This is the Best Vegan Turkey Recipe! Moist, flavourful with the perfect chew. Serve for your holiday main course with gravy or sliced as deli meat for your favourite veggie sandwich.
Impress all your friends with this easy vegan turkey seitan recipe! You won’t believe the texture and flavour of this mock meat! It’s so much like turkey! (well as close as you can get anyway?) I’ll admit it took me awhile to perfect it, uhh like 6 times to be exact, haha. So let me just say I have a lot of meatless turkey loaf in my freezer for thanksgiving. Christmas and Easter, and of course for sandwiches and wraps.
This vegetarian turkey recipe is made using vital wheat gluten and chickpeas not tofu. So no guys this isn’t a Tofurky roast! Yes those Gardein Holiday turkey roasts are good, but I like the texture of this recipe better. It chews like turkey and the taste is awesome!
Oh and this makes the best hot open faced vegan turkey sandwiches!!?
Enjoy this Whole vegan turkey loaf with all the vegan fixings like: mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, mushroom gravy, stuffing, roasted veggies and Brussel sprouts, butternut squash, Mac and cheese, fresh buns, green salad and cranberry sauce! Yum!! You’ll be so happy and stuffed! And don’t forget some pumpkin cupcakes for dessert with some hot coffee or tea! What a meal plan!
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 to make a Vegan Turkey:
Start by adding all the ingredients (except vital wheat gluten) to your food processor: chickpeas, water, bouillon, Braggs, seasonings, sesame oil and nutritional yeast. Process until smooth.
Pour the puree into a large mixing bowl, scraping out as much as possible with a spatula. Add in the vital wheat gluten. Mix by hand until combined. Then kneed the dough 10-15 times. Shape into a log.
Using a medium pot with a steamer insert. Place the turkey roll into the steamer part and fill the base of the pot with the veggie stock.
Cover with the lid and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce to a good simmer and cook for 1 hour. Baste after 30 minutes and add more veggie stock if necessary.
Once done remove the turkey loaf and cool on cutting board for 10 minutes. Slice thinly and serve. Or cool completely, refrigerate and slice as deli meat. Enjoy! For full recipe ingredients and instructions see recipe card below.
Ok let's make a Vegan Turkey Roast, it's:
meatless
moist
flavourful
got the perfect chew!
delicious with gravy
perfect sliced on a vegan deli meat sandwich!
kid friendly
easy to make
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 Vegan Recipes❤️
Want more Seitan recipes? Check these out!
- Vegan Burger (Best Grillable Vegan Burger Ever!)
- Vegetarian Salsbury Steak Meatloaf with mushroom gravy (Vegan) (Meatball Version)
This recipe was inspired from The Edgy Veg
Vegan Turkey Recipe (Seitan)
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 Servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This is the Best Vegan Turkey Recipe! Moist, flavourful with the perfect chew. Serve for your holiday main course with gravy or sliced as deli meat for your favourite veggie sandwich.
Ingredients
- 1 (541 mls) (18 fl oz) (equivalent of 2 cups) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil, toasted or regular
- 2 tablespoons Braggs Liquid aminos ,can sub Tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian No Chicken Soup Base
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme (optional)
- 1 and ½ cups Vital Wheat Gluten
For Steaming:
- 3 cups vegetable stock ( for steaming roast)
Basting/Oven:
- 2 tablespoons melted vegan butter + 1 tablespoon Tamari, Braggs, or soy sauce, reg or low sodium + ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- ¾ cup vegetable broth (I like better than bouillon no chicken soup base)
Instructions
- Start by adding all the ingredients (except vital wheat gluten) to your food processor: chickpeas, water, bouillon, Braggs, seasonings, sesame oil and nutritional yeast. Process until smooth.
- Pour the puree into a large mixing bowl, scraping out as much as possible with a spatula. Add in the vital wheat gluten. Mix by hand until combined (it won't stick to your hands) Then kneed the dough 10-15 times. Shape into a log.
- Using a medium pot with a steamer insert. Place the turkey roll into the steamer part and fill the base of the pot with the veggie stock.
- Cover with the lid and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce to a good simmer and cook for 1 hour. Baste the roast after 30 minutes with a ⅓ cup of the hot stock and add a little more veggie stock if necessary to the bottom of pot.
- Once done remove the turkey loaf and cool on cutting board for at least 10 minutes. Slice thinly and serve. Or cool completely, refrigerate and slice as deli meat. Enjoy! (for best texture I recommend cooling in fridge overnight then continue with step 6) Step by step photos in the above post if necessary.
- Basting in Oven (optional extra step after steaming for more flavour and nicer presentation -this isn't in video): Preheat oven 375° Add whole steamed turkey to a small casserole dish not much bigger than roast. Pour in the veggie broth (don't add broth until oven is preheated). Brush on all melted butter mixture. Bake uncovered 35 minutes, basting half way through, add splash extra broth if needed.
