One dough, approximately a million dinner ideas.
Table of contents
About this recipe
I don’t miss meat substitutes, but I absolutely appreciate a good homemade one when it makes my life easier.
These seitan pieces are made from simple ingredients and give me a protein-rich base for so many different meals. The dough comes together quickly in a food processor, and you can shape it into whatever you’re craving. I love that I can make sausages, meatballs, shredded pieces, or little chorizo-style bites from the same recipe. They’re packed with protein and fiber, making them much more nourishing than many highly processed alternatives.
You can bake, steam, or boil them depending on how you want to use them. I usually make a big batch, keep some in the fridge, and freeze the rest for later.
Once you have these ready, a quick dinner suddenly becomes a lot easier.
IBS & Low-FODMAP Tips:
This recipe is not strictly low-FODMAP as written, mainly because of the black beans. Canned black beans can be better tolerated than dried beans because some of the fermentable carbohydrates move into the liquid, but portion size still matters.
- For a more IBS-friendly version, drain and rinse the canned black beans very thoroughly and keep the portion moderate. If beans are difficult for you to tolerate, replace them with cooked brown or black lentils and test your individual tolerance (or just skip them).
- Vital wheat gluten itself is mainly wheat protein and contains very little of the wheat carbohydrates that are responsible for many FODMAP issues, but it is not suitable for anyone who needs to avoid gluten.
- Avoid garlic- or onion-containing seasoning blends, sauces, or stock if these are triggers for you. Choose gluten-free tamari instead of regular soy sauce if needed, but remember that the seitan itself still contains gluten.
Why This Recipe Is Healthy
These seitan pieces are a great example of how a few simple ingredients can create a very protein-rich meal component.
Vital wheat gluten provides most of the protein, while black beans and oats add fiber, minerals, and additional plant-based nutrients. Black beans also provide folate, magnesium, iron, and antioxidant compounds, while hemp seeds contribute healthy fats, magnesium, iron, and additional protein.
Because the recipe is made from whole-food ingredients alongside vital wheat gluten, it gives you a combination of protein and fiber that can help make meals more satisfying. The homemade approach also means you control the amount of salt, sugar, and other ingredients compared with many packaged meat alternatives.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutes
Vital wheat gluten – concentrated wheat protein that gives the seitan its firm, chewy structure and makes these pieces especially high in protein.
Black beans – add fiber, moisture, minerals, antioxidants, and a softer texture to the seitan. You can substitute with red or white beans, use lentils instead, or leave it out altogether.
Quick oats – help bind the mixture while adding fiber and a little extra texture; rolled oats can also be used.
Smoked paprika – adds a deep smoky flavor and warm color; sweet paprika works for a milder taste.
Nutritional yeast – adds savory, slightly cheesy flavor and contributes additional nutrients.
Oregano – adds a simple Mediterranean-style herbal flavor.
Cumin – adds earthy warmth; chili flakes can be used for a little heat instead.
Ras el hanout or baharat – brings a warm, aromatic spice blend that makes the seitan more flavorful.
Coconut aminos, gluten-free tamari, or soy sauce – adds saltiness and umami; choose according to your dietary needs.
Tomato paste – adds concentrated savory flavor, acidity, and color. Skip if sensitive.
Balsamic vinegar – adds acidity and a subtle sweetness that balances the savory flavors.
Date syrup (Silan) – adds a small amount of natural sweetness and helps round out the flavors.
Liquid smoke – gives the seitan a stronger smoky, barbecue-like flavor.
Hemp seeds – add extra protein, fiber, healthy fats, and minerals.
Coconut oil – adds a little richness and helps create a softer, more tender texture.
Serving
Since the seasoning is fairly neutral, you can take it in different directions.
Comfort food
- Spaghetti & seitan meatballs with tomato sauce
- Creamy pasta with sliced seitan
- Pizza topped with chorizo-style / salami seitan
- Mac & cheese with crispy seitan pieces
Mexican-inspired
- Tacos with chorizo-style seitan
- Burrito bowls with rice, beans, salsa & avocado
- Quesadillas with vegan cheese + seitan
- Fajitas with peppers and seitan
- Nachos topped with crispy seitan
Simple meals
- Sausages + mashed potatoes + gravy
- Seitan + roasted potatoes + vegetables
- Seitan with rice and curry
- Crispy seitan with a big salad
- Seitan with pea mash and jam
Quick meals
- Sausage in a bun
- Seitan sandwich with mustard + pickles
- Wraps with vegetables and a creamy sauce
- Pita stuffed with seitan, salad & tahini
- Breakfast hash with potatoes and seitan
Asian-inspired
- Teriyaki-style seitan with rice
- Seitan stir-fry with vegetables
- Korean-inspired spicy seitan bowls
- Seitan fried rice
- Noodle bowls with crispy seitan
Step-by-step short instructions
Recipe card with not
Homemade Seitan for Any Recipe
Equipment
- Food processor
- Mixing Bowl
- Baking tray
- Steamer - if steaming
Ingredients
- 200 g vital wheat gluten
- 250 g black beans (see note 1)
- 2 tbsp quick oats (or rolled oats)
- 1½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp smoked paprika (or sweet paprika)
- 1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp cumin or chili flakes
- 1 tsp ras el hanout or baharat
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos (or gluten-free tamari (soy free if needed), low-sodium soy sauce, or regular soy sauce)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ tbsp date syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp liquid smoke (optional)
- 2 tbsp hemp seeds (optional)
- 1 tsp coconut oil (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the mixture – Add all the ingredients except the vital wheat gluten to a food processor. If you want a less smooth texture, don't blend too much so the beans retain some of their shape. Otherwise, blend until as smooth as possible. See note 2 for a food-processor-free method.
