If you’re looking for something spicy, sticky, and chewy to sink your teeth into this summer, we’ve come up with the soluation to your BBQ cravings- BBQ_Braised Vegan Air Fried Seitan! This seitan recipe is as simple as they come- only using 4 ingredients in the dough itself, and is then air fried with no oil in small pieces to make seitan puffs. The puffs are braised in a simple combination of garlic, onion, BBQ sauce, water and a little sugar for a chewy and flavorful summer treat. There’s no reason being vegan should mean you can’t get all the flavors and textures you love in food- vegan BBQ here we come!
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Vegan Air Fried Seitan Recipe
I have an air fryer, and I like to play around with it and experiment. Since I’ve never really done a whole lot of deep frying, sometimes I’m not sure how foods will react to being fried (let alone being air fried). So when I decided to stick a few bits of seitan dough in the air fryer, I was pleasantly surprised. The tiny little scraps of seitan I stuck in ballooned up into small, golden spheres! Then, after removing them from the air fryer, I saw to my great sorrow that my perfect, golden spheres were shrinking. After a couple minutes, I was left with hard, wrinkled, jerky-like seitan. But all is not lost- we can still make a seitan recipe from here!
Looking to Air Fry? Try one of these recipes!
Vegan BBQ- All the Flavor, and No One Get’s Hurt!
Summer seems to be all about BBQ- and that doesn’t have to mean the grill! Aside from the cooking style, BBQ is all about the flavors- sweet, spicy, sour and smoky. And it turns out, you don’t need a grill or meat to create those dishes! Our friends over at Veganosity wrote a whole book about it! The flavors of BBQ are amazing, but the huge emphasis on meat really isn’t. It’s horrible to think about all the animals that die, and then get slathered with so much BBQ sauce you can’t really taste it anyway. That’s one of the reasons vegan BBQ can be such a good alternative- once the BBQ sauce comes on, all you need to do is come up with a good texture! Which this vegan air fried seitan recipe has plenty of.
Looking for Seitan? Try a vegan seitan recipe!
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- Simple Simmered Seitan Recipe for Stir Frying
- Tandoori Seitan Kabobs with Cucumber Yogurt Salad
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How to Make BBQ Braised Air Fried Seitan
The ingredients in this seitan recipe are limited, but there are two cooking processes that need to be done. Firstly, we make a really simple seitan dough, and in small batches we cook that seitan in the air fryer for 5 minutes in small, 5 gram pieces. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have cook it in many batches, but be patient. If you over-fill the air fryer, they won’t have the space to cook properly, and will stick together. After the seitan is cooked, the second step is to braise the seitan in BBQ sauce, along with a bit of added sugar and water. Depending on how sweet your BBQ sauce is, you may or may not really need the extra sugar, so feel free to experiment here. The seitan will absorb some of the cooking liquid and soften, and some of the moisture will evaporate, until the remaining sauce becomes sticky and thick, at which point it’s time to eat!
BBQ-Braised Vegan Air Fried Seitan Recipe
BBQ-Braised Vegan Air Fried Seitan Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1 tbsp. miso paste
- 1 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- Oil, for cooking
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ medium onion, sliced
- ½ cup of your favorite vegan BBQ sauce (plus more, if desired)
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar
Instructions
- Mix the vital wheat gluten, garlic powder, soy sauce and miso paste together in a bowl, slowly adding ½ cup of water until a stretchy, firm dough forms. Kneed for about one minute, then cut the dough into small pieces (about 5 grams, or between ½-1 tsp). Roll those pieces into small balls, and set aside.
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Add the balls in small batches, and cook for 5 minutes. When they’re done, they should have blown up into spheres- don’t get too excited, sadly they will soon deflate. Set aside, and continue cooking the dough in batches until it is all gone.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and BBQ sauce with 1 cup of water and whisk together. Add a small amount of oil to a large skillet, and sauté the onions and garlic for about 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the seitan puffs, and the diluted BBQ sauce. On a medium heat, bring to a simmer and continue to cook, stirring often. Once most of the liquid has been absorbed by the seitan or evaporated, the sauce will become thicker and sticky. Remove from the heat and serve as is, or with additional BBQ sauce, as desired.
https://veryveganval.com/2019/06/17/bbq-braised-vegan-air-fried-seitan-recipe/
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FAQs
Add a little less water and knead it thoroughly. Let it stay for 30 minutes and knead it again, I even use a wooden roll for that. I some times add a tablespoon of potato starch or cornstarch, this adds consistency without making it too rubbery or hard (don't knead as much).
Is seitan healthy for you? ›
Is Seitan Healthy? In many ways, yes, seitan is quite a healthy option. The seitan nutrition facts are hard to argue with: notable amounts of protein, iron, calcium, selenium, phosphorus, and B vitamins. This combination of macro- and micronutrients can result in some pretty impressive health benefits.
