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    Home » Meat Substitutes

    Juicy Vegan Roast Beef

    Published: Oct 7, 2022 by Meesha · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Graphic with 2 images of a partially sliced vegan beef on a wooden board with text between the images.
    Graphic with an image of a partially sliced vegan beef on a wooden bard with text below it.
    A partially sliced seitan beef on a wooden board with text overlay.

    This juicy and tender vegan roast beef will please even meat-eaters! It is packed full of flavor and perfectly meaty with a great chew. High in protein, filling, and hearty, this seitan roast beef is the perfect meatless main dish for festive dinners.

    A partially sliced piece of vegan roast beef on a wooden chopping board with garlic cloves beside.

    You will be surprised by how close this vegan roast beef resembles the real deal! Like my vegan chicken breast and seitan bacon, this meat substitute is made from seitan, which gives this vegan roast beef its perfect meaty texture.

    Oh, and the added bonus - It is way cheaper than store-bought roast!

    Jump to:
    • 💚Why you will love this recipe 
    • 🤔What is vegan roast beef made of? 
    • 🧂What you will need 
    • 📃Ingredients notes and substitutions 
    • 🔪How to make 
    • ✔Helpful tips 
    • ❄Storing suggestions 
    • 🥔How to serve 
    • ❔Commonly asked questions
    • 🍽More vegan seitan recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    💚Why you will love this recipe 

    • Hearty, flavorful, and have the perfect meat-like consistency 
    • Relatively simple and easy to prepare 
    • Jam-packed with protein - a serving contains more than 20g of protein! 
    • Can be made ahead of time and freeze well 

    🤔What is vegan roast beef made of? 

    As mentioned above, this vegan roast beef is made from seitan, a popular meat substitute made from vital wheat gluten. Wheat gluten is a high-protein flour that mainly consists of wheat protein - gluten. If interested, you can read about vital wheat gluten in this blog post.

    Unlike tofu or beans, seitan is chewy, has a meat-like texture, and is super high in protein.

    🧂What you will need 

    Ingredients needed like kidney beans, vital wheat gluten, water, soy sauce, and seasonings.

    📃Ingredients notes and substitutions 

    • Vital wheat gluten - Also known as gluten flour. Do not attempt to substitute this flour with other ingredients, as it simply would not work! 
    • Red kidney beans - Can be substituted with other beans like navy beans, pinto beans, or chickpeas. 
    • Beef seasoning - An optional ingredient to top seitan.  

    🔪How to make 

    In a food processor, place all ingredients except vital wheat gluten. Blend until a smooth paste forms. 

    Gently add vital wheat gluten to the food processor, and pulse until a dough forms. 

    A red batter in a food processor on a grey background.
    Seitan dough in a food processor on a grey background.

    Knead for 2 minutes, and shape the dough into a loaf resembling beef. Optionally, top it with some beef seasonings. 

    Kneading seitan dough.
    Shaped seitan dough topped with beef seasoning with a small ramekin beside.

    Wrap it in aluminum foil. Steam for 50 minutes, and let it cool down slightly, around 30 minutes. You can serve your seitan roast beef as it is or sears it in the pan before enjoying it! 

    Uncooked seitan wrapped in foil.
    Seared vegan roast beef in a cast iron skillet on a white checkered teacloth.

    ✔Helpful tips 

    • Avoid over-kneading your dough. I find that 2 minutes is the sweet spot, but you can knead for up to 3 minutes if you prefer tougher seitan. I would not recommend going beyond that. 
    • If you do not feel comfortable with aluminum foil touching your food, wrap the dough with a layer of parchment paper first before wrapping the aluminum foil.
    • It is highly recommended that you let vegan roast beef cool down for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. Freshly cooked seitan might be slightly softer right after cooking but will firm up as it cools. 

    ❄Storing suggestions 

    Let your seitan roast beef cool completely, and remove the foil before storing. You can either store the whole loaf unsliced or slices of it. 

    Fridge - Place it in an airtight container, and it will stay well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

    Freezer - This vegan roast is freezable too! You can either store it in a freezer bag or a sealed container before freezing. 

    Reheating - If reheating from frozen, let the seitan thaw in the fridge overnight. You can then proceed with heating it in an oven preheated to 180C/350F for 20-25 minutes. Alternatively, you can slice it up and char it in an oiled pan on both sides. 

    Partially sliced vegan roast beef on a wooden board with dishes containing mustard and beef seasoning beside.