- Add the vital wheat gluten – Add the vital wheat gluten to the food processor and pulse a few times to incorporate it. Then mix on low speed until a uniform dough forms and the sides of the processor bowl are mostly clean. Stop halfway through and scrape down the sides if necessary. Avoid over mixing once the dough has come together, as this can make the seitan unnecessarily tough.
- Prepare your workspace – The dough can be quite sticky and messy, so having everything ready makes the shaping process much easier. Before shaping, prepare your baking tray, work surface, and any pieces of aluminum foil you need.
Choose your shapes – Remember that seitan expands during cooking, so make the pieces slightly smaller than the final size you want.
- Shape sausages – For sausages, divide the dough into portions and gently press and stretch each piece into a sausage shape. Wrap each sausage tightly in aluminum foil, twisting or folding the ends closed. The foil helps the sausages maintain an even shape while cooking.
- Shape meatballs – Take a portion of dough and roll it firmly between your hands to form a ball. Gently flatten the surface with your fingers if needed, then roll it again until you have a smooth, compact meatball.
- Shape chorizo-style pieces – Tear off small portions of dough and press them between your fingers to flatten them slightly. Keeping the pieces irregular gives them a more rustic, meaty texture once cooked.
Cooking The Shapes (same timings for all)
- Bake – If baking, preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 355°F convection. For a conventional oven, use 200°C / 390°F. Arrange the pieces on a baking tray with some space between them. Bake Chorizo-style pieces for about 15 minutes,Meatballs for about 25 minutes,Sausages for about 35 minutes.Larger pieces may need additional time.
- Steam – Place the shaped pieces in a steamer over a gentle simmer. The cooking times are roughly similar to baking, although larger or thicker pieces may need a little longer. Steaming creates a softer, more tender texture.
- Boil – For the best texture, briefly pan-fry the pieces before boiling. Place them in plenty of water or vegetable stock and cook until firm and cooked through. You can add herbs or vegetables to the cooking liquid to give them additional flavor.
- Cool before using – Let the cooked seitan cool slightly before cutting or shredding it. The texture becomes firmer as it cools, making it easier to slice, crumble, or pull apart.
- Use in different meals – Serve the sausages in a bun, alongside mashed potatoes, or sliced over pizza. Use the meatballs with tomato sauce and pasta, rice and curry sauce, or alongside vegetable mash. The chorizo-style pieces are great in tacos, bowls, wraps, or on pizza.
Video
Notes
- Beans: You can use canned white, black, or red beans. Drain and rinse them very well before using. If beans are difficult for you to digest, you can replace them with cooked brown or black lentils, although the texture will change slightly, or skip entirely.
- Making the dough without a food processor: Blend the beans and all ingredients except the vital wheat gluten with an immersion blender, or mash them by hand as thoroughly as possible. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the vital wheat gluten, and knead or mix until a uniform dough forms.
- Gluten-free: This recipe is not gluten-free because vital wheat gluten is the main structural ingredient.
- IBS: The black beans are the main ingredient to watch if you follow a low-FODMAP diet. Drain and rinse canned beans very well and keep your serving size moderate. For a stricter low-FODMAP approach, replace the beans with a personally tolerated alternative rather than assuming the recipe is low-FODMAP.
- Soy-free: Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce or tamari. Check the other packaged ingredients, particularly spice blends, to make sure they do not contain soy.
- Nut-free: The recipe contains no nuts, making it naturally nut-free as long as all packaged ingredients are produced in a suitable facility if cross-contamination is a concern.
- Storage: Store cooked seitan pieces in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5–7 days. Let them cool completely before refrigerating.
- Freezing: These freeze very well. Freeze the cooked pieces in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Freeze them in portions so you can defrost only what you need.
- Reheating: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or defrost gently, then pan-fry, bake, air-fry, or add directly to a sauce or other dish until heated through.
- Baking: I bake at 180°C fan / 355°F convection. For a conventional oven, use 200°C / 390°F.
- Meal prep: Make several shapes in one batch and freeze them separately. This gives you ready-to-use sausages, meatballs, or shredded pieces whenever you need a quick protein-rich addition to a meal.
- Serving ideas: Try them in pasta dishes, grain bowls, tacos, wraps, sandwiches, pizza, curries, salads, or alongside roasted vegetables. The seasoning is intentionally versatile so the same batch can work across different cuisines.
