Vegan Beefy Seitan Roast (2024)

November 15, 2017 by Lisa Le 33 Comments

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This vegan beefy seitan roast is easy but a little labour intensive…
it’s totally worth the hassle.

This super delicious yet totally vegan, beefy seitan roast is my new go-to for the holidays! Tender, chewy, savoury with tons of flavour, this badboy has been tried and tested on my Thanksgiving spread and was received with gusto and enthusiasm! I had always been intimidated by seitan, but after getting to know this one particular recipe from Seitan and Beyond(affiliate link), I started to get more comfortable with playing around with seitan. I still have yet to try some others that use beans or chickpea flour, or perfect my blended tofu + gluten roast, but I’m happy to report that this one has been pretty foolproof!

The thing with seitan is that the longer you cook it, the chewier it gets. Cook it for too long though, you’ll reach a point where you’re chewing rubber. Don’t go that far. I cooked mine for 45 minutes in the oven, then about an hour on the stove (I’ve also done it for 45 minutes and it turned out just fine), and it came out to this tender, chewy, but not overly so, roast that slices like meat. It fulfills that savoury craving, thattriumphant feeling of cooking your first complicated entree for a family feast. ThatAh ha!moment when you realize that cooking for eight isn’t as hard or stressful as you thought it might be.

At least, for me it wasn’t. For some that might sound rather awful but cooking for friends and family gives me this unexpected high that keeps me coming back for more. A little jolt that goes down to my toes that reminds me that I have purpose. Is that sad? That I find purpose in feeding my friends and family? It seems so basic and rudimentary, but it fills me with satisfaction all the same.

If you’re more of a visual learner, check out how I made this recipe (and got a little more disheveled with each hour that passed) from my YouTube video:

Happy holidays and stay tuned for my super simple and easy stuffing recipe :)

Recipe adapted from Chef Skye Michael Conroy’s Seitan and Beyond (affiliate link)

Print Recipe

Vegan Beefy Seitan Roast

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Vegan

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 2984kcal

Author: Lisa Le

Ingredients

For the seitan

3 cups 750 mL vital wheat gluten
1 tsp 5 mL ground white pepper
2 tbsp 30 mL onion powder
2 tbsp 30 mL garlic powder
1 tsp 5 mL dried rubbed rosemary
1 tbsp 15 mL fresh rubbed thyme (or 1 tsp dried rubbed thyme)
2 1/4 cups 560 mL water + 2 tbsp mushroom broth powder (or 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth)
1/4 cup 60 mL tamari
1 tsp 5 mL marmite
2 tsp 5 mL vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp 10 mL blackstrap molasses
1/4 cup 60 mL oil

For the simmering broth

10 cups 2.5 L water
2 medium onions peeled and quartered
2 medium parsnips roughly chopped
2 medium-large carrots roughly chopped
3 ribs celery roughly chopped
1/4 cup 60 mL tamari
1 tbsp 15 mL blackstrap molasses
1 tbsp 15 mL mushroom broth powder
1 tsp 5 mL black peppercorns
1 tbsp 15 mL nutritional yeast

For the gravy

1 tbsp 15 mL cornstarch PER 1 cup (250 mL) of liquid (I used about 3 tbsp in the end)

Instructions

For the seitan:

Preheat oven to 325F (or 300F if your oven runs hot like mine does)
In a large bowl, combine gluten, white pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, rosemary and thyme and stir to combine.
In another bowl, combine water, mushroom broth powder, tamari, marmite, worchestershire sauce, blackstrap molasses and oil and stir to combine.
Add wet ingredients to the dry mixture and stir until a wet dough forms.
Turn onto a clean surface and knead aggressively (I basically punched it multiple times) for about 5-10 minutes until it stretches before it tears apart.
Roll the dough into a log, tucking in the edges as best as you can. Try to shape it so it will fit inside your simmering pot. Place on a lined, thick-bottomed baking sheet, seam down. Bake for 45-50 minutes until bottom is golden.

For the simmering broth:

Combine all ingredients in a pot and simmer, covered for 45 minutes. Once 45 min have passed, skim the larger veggies from the broth and add the baked seitan. Cook for 45+ minutes (you can cook for up to 1 1/2 hours) on a very low simmer. Not so low that it's just hot water, but a low, steady simmer with bubbles barely breaking the surface.

