This homemade seitan recipe using gluten flour is the easiest way to make this great DIY plant-based protein. Be sure to see the step-by-step guide in this post on how to make seitan from scratch using vital wheat gluten flour. You’ll also find a link to a roundup of delicious vegan recipes for making the most of this versatile high-protein food.
>Store-bought seitan can be quite good, or it can be shoe-leather tough, to use a non-vegan metaphor. And while it’s not ridiculously pricey, it isn’t as much of a protein bargain as beans, or even tofu. That changes when you make your own seitan at home — it’s so much more economical!
I’ve been tweaking this simple formula for years, and though you’ll find a number of variations in books and around the web (incorporating chickpea flour, nut flours, flavorings, beans, etc.), it’s good to nail this basic recipe first, to get the feel of how to make seitan. Then, by all means, experiment as much as you’d like.
What is seitan? — and a few basics
- A traditional Asian food long used as a meat substitute: You may have had seitan in dishes like Buddha’s Delight or Mongolian “Beef” in Chinese restaurants.
- Seitan is basically wheat gluten: So of course, it isn’t for anyone with gluten intolerance or sensitivity or who is celiac.
- Protein & nutrition info: Seitan is one of the most protein-dense plant foods available. Protein content varies a bit, but an average serving has about 21 grams. See this helpful article for an overview of average nutrition facts.
- Seitan’s meaty texture lends itself to many preparations. It’s great as a substitute for beef chunks in stews, stir-fries, fajitas, and kebabs. It’s fantastic on the grill, too, with traditional barbecue sauce.
- Homemade seitan doesn’t require much effort. You just need a little patience for the few hands-on steps, resting time, and cooking. If you follow the steps outlined, this homemade seitan recipe can yield a more tender and flavorful result than the store-bought variety.
- It freezes well: When I make this, I often freeze half after it has been cooked and cooled (in an airtight container with some of the broth. Pack it firmly into the container, the less air space, the better.
Vital wheat gluten flour: Bob’s Red Mill® is a widely available brand of vital wheat gluten flour; there are a few others, including Jovial® and King Arthur®.
Here’s my little secret: I believe that adding a mere teaspoon of baking powder to the dry mix makes all the difference when it comes to the texture. If I’ve ever forgotten to add it, boom! Back to shoe leather toughness. So now it’s a fixture in the recipe.
The step-by-step guide is coming right up, or if you’d like to have all this info in pdf book format …
Our downloadable homemade seitan mini-cookbook
Enjoy this enormously popular homemade seitan recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions in a handy, ad-free 60-page mini cookbook. This PDF is viewable on your devices and also features 20 delicious recipes (all accompanied by gorgeous photos) to have at your fingertips. Just $9.50!
Learn more here, and purchase securely on Etsy
Homemade Seitan — A Step-by-Step Guide
First, gather your ingredients. In addition to water at various stages, you’ll need:
- Soy sauce (or tamari, Bragg Liquid Aminos, or coconut aminos)
- Vital wheat gluten flour (like Bob’s Red Mill®)
- Baking powder
- Vegetable bouillon cubes
- Fresh ginger root or bottled ginger
Optional (but highly recommended)
- Nutritional yeast
- Seasoning or spice blend (good options: BBQ seasoning, jerk seasoning, vegan poultry seasoning or rub spices)
Combine 1 cup water and 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari, Bragg Liquid Aminos, or coconut aminos) in a small bowl.
Dry ingredients: Combine 2 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 tablespoons (optional) nutritional yeast, and 1 to 2 tablespoons (optional) seasoning or spice blend —BBQ seasoning, jerk seasoning, vegan poultry seasoning, or rub spices — in a roomy mixing bowl. Stir together thoroughly.
Gradually add the liquid to the dry ingredients to form a stiff dough, stirring with a spoon at first, and then working together with your hands. Drizzle in a little more water if need be; you want all the dry ingredients to be moistened, while making sure the dough remains stiff.
Once the wet and dry mixtures are combined, turn the dough out onto a floured board (you can use more gluten flour for this). Knead for 2 to 3 minutes. It won’t be a smooth dough, but really work it!
Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes or so in one of the bowls; cover with a clean tea towel.
Meanwhile, prepare the cooking broth. Fill a roomy soup pot about 2/3 full with water. Add the bouillon cube(s), 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari, Bragg liquid aminos, or coconut aminos) and 3 to 4 slices fresh ginger (or teaspoon or two of bottled ginger). Bring to a slow boil.
Divide the dough into two parts and stretch into two mini-loaf shapes. It’s not easy to shape and cut this springy dough, but do the best you can, it will all work out! With a sharp, serrated knife, slice into 1/2-inch-thick (at most) segments. Kitchen shears work even better! Don’t make the pieces too large, and don’t worry about the shapes, it will be fine even if the pieces are irregular.
