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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Basics

    Aug 15, 2022 · Modified: Sep 24, 2022 by Liv · This post may contain affiliate links · 7 Comments

    Vegan Beef

    Jump to Recipe

    This Vegan Beef recipe is incredibly meaty and flavorful. It's made from ingredients such as vital wheat gluten, soy sauce, vegetable broth, and spices. It's best served thinly sliced on sandwiches, and is omnivore-approved!

    Thinly sliced seitan on a parchment paper.

    This is the BEST Vegan Beef for deli sandwiches, Reubens, gyros, and Philly cheese steaks! It can be used as a meat substitute for pastrami or thinly sliced and simmered in gravy for a tasty vegan substitute for roast beef.


    What is Seitan?

    Seitan has been around for centuries. It is made up of gluten but is nothing like bread! If you have purchased items in the grocery store that tasted meaty but were plant-based, for example, deli slices- that is seitan! Seitan is a very popular mock meat because it's incredibly meaty in texture and takes the flavor of whatever you add.

    Vital Wheat Gluten is made by washing away all the starch of the wheat and leaving behind the gluten.


    Where can I find Vital Wheat Gluten?

    Vital wheat gluten flour is widely available in most grocery stores or your local health food store. It is typically in the baking aisle where they have all the flour. I use Bob’s Red Mill– I typically order it online or buy it at my local grocery store.


    Main Ingredients

    This delicious vegan sandwich meat is a great substitute for store-bought deli slices! You won't miss deli meat after digging into a sandwich made with this easy beef seitan.

    • Vital Wheat Gluten
    • Nutritional Yeast
    • Vegetable Broth
    • Low Sodium Soy Sauce
    • Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
    • Apple Cider Vinegar
    • Tomato Paste

    Vegan beef ingredients lined up on a black backdrop.

    Ingredient Notes

    • Vital Wheat Gluten: Vital wheat gluten is made by washing away all the starch of the wheat and leaving behind the gluten. This is the main ingredient that is going to give our vegan beef a chewy, meaty texture. It cannot be substituted.
    • Nutritional Yeast: I use Bob's Red Mill- you can find nutritional yeast online or at most grocery stores.
    • Vegetable Broth: The saltiness of this recipe depends on the vegetable broth you use- if you use low sodium, you'll need to add more salt along with the soy sauce. I recommend Better than Bouillon’s Vegetable Base but you could also use vegan beef broth for more of a beef flavor.
    • Low Sodium Soy Sauce: I used low sodium, but if your vegetable broth is low sodium as well, I recommend adding salt or regular soy sauce.
    • Tomato Paste: Just a bit for acidity and umami- it doesn't really add much color but it does add flavor.
    • Seasonings: I used and recommend adding Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Smoked Paprika, Dried Thyme, Dried Oregano, and Black Pepper. You can add more spices or seasonings depending on what you're making with the vegan beef.

    How to Make This Recipe

    Chewy, tender, and meaty, this Vegan Beef is the ultimate sandwich filling. Packed with protein and tons of flavor. It’s quite easy to make as well- no food processor or fancy equipment needed!

    Please note that this vegan seitan beef is best when made a day ahead so it becomes even more delicious and the texture becomes meatier.

    Preheat the oven to 350F.

    Stir together the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, thyme, oregano, and black pepper in a large bowl.

    Vital wheat gluten and spices being mixed in a large glass bowl.

    In a separate bowl- whisk together the vegetable broth, soy sauce, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and tomato paste until well combined.

    Vegetable broth and soy sauce being mixed in a bowl.

    Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and knead the dough for about 2 minutes or until the gluten has developed and the dough is stretchy- don't over-knead or it'll be too chewy. The dough should be slippery and not dry. 

    Seitan beef being mixed together.
    Seitan being kneaded.

    Roll the seitan dough into a long log. Roughly 3×10. Wrap tightly in parchment paper or foil and twist the sides and tuck them under the bottom of the loaf.

    Shaping the seitan into a long log.

    Place the wrapped seitan loaf on a baking tray and bake for 90 minutes. The loaf should feel firm. Let completely cool before placing it in the fridge overnight for best results. 

    Carefully cut the seitan into very thin slices, thick slices, strips, or cubes- whatever you want!


    Tips & Tricks

    Avoid over-measuring the vital wheat gluten. Scoop the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon instead of packing the flour into the measuring cup- this could result in over- measuring and you'll end up with a dry dough.

    Don't over-knead. You only need to knead the seitan dough until it comes together, about 2 minutes. If you over-knead you can risk an extra chewy and gummy seitan- which we don't want!

    I don’t know the science behind it but this vegan beef recipe is best refrigerated overnight. So while it’s difficult, I highly recommend making this the night before and storing it in the fridge overnight. Then, you can have delicious and flavorful vegan beef all week!

    Customize your seasonings!! You can add as many seasonings as you'd like! Adding seasonings is a must but if you're feeling adventurous- add whatever herbs or spices you enjoy.

    If you don't want the foil to touch your food, wrap it in parchment paper and then in foil.

    Seitan expands when cooked so you really want to make sure it's wrapped so it doesn't explode through the wrapping.


    Thinly sliced seitan, cheese, sauerkraut and bread on a backdrop.

    Serving Ideas

    This seitan recipe is designed to be thinly sliced and served in sandwiches- that is where it really shines. But you can cut it into strips or small pieces and get creative by adding it to curry, stews, and other vegan meals.

    • Use in sandwiches: This vegan beef is designed to be thinly sliced and served in sandwiches like a classic Deli Meat Sandwich, Reuben, Gyro, Vegan Roast Beef Sandwich, or a Vegan Philly Cheesesteak. Use it like vegan pastrami or vegan roast beef!
    • Use in stir fry: Slice into strips and sauté with veggies and a sauce. Serve over rice noodles or with rice. Try it with my Stir Fry Sauce or Spicy Teriyaki Sauce or make vegan Mongolian beef.
    • Simmer in Gravy and serve with Vegan Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Vegetables.
    • Cut into chunks or slices and add to vegan beef stew, chilis, curry, burritos, tacos, and more!!


