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    Home » Mains

    Best Vegan Steak Recipe (Seitan)

    Updated: Jan 20, 2023 by Verna Rindler · This post may contain affiliate links · 65 Comments

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    Vegan Steak! You will freak when you taste my vegan alternative to steak! Juicy, marinated Seitan steak with a perfect meaty chew! Delicious and easy vegetarian meat recipe!

    overhead view vegan steak sliced in a grill pan

    Ok I’ll admit I used loved a good juicy grilled ribeye steak! (long day ago) But I don’t miss it especially when I have veganized it so well! Yup vegan steak guys! It’s on the menu- And it’s fabulous! Slices like butter. Hard to believe it’s plant based! 

    The perfect dinner with with gravy and mashed potatoes or as I like it- with vegan garlic butter, horseradish, baked or roasted potatoes and veggies! Mmm and corn on the Cobb. YUM! Great cut into strips or cubed for stir fries, stews or salads too! So many options 

    I wanted to create a great seitan steak recipe as there are no good options to buy them anywhere! And if you can find one they’re pricey. They rarely even have gardein beefless tips stocked in my area and definitely not at any local restaurants!

    A crazy good protein rich meal for vegetarians and if you want to impress meat eaters, serve them this! It’ll blow their mind!

    The magic happens when these vegan seitan steaks are marinated, fired on the bbq and grilled! OMG so good

    overhead view of vegan steaks in a grill pan with a fork and knife below

    What is vegan steak made of and what does it taste like?

    This vegetarian steak recipe is made using vital wheat gluten and lentils, not tofu. It has a chew much like beef and the taste is similar as it takes on the flavours of the marinade which is super tasty and 100 % plant based. 

    Let’s keep those cows safe and happily grazing in the fields shall we❤️

    What is seitan?

    Seitan is a vegan meat substitute made using vital wheat gluten. It is sometimes referred to as “wheat meat”

    What is vital wheat gluten?

    Vital Wheat Gluten is made from wheat. It is made by washing the wheat flour with water until all the starch has been removed. And you are then left with the gluten which must be cooked before eaten.

    How do you make vegan steak?

    For the seitan: First add the ingredients for the seitan steaks in your food processor (except vital wheat gluten) and process until smooth. 

    Now add the gluten evenly on top of the wet mix. Process until JUST COMBINED! You do not want to over mix or the steaks could turn out tough.

    Turn the dough out onto the counter. Do not kneed the dough! Press into a disc approximately 8-9 inches in diameter and about 1/2 inch thick. Portion the steaks like you would a pie, into 4-6 pieces. Wrap steaks individually in tin foil, wrap loosely to leave room for expansion during steaming.

    To cook the raw seitan: Place in your steamer basket (pot) and steam for 30 minutes over medium heat, flipping them halfway through.

    step by step photos how to make vegan steak using seitan

    While the steaks are steaming make the marinade: Add all the ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk together until sugar is dissolved. Set aside

    steak marinade in a bowl with a whisk

    When steaks are done, remove from foil packets and place in a shallow dish (I use my glass pie plate) or a large freezer bag. Pour the marinade evenly over the steaks. Marinade for a minimum of one hour or longer (I usually leave mine for 6 hours or overnight for better flavour and texture).

    four seitan steaks marinating in a glass dish

    To grill: cook the steaks on your grill pan or bbq over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side, to get some good char marks and flavour! basting frequently with the marinade. 

    Move to a serving platter and add a little more marinade for added juiciness. Serve and enjoy! For full recipe ingredients and instructions see recipe card below.

    four vegan steaks being grilled

    What side dishes to serve with seitan steak?

    • Best Vegan Macaroni Salad with Smoked Tofu – So Easy!
    • Garlic and Balsamic Roasted Mushrooms
    • The Ultimate Vegan Mac and Cheese (Daiya)
    • Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
    • Best & Easiest Vegan Mushroom Gravy! (GF & Oil Free Option)
    • Vegan Mashed Potatoes (Instant Pot)
    • Vegan Caesar Salad (Best Caesar Dressing!)
    • Best & Easiest Vegan Broccoli Salad
    • Classic Vegan Coleslaw
    • Best Home Fries Recipe (Breakfast Potatoes)
    • Best Tofu Scramble (Vegan Scrambled Eggs)

    OK GUYS LET'S FIRE UP THE BARBY AND COOK SOME VEGAN STEAKS, THEY'RE:

    juicy and meaty

    protein rich and satisfying!

    fun to make

    simple

    great for a summer potluck

    saucy

    Enjoy guys! Happy day to you! feel free to leave a comment and a rating below. I would love to hear from you.

    Follow me on PINTEREST and INSTAGRAM for more tasty Plant Based Vegan Recipes❤️

    Want more vegan meat recipes with seitan? Check these out!