After the water in the soup pot has come to a slow boil, gently drop in each slice of dough. Return to a gentle simmer.
Within a couple of minutes, the dough is going to puff up and look like it’s threatening to escape the cooking pot! It will settle back; keep pushing the pieces down into the water with a wooden spoon. Cook the dough, which we can now call seitan, for 30 minutes.
Scoop the fully cooked seitan that you plan to use right away out of the broth. Place on a cutting board, and when cool enough to handle, cut into strips or small chunks.
If not using right away, store the cooked and cooled seitan in an airtight container (with a little of the broth) in the refrigerator. Since this recipe makes a generous amount, you can freeze a portion of it. Save the broth; you can use it for other purposes, such as a soup or gravy starter.
Once you’re ready to use the seitan, squeeze as much liquid out of it as you can, as that will result in a nice, firm texture in dishes. Here, we start to amp up the flavor and texture by stir-frying the seitan strips in just a little oil and soy or teriyaki sauce; that’s just the most basic of ways to use it. Here are lots of delicious ways to use it …
21+ Hearty Seitan Recipes —
Plus a Guide to This High-Protein Plant-Based Food
You may also enjoy another way to make seitan…
Easy Homemade “Chicken” Seitan
Our downloadable homemade seitan mini-cookbook
Would you like to have all this information in a pdf book format? Enjoy this enormously popular homemade seitan recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions in a handy, ad-free 60-page mini cookbook. This PDF is viewable on your devices and also features 20 delicious recipes (all accompanied by gorgeous photos) to have at your fingertips.
Just $9.50! Learn more here and purchase securely on Etsy
Easy Homemade Seitan Recipe
Here's an easy homemade seitan recipe for this high-protein plant-based meat alternative.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari, Bragg Liquid Aminos, or coconut aminos)
- 1 cup water
Dry mixture
- 2 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten flour (like Bob's Red Mill®)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional
- 1 to 2 tablespoons seasoning or spice blend (good options: BBQ seasoning, jerk seasoning, vegan poultry seasoning or rub spices), optional
Broth
- Water
- 1 large or 2 regular-sized vegetable bouillon cubes
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, tamari, or Bragg Liquid Aminos
- 3 to 4 slices fresh ginger or a good squeeze of bottled ginger
Instructions
- Combine the soy sauce (or tamari, Bragg Liquid Aminos, or coconut aminos) and water in a small bowl.
- Combine the dry ingredients — vital wheat gluten, baking powder, (optional) nutritional yeast, and (optional) seasoning — in a roomy mixing bowl. Stir together thoroughly.
- Gradually add the liquid to the dry ingredients to form a stiff dough, stirring with a spoon at first, and then working together with your hands. Drizzle in a little more water if need be; you want all the dry ingredients to be moistened, while making sure the dough remains stiff. Once the wet and dry mixtures are combined, knead for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes or so in either bowl; cover with a clean tea towel.
- For the broth: Fill a roomy soup pot about 2/3 full with water. Add the bouillon cube(s), soy sauce (or tamari, Bragg liquid aminos, or coconut aminos), and ginger. Bring to a slow boil.
- Divide the rested dough into two parts and stretch into two mini-loaf shapes. It's not easy to shape and cut this springy dough, but don't worry! With a sharp, serrated knife, slice into 1/2-inch-thick (at most) segments. Kitchen shears work even better! Don't make the pieces too large, and don't worry about the shapes, it will all come out well even if the pieces are irregular.
- After the water in the soup pot has come to a slow boil, gently drop in each slice of dough. Return to a gentle simmer. Within a couple of minutes, the dough is going to puff up and look like it’s threatening to escape the cooking pot! It will settle back; keep pushing the pieces down into the water with a wooden spoon.
- Cook the dough, which we can now call seitan, for 30 minutes.
- Scoop the seitan that you plan to use right away out of the broth. Place on a cutting board, and cut into strips or small chunks when cool enough to handle. See storage tips in Notes, below.
- Once you’re ready to cook with the seitan, squeeze as much of the liquid out it as you can, as that will result in a better texture and allow it to soak in the flavors of whatever you’re cooking it with.
Notes
Once cooled, transfer whatever portion of seitan you won’t be using right away to an airtight container, then pour in enough stock to cover. Use within a few days or freeze. Seitan freezes very well, thaw out on the counter or in the refrigerator before using.
Save all or part of the tasty broth that remains to use in soups, stews, and gravies.
Sample seitan recipes on this site
Vegan Mushroom and Seitan Stroganoff
Even more ways to use seitan: This epic post — 100 Vegan Seitan Recipes — includes recipes for both pre-made and homemade seitan. It includes various seitan styles, including deli slices, pepperoni, chick’n style, etc.