    Storage & Reheating

    Storage: Wrap in foil or store in an airtight container for up to 5 to 6 days.

    Reheating: Thinly slice, cube, or cut into strips and then cook on a frying pan with a splash of oil until golden and warmed through.

    Freezing: Seitan freezes well- just allow it to cool before wrapping in foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before using.


    Reuben stacked high.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I make seitan gluten-free?

    Seitan is made of pure gluten flour so unfortunately this recipe cannot be made gluten-free.

    Can I make vegan ground beef from this recipe?

    I don’t recommend this recipe to make a vegan ground beef recipe- I recommend using my Tofu Ground Beef recipe.

    Can I use this recipe to make vegan steak?

    No, I don't recommend this plant-based beef recipe to make a vegan steak- I have a recipe for vegan steak that would work better. This recipe is designed for thinly slicing for sandwiches or simmering in sauce.

    Do I have to use foil?

    You can wrap the loaf in parchment paper and then in foil. If you use just parchment paper, you might find that the seitan will expand. It will still be good but I recommend the foil to keep the shape.

    More Vegan Meat Substitutes You’ll Love:

    • Best Tofu Ground Beef (Vegan Beef Crumbles)
    • Vegan Seitan Steak
    • Shredded Vegan Chicken Seitan
    • Easy Vegan Bacon Bits

    If You Make This Recipe:

    I would greatly appreciate it if you share your review in the comments below and leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating. I really appreciate it- it helps me out so much! Don’t forget to add if you made any fun substitutions. Thank you!

    Thinly sliced seitan on a parchment paper.

    Vegan Beef

    This Vegan Beef recipe is incredibly meaty and flavorful. It's made from ingredients such as vital wheat gluten, soy sauce, vegetable broth, and spices. It's best served thinly sliced on sandwiches, and is omnivore-approved!
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Overnight: 6 hours
    Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
    Servings: 10 Servings
    Author: Liv King

    Ingredients
     

    • 3 cups Vital Wheat Gluten
    • ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast
    • 2 teaspoons Onion Powder
    • 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
    • 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
    • 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
    • 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
    • 2 ½ cups Vegetable Broth
    • ¼ cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
    • 3 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
    • 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350F.
    • Stir together the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, thyme, oregano, and black pepper in a large bowl.
    • In a separate bowl- whisk together the vegetable broth, soy sauce, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and tomato paste until well combined.
    • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and knead the dough for about 2 minutes or until the gluten has developed and the dough is stretchy- don't over-knead or it'll be too chewy. The dough should be slippery and not dry. 
    • Roll the seitan dough into a long log. Roughly 3x10. Wrap tightly in parchment paper or foil and twist the sides and tuck them under the bottom of the loaf.
    • Place the wrapped seitan loaf on a baking tray and bake for 90 minutes. The loaf should feel firm. Let completely cool before placing it in the fridge overnight. 
    • Carefully cut the seitan into very thin slices, thick slices, strips, or cubes- whatever you want!

    Notes

    Don’t over-knead. You only need to knead the seitan dough until it comes together, about 2 minutes. If you over-knead you can risk an extra chewy and gummy seitan- which we don’t want!
    Vital wheat gluten flour is widely available in most grocery stores or your local health food store. It is typically in the baking aisle where they have all the flour. I use Bob’s Red Mill– I typically order it online or buy it at my local grocery store.
    Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram!

    Disclosure: This page contains some affiliate links. Please know that I may receive a percentage or commission from a link included on this page, at no extra cost to you. I will only ever recommend a product that I have used and believe has substantial value to my readers. 

    More Vegan Basics

    • Overnight Oats without Chia Seeds
    • Chocolate Chia Pudding with Coconut Milk
    • Chia Pudding with Oat Milk
    • 2-Ingredient Dairy-Free Whipped Cream

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lani says

      January 17, 2023 at 8:01 pm

      Rather than measure the vital wheat gluten by volume, would you be kind enough to give the measurement by weight? That way, I will have exactly the correct amount

      Reply
      • Liv says

        January 18, 2023 at 12:21 pm

        Noted for next time I make this recipe. I will add that shortly. Thanks 🙂

        Reply
    2. Lisa says

      November 20, 2022 at 3:32 pm

      I have a lot of experience making seitan, but I'm always on the lookout for different recipes and techniques.This recipe has excellent flavor, great texture and is easy to execute. I would highly recommend it to anyone, but especially beginners! My omnivore husband loves it as do both of my sons.

      Reply
      • Liv says

        November 21, 2022 at 9:51 am

        I'm so glad your family enjoys this recipe! 🙂

        Reply
    3. JN says

      November 08, 2022 at 11:35 am

      5 stars
      I've made similar seitan "meats" before but have been trying recipe variations, trying to perfect my vegan gyros. Well this one is so far a winner, better than previous recipes I've tried. Also straightforward to make, with a simple list of good ingredients and spices. The house smelled incredible as this was coming out of the oven to cool. Great recipe, deserves more attention!

      Reply
      • Liv says

        November 08, 2022 at 12:12 pm

        Thank you for this amazing review. So happy you had positive results! 🙂

        Reply
    4. RENEE says

      August 16, 2022 at 12:49 pm

      5 stars
      EXCELLENT, THANK YOU

      Reply

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    I'm the recipe developer, content creator, and food photographer behind Liv Vegan Strong.

    I share vegan comfort food recipes that are easy, approachable, and far from boring!

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