Easy Seitan Strips: Vegan Meat Substitute

Written by
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Jolinda Hackett
Updated 06/09/21
Seitan strip recipe

The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 3 to 4 servings
Yield: 1 pound seitan
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
259 Calories
11g Fat
11g Carbs
29g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 259
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 544mg 24%
Total Carbohydrate 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 29g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 68mg 5%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 113mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This is a super meaty tasting vegetarian and vegan seitan strips recipe that you can use as a meat substitute for just about anything. Add these seitan strips to stir-fries, Chinese food recipes, vegetarian sub sandwiches or just gobble up right out of the pan.

The combination of ingredients used to turn plain seitan into a meaty-flavored substitute may seem a bit odd, but the salty soy sauce, tangy and full-bodied balsamic vinegar and sweet barbecue sauce all combine for a meat-like flavor in this vegetarian and vegan seitan recipe.

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound seitan, sliced into strips or bite-sized chunks

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons water

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for seitan strips
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

  2. Sauté the sliced seitan in oil over medium-low heat until lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.

    Seitan in frying pan
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

  3. Add the soy sauce, stirring to coat seitan well, then add the balsamic vinegar, barbecue sauce, and a tablespoon or two of water, stirring to mix well and coat seitan.

    Add sauce
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

  4. Heat for 1 to 2 more minutes, until the water is completely absorbed and the seitan is fully cooked.

    Seitan strips
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

  5. Use your super meaty seitan strips to make barbecue-style sandwiches, add it to Vietnamese style pho noodle soup, or, serve it with a side of collard greens and some mac and cheese for a Southern vegetarian feast!

    Seitan on bun
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

Recipe Variations

  • If you like something a little spicy, add a touch of hot sauce (I like Frank's Red Hot, Tapatio and also Sriracha sauce) and serve with extra on the side.
  • If you happen to have some liquid smoke on hand, a couple of drops of that will make the aroma and flavor even meatier.