This is so good. I really enjoyed the recipe. It is now my go to seitan recipe. I’ve battered and breaded small prices and baked in the oven for chik’n nuggets. And made made chik’n burgers with the bigger pieces just pan fried. Such a good simple recipe. Thanks!
Thank you for your kind comment, Sara Lee. I’m glad this works so well for you!
I am slightly confused, the recipe calls for 2 1/4 cups of VitalWheat Gluten?? Surely it should read 21/4 cups of Bread Flour. Could you tell me what you used. Thank you.
Robert, we don’t want bread flour!That would entail the old, old method of having to rinse away the starch. This recipe uses vital wheat gluten flour, like Bob’s Red Mill, to make the process really easy.
To Robert, once more — I’ve added a photo of the vital wheat gluten packaging to the post. I hope that helps!
do you know how many calories in a serving?
Libby, it would be tricky to analyze homemade seitan, but this helpful article from Healthline has what would likely be average nutrition facts. I hope this helps! https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/seitan#nutritious
I used your recipe but not to a t and calculated about 90 calories per 100 gram serve. You can add in the ingredients into something like my fitness pal, then add in the total weight after boiling to get the calorie info.
Just a FYI for people who want nutritional info.
Thanks so much, Arnette, I’m sure this info will be useful to a lot of people!
Made this today and came out absolutely perfect, though I did have to use slightly more water (I used to spoon/level method for the flour). I seasoned it with some basic things like salt, pepper, basil, cumin, paprika, and garlic powder. The recipe really does yield roughly 2LBS of seitan, which is so budget-friendly compared to store-bought! Thank you!!
So glad you liked this, Kayla! I alternatively need to add a tiny bit more water or flour, depending on how exactly I measure. But it all seems to work out. I most often put half of it in the freezer, so I enjoy this generous yield as well.
Hey! After a long break I worked up the courage to attempt to cook seitan again! I found that the seitan is quite wet and soggy. Should I be squeezing out the excess water for recipes? It reminds me a bit of TVP.
Hi Tam, I’ve not experienced the seitan being soggy, but it is a tender rather than a “leathery” texture. I would say yes, you can squeeze out the liquid for recipes. It will help the seitan to become firm in recipes and to brown in a skillet or stir-fry. I’ll add that note to the recipe!
Nava Atlas curious how did u get the shape of the seitan in the Asian blue and white bowl?
Laurent, this is simply cutting the uncooked seitan dough into very small pieces.
I make this weekly and frequently recommend it to others. It’s so easy and versatile to make and use; this is easily my favorite of all the seitan recipes I’ve made.
Thank you so much, Kristina — I’m glad you enjoy this. I make it frequently, too … in fact I’m due to make a batch tomorrow!
Nearly four years later I have the recipe memorized because I make it so frequently. A triple batch today kicked off meal prep for the week and put a few containers in the freezer.
That’s amazing, Kristina. Even I don’t have this recipe memorized! I’m happy that it has been so useful to you. I’m due to make another batch soon myself. It still amazes me that with all the “meaty” plant-based proteins out there, it’s most difficult to find a good readymade seitan.
I made this, and it was amazing!!! After getting through my batch, I bought some seitan from the store out of laziness, but it didn’t match up to your recipe at all! 😛 Highly recommend!!
Wow, what wonderful feedback, thanks so much! I admit that I’ve done the same, but stopped — can’t beat the texture of this homemade seitan, not to mention the economy of DIY.
Best seitan recipe ever!! We pan fried it after your instructions to make a burger patty and it was so so so delicious! I loved that we could chew it without the leathery texture.
Thanks so much, Pree; I’m glad you like this easy way to enjoy (non-leathery!) seitan.
Can I mince the seitan pieces once cooked and put it in a chilli or bolognese?
Absolutely! It’s nice and tender, so it would be perfect for that.
Thanks much Nava Atlas. I never knew there is a way to do home made Seitan. Now, this is what I will do.
I hope you’ll enjoy it, Asja!
Oops! My name is Asha.
This is gorgeous!
Hello atlas
This a wonderful article
But do you have any guide of how to bake it
Thanks, Malcolm! Once you have your seitan made, following this recipe, you can blot it well and coat it with your favorite BBQ sauce and roast in the oven at 400º or 425ºF for about 25 minutes, stirring once or twice. If you want to use it in recipes that are baked in the oven, see this roundup; scroll down to the section that’s under In the Oven: https://theveganatlas.com/17-hearty-seitan-recipes-plus-a-guide-to-this-high-protein-plant-food/
I made this last night and it turned out great. I substituted the broth with a char sui (Chinese roast pork tenderloin) marinade that was slightly watered down. It was really flavorful. Then after the seitan cooled, I stored them in a bowl covered with liquid that consisted of 1 part marinade and 3 parts water (the marinade would have been too salty at full strength). Absolutely delicious and so easy to make.. I will definitely make this again. Thanks so much for the recipe.