To finish the seitan roast:

Once cooked, remove the seitan and chill, with 1 cup of broth for 6-8 hours for optimal meaty texture. BUT if you just want to continue cooking to serve, instead place seitan on a baking dish with 1 cup of broth and braise/baste at 325F for 15-20 minutes (30-25 minutes if you're braising a chilled roast) until a light crust forms. Ensure you're basting every 5-10 minutes or so to keep the roast tender and moist.
Remove from oven and slice to serve.

For the gravy:

Meanwhile, use the strained simmering broth and add 1 tbsp cornstarch per 1 cup of liquid.
Cook on medium heat until thickened. Serve gravy with the thinly sliced seitan!

Nutrition

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About Lisa Le

Lisa is the thirty-something, nerdy, procrastinating, feminist blogger and photographer behind The Viet Vegan. She loves spicy foods, noodles, and food in bowls.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Jennifer Bliss says
November 15, 2017 at 10:29 AM

I need to get into Seitan more. It’s not that I don’t like it – it’s just that I don’t have it a lot
Reply
- Lisa Le says
  November 17, 2017 at 12:44 PM
  
  It’s so great! Ever since I started making it I can’t stop haha. It’s almost always better than storebought XD
  Reply
Sarah says
November 18, 2017 at 7:49 AM

What can I use in place of the mushroom broth powder – I have a mushroom allergy. A not beef bouillon cube perhaps?
Thanks!
Reply
- Lisa Le says
  November 19, 2017 at 12:01 AM
  
  That would work wonderfully! It might be best to dissolve it into the water first :)
  Reply
Kylie says
November 21, 2017 at 5:36 PM

I’m excited to make this for Thanksgiving!! Can the marmite be substituted or omitted though? I have no access to it. Could a tsp of miso possibly work as a substitution?
Reply
- Lisa Le says
  November 22, 2017 at 3:55 PM
  
  Miso would work just fine!
  Reply
Sebastian Bach says
November 22, 2017 at 4:19 AM

Great guidance! I like Vegan Beefy Seitan Roast very much. I will give this idea to my mom to make it on the special occasion.
Reply
Birdy says
November 22, 2017 at 1:29 PM

Is it bad that I forgot the oil :(? Should I start over?
Reply
- Lisa Le says
  November 22, 2017 at 3:48 PM
  
  Hmmm I think it should be okay. If you can try and mix it in a little towards the end? I think I forgot the oil once and it was still okay haha. I tried mixing it in after and I just mostly ended up coating it in oil but it tastes good in the end!
  Reply
Maren says
November 23, 2017 at 7:47 AM

I’d love to make that for Christmas, but I work with the metric system D: do you know a good source for converting imperial to metric? Or maybe you could attempt to convert the numbers yourself? pretty pleeaaase!
Reply
- Lisa Le says
  November 29, 2017 at 3:43 PM
  
  I’ve added the volume metric measurements but I don’t have it weighted, sorry! The next time I make it I’ll weigh it for the recipe :)
  See Also
  Vegan Cauliflower Cheese
  Reply
  - Maren says
    December 1, 2017 at 5:21 AM
    
    Thank you so so much! I’m very excited to try this out :)
    Reply
- Robert J Wasserman says
  December 30, 2017 at 8:14 AM
  
  I got an app called Units Plus and I find it incredibly useful. There’s a free version called “Unit Converter FREE” and i think it’s available for both systems.
  Reply
Carla Patterson says
December 9, 2017 at 11:02 AM

Wow, so tasty and vegan on top of everything. Seems like I have found by accident a favorite recipe of mine – amazing blog. Thanks a lot, I will definitely follow you!
Reply
- Anne Thomas says
  December 4, 2019 at 7:46 AM
  
  Planning to make this for a family birthday party for my son, who has requested roast beef His brother and wife are vegan so I will make this for them. My question is can I make it the day before? My oven will be full on the day with the beef roast etc. so it would be best if I can make this the day before and reheat on the day.
  Reply
  - Lisa Le says
    December 11, 2019 at 12:08 PM
    
    Hi! Sorry if this is a late response, but yes, once you hit step 8, you can chill overnight and finish the rest the following day, but just make sure you store the seitan in a bag or container and cover it with the broth. Then continue with the rest of the recipe the next day :)
    Reply
Greg says
December 11, 2017 at 1:32 AM

