The BEST Chicken-Style Seitan Cutlets | Pasta-based Vegan Recipes (2024)

The BEST Chicken-Style Seitan Cutlets | Pasta-based Vegan Recipes (1)

Confession: before going vegan I’ve never heard of Seitan before. Nowadays, I hail Seitan every time I see it on the menu ;)!

Going vegan has made us aware of so many new foods, I feel like I have more variety in my diet than ever before. These best chicken-style seitan cutlets went from unknown to a staple for us.

The BEST Chicken-Style Seitan Cutlets | Pasta-based Vegan Recipes (2)

So what is Seitan? Seitan is vital wheat gluten – the natural protein found in wheat. It’s basically all gluten and no starch, so it’s not as high in carbohydrates than you would think.

BUT if you have celiac disease or a gluten-sensitivity, then you will want to stay away from Seitan. For people who can handle gluten in their diets, Seitan is a great soy-free meat alternative to try.

The BEST Chicken-Style Seitan Cutlets | Pasta-based Vegan Recipes (3)

Vital wheat gluten is 75% protein so Seitan recipes are protein-packed. Seitan has a chewy, meat-like texture and doesn’t usually taste like much unless you add seasonings.

In this recipe, a serving of 2 Seitan Cutlets has almost 30 grams of protein. Plus, it’s very low in fat and completely cholesterol free.

The BEST Chicken-Style Seitan Cutlets | Pasta-based Vegan Recipes (4)

These best chicken-style seitan cutlets are SO good. They are battered, breaded, and fried in vegetable oil to create a very authentic ‘chicken’-cutlet flavor and texture.

The BEST Chicken-Style Seitan Cutlets | Pasta-based Vegan Recipes (5)

These Seitan cutlets are the PERFECT vegan substitute for recipes like chick’n parmesan, chick’n cutlet sandwiches, chick’n rolls, chick’n piccata, chick’n and gravy, or just eaten alone with some ketchup and mashed potatoes.

The Best Chicken-Style Seitain Cutlets – in a pasta dish!

In this recipe, we made a simple lemon, olive oil, and vegan parmesan sauce that was DELICIOUS on top of spaghetti. I included the recipe for the lemon sauce below if you want to try it the same way we had it. We also added some steamed broccoli too… yum!

The BEST Chicken-Style Seitan Cutlets | Pasta-based Vegan Recipes (6)

Next time we make this recipe, I’m going to try baking the cutlets instead of frying them. Frying cutlets is a traditional Italian method and they came out AMAZING but I’m curious to see how baking goes.

If you try baking them for this recipe, please let me know in the comments the time and temperature and how they came out!

As always, please leave a comment below if you try this recipe, and remember to share on instagram @pastabased!

Vegan Chicken-Style Seitan Cutlets

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

45 mins

The BEST Vegan Seitan Cutlets. Delicious vegan chicken-style seitan cutlets that can be used in a variety of dishes.

Course:Main Course

Servings: 8 cutlets

Calories per Serving: 177 kcal

Ingredients

Seitan

  • 1cupvital wheat gluten
  • 2tablespoonsnutritional yeast
  • 2teaspoonsonion powder
  • 2teaspoonsgarlic powder
  • 1teaspoonsalt
  • 1teaspoonblack pepper
  • 1tablespoonsoy sauce
  • 3/4cupvegetable broth

Batter

  • 3/4cupflour
  • 2teaspoonsoregano
  • 2teaspoonsgarlic powder
  • 1teaspoonblack pepper
  • 3/4cupalmond milk(or other non-dairy milk)

Additional Ingredients

  • 1cupItalian seasoned breadcrumbs(plus extra if needed)
  • 1cupvegetable oil

--------

    Simple Lemon Olive Oil Sauce (optional)

    • 3/4cuplemon juice
    • 1/3cupolive oil
    • 1/3cupvegan parmesan cheese

    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a baking sheet and set aside.

    2. Combine Seitan ingredients in a medium-bowl. Using a large spoon, mix until combined. Once combined, knead with your hands for a minute to form an elastic dough.

    3. Separate dough into 8 roughly-equal sized pieces. Flatten each piece of dough between your hands to form a cutlet shape. Place evenly on the baking sheet and bake in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Let cool slightly.

    4. Add your batter ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix into a thick liquid. Fill a separate, shallower bowl, with Italian breadcrumbs.

    5. In a large skillet, heat 1 cup vegetable oil on medium-high heat. Make sure the oil has heated up enough before adding cutlets. Be careful because hot oil can splash.