If you’re freezing it. Do you freeze it in stock? Or do you wait for it to cool, squeeze out the liquid, and then freeze it?
Toni, honestly I’ve done it both ways, and as long as you fill your container well with little air inside, the seitan thaws out well. If I were to choose, I’d pack it into the container and fill the gaps with the broth. It’s always nice to have a little broth when it’s thawed out to use as the base of a sauce or stew. Then once thawed, you can squeeze liquid out of the seitan before starting a recipe using it.
Thank you so much for this recipe….I have tried multiple recipes for seitan and this is by far the best! The seitan came out perfect! I am going to air fry some of it and see how that is with some hot sauce…I ate it last night with sauteed veggies for dinner and it was delicious!
Thank you so much, Roberta! I’m glad this turned out so well for you.
Hi Roberta, I’m wanting to try this recipe in the air fryer for a buffalo bite type of thing. Did you have success? Did you add any coating prior to air frying?
Hi Ruth — not sure if Roberta will see your message. I hope so, as I’m curious about this as well.
This is the best seitan I have made so far. Could you please give me some suggestions for the perfect seasoning? I tried 1/4 tbsp onion granules, 1/2 tbsp garlic granules 1/4 tbsp Paprika, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp white ground pepper. All I could taste was the pepper. Maybe I’ll try it without next time. Texture was great though!
Could you please also advise if it freezes OK without the stock? I have frozen some in stock but it would be easier to portion from frozen without it.
Many thanks
Hi Chloe — I’m glad you enjoyed this seitan! In the dry ingredients I did suggest the following seasonings: 1 to 2 tablespoons seasoning or spice blend (good options: BBQ seasoning, jerk seasoning, vegan poultry seasoning, or rub spices. Truthfully, the perfect seasoning is what tastes best to you! And the finished seitan does take on flavors that it’s being cooked, sautéed, or stir-fried with.
As for your other question, since this is a pretty big batch, I often freeze half of it. I pack it tightly in a container with not much liquid, since it’s a pretty moist seitan. The broth leftover is good as a soup starter!
It smells great, I’m presently at the puffed up trying to escape stage. Lol! Going well so far!
Great, I hope it comes out well for you; let me know!
Well heck, after 30 minutes of simmering the pieces were spongy, watery, and floppy. I tried letting some cool, no good. Am simmering more now. very careful to keep a very low simmer. Seared in a pan it’s pretty good, but as one site said, if improperly done it tastes like meat jelly. Bingo.
Frank, I’m sorry this didn’t work that well for you; as you can see, this seitan recipe is a reader favorite on this site, and has never come out like jelly for me! Can you think of any step in the recipe where it may have gone off course? I’d really like to help you out!
And finally, to make a short story long, I think my first batch got too hot, ie., too long in the low boil. The second batch I just made i but only added pieces to a simmering pot. These are much better. Lesson learned.
Anyway, thank you for your patience.
That makes sense now. The seitan pieces have to hit the simmering water. I hope you enjoy your second batch!
Can the seitan be canned or pressure canned?
Hi Jon, I sometimes buy “veggie duck,” which is basically seitan, so I know it’s possible, but I wouldn’t know how to advise you on the how-to’s. I hope you”ll be able to find some specifics online!
Thanks, I will see what happens 😁
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe! I used it to make vegan “chicken” tikka masala, “chicken” nuggets, and a “chicken” noodle soup! It is such a delicious and versatile recipe, and so simple to make!!
Thank you so much!! I recently added a baked “chicken”-style seitan as well:https://theveganatlas.com/easy-homemade-chicken-seitan/ — it could probably use a little more perfecting, but it’s another form of seitan to experiment with. Thanks for your comment!
Sounds delicious! I’ll have to check it out!
This recipe is amazing! I am a long time seitan lover but this was my first time making it, and I rate it higher than store bought stuff. Plus this is very easy, quick, and very cheap for making such a generous amount. I have frozen most of it because it made so much! Thank you!
Thank you, Elle — I’m delighted it worked so well for you on your first try! It does freeze very well, with no change to the texture. Just squeeze out well when it’s thawed.
Okay…. This is probably a stupid question! What is “vital gluten”? Just flour? Or some special kind of flour?
