Best Vegan Steak Recipe (Seitan) (2024)

Updated: Jan 20, 2023 by Vera Morgan · This post may contain affiliate links · 66 Comments

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Vegan Steak! You will freak when you taste my vegan alternative to steak! Juicy, marinated Seitan steak with a perfect meaty chew! Delicious and easy vegetarian meat recipe!

Ok I’ll admit I used loved a good juicy grilled ribeye steak! (long day ago) But I don’t miss it especially when I have veganized it so well! Yup vegan steak guys! It’s on the menu- And it’s fabulous! Slices like butter. Hard to believe it’s plant based!

The perfect dinner with with gravy and mashed potatoes or as I like it- with vegan garlic butter, horseradish, baked or roasted potatoes and veggies! Mmm and corn on the Cobb. YUM! Great cut into strips or cubed for stir fries, stews or salads too! So many options

I wanted to create a great seitan steak recipe as there are no good options to buy them anywhere! And if you can find one they’re pricey. They rarely even have gardein beefless tips stocked in my area and definitely not at any local restaurants!

A crazy good protein rich meal for vegetarians and if you want to impress meat eaters, serve them this! It’ll blow their mind!

The magic happens when these vegan seitan steaks are marinated, fired on the bbq and grilled! OMG so good

What is vegan steak made of and what does it taste like?

This vegetarian steak recipe is made using vital wheat gluten and lentils, not tofu. It has a chew much like beef and the taste is similar as it takes on the flavours of the marinade which is super tasty and 100 % plant based.

Let’s keep those cows safe and happily grazing in the fields shall we❤️

What is seitan?

Seitan is a vegan meat substitute made using vital wheat gluten. It is sometimes referred to as “wheat meat”

What is vital wheat gluten?

Vital Wheat Gluten is made from wheat. It is made by washing the wheat flour with water until all the starch has been removed. And you are then left with the gluten which must be cooked before eaten.

How do you make vegan steak?

For the seitan: First add the ingredients for the seitan steaks in your food processor (except vital wheat gluten) and process until smooth.

Now add the gluten evenly on top of the wet mix. Process until JUST COMBINED! You do not want to over mix or the steaks could turn out tough.

Turn the dough out onto the counter. Do not kneed the dough! Press into a disc approximately 8-9 inches in diameter and about ½ inch thick. Portion the steaks like you would a pie, into 4-6 pieces. Wrap steaks individually in tin foil, wrap loosely to leave room for expansion during steaming.

To cook the raw seitan: Place in your steamer basket (pot) and steam for 30 minutes over medium heat, flipping them halfway through.

While the steaks are steaming make the marinade: Add all the ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk together until sugar is dissolved. Set aside

When steaks are done, remove from foil packets and place in a shallow dish (I use my glass pie plate) or a large freezer bag. Pour the marinade evenly over the steaks. Marinade for a minimum of one hour or longer(I usually leave mine for 6 hours orovernight for better flavour and texture).

To grill: cook the steaks on your grill pan or bbq over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side, to get some good char marks and flavour! basting frequently with the marinade.

Move to a serving platter and add a little more marinade for added juiciness. Serve and enjoy! For full recipe ingredients and instructions see recipe card below.

What side dishes to serve with seitan steak?

Best Vegan Macaroni Salad with Smoked Tofu – So Easy!
Garlic and Balsamic Roasted Mushrooms
The Ultimate Vegan Mac and Cheese (Daiya)
Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
Vegan Mashed Potatoes (Instant Pot)
Vegan Caesar Salad (Best Caesar Dressing!)
Classic Vegan Coleslaw
Best Home Fries Recipe (Breakfast Potatoes)
Best Tofu Scramble (Vegan Scrambled Eggs)

OK GUYS LET'S FIRE UP THE BARBY AND COOK SOME VEGAN STEAKS, THEY'RE:

juicy and meaty

Want more vegan meat recipes with seitan? Check these out!

Vegan Turkey Recipe
Vegan Burger (Best Grillable Vegan Burger Ever!)
Vegetarian Salsbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy (Vegan) (Meatball version)

Best Vegan Steak Recipe (Seitan)

★★★★★5 from 21 reviews

Author: Verna
Total Time: 56 minutes
Yield: 4-6 Steaks 1x
Diet: Vegan

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Description

Vegan Steak! You will freak when you taste my vegan alternative to steak! Juicy, marinated Seitan steak with a perfect meaty chew! Delicious and easy vegetarian meat recipe!

