15 Amazing Seitan Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why is my seitan rubbery? ›

Boiling seitan makes it have a brainy spongey texture, frying seitan (without first steaming it) makes it rubbery and spongey, baking it makes it dry and rubbery. Steaming seitan, on the other hand, will yield the perfect meaty, juicy, chewy, yet tender seitan every single time.

Cover each container tightly with a lid and store the seitan in the fridge for up to ten days, or in the freezer for up to six months.

soy sauce or tamari - Adds saltiness, umami, and depth of flavor. balsamic and apple cider vinegar - Vinegar rounds out the flavor profile and helps disguise the subtle bitterness of vital wheat gluten. fat - Including a little bit of oil or other fat improves the overall flavor and tenderizes the seitan.

Unwrap the seitan and place it in an airtight container. Pour in 2 ½ cups of vegetable broth and 2 teaspoons of tamari, then refrigerate the seitan overnight in the marinade. The next day, the seitan will be tender and juicy, perfect for use in various recipes!

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.

It's generally low in calories but high in protein and pre-packaged varieties may also contain extra sodium, additives and fillers as well. In those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, eating seitan can cause adverse side effects like swelling, abdominal pain, diarrhea and cramps.

While seitan is a versatile plant-based protein, people with celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or gluten allergy should avoid it. Premade seitan can also be high in sodium, so it's important to read the nutrition label if you monitor your sodium intake.

The answer is, yes! —as long it's part of a well-rounded diet. A 100g serving of seitan has about 141 calories and 25 grams of protein, making it comparable to the amount of protein in chicken or beef. Because the starches are removed from the wheat when seitan is made, it has very little fat and carbs.

“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.

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!

Why do you wrap seitan in foil? ›

Divide the dough into two equal logs, and wrap loosely in foil – you want to allow room for the seitan to expand, but to also keep its log shape. Prepare a pot and steamer basket, and place foil-wrapped seitan logs into the steamer basket.

Tempeh's flavor is often compared to that of mushrooms. Its slightly nutty and savory flavor, making it ideal when adding to recipes like teriyaki bowls, salads and curry. Seitan's taste is a bit more savory, with a taste closer to a portobello mushroom or bland chicken.

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.

There's some evidence in medical research that wheat gluten may increase the permeability of your intestines, leading to what some health authorities call "leaky gut syndrome." If you find you experience bloating, gassiness, or other digestive symptoms after eating seitan, you may want to avoid it next time.

It's possible to overcook the seitan (it can get tough). Rest: After the seitan chicken has steamed, remove the pot from heat, take off the lid, and let them cool for 5 minutes in the foil. They'll settle, so this step is important. After the 5 minutes is up, remove the foil carefully.

Steam it, instead of putting it in a broth. If the broth begins to boil, you will end up with chewy, watery seitan, and you don't want that, but I can never seem to get the water to just simmer, so instead, I put it in a rice or vegetable steamer, and steam it, then gently press out any water that collects.

Knead your dough

Knead too much, and your seitan can end up rubbery. Knead too little and it can be too spongy. In our tests, kneading vigorously for 2 minutes and 45 seconds produced a nice meaty middle ground. Make sure you set a timer first.

Seitan is made by adding liquid to vital wheat gluten, kneading it until it forms an elastic mass, and cooking it, either by boiling, steaming, or baking, before using in recipes. Seitan, when made well, is elastic and chewy (but not bubblegum chewy), with a texture very similar to certain kinds of meat.

Once mixed with liquid and the other things in this recipe, the vital wheat gluten will form a dough. This is not a dough we knead--actually, the less we touch it the better. Overworked seitan is rubbery and gross.