Jenna, “vital wheat gluten” is a flour that sounds just like what it is — the gluten part of the flour. Before this product was widely available (a widely available brand is Bob’s Red Mill), seitan was made at home by taking unbleached white flour, making a dough, and then rinsing and rinsing it until all the starch is washed away, leaving the gluten. Doing it this way is a serious pain in the neck! Starting with vital wheat gluten flour makes the process so much faster and easier.
Hi, Nava. I’m excited to try this recipe this week! Is it better to boil all the strips before freezing them, or should we only boil them when we plan to cook them? Thanks!
Maureen, this is a great question! You should make the recipe all the way through. The cooked seitan freezes very well. Then once you thaw it out, it’s perfectly ready to use.
Thank you for letting us know this amazing recipe I wish absolutely try. Just I have to ask you: don’t you need to wash the dough under the water many times, as usual making seitan? Does it depend on the flour you used, may be? Thank you very much, Daniele
Daniele, there’s no washing of the dough, since we’re starting with pure vital wheat gluten flour. That’s what makes this recipe so easy! In the “old days,” before this kind of flour was available, it was necessary to make a dough with regular flour and rinse it many times to wash away the starch. That was quite a mess! This recipe eliminates that tedious step.
I just finished simmering my first batch and they are beaitiful, tender and delicious. I grew up on these. (I’m now 78) My mother was a strict Seventh Day Adventist so there was no meat in our house. We made them the old fashioned messy way, of course. These were so easy, the broth is delicious and they are the most tender choplets (that is what we called them) I’ve ever had. Can’t wait to dip some in flour and fry to a golden brown. Thanks for a great recipe.
Thank you for your kind comment, Susan. So glad these worked this well for you; enjoy!
Just for clarification – Seventh Day Adventists do eat meat. They adhere to the guidelines set out in Leviticus for clean and unclean meats. However s lot of Seventh Day Adventists do choose a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.
Hello I want to try this but I don’t have nutritional yeast can I omit that? Or are there other substitute? Thanks
Edina, the nutritional yeast is listed as an optional ingredients, so the recipe works fine without it.
I have eaten seitan & do like it. Haven’t made this YET, but will soon!! Question about unused portions. Your instructions say: Transfer whatever portion of seitan you won’t be using right away to a container, then pour in enough stock to cover. Use within a few days or freeze. Seitan freezes very well, thaw out on the counter or in the refrigerator before using.
If I am sure that I will be freezing it, do I freeze it in the stock? Does it need to be well drained upon thawing?
Thanks!!!
Hi Celeste — great question! Yes, do freeze it in the stock. And upon thawing, drain it, and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. You can either do this with your hands or put it in a colander; use a bowl or some such to press down and squeeze out more liquid. Preserve as much of the stock as possible; it makes a good soup starter! I will clarify these points in the instructions on freezing. I hope you enjoy the seitan!
Thank you for your speedy response!!!
Thank you for your speedy reply!!
Thanks for the recipe I’ve never tried to cook Seitan. Your step by step is very clear. I wish you also had a video. You mentioned beef chunks, so I was wondering… does seitan slow braise well? Would it get rubbery after 2 hours for example? Or what would happen to the texture? I once tried cooking a store bought a plant based mince, and it went rubbery when I followed my usual 2 hour ragu method.
Sorry for the delayed response! I haven’t tried a slow braise, but I imagine that it would work well, since the seitan is quite sturdy. My guess is that the seitan would simply absorb more of the flavors around it. If you try it, please let us know how it works out.
Thanks for posting this recipe, I’ve found it to be a very good starting point. The addition of baking powder really does make it more tender. I had to use a lot more water than recommended, and I also used a lot of spices (Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder), as I like very strong flavors. I also substituted salt for soy sauce, which worked out fine. I halved the recipe and still had a ton of leftovers, but it freezes very well as you noted. I look forward to trying out some different seasonings in the future. Best regards.
Hi Jah — I’m glad you found this recipe useful and I like that you tweaked it to include more spices. Please let us know of any other variations you might try!
Hi there, I’d love to they this but have two questions:
1. Do I absolutely need to store the seitan together with the st0ck whether in the fridge or freezer? It would be easier storage-wise to store them separately for me. Is the stock needed to retain flavor or for freshness /
Food safety? If it’s the former, then I’d be fine with having a bit less flavorful seitan in my leftovers 😉
2. What does the baking powder do? I like my seitan to be on the firmer / denser side vs super spongey and soft so I was wondering if the baking powder controls the texture in this way.
Hi Tanuja — answers to your Qs — 1. You need not absolutely store the seitan with the stock. I find it keeps it moister, as things do dry out with freezing, but as long as you add just a little stock and put the seitan in an airtight container, you should be OK. 2 – the baking powder prevents the seitan from being tough and leathery. It does cook to a somewhat sponge-y texture, but if you squeeze as much liquid out as possible once cooked, you’ll still get a texture that’s nice and firm without being tough. You might try reducing the baking powder to 1/2 teaspoon, but I don’t recommend doing without it!