    🥔How to serve 

    Side dishes - You can serve seitan roast beef with a side of roasted potatoes or other vegetables, air-fried portobello mushrooms, mashed potatoes, and gravy.

    Salad - For a lighter meal, you can serve it on a bed of salad greens along with dressing (This Italian dressing is my favorite!) Or, you can serve it with this protein pasta salad or lettuce avocado salad. 

    Roast ‘beef’ sandwich  - Slice it thinly and use it as a sandwich filling with tomato slices, shredded lettuce, and your favorite vegan cheese and condiments.

    Soups and stews - I love chopping it into smaller chunks and adding them to soups and stews to bump up the protein content. 

    Rice or other grains - This vegan roast beef is incredibly flavorful on its own; hence it pairs well with freshly steamed rice or other grain of choice. To make it low-carb, opt for cauliflower or broccoli rice.

    ❔Commonly asked questions

    Can I substitute vital wheat gluten with other kinds of flour?

    It is not recommended to substitute vital wheat gluten with any other kinds of flour. Due to its unique characteristic, it is impossible to replace wheat gluten with other ingredients.

    Where can I get vital wheat gluten?

    You can find wheat gluten in most well-stocked groceries, and they are usually located in the health food aisle or baking aisle. You could also get it at your local health food store. If not, wheat gluten is also sold online through Amazon.

    Is wheat gluten gluten-free?

    Unfortunately, vital wheat gluten is not gluten-free as it contains nearly all gluten. Hence, this recipe is unsuitable for those who are intolerant or sensitive to gluten.

    Partially sliced seitan beef on a chopping board topped with chopped cilantro.

    🍽More vegan seitan recipes

    • Vegan BBQ Seitan Ribs
    • Vegan Seitan Doner Kebab Meat
    • Flavorful Seitan Vegan Chorizo Sausages
    • Smoky Vegan Seitan Bacon

    If you did make this recipe, do leave a rating and comment down below, we love hearing from you! Subscribe to My Plantiful Cooking to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get the latest updates. 😉

    📖 Recipe

    A partially sliced seitan beef on a wooden chopping board with mustard and beef seasoning beside.

    Juicy Vegan Roast Beef

    Meesha
    This juicy and tender vegan roast beef will please even meat-eaters! It is packed full of flavor and perfectly meaty with a great chew. High in protein, filling, and hearty, this seitan roast beef is the perfect meatless main dish for festive dinners.
    4.63 from 16 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 50 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 136 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • ¾ cup red kidney beans or chickpeas, navy beans, or pinto beans
    • ¾ cup water
    • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
    • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari/shoyu
    • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard or yellow mustard
    • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 ¾ cups vital wheat gluten
    • 2 teaspoons beef seasoning optional
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Place all ingredients except vital wheat gluten and beef seasoning in the food processor and process until a smooth batter forms.
    • Gently add wheat gluten to the batter. Pulse until a dough forms.
    • On a clean kitchen surface, knead for around 2 minutes. Shape it into a loaf to mimic beef, and sprinkle on your beef seasonings. Wrap it using aluminium foil.
    • Steam it in a steamer basket for 50 minutes.
    • Let it cool down slightly for 30 minutes. You can either enjoy your seitan as it is, or sear it in a skillet to slightly char it.

    Notes

    Helpful tips
    • Avoid over-kneading your dough. I find that 2 minutes is the sweet spot, but you can knead for up to 3 minutes if you prefer tougher seitan. I would not recommend going beyond that. 
    • If you do not feel comfortable with aluminum foil touching your food, wrap the dough with a layer of parchment paper first before wrapping the aluminum foil.
    • It is highly recommended that you let vegan roast beef cool down for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. Freshly cooked seitan might be slightly softer right after cooking but will firm up as it cools.
     
     
    Storing - Let your vegan roast beef cool completely, and remove the foil before storing. You can either store the whole loaf unsliced or slices of it. 
    To refrigerate, place it in an airtight container, and it can be kept for up to 4 days. This vegan roast is freezable too, and you can either store it in a freezer bag or a sealed container before freezing. 
    Reheating - If reheating from frozen, let the seitan thaw in the fridge overnight. You can then proceed with heating it in an oven preheated to 180C/350F for 20-25 minutes. Alternatively, you can slice it up and char it in an oiled pan on both sides. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 136kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 23gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 329mgPotassium: 212mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 339IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 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.