Ingredients

Scale

For the Vegan Steaks:

¾ cup water
¾ cup canned lentils, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons tamari(could sub soy sauce)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon better than beef vegetarian bouilllon*
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon granulated onion
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
½ teaspoon dried dill
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 and ⅓ cups vital wheat gluten

For the marinade:

3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons tamari
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons oil, I use grapeseed oil
1 to 1 and ½ tablespoons vegan worcestershire sauce, I like Wizard's or Annies
½ teaspoon yellow mustard
1 and ½ tablespoons brown sugar, packed
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
pinch of salt and pepper

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Instructions

For the seitan steak: First add the ingredients for the seitan steaks in your food processor (except vital wheat gluten) and process until smooth.
Now add the gluten evenly on top of the wet mix. Process until JUST COMBINED! You do not want to over mix or the steaks could turn out tough. See step by step photos in above post if necessary
Turn the seitan dough onto the counter. Do not kneed the dough! Press into a disc approximately 8-9 inches in diameter and about ½ inch thick. Portion the steaks like you would a pie, into 4-6 pieces. Wrap steaks individually in tin foil, wrap loosely to leave room for expansion during steaming.
To cook the raw seitan: Place in your steamer basket (pot)with lid and steam for 30 minutes over medium heat, flipping them halfway through.
While the steaks are steaming make the marinade: Add all the ingredients to amedium bowl and whisk together until sugar is dissolved. Set aside
When steaks are done, remove from foil packets and place in a shallow dish (I use my glass pie plate) or a large freezer bag. Pour the marinade evenly over the steaks. Marinade for a minimum of one hour or longer. I usually leave mine for 3-6 hours for better flavour and texture or overnight if I have time.
To grill: cook the steaks on your grill pan or bbq over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side, to get some good char marks and flavour! basting frequently with the marinade.
Move to a serving platter and add a little more marinade for added juiciness. Serve and enjoy! I like my steak with a little vegan garlic butter, horseradish sauce for dipping, along side baked or roasted potatoes, corn on the Cobb and green salad or caesar salad maybe some grilled veggies too! SO GOOD! Would make an excellent vegan steak sandwich also! or sliced for stir fries, stews or soups! Lots of tasty options!

Notes

You can substitute veggie stock for water and bouillon paste
I have used steak sauce (HP or A1) in place of Worcestershire and it works in a pinch😊👍
steaks will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days and freeze well with or without the marinade (steamed first)
If you can’t find vital wheat gluten here is a link for you.
Nutritional chart below does not include marinade ingredients
prep time doesn't include marinating time
this recipe cannot be made gluten free
recipe inspired by Bosh with the Happy Pear

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 36 minutes
Category: Mains
Method: food processor / stovetop
Cuisine: American, Canadian

Keywords: vegan steak, seitan steak, vegan seitan steak,

FAQs

Is it okay to eat seitan every day? ›

“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.” That said, Mora says there's no denying that folks can benefit from adding seitan to their menu—especially since it comes in a variety of flavor profiles.

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How to make seitan a complete protein? ›

Ingredients like chickpea flour, soy flour, and soy sauce can be added to your seitan dough to complete the string of essential amino acids.

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What are the proportions for seitan? ›

1 cup of vital wheat gluten to ¼ cup chickpea flour or soy flour is a good place to start. This will give you about 2 cups of seitan. Stir them together in a large bowl.

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What does the vinegar do in seitan? ›

Spices: If you decided to eat plain seitan, the product would taste bland with a strong gluten flavor. To cut this flavor, add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to the recipe. To season seitan, get creative with spices!

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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.

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Is it cheaper to make or buy seitan? ›

Because of its meaty texture, seitan can be used in a variety of dishes, from sandwiches and stir-fries to stews and soups. The best part is that making seitan at home is easy, and it's much cheaper than buying pre-made or store-bought seitan.

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What is healthier, seitan or tofu? ›

However, while seitan is an excellent plant-based protein alternative, tofu is a complete protein (seitan lacks the amino acid lysine). Unseasoned tofu is typically lower in sodium than store-bought seitan, which can be processed with salt, sugar or other flavors added.

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Why isn't seitan popular? ›

Seitan is made from gluten, the protein in wheat that, when mixed with water, becomes stretchy and elastic. Because it's made of gluten, people with celiac disease should avoid seitan at all costs, as well as people with a gluten sensitivity.

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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.

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Is seitan a highly processed food? ›

2. An Ultra-Processed Food High in Sodium. Most people aren't making seitan at home, but instead are getting it pre-made from restaurants and grocery stores. These ultra-processed foods tend to be higher in sodium, which can contribute to high blood pressure and a host of other health problems.

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Why add chickpea flour to seitan? ›

Wheat gluten proteins are deficient in lysine (an essential amino acid for good health), adding a lysine-rich food like chickpea flour to the mix makes up for this deficiency. When preparing seitan, it's important to flavor both the inside and outside of the dough.

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Can I eat too much seitan? ›

Some people may have gluten sensitivities or allergies, and seitan is not suitable for them. Additionally, consuming seitan in excessive amounts may lead to an imbalance in nutrient intake, as it is primarily a protein source and lacks other essential nutrients found in a well-rounded diet.

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How much seitan per week? ›

Anyway, it is advisable to consume it at maximum once or twice a week, in order not to fossilize on only one food, but to vary the diet as much as possible (alternating it with soy and tofu), and to avoid the onset of gluten intolerance.

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Can you build muscle with seitan? ›

Its devilish name may seem apt to paleo types: seitan is gluten. But with as much protein per calorie as chicken breast, it's also a top source of muscle fuel.

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Is it okay to eat vital wheat gluten everyday? ›

The bottom line is that unless you are gluten intolerant, you can safely consume vital wheat gluten.

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