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How to Make "Chicken-Style" Seitan (A Soy-Free Meat Substitute)

Here is a basic "chicken-style" steamed seitan recipe for all of your soy-free meat substitute needs. It's flavorful, versatile, perfectly textured, and easy to make!
Course How-To
Cuisine Vegan
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 4 loaves

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups veggie broth or water and bouillon cube
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil or other vegetable oil
  • 1.5 cups vital wheat gluten
  • ¼ cup chickpea or whole wheat flour
  • cup nutrtional yeast
  • ½-1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons poultry seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼-1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • a couple dashes coconut aminos, liquid aminos, or tamari optional
  • aluminum foil

Instructions

  • Combine olive oil and broth and set aside.
  • In another bowl, completely combine the remaining ingredients then stir in the broth mixture.
  • Stir until the mixture pulls begins to form a ball.
  • Empty dough onto a clean, flat surface and knead for 3 minutes. This process is crucial as it develops the gluten. The consistency of the dough will indeed change.
  • Cover dough and let it rest for about 10 minutes the knead for another minute. Make an effort to work the dough into a rectangle/loaf form then slice into 4 equal sized pieces.
  • Completely wrap each piece of dough in foil and seal it by folding the edges in. Be careful not wrap dough too tight as it needs room to expand.
  • Steam for 30 minutes. If you do not have a steamer, fill a large pot with about 1 inch of water and bring it to a boil. Place the foil wrapped loaves into metal colander and then into the large pot. Make sure that the colander sits higher than the level of the water as you do not want the loaves to get wet.
  • Note: If your loaves are stacked, you may want to switch the loaves around halfway through cooking so that they all steam evenly.
  • Remove from steamer and let loaves cool for at least 30 minutes before placing them into the refrigerator for 1 hour. (This cool-down time in the fridge allows for the dough to firm up) Next, remove loaves from foil packets and wrap them in plastic or store in re-sealable plastic baggies.

Notes

If wrapped tightly, this seitan can last in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If frozen, it can last for 2-3 months.
If you want to try different flavors/spices, just use the first 4 ingredients of the recipe, then add your own spice combinations. Get creative!
Recipe adapted from Vegan Bowl Attack and Viva Vegan.