    Did you make this recipe ?Tag @myplantifulcooking on Instagram !

    More Vegan Meat Substitutes

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    • Saucy Vegan Orange Chicken

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Luke Allison

      January 20, 2023 at 6:16 pm

      Tried this for the first time. I used tinned mushrooms in the place of beans. It came out fairly well but I also agree that it's a bit rubbery. I think 50 minutes of steaming is too long and 35 would be adequate. Nothing that a little olive oil can't fix. Thanks for this recipe. I'll use it as a starting point.

      Reply
      • Meesha

        January 24, 2023 at 10:00 am

        You are welcome! Feel free to experiment around, and do let me know how it goes.

        Reply
    2. Michael

      December 03, 2022 at 4:13 am

      What do you use for the beef seasoning?

      Reply
      • Meesha

        December 03, 2022 at 8:22 am

        This is the particular one I am using - https://amzn.to/3B7vFrA. As it is on the saltier side, I recommend lightly sprinkling it on top for decoration. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Jackie Carey

      November 06, 2022 at 7:29 am

      Thanks for this recipe, it looks yummy! I do have a question before I try making this: the recipe says to "add ALL ingredients" (except the vital wheat gluten) in the food processor. Then further down the recipe says to "Shape it into a loaf to mimic beef, and sprinkle on your beef seasonings". Does this mean the beef seasonings are NOT part of the "ALL ingredients" as noted above? I'm unclear as to whether the beef seasonings are added to the food processor OR they're sprinkled on top of the final loaf. Thanks again, can't wait to try this! 🙂

      Reply
      • Meesha

        November 06, 2022 at 9:07 am

        Oh, sorry about that confusion! The beef seasoning is meant to be sprinkled on top. 😊

        Reply
    4. Karen Coles

      October 15, 2022 at 8:12 am

      How do you “steam it?” I have no clue how to do that.

      Reply
      • Meesha

        October 15, 2022 at 10:35 am

        Bring about 1-2 inches of water in a pot to a boil, and fit in the steamer basket. Place the wrapped seitan into the steamer basket and cover the pot. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    5. Kris

      October 15, 2022 at 4:23 am

      Is it possible to substitute something for the vital wheat gluten? I need to be gluten free. Would oat flour work?

      Reply
      • Meesha

        October 15, 2022 at 10:35 am

        Sorry, this recipe will not work with other kinds of flour, and can't be made gluten-free.😅

        Reply
    6. Ivonne

      October 13, 2022 at 12:13 pm

      5 stars
      Where I live, nutritional yeast is quite expensive, can I ommit it or replace it for another ingredient?

      Reply
      • Meesha

        October 13, 2022 at 5:03 pm

        Yes, you can omit it! You might need to reduce the amount of water used by 1-2 tablespoons. 😁

        Reply
    7. Sue I

      October 10, 2022 at 5:04 pm

      Just wondering about the steaming part. Do you think I could steam in in my instant pot? I assume I would have to reduce the time but not sure by how much. Wondering your thoughts.

      Reply
      • Meesha

        October 11, 2022 at 2:30 pm

        Although I have never tried it, I think it will work! From past experience, I would recommend steaming for 45-50 minutes. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    8. Graham

      January 04, 2022 at 11:17 pm

      4 stars
      I made this and increased the oven time to 1 h and 40 min at approx. 190 degrees C. Let it sit as recommended for at least 30 min and it turned out great. Thank you, really enjoyed it.

      Reply
      • Meesha

        January 05, 2022 at 4:33 pm

        I am really happy to hear that! 😊

        Reply
    9. Travis

      December 05, 2021 at 1:10 am

      1 star
      I followed this recipe to a T and it did not turn out very well. The middle was very soft and dough like and not like any faux meat texture. Not sure what went wrong.

      Reply
      • Meesha

        December 06, 2021 at 4:39 pm

        Sorry to hear that! Did you let seitan cool down completely before slicing into it? The dough will be quite soft right after baking but will firm up as it cools. And you could also knead the dough longer if you prefer very firm seitan. Hope that helps!😁

        Reply
      • Mike S

        November 06, 2022 at 2:20 am

        4 stars
        Mine came out a bit chewy. Any way to add more 'juicy' back to it? Maybe broil and baste???

        Reply
        • Meesha

          November 06, 2022 at 9:06 am

          Yes, you can simply baste it in some vegan "beef" broth, or regular broth, along with herbs and spices of choice. Hope this helps!

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