• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Plant-Based Cooking
  • Start Here
    • Introduction
    • What is a Plant-Based Diet?
    • Freebies
    • 12 Tips for Starting
    • Got Questions?
    • Meal Planning Myths
    • Nutrition Needs
    • Plant-Based Myths
    • Stock Your Pantry
    • Tools, Tips and Freebies
    • Uncommon Ingredients
    • What to Expect
    • Why Eat Plants?
  • Recipes
    • 12 Most Popular
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Gluten-Free
    • Holiday Recipes
    • Main Dishes
    • Plantricious
    • Recipe Roundups
    • Salads & Dressings
    • Sandwiches
    • Sauces & Condiments
    • Side Dishes
    • Snacks
    • Soups & Stews
  • Articles
    • All Articles
    • Cooking Tips
    • Food Facts
    • Getting Started
    • Interviews
    • Meal Planning
    • Nutrition
    • Reader Questions
    • Staying Motivated
    • Success Stories
  • Freebies
    • Subscribe
    • Resource List
    • Freebie Articles
    • Freebie Login
  • Shop
    • Books
    • Cookbooks/Recipes
    • Kitchen Essentials
    • Pantry Essentials
  • About
    • About PB Cooking
    • About Diane
    • Diane’s Health Journey
    • Contact
  • Cookbook
Home » Seitan – Protein Packed Meat Alternative

Seitan – Protein Packed Meat Alternative

January 13, 2017 By Diane Smith 4 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
PinterestFacebook

Used as far back as the sixth century, seitan is a low-carb, low-fat, protein-packed meat-alternative derived from wheat. Perhaps you’ve seen bags of wheat gluten in the baking section of your local grocery store (also called vital wheat gluten)? That powder, the protein part of wheat, is what seitan is made of. Of course, you should not eat seitan if you have a gluten allergy.

Cooking with Seitan

You can find it frequently used in dishes in Asian restaurants, and it’s the base of many meat-alternative products produced commercially. When cooked, it takes on a firm, chewy texture similar to meat, making it an excellent substitute (as long as you’re gluten-tolerant).

Another reason it makes such a great meat-alternative is that a ¼ cup serving contains 15 grams of protein!

Seitan

As far as how it tastes, if it’s unflavored, it’s mildly savory. Some say it’s similar to bland chicken or mild mushrooms. Much like tofu or tempeh, it will take on the flavor of whatever it’s cooked in.

The appeal to using seitan, rather than tofu or tempeh, is that its texture is much more like meat than the others. Further, it can be very affordable and is relatively easy to prepare.

In terms of preparation, you can buy it either pre-made or as powered wheat gluten. The pre-made kinds are very convenient. You will find it unflavored as well as pre-seasoned in various ways. It comes in different forms, such as cubed, sliced, or ground.

No matter the form you buy, there’s no need to press or drain pre-packaged seitan, nor do you need to marinate it for long periods. It soaks up the flavor of whatever sauce you use in your dish very easily.

How to Use Store-Bought seitan

You’ll find pre-made seitan in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. This form is very easy to use however, it may contain added oil, salt or sugar, so choose wisely. I’ve found one with no added oil called No Evil, and I highly recommend it. You simply dice it or slice it into whatever size pieces you’re looking for. Then, throw it in a frying pan with a little bit of water, broth, or oil, and cook it over medium heat for a few minutes.

If adding to a dish like chili, stir-fry, or stew, treat it as if it were cooked meat. It won’t need much time to take on the dish’s flavor.

If you want to be a bit more adventurous, try homemade seitan. Grab a bag of vital wheat gluten from the store* and follow a simple recipe, such as this one from Bob’s Red Mill.

Seitan – Protein Packed Meat Alternative Article

Basic Seitan Recipe

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups vital wheat gluten flour
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon marjoram
  • 2 cups of water

Broth for Cooking:

  • 6 cups of water
  • 2 tablespoons tamari (vegan soy sauce)
  • 2 tablespoons molasses

Instructions:

  1. Bring the broth ingredients to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan, then lower the temperature to just under boiling.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix the gluten flour and spices. Add 2 cups of water to the mixture and stir until it becomes a sponge-like dough. It should not be excessively wet.
  3. Knead the dough for about two minutes to make the dough a little tougher and more elastic. If it’s too sticky, add a little more wheat gluten and knead again to incorporate.
  4. Cut into 2 x 2-inch pieces and place into the broth. Some people like to wrap their seitan, but it’s not necessary unless you want a specific shape like a sausage. Cook in broth for about 45 minutes to one hour.
  5. Drain and cut up seitan for stir-fry, sandwiches, stews and more.

Nutrition Information per serving: Calories: 81, Sodium: 1.8mg, Total Carbohydrate: 2.9g, Dietary Fiber: 0.7g, Sugars: 0g, 15.4g

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
If you click a link, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Read my full disclosure.

Want more of Plant-Based Cooking?
Connect with me on Facebook,  Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram.

PinterestFacebook

Filed Under: All Articles, Articles, Cooking Tips

Previous Post: « Intermittent Fasting for Optimum Health
Next Post: 10 Plant-Based On-the-Go Meal Ideas »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sara Perks

    February 9, 2023 at 1:02 pm

    What is the nutritional analysis? I’d especially like to know the protein and fibre. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      February 19, 2023 at 7:28 pm

      Hi Sara, here’s the nutrition information per serving, 12 servings per recipe. Calories: 81, Sodium: 1.8mg, Total Carbohydrate: 2.9g, Dietary Fiber: 0.7g, Sugars: 0g, 15.4g

      Reply
  2. angela

    December 5, 2024 at 11:07 am

    Can this seitan recipe be wrapped as a roll in parchment paper and foil and baked in the oven at 350 for about 45minutes? The oven time was a guess. Do you think this would work by baking in the oven instead of boiling in broth? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      December 6, 2024 at 1:55 pm

      Hey Angela, Unfortunately, I haven’t tried it this way, but a quick search revealed that it is possible however the recipe needs to have more moisture as baking can dry it out. You could try steaming it instead, and that shouldn’t create dryness but having not tried this particular recipe, I can’t say for sure. Let us know how it goes if you try it.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Get Social

            Plant Based Cooking on YouTube

Graduate Badge

Top 50 Vegan Blogs of 2025

Meet Diane

Meet Diane

I help you discover the steps, tools and actions you need to eat a plant-based diet for disease reversal, weight loss and renewed vitality with recipes, health tips and inspiration to make the journey easier.

Join me on Facebook

Plant-Based Cooking on Facebook Like Sign Up Plant-Based CoOoking on Facebook

Food over Medicine

Sign up intro

Join my list and get your free checklist, “8 Plant-Based Meal Planning Mistakes and How to Avoid Them” plus a helpful bonus meal planning worksheet.

Leadpages signup button

 

Popular Posts

Cooking Oils

Are Oils OK to Eat on a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet?

Sad Woman

Is Depression Holding Back Your Plant-Based Lifestyle?

Chickpea Bowl

12 Common Mistakes Plant-Based Beginners Make and How to Fix Them

Footer

Instagram

Pinterest

            Plant Based Cooking on YouTube

Disclosure and Privacy Policy

Recent Articles

Positive Thought

How to Create Plant-Based Affirmations That Work

Dried Herbs

How to Store and Refresh Herbs

A Quick Guide to Making Veggie Bowls

Contact: diane@plantbasedcooking.com

Copyright © 2021 Plant Based Cooking

Seitan – Protein Packed Meat Alternative Article