Sorry also – can this be steamed instead? I understand it may result in less flavor, but i find steaming a little less messy for me
Hello again! I’ve never tried steaming. If you try it, let us know how it comes out!
Oh i remember those days well of washing the starch away. i was an ok thing to do on ahot summer day… So thankful we can now buy vital wheat!
We also eat meat but gluten ( Seitan) is a welcomed change. we usually pan fry it and eat it with gravy, or ketchup,m or plain. i have fried it before and added a lemon butter sauce over it … sort of like eating sea scallops. but then I cooked tht batch in plain salted water and cut the pieces in chunks.
Made my first batch of seitan with this recipe & it turned out beautifully. It does look disgusting as it’s simmering – something like tripe. Dipped a couple of pieces in cornflour, then egg, then flour & deep fried & they were delicious – going to make a sweet & sour NOpork with it tonight. Thank you.
Thank you, Mel. I’m glad this recipe was successful for you!
How much water for the broth. I don’t see the amount. Also any idea as to how much protein per serving? Thank you
I don’t give an exact amount of water for the broth, just to fill a roomy soup pot about 2/3 full. Seitan averages 15 to 21 grams of protein for a 3-ounce serving. Here are the full nutrition facts: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/seitan — I hope this helps!
I’ve been making seitan now for several months. It’s my “lunch meat”! As such, I form the dough (I add in a variety of ingredients for flavorings) into a log, or two smaller ones, then wrap them tightly in parchment paper and then that wrapped in tin foil. Then I steam the logs in my Instant Pot for about an hour. The wrap prevents the logs from absorbing liquid in the steaming process and getting waterlogged. After letting the logs cool, they can be sliced and used any number of ways, but I usually use them in sandwiches. No further cooking is needed, though you can saute, fry, or grind into bits for other kinds of dishes.
I’m going to try your recipe now, too. Seitan is so versatile and easy to make! I wish I had discovered it years ago when I went vegetarian.
This is so easy and so nice. I was a bit nervous about doing it but it worked out really well. Next time I think I will experiment with layering the dough when rolling it out to get more of a texture.
Thanks, Jo, I’m glad you enjoyed this. The dough is so firm and springy to work withy, so it will be interesting to see if you get any interesting results from layering it.
Probably a stupid question but what methods would you recommend to drain and cook it? Have been experimenting with seitan for a while but so far all the recipes I have used have been either steaming or baking, this is my first time boiling it and the result is very soggy.
So I am not sure how best to use it when I am just defrosting a serving each day. Is it supposed to be like tofu, in the sense that I need to plan way in advance and have something heavy on it to press the water out overnight or for an entire day before use? or should I be expecting to have a looong cook time?
Thank you
Not a stupid question at all! Once you cook this, you can separate the seitan you wish to use from the broth (save the broth to use as a soup base, and store remaining seitan in a little broth to keep it moist, whether in the fridge or freezer.
You’ll see that the seitan firms up nicely once it cools a bit. I like seitan to be fairly firm, so I put the pieces I want to use immediately in a colander, then use a bowl that’s slightly smaller than the colander to squeeze some of the liquid out. Or, you can just squeeze out the pieces with your hands.
Then it can be stir-fried, breaded and baked, air-fried, etc. Once the seitan is fully cooked as described in this recipe, you need not boil it again at all, if I’m understanding your question correctly. I hope that helps!
I don’t think I explained myself very well. I was referring to the handling after following this recipe.
I live alone, so this batch made at least 8 days worth for me and I was not sure how long I need to start draining/pressing it in advance when I am taking a serving out of the freezer each day and/or if there was a preferable way to cook or simply heat it up for the daily meal
but all good, your answer was very thorough and you did cover what I was asking. So, thank you very much
Thanks for this recipe! Mine came out a bit rubbery any ideas what I did wrong?? Read in an earlier comment maybe I can add less baking powder next time and squeeze the liquid a bit more?
Hi Gabrielle — Sorry for the delayed response, I was traveling this week.
I’m sorry the seitan came out a little rubber for you — it’s not supposed to! I think the other reader actually wanted it to be firmer. It’s a pretty tender seitan, so perhaps try again and follow the recipe to a T, and I hope you have better luck. I wouldn’t add less baking powder if it were me, since that’s what makes the seitan more tender rather than rubbery. For this batch, perhaps if you use it in a stew or some other moist dish, it may tenderize a bit. Keep us posted!
