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Home » Recipes » Vegan Meat Substitutes

Published: Jun 5, 2024 by Jim Mee Sha · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

Seitan Vegan Chicken Breasts

Jump to Recipe

These vegan chicken breasts are a perfect meat substitute! They are versatile and can be baked, seared, or added to stir-fries. This freezer-friendly recipe is excellent for meal prep.

4 vegan chicken breast on a wooden board with lemon slices, chili flakes, glasses of water, and forks beside.

If you are looking for a chicken substitute that tastes like meat, this recipe is for you! Like my vegan gyros, vegan ribs, and Italian sausages, these vegan chicken breasts are made from seitan, giving them a chewy, meaty texture. 

My favorite way to enjoy them is to sear them in vegan butter. They also work great as a substitute for tofu in my vegan tom kha and hoisin stir-fry. Or, you could chop them up and add them to my eggless crepes.

Jump to:
  • 💚Why you will love this recipe 
  • 🤔What are vegan chicken breasts
  • 🧂What you will need 
  • 📃Ingredients notes and substitutions 
  • 🔪How to make
  • ✔Helpful tips 
  • 🥗How to use 
  • ❄Storage suggestions
  • ❔Commonly asked questions
  • 🍽More vegan meat substitutes
  • 📖 Recipe

💚Why you will love this recipe 

  • Juicy, chewy, and has a mindblowing meat-like consistency 
  • Budget-friendly and is way cheaper than store-bought meat substitutes 
  • Packed with protein - made with seitan and tofu, a serving contains 27g of protein 
  • Incredibly versatile and can be grilled, seared, baked, minced, and added to stir-fries 

🤔What are vegan chicken breasts

These vegan chicken breasts are made using seitan, which provides them with an exceptional chewy and meat-like texture. Seitan is made by combining a fine flour called vital wheat gluten with liquids such as water or broth to form a dough. The dough is then shaped and cooked to produce seitan.

Although vegan chicken breasts may not have a strong flavor, they are highly absorbent and can easily take on the taste of seasonings and sauces. This makes them incredibly versatile and allows you to customize their taste.

These tenders are made from seitan and are incredibly high in protein. Add them to sandwiches, salads, and soups for a protein boost.

🧂What you will need 

Ingredients needed to make vegan chicken breast like tofu, vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, and seasonings.

📃Ingredients notes and substitutions 

  • Vital wheat gluten - Also known as gluten flour, it is the main ingredient used to make seitan. You can find it in your local grocery and specialty stores or buy them online. 
  • Tofu - Make sure to use firm or extra-firm tofu that has been drained and pressed beforehand. Press tofu either using a tofu press or stacking something heavy on top. 
  • Stock powder or cubes - I recommend using this vegan 'chicken' stock powder. However, vegetable stock powder or cubes will also work.
  • Liquid smoke - An optional ingredient that gives some extra smokiness and savoriness to our vegan chicken breast.

🔪How to make

Wet ingredients for vegan chicken in a food processor with a bowl of wheat gluten beside.

In a food processor, add all ingredients except wheat gluten. Process until a smooth batter forms.

Dough of vegan chicken in a food processor.

Add wheat gluten and pulse until a dough forms.

Kneading seitan dough in a glass bowl.

Knead the dough for 3-4 minutes.

Shaped seitan dough on an aluminum foil.

Separate them into 5 parts, and shape them into the shape of chicken breast. Wrap them in aluminum foil.

Cooked vegan chicken breast on a glass plate.

Place them into a steamer basket and steam for 30 minutes.

A few breasts of vegan chicken on a wooden board lined with parchment paper.

Let them cool down slightly before removing the foil. You can now prepare your seitan chicken breasts however you like!

✔Helpful tips 

  • Do not over-knead - Overkneading will cause excess gluten formation, yielding tough seitan. I find kneading it for 3-4 minutes sufficient.
  • Allow to cool before use - Seitan will appear soft after cooking but will firm up once cooled. To get the best stringy texture, refrigerate vegan chicken breast for at least 4 hours or overnight before slicing and serving.
  • Get creative with the seasonings - Feel free to experiment with different seasonings to make this recipe your own. Try adding dried herbs like thyme, oregano, Italian seasonings, miso, white wine, and paprika. 
  • Cooking seitan in the Instant Pot - Place a cup of water into the inner pot and insert the trivet. Cook at high pressure for 20 minutes, then quickly release the pressure.
  • Making minced chicken - To turn vegan chicken into mince, simply pulse it a few times in a food processor.

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🥗How to use 

  • Searing - My favorite way to cook these vegan chicken breasts is to sear them in vegan butter or oil. Cook them for 2-3 minutes on each side or until both sides are browned. You can then serve them with rice, mix them into my protein pasta salad, or have them with mashed potatoes and green beans. 
  • Stir-fries - Chop them up and add them to stir-fries like my seitan stir-fry or gochujang stir-fry. 
  • In chicken dishes - I love using it to make chicken-based dishes such as teriyaki chicken, sweet and sour chicken, or orange chicken.
  • Curries and stews - Try adding chunks of vegan chicken instead of tofu in my Thai red curry and vegan massaman curry. 
  • In sandwiches and wraps - Lightly sear them, then dice or slice them into smaller pieces. You can use them as a high-protein filling for your burritos, sandwiches, or tacos.
Few pieces of chicken breast with one that is partially sliced with lemon slices and a fork beside.

❄Storage suggestions

Allow vegan chicken breast to cool down completely before refrigerating or freezing. 

Fridge - Seitan chicken can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. 