    6. One at a time, dip a Seitan cutlet in the batter. Shake off excess batter. Then dip the cutlet into the breadcrumbs, coating each side evenly.Then, place the cutlet into the hot oil.

    7. Brown each side evenly, carefully checking and flipping, about 3-5 minutes on each side -- but this really depends on how hot your oil is. Use your judgment. While one cutlet starts cooking, you can batter and breadcrumb the next cutlet and place it into the pan. Don't overcrowd the pan, we capped the pan at 4 cutlets.

    8. When each cutlet is done, place it on a paper-towel lined plate to drain excess oil. Use in Seitan Cutlet recipe of your choosing 🙂

    Simple Lemon Olive Oil Sauce (optional)

    1. Add all ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and whisk until combined. Serve over pasta.

    Recipe Notes

    Nutrition facts for cutlets without sauce:

    Nutrition Facts

    Vegan Chicken-Style Seitan Cutlets

    Amount Per Serving (1 cutlet)

    Calories 177Calories from Fat 9

    % Daily Value*

    Fat 1g2%

    Sodium 741mg32%

    Potassium 133mg4%

    Carbohydrates 24g8%

    Fiber 2g8%

    Sugar 1g1%

    Protein 16g32%

    Vitamin A 85IU2%

    Vitamin C 0.5mg1%

    Calcium 88mg9%

    Iron 2.5mg14%

    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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    The BEST Chicken-Style Seitan Cutlets | Pasta-based Vegan Recipes (2024)

    FAQs

    Can you eat seitan every day? ›

    Eat it sparingly,” he says. “It's not necessarily a once a day thing, and if you think you need a plant-based option I'd actually suggest tofu over seitan.” That said, Mora says there's no denying that folks can benefit from adding seitan to their menu—especially since it comes in a variety of flavor profiles.

    Is seitan good or bad 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? ›

    soy sauce or tamari - Adds saltiness, umami, and depth of flavor. balsamic and apple cider vinegar - Vinegar rounds out the flavor profile and helps disguise the subtle bitterness of vital wheat gluten. fat - Including a little bit of oil or other fat improves the overall flavor and tenderizes the seitan.

    Is seitan a good substitute for chicken? ›

    It is really versatile - use it in place of chicken in all your favourite recipes. What is this? This vegan seitan chicken (chick'n) is a really versatile meat substitute that can be used in loads of different recipes, or just eaten on it's own.

    What are the disadvantages of seitan? ›

    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”

    Who should avoid seitan? ›

    While seitan is a versatile plant-based protein, people with celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or gluten allergy should avoid it.

    Which is healthier tofu or seitan? ›

    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.

    What to pair with seitan for complete protein? ›

    If you have seitan for lunch, some nuts and seeds as a snack and beans for dinner, you're getting all the protein you need and more!

    Is it cheaper to make or buy seitan? ›

    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.

    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.

    Why add chickpea flour to seitan? ›

    Wheat gluten proteins are deficient in lysine (an essential amino acid for good health), adding a lysine-rich food like chickpea flour to the mix makes up for this deficiency. When preparing seitan, it's important to flavor both the inside and outside of the dough.

    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.

    Why isn't seitan popular? ›

    The bad about seitan

    The main concern about seitan it that it's just plain and pure gluten. In this respect some claim that the human body can easily become over-saturated with gluten, leading to gluten intolerance (aka celiac disease).

    Does Trader Joe's sell seitan? ›

    In the world of plant-based protein, seitan (pronounced SAY-tan) is a name you need to know. It's as high in protein as steak, plus it's readily available at grocery mainstays like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Target.

    What is it called when you are vegan but eat chicken? ›

    Also known as pollo-vegetarian, the pollotarian diet is considered to be a type of semi-vegetarianism, as some forms of animal meat are allowed. While the prefix “pollo” literally translates to “chicken” in Spanish, pollotarians generally eat all forms of poultry, including turkey and duck.

    How much seitan per week? ›

    Anyway, it is advisable to consume it at maximum once or twice a week, in order not to fossilize on only one food, but to vary the diet as much as possible (alternating it with soy and tofu), and to avoid the onset of gluten intolerance.

    Is it okay to eat vital wheat gluten everyday? ›

    The bottom line is that unless you are gluten intolerant, you can safely consume vital wheat gluten.

    Can you build muscle with seitan? ›

    Its devilish name may seem apt to paleo types: seitan is gluten. But with as much protein per calorie as chicken breast, it's also a top source of muscle fuel.

    Can I eat wheat gluten everyday? ›

    It is important to note that gluten is a problem only for those who react negatively to it, or test positive for celiac disease. Most people can and have eaten gluten most of their lives, without any adverse side effects.

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