This vegan doner kebab made from seitan is the meatless version of the classic Turkish ones! It is juicy, meaty and packed with tons of flavor. This versatile dish is simple, fuss-free and packed with plant protein!
This vegan doner kebab is seriously a game-changer! It is bold in flavor and has the perfect chewy texture that closely resembles that of the real deal. Like my vegan roast beef, vegan bacon, and andouille sausages, it is made from the most popular meat substitute of all times - seitan.
💚Why you will love this recipe
- Tender, succulent, and perfectly spiced
- A great source of plant-based protein
- A family favorite that is incredibly versatile - can be used to make sandwiches, served with salads, rice, and fries
- Freezer-friendly and can be made ahead of time
🤔What exactly is doner kebab
You probably have seen or walked past a large cut of meat rotating on a giant skewer. That is what is known as doner kebab.
Originating from Turkey, this meat dish is commonly made from beef and lamb, although sometimes poultry, especially chicken, is used. The meat is first marinated in various herbs and spices before cooking on the rotisserie. Doner meat is usually craved thinly, then served in pitas or flatbreads and some freshly sliced veggies to make sandwiches.
In this vegan version, we will use seitan, a meat substitute made from vital wheat gluten, instead of meat. It has the flavors and texture of the regular ones, and even meat-eaters will be impressed!
🧅What you will need
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Vital wheat gluten - DO NOT substitute wheat gluten with other kinds of flour; it simply will not work! You can find it in most well-stocked groceries, but I usually get my wheat gluten online.
- Tomato paste - To add color to this vegan doner meat. Don't worry; you can barely taste it.
- Soy sauce - Tamari or shoyu can be used in place.
- Tofu - Use extra firm tofu that has been drained and pressed beforehand. I usually use a tofu press, but you can do it manually by stacking something heavy on top. For more detailed instructions, I recommend checking out this post on how to press tofu.
🔪How to make
Start by sauteing onion until translucent.
Then, add in garlic and fry for another minute or so. Set aside.
Then, add all ingredients except wheat gluten into a food processor. Process until a smooth batter forms.
Add in wheat gluten and pulse until everything is well combined.
Transfer dough to a wet surface and knead for 3-4 minutes.
Shape dough into a log.
Wrap it in foil and twist the ends to seal. Bake for an hour in an oven preheated to 200C/400F, flipping it halfway through.
Let it cool down completely, and slice or shave it.
✔Helpful tips
- Avoid over-kneading the dough - The more the gluten develops, the tougher and more rubbery your seitan will be.
- Allow to cool before slicing - Let cooked vegan doner kebab cool for at least an hour before slicing. The texture will be even better if you refrigerate it overnight! When ready to serve, slice it thinly and pan-fry them before use.
- Customize this recipe - Feel free to add other herbs or spices, like dried parsley, dried thyme, or chili powder.
- Pan-frying vegan doner kebab before serving - You can either pan-fry the whole log or slice/shave it before frying. It browns seitan and gives them a crispy edge.
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🥙How to serve
Make doner kebab sandwiches - Fill your pita with shaved seitan kebab and vegetables such as onion, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and cucumber. Drizzle with tahini dressing, yogurt sauce, or vegan tzatziki before serving.
Making kebab bowls - Kebab bowls are essentially deconstructed kebab sandwiches! Fill your bowl with chunks of seitan meat, salads like my lettuce avocado salad, toasted pita, and tahini dressing or hummus (like my paprika hummus)
Make a kebab platter or plate - Like a charcuterie board, a kebab platter is great for parties and gatherings! Load a large plate up with shredded vegan doner kebab, dips like hummus, tzatziki, or tahini sauce, salads or vegetables of choice, and some toasted pitas.
Add it to salads - To bump up the protein content of your salads, top it off with some vegan kebab meat! I especially love adding it to my protein pasta salad or my tomato avocado cucumber salad.
❄Storing suggestions
Refrigerating - You can either refrigerate the whole log or slices of it. Keep it in an air-tight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
Freezing - You can freeze the whole log or carve this vegan doner kebab before freezing. If freezing carved meat, portion it into individual portions using storage containers so you will only take out what you need. Kebab meat can be frozen for 3 months.
Reheating - Allow frozen vegan doner kebab to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. You can either pan-fry them or heat them up in the microwave.
📖 Recipe
Seitan Kebab (Vegan Doner Kebab)
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 7 oz extra firm tofu drained and pressed (about ½ block)
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari/shoyu
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cup vital wheat gluten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Prepare 2 sheets of aluminum foil about 20 inches (50cm) long.
- Heat up a tablespoon of olive oil (or other neutral-tasting oil) in a non-stick pan on medium high heat. Once pan is heated, add in onion and cook until translucent, about 3-4 2inutes.1 medium yellow onion
- Add in garlic next and fry for a minute or so, until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.4 cloves garlic
- Add in all ingredients (including cooked onion and garlic) except vital wheat gluten into a food processor. Blend until smooth.7 oz extra firm tofu, 1 cup water, ¼ cup tomato paste, 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Then, add in vital wheat gluten. Pulse until a dough form. The dough will be on the wetter side.1 ½ cup vital wheat gluten
- Transfer dough to a flat surface. Knead for 3-4 minutes.
- Slightly overlap the 2 foils on each other by about ⅓, then place dough at one end of the foil. Shape it into a log about 7-8 inches long (18-20cm). Roll it up tightly in foil and twist the ends to seal.
- Bake for an hour, flipping it halfway through.
- Let it cool for at least an hour before slicing into it. Optionally, you can pan-fry shaved meat to lightly brown them.
Notes
- Avoid over-kneading the dough - The more the gluten develops, the tougher and more rubbery your seitan will be.
- Customize this recipe - Feel free to add other herbs or spices, like dried parsley, dried thyme, or chili powder.
- Pan-frying vegan doner kebab before serving - You can either pan-fry the whole log or slice/shave it before frying. It browns seitan and gives them a crispy edge.
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
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.
CAROL says
Can this be cooked in an air fryer?
Janne Swearehbgen says
Can this be cooked in an Instant Pot? If so, how long?
Meesha says
I would not recommend doing so as the seitan is meant to be baked. 😅
Abba says
Hi, there, thanks for this - the link to Amazon for the vital wheat gluten goes to 2 products, vital wheat gluten flour and vital wheat gluten - which one do you use here? Thank you!
Meesha says
They are both actually referring to the same thing!😁
Sam says
If using pre-pressed tofu (like Tofood Co brand), should we still use 7oz?
Meesha says
Yes you will also need around 7 oz.😁