Grilled homemade vegan seitan steaks are juicy, meaty and the perfect plant-based alternative to a meat-and-potatoes dinner. Here’s everything you need to know about how to make this classic seitan recipe from scratch.
Just because you’re not eating meat doesn’t mean you have to forgo a satisfying steak dinner at home. This vegan seitan steak recipe with a savory marinade is made for plant-based and vegetarian eaters who are craving a juicy home-cooked steak.
How to Make Vegan Seitan Steak
If you haven’t made seitan from scratch before, you’re in for a treat. It’s easy to do right in a food processor and turns out juicier and more tender seitan than you can find in the store.
How To Make the Best Seitan Recipe From Scratch
Start by whipping together protein-rich lentils and savory seasonings in a food processor. This vegan seitan steak recipe gets tons of flavor from soy sauce, tomato paste, nutritional yeast, mustard, spices and herbs. There’s even a dash of liquid smoke for a signature wood-fired flavor in your steak dinner.
Next, you’ll fold the puréed mixture into vital wheat gluten, the ingredient that makes tempeh the protein-packed plant-based powerhouse it is. You can find vital wheat gluten, which is a light brown powder, at many grocery stores and online. Bob’s Red Mill makes an easy-to-find option.
To make your steaks, shape the dough into four equal portions and press into 1/2-inch steak shapes. The dough should be easy to mold however you like.
How to Steam Seitan Vegan Steak with a Steamer Basket
When your seitan steaks are shaped, it’s time to cook them. Steaming is the best way to prepare homemade seitan that stays moist and chewy. Wrap each steak in aluminum foil and place them in a steamer basket over 1 inch of boiling water. They take about 35 minutes to steam.
Vegan Steak Marinade
While the vegan seitan steaks steam, make a flavorful plant-based marinade. This recipe is packed with umami from soy sauce and vegan Worcestershire sauce. It gets a little heat from cayenne pepper, which is balanced out by subtly sweet brown sugar.
Coat the cooked vegan seitan steaks in the marinade and let sit for at least one hour and up to overnight. Then, you’re ready to sear up your steaks.
You can grill the marinated steaks much like a real steak. Use an indoor or outdoor grill and sear for just 2 minutes per side. At this point, the seitan is fully cooked, you just want to caramelize the glaze and get those beautiful grill marks.
Can I Freeze Homemade Seitan?
Yes! This is a great make-ahead vegan recipe. You can freeze the steamed seitan steaks for up to three months. In fact, you can even freeze them right in the marinade. When you’re ready to serve, defrost the whole container in the fridge overnight, remove the steaks from the marinade, and grill as directed in the recipe.
You can also keep the cooked steaks fresh for up to four days in the fridge if you want to use this as a plant-based meal prep recipe.
Serving Suggestions
If you’re planning to dig into vegan seitan steaks for dinner, round it out with these other plant-based side dishes:
- Spiral Sweet Potato Oven Fries
- Best Ever Mexican Black Beans
- Vegan Biscuits and Gravy Recipe: Flaky, Buttery, and Dairy-Free!
I’d love to see your masterpieces! If you make this or any of my recipes be sure to tag @foodlovecooks on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!
Vegan Seitan Steak
Equipment
Ingredients
Steaks
- 1½ cup vital wheat gluten
- ¾ cup canned lentils drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ cup vegetable broth
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup water
Marinade
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1½ tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1½ tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Serving
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- Roasted potatoes optional
Instructions
- Add all of the vegan seitan steak ingredients except the vital wheat gluten to a food processor and pulse to combine, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed until everything is well mixed.
- Pour the mixture into a bowl with the vital wheat gluten and knead together. It may be crumbly at first, but keep kneading it until it comes together into a tight ball. Cut the ball into four sections. Use your fingers to press each section about ½-inch thick.
- In a pot with a steamer basket, bring one cup of water to a boil. Wrap the seitan dough loosely with aluminum foil and place in the steamer basket. Cover the pot and steam for 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients. Remove the cooked steaks from the steamer, unwrap and coat them in the marinade for at least one hour and up to overnight.
- Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. When hot, sear the steaks for a couple of minutes per side. Brush the steaks with leftover marinade while cooking to keep them juicy.
- Serve the seitan steaks with roasted potatoes (optional), parsley, and tomatoes along with the remaining marinade.
Nutrition
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