    • Vegan Turkey Recipe
    • Vegan Burger (Best Grillable Vegan Burger Ever!)
    • Vegetarian Salsbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy (Vegan) (Meatball version)
    Print
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    overhead view vegan steak sliced in a grill pan

    Best Vegan Steak Recipe (Seitan)


    ★★★★★

    5 from 21 reviews

    • Author: Verna
    • Total Time: 56 minutes
    • Yield: 4-6 Steaks 1x
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Vegan Steak! You will freak when you taste my vegan alternative to steak! Juicy, marinated Seitan steak with a perfect meaty chew! Delicious and easy vegetarian meat recipe!


    Ingredients

    Scale

    For the Vegan Steaks:

    • 3/4 cup water
    • 3/4 cup canned lentils, rinsed and drained
    • 2 tablespoons tamari (could sub soy sauce)
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 1 teaspoon better than beef vegetarian bouilllon*
    • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
    • 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
    • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon granulated onion
    • 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
    • 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
    • 1 and 1/3 cups vital wheat gluten

    For the marinade:

    • 3 tablespoons water
    • 2 tablespoons tamari
    • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
    • 2 tablespoons oil, I use grapeseed oil
    • 1 to 1 and 1/2 tablespoons vegan worcestershire sauce, I like Wizard's or Annies 
    • 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
    • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
    • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
    • pinch of salt and pepper

    Instructions

    1. For the seitan steak: First add the ingredients for the seitan steaks in your food processor (except vital wheat gluten) and process until smooth. 
    2. Now add the gluten evenly on top of the wet mix. Process until JUST COMBINED! You do not want to over mix or the steaks could turn out tough. See step by step photos in above post if necessary
    3. Turn the seitan dough onto the counter. Do not kneed the dough! Press into a disc approximately 8-9 inches in diameter and about 1/2 inch thick. Portion the steaks like you would a pie, into 4-6 pieces. Wrap steaks individually in tin foil, wrap loosely to leave room for expansion during steaming.
    4. To cook the raw seitan: Place in your steamer basket (pot) with lid and steam for 30 minutes over medium heat, flipping them halfway through.
    5. While the steaks are steaming make the marinade: Add all the ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk together until sugar is dissolved. Set aside
    6. When steaks are done, remove from foil packets and place in a shallow dish (I use my glass pie plate) or a large freezer bag. Pour the marinade evenly over the steaks. Marinade for a minimum of one hour or longer. I usually leave mine for 3-6 hours for better flavour and texture or overnight if I have time.
    7. To grill: cook the steaks on your grill pan or bbq over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side, to get some good char marks and flavour! basting frequently with the marinade.
    8. Move to a serving platter and add a little more marinade for added juiciness. Serve and enjoy! I like my steak with a little vegan garlic butter, horseradish sauce for dipping, along side baked or roasted potatoes, corn on the Cobb and green salad or caesar salad maybe some grilled veggies too! SO GOOD! Would make an excellent vegan steak sandwich also! or sliced for stir fries, stews or soups! Lots of tasty options!

    Notes

    • You can substitute veggie stock for water and bouillon paste
    • I have used steak sauce (HP or A1) in place of Worcestershire and it works in a pinch😊👍
    • steaks will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days and freeze well with or without the marinade (steamed first)
    • If you can’t find vital wheat gluten here is a link for you.
    • Nutritional chart below does not include marinade ingredients
    • prep time doesn't include marinating time
    • this recipe cannot be made gluten free
    • recipe inspired by Bosh with the Happy Pear
    • Prep Time: 20 minutes
    • Cook Time: 36 minutes
    • Category: Mains
    • Method: food processor / stovetop
    • Cuisine: American, Canadian

    Keywords: vegan steak, seitan steak, vegan seitan steak,

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @cheeky_chickpea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #cheeky_chickpea_

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. John Bye

      January 28, 2023 at 1:20 am

      These are really really good! Juicy and have the texture of fillet steak. A +++

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Julia

      August 21, 2022 at 4:31 pm

      Love this recipe. The crowd I made this for was hoping for a more meaty texture. Mine was a little too tender. Any suggestions to make it tougher? Kneading a little or cooking longer? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Verna

        August 22, 2022 at 6:20 am

        Hi Julia you could let it marinade overnight in the fridge and or add a wee bit more VWG if you think it needs it. You could also knead a little bit but that could make it chewy. Hope that helps.

        Reply
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    Hi, I’m Verna! Major foodie of all things vegan! Welcome to The Cheeky Chickpea; here, you’ll find hundreds of restaurant-worthy easy vegan recipes. Some oil-free and gluten-free, from veggie-powered plant-based comfort foods to decadent desserts. Lots of tricks and tips up my chef sleeve…Grab your apron let’s get cooking!

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