Hi Nava, can you tell me how much baking soda to use for 8 cups wheat flour if making it from scratch so will be tender …thank you so much
Hi Kim — I’m not sure if I’m clear on your question, if you mean really from scratch using wheat flour and then doing the old-fashioned rinsing and rinsing to get to the gluten? As this recipe starts with pure gluten flour, as you likely have read.
That being said, I really don’t know how to advise you! Also, if you’re using the rinsing technique, the dough will be wet and I’m not sure the dry baking soda can distribute throughout it evenly.
If you see this reply and want to clarify my question to your question, I’ll see if I can help!
How much is “a slice of ginger” ?
Hello! Sorry for the delayed response. Really just what it sounds like, a thin slices (1/4 inch or less) from a knob of ginger.
This is the best seitan recipe I’ve ever tried! I got tired of making seitan when every recipe I tried came out thick and tough. This seitan is so delicious and the texture is perfect. Thanks so much for the incredible recipe! 🤩
Thank you so much, Meredith! I think that teaspoon of baking powder seems to make all the difference in the world. Glad you enjoyed it.
My partner and I tried storebought seitan and weren’t big fans, but I decided to give the homemade stuff a chance, and I’m really glad I did! It’s delicious and we both love it.
This was a nice easy recipe too. I was daunted by making a protein from scratch, but this recipe really demystified the process.
Super excited to have this super easy, super cheap plant protein to work with now. Our local grocery store has VWG in bulk for like $1 a pound so this is going to be an amazing money saver.
Thank you so much, Alec — I’m glad this worked out so well for you! And no worries about the duplicate post, I eliminated one of them. $1 a pound for vital wheat gluten is really a bargain!
This recipe is so easy, and so delicious! I didn’t season the seitan beyond the nutritional yeast and a dash if cracked black pepper, and I added onions to the broth. The texture was perfect! I lightly panfried with some veggies, garlic chili sauce and liquid aminos. Definitely will be making this with different seasoning combos. Thanks for the super easy, delicious recipe!
Thank you, Angie! I’m happy that you found this seitan recipe easy and delicious. I’m due to make another batch …
This is amazing! Thank you! It was so much easier than I expected and it came out so well. I’ve already made the “beefy seitan stew” with it. When freezing it do you squeeze out the liquid? Apologies if you answered this question already.
Hi Kylie, glad you’re so pleased with the seitan! And no worries about your question, there’s a lot of info here. I like to freeze it with enough liquid to keep the seitan moist, and then squeeze out the liquid after it has been defrosted, just before using. Enjoy!
This is a simple phenomenal recipe that can surely help vegans save. I will be trying this recipe out very soon. A wonderful background lesson on seitan as well. Awesome!! Much appreciated.😇
Just used this recipe to great results. After I finished cooking, I put all the seitan in a tofu press and left in in there over night in the refrigerator, This gave the seitan a more dense consistency that I’m use to with store bought seitan.
Hi Joel, thank you for your comment! I also sometimes put as many pieces as will fit into my tofu press, as that helps them get crispier when stir fried. So, great minds … enjoy!
Hello! I’m partway through this recipe (bringing the broth up to a simmer) and I’m looking forward to trying it! I’ve always used the washing flour method which is incredibly messy, not to mention time consuming. I’m curious if you have a weight for the wheat gluten. I’ve been weighing dry ingredients for several years now so thought I’d ask. Thanks!
Hi — I’m afraid I don’t have any idea about weight — though if you get the gluten flour packaged, you might be able to do the math with what the whole thing weighs. I hope you enjoy the seitan — it really is so much easier this way!
Hi, I’m a little confused by the wording when it says the seitan is then ready to be used on other recipes. Is it ready to eat at the conclusion of this recipe? If I wanted to make this on a Sunday and eat it with rice throughout the week for lunch, would I have to cook it again or could I just put it into containers with rice and warm it up?
Hi Jake — you could do either. A recipe like this one, Super-Easy Broccoli and Seitan Stir-Fry (https://theveganatlas.com/super-easy-broccoli-and-seitan-stir-fry/), for example, calls for a pound of homemade or packaged seitan to be sautéed briefly in a little oil and soy sauce, which gives it a nice crispy quality. But if you like the seitan as is after you’ve made this recipe, it’s ready to use as is. I hope that clarifies!
This recipe is amazing! I love the use of baking powder for the texture, I’ve had much more success with this than recipes using chickpea flour. I like to make this super plain flavored, nooch, 1 tsp garlic and onion powder and dash of pepper. This way I can soak smaller portions of the seitan in different marinades. I also cook the seitan dough in an Instant Pot instead of on the stove. IP method: I use the saute option to get the broth nice and hot before putting the dough pieces in. Once I get all the dough in the pot I place the lid on sealing and cook for 25 mins. Natural release for 10mins and then use quick release for the rest! The pieces are really poofy right out of the IP but they settle down once cooled. 🙂
Thank you so much! I’m happy that this recipe works so well for you. And thank you for the Instant Pot tips … since I don’t have one, I didn’t think to add that angle, but that’s a great idea. The first few minutes of cooking on the stovetop, the seitan is also poofy, and then it settles down as well.