Delicious served with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, vegan stuffing and Mac and Cheese! or in your favourite sandwich or wrap!
Alternative cooking instructions in 'Notes' section
Notes
- If for some reason all the vital wheat gluten doesn't all mix into the dough, don't sweat it just keep mixing and kneading per recipe instructions. It will still work!
- If you don't have a steamer insert use a steamer basket in a pot and cover with a piece of parchment paper then add the vegan roast.
- this recipe works in the oven also: add a steamer basket with a piece of parchment paper to a Dutch Oven or casserole dish with the veggie stock, cover and bake for 1 hour at 350°.
- If you don't have a steamer insert or a basket you can make a tinfoil boat and place the roast on it, place in a Dutch Oven or casserole dish. Pour the veggie stock underneath the foil in the pot. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour. The stock might bubble up into the foil boat but it still works and tastes delish!
- To make ahead of time: Yes you can make up to 1-2 days before hand (just the steaming method) cool to room temperature wrap and refrigerate. To reheat let sit out on counter for 20 minutes, make the basting sauce and follow baking instructions. FYI- once steamed the turkey is ready to eat like video
- To store and freeze: It will keep covered in the fridge for up to 5 days and freezes great, I like to portion and slice it first then wrap in plastic wrap add to a container and freeze.
- Gluten free: No this recipe can only be made with vital wheat gluten there no substitutions. So it is not gluten free.
- Instant Pot: you can use instant pot instead of steaming. Wrap turkey tightly in tin foil place on rack inside the Instant Pot. Add 2 and ½ cups of water. Close lid, set pressure valve to sealing, select the steam option Set it to 30 minutes. Press start. Once done let pressure release naturally. Then follow step 6 basting/baking instructions.
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 60 Minutes
- Category: Mains
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
Mark
Made this for thanksgiving, with your gravy it was well received by all! My wife wants me to make this once a week just to have on hand in the fridge. Very good recipe
Verna
Thrilled everyone enjoyed it! Thank you for your kind words. Happy day to you!
Alicia
Excellent recipe. I didn't have an 18 oz can of chickpeas so I just used 15 oz. I didn't make any other adjustments, I followed the recipe using the crock pot method with a tin foil boat and it came out perfect. Sliced thin. Great texture. Very easy!
Verna
Awesome!! I have also used a smaller can of chickpeas recently, does work great! So glad you enjoyed it Alicia. thanks so much for your comment
Alexa
I make this for my family on regular rotation, for lunches in wraps and sandwiches and for meals with gravy. It is the best!
Verna
Yay!! glad your family is enjoying the recipe Alexa 😊 Appreciate your comment!
Tommie
Can you leave out the oil
Verna
Hi Tommie, the oil adds flavour and moisture to the roast. I recommend leaving it in as it is calculated into the measurements for the recipe. Hope that helps. Have a great day!
David
I'm a long time vegan (1980) and do enjoy gluten recipes. I also no longer use added processed oils so I made your recipe with some plant-based fat substitutions. Since the sesame oil is an essential ingredient, I used tahini instead for the flavor. For added fat, I also used Castelvetrano olives, well rinsed and pitted. These green olives have a mild olive taste but are rich and buttery. After blending, these substitutes worked well. The roast sliced very thinly, and was moist and tender. Thank you for your excellent recipe.
Verna
Thrilled you enjoyed the recipe David! Thank you for sharing your oil free substitutions, they sound wonderful!
Anne
Made this for my XMAS dinner (everyone else had turkey). It is great! Had it for hot meat sandwiches with veg gravy, and now it is an amazing snack! Most of my seitan is spicy sausages, but this was a refreshing change. Thanks for the recipe, ♥️♥️
Verna
You're are so welcome Anne! glad you enjoyed it! I quite often have this in my fridge to snack on. It is so handy for sandwiches, etc.. (almost everyone else had turkey for my xmas dinner too!)
Jessica Watson
Can these turkey roasts be made in advance and frozen?
Verna
Hi Jessica, yes they freeze great, sliced or whole. Just wrap well. Should keep for up to 3 months in the freezer and will keep covered in the fridge for a week or so. Enjoy!
Cheryl
Can an instant pot be used for this, if so how?
Verna
Hi Cheryl, I have not tried making this recipe in an instant pot so I cannot say. Have a great day!
James
I do mine in my instant pot knock off. Wrap in parchment and put on top of trivet with some water underneath. 25 mins on high pressure natural release. Comes out perfect.
I also save a lot of work doing it in my stand mixer with a dough hook. mix dry ingredients in mixer bowl. Blend chickpeas, veggie stock, oil and braggs with immersion blender add to dry ingredients in mixer bowl then mix/knead with dough hook on 2 for 10 minutes (begin mixing on 1 then increase speed to 2 for 10 minutes nce dough is formed)
This is an awesome recipe! Thank you!
Verna
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe James. Thanks so much for your comment and for sharing your different cooking methods! That's wonderful!
Midge
This is the best ,I added Dijon mustard to the loaf and gravy.
