixture together to form it into a steak shape.

how to make seitan

For some people making seitan seems like an overwhelming process. It definitely intimidated me before I ever made it. However, it is actually much easier than you think. All you need to do is mash up the cannellini beans, add in the pomegranate juice, liquid smoke, and soy sauce. Mix it all up and then you will add in the vital wheat gluten and seasonings. Knead if for a few minutes until it comes together. From there you cut it in half, roll it out into steak shapes about ½ inch thick. Then you have to steam them and after they are done steaming you can either cut it into bite sized strips or you can sear the piece of seitan steak whole. Add in some fresh herbs, garlic cloves, olive oil, and vegan butter while you cook it and then you will have delicious vegan seitan steaks.

best ways to cook the vegan seitan steaks

While there are many ways you can cook the vegan seitan steaks my favorite way is to pan sear them after they are done steaming. If you want to grill these I would suggest using a grill pan or an electric pan, don’t use an outdoor grill as they may stick. When making these vegan seitan steaks you can either keep them whole which results in a softer, tender piece of seitan or you can cut it into strips and then sear both sides which makes it a little crispier. Both are delicious it just comes down to texture preference.

more seitan recipes

vegan seitan steak faq

• Is this recipe gluten free? No, the main ingredient is vital wheat gluten. If you want a similar recipe that is gluten free feel free to check out my tofu steak.
• Is this recipe soy free? No, but just swap the soy sauce for coconut aminos or tamari.
• Is this recipe nut free? Yes.
• How long do these last? After cooking up to 3 days in the fridge. I haven’t tried freezing them.
• My seitan always comes out too chewy, what did I do wrong? You are most likely over kneading. Make sure to knead the seitan by hand and you don’t need to do it for more than 5 minutes.
• Do I have to steam the seitan? Yes. It helps to keep the seitan soft and tender.
• Can I use other flavors on this? Of course, this is a pretty generic recipe. If after steaming you want to put it in teriyaki sauce or taco seasonings or cook it with peppers and onions. The options are endless.
• Can I substitute the pomegranate juice for beet juice? I personally wouldn’t as the pomegranate juice helps to give it that dark brown color! However, if you all you have on hand is beet juice and you won’t mind if it is a little more pinky/purple looking you can use it.
• Can I marinate them? Sure! After steaming them you can place them in a marinade for up to 12 hours in the fridge.

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Vegan Seitan Steaks

These vegan seitan steaks will leave you speechless! High in protein, meaty, and so delicious. Perfect for summer time or for making a weeknight feel like a fancy dinner.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch

Servings 4 servings

Equipment

• Steamer Basket
• Rolling Pin

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Steaks

• ½ cup cannellini beans, mashed
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 ¼ cup vital wheat gluten
• 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup water

Pan Cooking

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter
• 4 to 6 small garlic cloves
• Fresh parsley chopped
• Optional: 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice mixed together for drizzling overtop after

Instructions

 

• In a big bowl combine the mashed cannellini beans, pomegranate juice, and soy sauce. Mix until well combined.
• Pour in the vital wheat gluten and seasonings. Mix together and then slowly add in the water until it forms a crumbly mixture.
• Use your hands to knead the gluten mixture for about 5 minutes into a ball. It should hold it’s shape, be slightly sticky, and have a slightly striated appearance.
• Cut the ball in half and then use a rolling pin to roll each seitan piece into a steak shape. I like to roll it to be about ½ inch thick.
• Steam the seitan for 20 minutes over medium heat either using a steamer basket or see the note below.
• Once done steaming allow it to cool before handling. In the steaming process it should become larger and almost double in size. You can now either cut the seitan into strips or leave it whole.
• In a large pan add the oil, vegan butter, whole peeled garlic cloves, and any fresh herbs you like. I do about 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley. Allow the vegan butter to melt over medium heat.
• Once melted add in the seitan. Cook on each side for 5 to 7 minutes until a sear forms. Then flip onto the other side. You can season with salt and pepper if desired.
• Once the seitan is done cooking if you want it to have a juicy look you can pour the pomegranate juice and soy sauce mixture. Garnish with more fresh chopped parsley, black pepper, and flaky sea salt.

Video

Notes

• You do not necessarily need a steamer basket to steam. You can also take a large strainer and put it over a pan of water, cover with a lid, and then you can steam that way.
• If this is your first time making seitan please feel free to watch the YouTube video for visuals.
• Seitan can be a bit tricky with how much water it needs. I usually end up almost always using a different amount. So start with a ¼ cup (60ml) if you need to add up to ½ cup (120ml) of water that is okay. However, you don’t want the seitan to be too wet and gloopy either.

Keyword seitan recipes, seitan steak, vegan steak

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