Hi. I am not vegan, but I am a weightlifter. I haven’t made this recipe yet, but I am really interested in this recipe to change up my sources of protein used to build muscle mass. Sometimes I get tired of meat (believe it or not), and I’d like to try to limit my consumption anyway, so I am excited to try this recipe considering how much protein is packed in this vegan alternative. Once I try this recipe I will let you know what I think of the flavor/texture as a “meat eater.” 🙂
Hi Sienna — yes, please do come back to comment! As you can see, this recipe is highly rated by readers. if this is your first time making it, I’d suggest going through the visual step=by-step that you’ll find before the recipe card. Once you make this once or twice, the recipe card, which you can print, will be sufficient!
I’m looking forward to trying this! I used to make seitan “the old-fashioned way”, rinsing away the starch from a wholewheat flour dough. But this should be more efficient, plus, I like that you’ve found a way to make it less leathery with the addition of baking powder. I’d like to try using it as “mince” in meatless loaves and “meatballs”. Wish me luck! 🙂 Oh…speaking of baking powder…when baking, I sometimes substitute baking powder with baking soda (1 tsp of baking powder = 1/4 tsp baking soda). Would that work with this recipe, I wonder?
Hi Bev — yes, this is so much easier. I did the “old fashioned” method years ago before gluten flour was readily available and it was such a mess! I believe it’s the baking powder that prevents it from being leathery, and not having tried it with baking soda, I can’t predict what the results would be. If you want to take a chance and try it, you might come back here and let me know! However, I’d say to use more than 1/4 tsp of baking soda if you do.
Thank you for this recipe! I will be making it tonight. I grew up with some really great cooks in our church that made fantastic Seitan with gravy casseroles, but I lost the recipe years ago. This is definitely going to be my favorite go-to, for sure! I can’t wait to try it with the baking powder and see how tender it is.
Thank you, Shannon — I hope this works well for you … let me know!
Perfect texture and process! It came out just like I’ve had it from some quality restaurants. I did have to over-season to get enough flavor, so I would recommend that cooks don’t hold back on the spices/seasonings, but that is very typical of VWG/seitan preparation. Thank you!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed this! Seitan does absorb the flavors of whatever it is cooked with (perhaps not to the extant that tofu does), it’s good that you trusted your instinct and palate on the seasonings.
My boyfriend and I made this tonight. Vegan of 12 and 13 years and I developed a soy allergy this year. I really was down about not having any soy free options at the grocery stores near us a we live near Whole Foods and sprouts pretty much the places that are go to for vegan options. They really have nothing for soy free options that are also preservative free so I am super thankful to have found this recipe. We made the recipe the the raw Vegan coconut aminos per my soy allergy. Boiled with the boullion cubes then fried in a rice veggie dish. In all of my years eating plant based this truly was the recipe we were both needing in our lives. Such a good staple dish to amp up with flavors for future recipes. I truly am thankful you took the time to post this recipe as you really have helped bring happiness back to my meals. Eating veggies is amazing but having seitan as an additional protein especially breastfeeding has really helped me feel more of that full feeling that ive been lacking.
Thank you so much, Kyrie! I’m really gratified that this recipe was such a success for you.
I just made this this morning. My first time making my own seitan, It came out perfect. Simple and not confusing. Delicious. I fried some up in a cast iron with avocado oil and can’t stop eating it. Thank you!! 😍
Thank you, Cassidy — I’m so glad your first attempt came out perfectly! Enjoy all that protein …
Hey everyone! Just tried this easiest homemade seitan recipe and wow—total game changer! 🙌 I followed the step-by-step guide, and the texture turned out super meaty and satisfying. I seasoned mine with garlic, smoked paprika, and a splash of soy sauce—delicious!
Also, random tip for those who meal prep like me: after working with flour and dough all day, my hands get really dry and dull. I’ve been using Rukhma-vitamin-c-serum afterward—it’s been amazing for restoring that healthy glow and keeping my skin smooth, even after all the cooking mess. Highly recommend both the seitan and the serum! 😄
Anyone tried baking the seitan instead of steaming it? Curious how that turns out!
Hi Nauman — so glad this worked well for you. I do have a “chicken”-style seitan (made with chickpeas & gluten flour) recipe as well, that is baked. Dare I say it’s even easier than this easy one. I rather prefer this cooked kind, but this one is also good to try as a change of pace: https://theveganatlas.com/easy-homemade-chicken-seitan/