I made this a few days ago as a test run for the holidays, and it was delicious!!! Lots of flavor, and love how it’s a big main dish. Thanks for posting it!
Reply
Greg Kraatz says
December 18, 2017 at 3:17 PM

Can it be made the day before, and cooked the day needed
Reply
- Lisa Le says
  December 18, 2017 at 4:42 PM
  
  Yep, steps 1-8 are generally done the day before :)
  Reply
Brenda Baggins says
December 23, 2017 at 9:20 AM

I hope mine works out, i live in Belgium and we don’t have stuff like Marmite and worchestershire sauce and stuff, i just put in some paprika and poultry seasoning, and i forgot i had miso paste at home, so next time i am gonna use that :( it’s the first time i make seitan so i hope it works out! also, i run out of soy sauce so i skipped that too omg *cries*
Reply
- Lisa Le says
  December 23, 2017 at 11:18 PM
  
  Meep you skipped almost all the things that give it meaty flavour!! Hahaha. I hope it still works out for you. Marmite and Worchestershire sauce are both British ingredients, so it shouldn’t be that hard to find in Belgium!!
  Reply
Lori says
December 24, 2017 at 12:26 PM

I don’t have access to Marmite or Vegan Worchestershire sauce – what do you recommend? and in what quantity? I am not a vegan, but my daughter is a strict vegan – and feminist(i’m a feminist too) – but I do eat less meat than most! thanks!
Reply
- Lisa Le says
  December 24, 2017 at 11:38 PM
  
  You could sub with equal amounts of miso paste (red miso would be best but any miso should do), and sub soy sauce for the worchestershire sauce. It won’t be exactly the same but you’ll still have some savoury flavour to it :)
  Reply
Maddie says
December 29, 2017 at 4:55 PM

Hey Lisa! Do you have any tips for how to add stuffing to the center of this roast? There are lots of recipes out there where people stuff their seitan roasts with veggies, but I’m looking for more of the traditional bread stuffing style. Would you say a drier or more moist filling would work best, and would it alter the bake time? Thanks!
Reply
- Lisa Le says
  December 30, 2017 at 1:31 AM
  
  I think a generally more moist one might work, just gotta seal up the roast well. I think you might want to half the seitan recipe in that case, and bake for 20 min, then boil for 20-30 min after that :) I’ll have to test it for next year myself but those are just my general impressions.
  Reply
Joe says
March 26, 2019 at 10:10 AM

for those who aren’t familiar and are searching for that ingredient listed above, it’s spelled wrong in this recipe. It’s Worcestershire, not worchestershire. Secondly, check the ingredients. Worcestershire is often made with anchovies :( so not very vegan. There are vegan versions available.
Reply
- Lisa Le says
  April 7, 2019 at 11:22 AM
  
  Ah thanks for pointing out the spelling mistake. I used a vegan worcestershire sauce and I explained that in the video (IIRC), but I’ll put an extra note in the recipe.
  Reply
Anastasia Bickel says
December 26, 2019 at 4:32 AM

Hi Lisa,
We made this for Xmas with stuffing and gravy. It was amazing! And then today for Boxing Day, we made Mongolian Beef with the leftovers. It was even better the next day. Such a versatile fake meat. Thank you and happy holidays!
Reply
Chris says
June 24, 2020 at 1:44 PM

What is the mushroom broth powder? At least you could have explained it or linked to an example.
Reply
- Lisa Le says
  June 24, 2020 at 2:10 PM
  
  It’s an ingredient I use a lot in my recipes. It’s a flavour enhancer, common in a lot of Vietnamese dishes. Its like granulated bouillon, I believe I explain it in the video.
  Reply
Rabinder Ramachandra says
July 3, 2020 at 4:11 AM

I hope mine works out, i live in Belgium and we don’t have stuff like Marmite and worchestershire sauce and stuff, i just put in some paprika and poultry seasoning, and i forgot i had miso paste at home, so next time i am gonna use that :( it’s the first time i make seitan so i hope it works out! also, i run out of soy sauce so i skipped that too omg
Reply
- Lisa Le says
  July 9, 2020 at 12:36 AM
  
  Oh boy that’s a lot of substitutions lol. How did it turn out?
  Reply
Giselle says
September 25, 2020 at 10:08 AM

We really liked this recipe. Could you freeze this? And if so at what time would be the best?
Reply

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