Freezer - This recipe can be frozen for up to 3 months. Simply transfer them to a zip-locked bag before keeping them. Allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge before using.

❔Commonly asked questions

Can I make seitan chicken gluten-free?

Seitan, a meat substitute, is made primarily from wheat gluten and cannot be made gluten-free.

Why is my seitan tough and rubbery?

If your seitan chicken turns out to be tough, you have likely kneaded the dough for too long. Kneading the dough more develops gluten flour, which results in tougher seitan.

On the other hand, if your seitan is too soft and not chewy enough, try kneading it for a little longer next time.

What does seitan taste like?

Seitan is mild in flavor and serves as an excellent backdrop for various seasonings and sauces.

A partially sliced chicken breast on a wooden board with chili flakes, lemon slices, and glass of water beside.

🍽More vegan meat substitutes

  • A stack of 4 patties on a wooden board with buns, red onion and lettuce in the background.
    Juicy Vegan Chicken Burger Patties
  • 5 tacos arranged on a white oval plate.
    TVP Tacos
  • A plate of partially sliced seitan steak served with salad with a fork beside.
    Juicy Vegan Seitan Steak
  • Partially sliced chorizo sausage on a chopping board with dish of mustard and ketchup beside.
    Flavorful Seitan Vegan Chorizo Sausages

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📖 Recipe

A few pieces of chicken breast on a chopping board with lemon slices, chili flakes, glasses of water, and forks beside.

Vegan Chicken Breast

Meesha
These vegan chicken breasts are a perfect meat substitute! They are versatile and can be baked, seared, or added to stir-fries. This freezer-friendly recipe is excellent for meal prep.
5 from 11 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 39 minutes mins
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 5 tenders
Calories 148 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • ½ block extra firm tofu drained and pressed (about 200g/7oz)
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari/shoyu (use gluten-free if needed)
  • 1 teaspoon 'chicken' stock powder or vegetable stock powder/cubes
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke optional
  • 1 ¼ cups vital wheat gluten
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions
 

  • In a food processor, place all ingredients, except vital wheat gluten. Blend until a smooth batter forms.
  • Next, add vital wheat gluten to the food processor and pulse until a dough forms.
  • Knead the dough for 3-4 minutes, then separate it into 5 parts. Shape them into the shape of chicken breast by lightly pressing the dough down.
  • Individually wrap the shaped dough in aluminum foil.
  • To steam - Bring 1-2 inches of water to boil in a pot with the steamer basket inserted in. Once the water starts boiling, transfer seitan chicken into the basket and place the lid on. Steam for 30 minutes.
    Instant Pot - Place a cup of water into the pot and insert the trivet. Place vegan chicken breasts in and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. Quick release pressure after the timer goes off.
  • Let cooked seitan cool slightly before removing them from the foil. You can now prepare them however you like!

Video

Notes

*Vegan 'chicken' stock powder - Can be replaced with vegetable stock powder/cubes. If using stock cube, 1 cube will be sufficient.
Helpful tips 
  • Do not over-knead - Overkneading will cause excess gluten formation, yielding tough seitan. 
  • Allow to cool before use - Seitan will appear soft after cooking but will firm up once cooled. To get the best stringy texture, refrigerate vegan chicken breast for at least 4 hours or overnight. 
  • Making minced chicken - To turn vegan chicken into mince, simply pulse it a few times in a food processor.
 
Storing - Seitan chicken can be refrigerated for up to 5 days and frozen for up to 3 months. Simply transfer them to a zip-locked bag before keeping them. Allow frozen tenders to thaw overnight in the fridge before using.

Save this recipe!

Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.

Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.

Nutrition

Calories: 148kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 27gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gSodium: 239mgPotassium: 156mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 11IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.

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More Vegan Meat Substitutes

  • 4 vegan sausages on a plate with stalks of cilantro beside on a blue folded teacloth.
    Vegan Italian Seitan Sausages
  • Orange tofu served with rice and broccoli on a plate with chopsticks beside.
    Crispy Vegan Orange Chicken (orange tofu)
  • A plate of shredded seitan with a fork, 2 glasses of water, and a blue teacloth beside.
    Instant Pot Seitan
  • Seitan ribs on a wooden board with newspaper beneath topped with chopped cilantro.
    Meaty Vegan BBQ Ribs (seitan ribs)

Comments

    5 from 11 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Andrea says

    August 07, 2022 at 11:50 pm

    5 stars
    Just made this.. i used regular tofu and just decreased the water a bit. I probably overkneaded them, but they came out perfect. I cooked them wrapped in foul in my pressure cooker. Regular presdure cooker with a valve. So fast, so easy. These are awesome!

    Reply
    • Meesha says

      August 08, 2022 at 8:52 am

      Thanks for leaving a review! I am happy to hear that you like them. 😊

      Reply
  2. Kris says

    June 11, 2022 at 12:15 am

    I don’t like my food touching foil so I usually wrap in parchment first, then foil. Do you think I need to add more steaming time?

    Reply
    • Meesha says

      June 11, 2022 at 5:16 pm

      No, you do not need to increase the steaming time 😁

      Reply
      • Kathy haisley says

        October 22, 2022 at 6:43 am

        5 stars
        Poultry seasoning varies so much, do you have an American favorite?

      • Meesha says

        October 22, 2022 at 7:02 pm

        This is the one I am using - https://amzn.to/3MVNSwV.

A headshot of Mee Sha leaning on a handrail.

Hi, nice to meet you! I am Mee Sha, a final-year dietetic student passionate about nutrition, cooking, and food. This blog was created to share my favorite plant-powered recipe!

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