This easy recipe for chicken style seitan, made with vital wheat gluten, is firmer and flatter than the more common “beefy” seitan. It’s ideal for making cutlets and can also be cut into strips or chunks for stir-fries and other chick’n-style dishes.
The most impressive use for this chick’n-style seitan is for making pan-fried or grilled cutlets, though the possibilities are endless. This easy homemade chicken substitute made from gluten and chickpeas. Make sure to use chickpeas that are plump and tender for best results.
Here are a couple of serving ideas:
Simple breaded chick’n cutlets with gravy:
- Carefully slice 4 of the finished cutlets in half through the thickness to get 8 thin ones.
- Combine 1/4 cup fine cornmeal or almond flour, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, a pinch of salt, and some freshly ground pepper in a small shallow bowl and stir together. Transfer to a small flat plate. Dredge each cutlet on both sides with the cornmeal mixture.
- Heat enough oil or vegan butter to coat a wide skillet. When the skillet is hot, arrange the cutlets in a single layer and sauté over medium-high heat on both sides until golden and crisp.
- Pour in Easy Mushroom Gravy (or skip the gravy and pass around your favorite condiment at the table); embellish with a small amount of green peas and/or chopped parsley for color.
Grilled cutlets: Carefully slice the finished cutlets in half through the thickness to get thinner ones. Use as many as needed. Brush each side with your favorite grilling sauce (traditional BBQ sauce or teriyaki sauce both work well). Grill for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until you’ve got some nice grill marks.
Once baked and cooled, you can cut the pieces in half through the thickness to make cutlets. Dredge the cutlets in your favorite kind of breading (I like a combination of almond flour and a light flour like spelt; fine cornmeal can also be part of the equation) and pan-fry until golden on both sides.
Add your favorite vegan gravy to the pan, if you’d like; along with a few peas and/or chopped parsley for color. Or, serve the cutlets with your favorite condiments. They also make a delicious sandwich filling.
Once baked and cooled, you can also cut this seitan into strips or chunks to use in stir-fries and other “chick’n” dishes.
Make sure to see this site’s hugely popular traditional-style Easy Homemade Seitan recipe.
Easy Homemade “Chicken” Seitan
This easy-to-make “chicken” seitan is firmer and flatter than the more traditional “beefy” seitan. It's ideal for making cutlets, and can also be cut into chunks or strips.
Ingredients
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, liquid reserved (save the remaining chickpeas for another use)
- Chickpea liquid plus enough water to make 2 cups
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or neutral vegetable oil
- 1 3/4 cups gluten flour (vital wheat gluten)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning or all-purpose seasoning blend
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Combine the chickpeas, 1 cup of the chickpea liquid-water mixture, and optional salt in a food processor and puree until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and process until the mixture holds together more or less.
- Transfer this soft dough onto a floured cutting board and knead for a minute or two until fairly smooth.
- Form the dough into a thick log. Divide into 8 more or less equal pieces using a sharp serrated knife. Press each slice between your palms to flatten into cutlet shapes, at most 1/2 inch thick.
- Arrange in a single layer in one or two shallow, parchment-lined baking dishes. Drizzle evenly with 1/2 cup of the chickpea liquid-water mixture.
- Cover with the baking dish(es) with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip each cutlet over. Drizzle evenly with the remaining chickpea liquid-water mixture and bake for 20 minutes longer.
- Remove from the oven, and let cool until at room temperature; they’ll be easier to slice and handle. Cut them in half through the width to get cutlets; or slice thinly to make strips.
Notes
If you’d like to make pan-fried cutlets as shown in the top photo, see the instructions preceding the recipe box. You’ll find a tip on grilling them as well.
You can make these ahead of when you’ll need them; refrigerate overnight in an airtight container once they’ve cooled.
For ways to use this “chicken” seitan…
The texture you get from adding the baking powder is, as you have suggested, a game-changer. The resulting texture is just fab! Thank you for what has become a favorite recipe. Love this!
Thank you so much, Gina! Glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Do these freeze well at all? If so, any tips on best practices for that?
Hi Nikki — this and the traditional seitan recipe (https://theveganatlas.com/homemade-seitan-recipe/) freeze well. I like to put them in a flat-ish container with enough liquid to cover; not too much air in the container. Thaw on the kitchen counter or in the fridge; when completely thawed, squeeze the liquid out. You can do so by pressing the cutlets down in a colander with your palm, or layer into a tofu press.