Verna
Oh that sounds tasty! I'll have to try that next time I make it! Thanks for your comment Midge!
Kelly
Where does someone find an 18 oz can of chickpeas? I've only ever seen 15 oz. How do you measure an extra three ounces - with or without the liquid? If with the liquid, how much should be included in the extra three ounces before draining it?
Verna
Hi Kelly, I buy my chickpeas at Walmart in Canada it is a 540 ml can or (540 grams) which roughly works out to 18 oz. I am sure a slightly smaller can would be just fine. Enjoy!
Kelly
That's crazy. I just checked Walmart.com and they only sell 15 oz cans here in the US. A 3 oz difference seems like more than "slightly smaller" to me. I'm not sure I'm an experienced enough cook to pull this recipe off.
Verna
Hi Kelly like I said I am sure it's just fine but if your concerned add an additional 1/4 cup of chickpeas. Enjoy!
Marie
So easy to make. I followed all of the directions except the last part of mixing. I added the vital wheat gluten to the processor after the mixture was smooth as well, once mixed I kneaded it as instructed. The smell is incredible. I used the broth remaining to make gravy.
Verna
So glad you enjoyed the vegan turkey recipe Marie. I make this regularly in my house😊 Good idea to to use the left over broth for gravy!!
Emily Inman
If you use a steamer basket, do you still need to baste the round? And if making ahead and reheating, what temperature and how long do you recommend?
Verna
Hi Emily, yes I baste the vegan turkey round once during steaming as I have stated in my recipe (but it isn't absolutely necessary). As for reheating preheat your oven to 350° then you could slice the turkey add a little vegetable stock, cover and rewarm in the oven which would take just a few minutes or if keeping the vegan roast whole, add little veggie stock, cover and just keep in the oven longer, 20-30 minutes or so. Check to see if it is warmed all the way through by piercing with a knife into the middle of the roast. If your knife is hot then you're good to go! Enjoy!
Lindsey
I’m wondering if I can make this to bring to a friends house for thanksgiving. Do you think there’s a way to keep it warm or reheat it, or do you think I’d need to cook it at her house?
Verna
You could reheat it at her house ? that would work just fine. Place it covered in the oven with a little veggie stock.Have a great day Lindsey!
Merrymepenelope
This recipe is a beauty! I've had every commercially-made vegan roast and made multiple seitan recipes, too. In 20 years, this is the best seitan roast I've had. Not even kidding. This will make a nice "ham" as well once I make a brown sugar/orange juice/soy sauce ham glaze with pineapple rings. I'll likely pair it with roasted brussels sprouts and crispy smashed potatoes. This is so versatile, I could see using it in french dips with caramelized onions and mushrooms with a savory, vegan, mushroom au jus for dipping. For now, open-faced "turkey" sandwiches with peppery gravy with mashed cauli-potatoes, it is. Thank you so very much!
Verna
Thank you so Much!! What a wonderful compliment! You just made my day!! Glad you love the recipe. I love all your recipe ideas they sound wonderful!!
Mary
Thanks for this great recipe Verna ,it is really delicious ,
Verna
So glad you liked it Mary!! Thank you so much for your comment!
Sunny
Thank you, Verna. I just finished making this recipe to test it out before Thanksgiving. Your instructions and notes are spot on. After steaming the loaf, I used the leftover steaming broth to make your Mushroom Gravy recipe, omitting the bouillon. My home smells like Thanksgiving. I'll be passing on this recipe to my friend in Montreal who just found out her son and his girlfriend are vegan and coming for Thanksgiving dinner. Thanks again.
Verna
Yay! that is so awesome! So Glad you like it! I will be enjoying it for thanksgiving as well (or maybe my Vegan Salsbury Steak I haven't decide yet?)
thanks so much for your comment. Have a super day Sunny!
Wendy
Can this loaf be made a few days ahead then cooked on the day it’s served?
Verna
Hi Wendy, yes you could make it a day or 2 before. For reheating preheat your oven to 350° then you could slice the turkey add a little vegetable stock, cover and rewarm in the oven which would take just a few minutes or if keeping the vegan roast whole, add little veggie stock, cover and just keep in the oven longer, 20-30 minutes or so. Check to see if it is warmed all the way through by piercing with a knife into the middle of the roast. Enjoy!
Wendy
Thankyou Verna,
I probably wasn’t clear. I’m wondering if I can make the loaf a couple days ahead but not cook it right away? Can it be stored in the fridge uncooked for 2 days then cooked on the 3rd day when it will be served (just budgeting my time on a very busy week leading up to Christmas 😉
Verna
Hi Wendy, I have always cooked my seitan right away, then served or cooled and then refrigerated. I have never refrigerated uncooked seitan, so I cannot say how long it would keep. I recommend cooking ahead for your dinner😊 then reheating.
Troy
Definitely not tofurkey!
Great recipe.
Verna
Haha thank you glad you liked it?
Thanks so much for your comment Troy!