Vegan BBQ Seitan Ribs

You can make almost every kinds of meat dishes under the sun using seitan! After using it to make bacon and Italian sausages, I have ribs on my next agenda.

And I must say, it turns out to be a huge success! It is smoky, juicy and tender, and has all the flavors of the classic ribs. Even my non-vegan family absolutely adores this dish, and we have been making this almost every weekend!

💚Why you will love this recipe

• Savory, sticky and succulent - Unlike those made from tofu, tempeh or beans, this seitan version actually have a chewy texture that closely resembles that of meat! They are also incredibly flavorsome and tasty, and will leave you wanting for more.
• Fuss-free and easy to throw together- Making your own vegan ribs at home might sound overwhelming, but this recipe in particular is actually pretty simple.
• Packed with plant based protein - Seitan is one of the highest protein plant food available, and per serving of this seitan ribs provides more than 25g of protein!
• A crowd pleaser - Great for summer parties, potlucks and picnics. They are kid-friendly and will impress even meat eaters.

🤔What is it made of

The main ingredient in this BBQ vegan ribs is seitan, a meat substitute made from vital wheat gluten. Wheat gluten is a high protein flour that mainly composed of wheat-protein - gluten. I recommend checking out this vital wheat gluten post as it goes into so much more detail about this incredible ingredient!

Various spices and seasonings like onion and garlic powder, nutritional yeast, soy sauce and liquid smoke are used to give tons of flavor as seitan is pretty much tasteless on its own. Tahini is also added to give extra moisture and richness to these vegan ribs.

You will also need some BBQ sauce, either homemade or store-bought ones. I recommend getting a good quality one that you actually like as it will be the main seasoning in this recipe.

🧄What you will need

📃Notes/substitutions

• Vital wheat gluten - DO NOT substitute this with any other kind of flour. It simply will not work! You can get it in most well-stocked groceries or health food stores. I usually get my wheat gluten online through Amazon.
• BBQ sauce - Both homemade or store-bought ones can be used. If you are looking for a healthier recipe, I recommend giving this healthy BBQ sauce from My Quiet Kitchen a try!
• Tahini - Provide extra richness and improve texture of seitan ribs. You can use almond butter in place, or 1 tablespoon neutral-tasting oil.
• Soy sauce - Tamari or shoyu can be used in place.

Knead dough for about 30 seconds to a minute.

Transfer seitan dough to a 7x11 inches or 8x8 inches baking dish. Using your hands, press dough to evenly spread it into the pan. Slice dough into 12-16 pieces, depending on how wide you want your vegan ribs to be.

Bake for 20 minutes, then spread BBQ sauce on and bake for another 10 minutes. When the time is up, flip it and spread sauce on the other side. Bake it again for 10 minutes.

Let seitan ribs cool down and rest for at least 30 minutes before serving.

🥔How to serve

You can simply serve these BBQ vegan ribs like you would with the traditional ones! Here are some serving ideas if you are looking for some inspiration -

• Serve it with some mashed potato and gravy for if you are craving something warm and comforting.
• On the other hand, you can serve your seitan ribs with some pasta salad or coleslaw if you want something light and refreshing.
• They will also go well with roasted potato, normal fries, potato slices, or sweet potato fries.
• You can also serve them with vegetable side dishes like air fryer Portobello mushrooms, roasted vegetables, and corn on cob.
• Last but certainly not least, pair BBQ vegan ribs with some freshly steamed rice or cornbread! They are pretty flavorful on their own, and will pair well with something more neutral-tasting.

❄Storing suggestions

Refrigerating

Let seitan ribs cool down before transferring them to a sealed container. They can be refrigerated for 4-5 days.

Freezing

Portion them accordingly in sealed containers and they will last in the freezer for up to a month.

Reheating

To reheat from frozen, let vegan ribs thaw completely overnight in the fridge, or on the countertop for a few hours. Brush on some BBQ sauce. You can proceed with heating them in a pan or on a grill.

For a quicker version, you can first thaw them using your microwave's "defrost" function, before heating them on high at 15-second spurts, or until thoroughly heated.