How to make seitan taste good? ›
Part of the process of making seitan involves seasoning it to taste like meat. This may be done with sauces like soy sauce, liquid smoke, or vegan Worcestershire sauce, as well as salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, or other spices and herbs.
Is it worth making seitan? ›
It's high in protein and low in fat and carbs, and it's a good source of minerals such as selenium and iron. Seitan is a great option for people who cannot eat soy, as many other popular vegan foods, such as tofu and tempeh, are soy-based.
Why does my stomach hurt after eating seitan? ›
Gluten Sensitivity or Celiac Disease: Seitan is derived from wheat gluten, which contains gluten, a protein that can cause adverse reactions in people with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease. Symptoms can include bloating, gas, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and fatigue.
What happens if you eat too much seitan? ›
In those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, eating seitan can cause adverse side effects like swelling, abdominal pain, diarrhea and cramps. It's also not considered a complete protein and needs to be paired with a well-balanced diet to ensure you're getting the amino acids that you need.
Is seitan a highly processed food? ›
The Drawbacks Seitan
“To make it complete, you'll have to pair this food with other plant proteins such as legumes, grains, and nuts,” she says. Additionally, she points out that, since seitan is a processed food, it contains preservatives such as sulfites, which you may not want in abundance in your diet.
What is healthier seitan or tofu? ›
However, while seitan is an excellent plant-based protein alternative, tofu is a complete protein (seitan lacks the amino acid lysine). Unseasoned tofu is typically lower in sodium than store-bought seitan, which can be processed with salt, sugar or other flavors added.
Can you lose weight eating seitan? ›
The answer is, yes! —as long it's part of a well-rounded diet. A 100g serving of seitan has about 141 calories and 25 grams of protein, making it comparable to the amount of protein in chicken or beef. Because the starches are removed from the wheat when seitan is made, it has very little fat and carbs.
Which flour is best for seitan? ›
For a better flavor and a cheaper price, try washing the flour and make your seitan from bread flour! The brand of bread flour doesn't matter. Choose a high protein flour for a larger yield. You can make this with all-purpose flour, however you will have a smaller yield.
What are the cons?
- Not suitable for those with gluten-sensitivities or coeliac disease.
- Doesn't absorb much flavour.
- High amounts of sodium (salt) in the packaged product.
- Seitan is hard to source unlike other vegetarian protein alternatives meaning you may have to venture to a specialty vegetarian “butcher”
Because of its meaty texture, seitan can be used in a variety of dishes, from sandwiches and stir-fries to stews and soups. The best part is that making seitan at home is easy, and it's much cheaper than buying pre-made or store-bought seitan.
What to pair with seitan for complete protein? ›
Quinoa – You can cook it in a flavored broth to add a textural element to your wet mix, or serve it on the side of your seitan for a complete protein meal. Lentils – Great in beefy dishes, lentils can add a savory, and sometimes peppery note to make any seitan dish a high- and complete-protein meal.
Why is my seitan so rubbery? ›
Cooking Method: Overcooking can cause the steak to lose its moisture, making it dry and chewy. Conversely, undercooking can make certain cuts feel tough. Aging Process: Steaks that are not properly aged can be less tender. At Heartstone Farm, our grass-fed beef is aged 14 days for optimal tenderness.
What tastes better tempeh or seitan? ›
Tempeh's flavor is often compared to that of mushrooms. Its slightly nutty and savory flavor, making it ideal when adding to recipes like teriyaki bowls, salads and curry. Seitan's taste is a bit more savory, with a taste closer to a portobello mushroom or bland chicken.
How to stop seitan being chewy? ›
Simmering may be the method of choice for tender, less chewy seitan. In my opinion, it is also the method that people seem to have the most trouble with. The key is to keep the water at a simmer. If the water is boiling, the seitan will become spongy, soft and jiggly…
How do you improve the texture of seitan? ›
Boiling seitan makes it have a brainy spongey texture, frying seitan (without first steaming it) makes it rubbery and spongey, baking it makes it dry and rubbery. Steaming seitan, on the other hand, will yield the perfect meaty, juicy, chewy, yet tender seitan every single time.
How do you tenderize seitan? ›
Unwrap the seitan and place it in an airtight container. Pour in 2 ½ cups of vegetable broth and 2 teaspoons of tamari, then refrigerate the seitan overnight in the marinade. The next day, the seitan will be tender and juicy, perfect for use in various recipes!
What happens if you overcook seitan? ›
Don't let it dry out – If you overcook seitan, it will become tough, chewy and dry, which is not what you want!
