No need to buy expensive veggie sausages anymore! These Homemade Vegan Sausages are easy to make and delicious. Thanks to two tricks, they are not tough and rubbery like seitan often is.
Veggie sausages like all the other meat alternatives and processed vegan products are quite $$$. Making your own vegan sausages at home can be quite daunting. I get it. I’ve been there. It took me a couple of years of being vegan to finally figure out a vegan sausage recipe that I’m happy with.
These vegan Seitan Sausages are
- easy to make (soften the onions and garlic, then add all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse, form the sausages, roll them in parchment paper and aluminum foil and steam – no need to knead seitan until your arms hurt!)
- quick to make (you’ll only need about 20 minutes of preparation time to make these, then steam)
- super versatile (you can use them in any dish you would have used regular sausages in)
- soft and firm (if you’ve had rubbery and tough seitan before, you know what I’m talking about. These do not have the texture of a rubber mallet!)
Tricks for making Vegan Sausages that aren’t spongy/rubbery/tough?
My #1 super secret ingredient for these sausages that have just the right balance of soft and firm is sparkling water! It’s just a simple substitution with a huge effect. Trick #2 is to use canned chickpeas instead of chickpea flour. This makes the seitan soft (even the next day or the day after!).
How to make Vegan Seitan Sausages
Step 1: Cook onion and garlic until slightly browning. Add fennel and cumin.
Step 2: Add all the ingredients in a food processor (except the vital wheat gluten): chickpeas, thyme, salt, tomato paste, smoked paprika, onion-garlic-mixture, soy sauce, and sparkling water. Pulse.
Step 3: Now add the vital wheat gluten. Pulse again.
Step 4: The seitan should come together in the food processor.
Step 5: Cut the seitan into 4 equal pieces and form the sausages. Then roll the sausages in a piece of parchment paper (prevents sticking to the foil) and aluminum foil – tightly.
Step 6: And steam! I’m using a large pot with a steaming basket. If you have a steamer, great, use that!
Step 7: Remove the foil and paper. Enjoy!
Uses for the Seitan Sausages
Basically, you can use these Seitan Sausages in any dish that would use regular sausages. They are very versatile! Here are a couple of ideas:
- Corn Dogs (coat them in a batter of cornmeal, flour, spices, and plant-based milk and fry)
- Paella (cut into slices)
- serve them with mashed potatoes and gravy
- Breakfast Sausages with tofu scramble
- Pigs in a Blanket (wrap with puff pastry and bake)
- add it to Goulash or any kind of stews
- in Hot Dogs
Can you freeze Seitan Sausages?
Yes, I’ve tried it with this seitan recipe and it works great! Remove the foil, let the sausages cool off completely, place them in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag, freeze. When you’re ready to eat the frozen sausages, let them thaw at room temperature for a few hours, then grill/cook/roast/whatever you want to do with it! They are good as new!
Homemade Vegan Sausages
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon canola oil
- 1/2 large white onion chopped
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/4 cup cooked chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sparkling water
- 3/4 cup vital wheat gluten
Instructions
- In a large pan with canola oil, sautée the chopped onion and garlic cloves until soft. Add the cumin and fennel seeds. Let it cook for another minute until the spices are toasted.
- In a food processor, add the chickpeas, onion-garlic-spices mixture, tomato paste, salt, thyme, smoked paprika, soy sauce, and sparkling water. Pulse until it’s saucy. Then add the vital wheat gluten and pulse again until it comes together in a ball.
- Prepare a large pot (filled with a couple of inches of water) with a steaming basket and bring it to high heat.
- Divide the seitan into 4 equal chunks. Roll and press the seitan into a sausage shape. Roll each sausage in parchment paper and aluminum foil (roll it tightly). Twist the ends so that the seitan is completely covered in foil. Add the seitan sausages into the steaming basket and let them steam for about 40 minutes, flipping them after 20 minutes.
- Let them cool off a bit before removing the aluminum foil and parchment paper.
- You can use them in various recipes (Hot Dogs, Corn Dogs, serve them with mashed potatoes etc.). To warm them up, cook them in a pan or contact griller. You can store them in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Scott
We made these for Fathers Day today. Took them right out of the parchment and foil wrappers and finished them on the grill. Wow is all we could say. Just wow! They completely satisfied that craving for a grilled sausage. The taste was great and the mouthfeel and texture were amazingly close to any veggie sausage you can buy. They were MUCH more satisfying, though, because we made them at home. What a wonderful recipe and one that is going in our summer rotation for grilling. I evidently couldn’t get them rolled as tight as yours because they were not smooth like your pictures, but that didn’t matter one iota! These are fantastic. Thank you SO much.
One question: How well do you think they would freeze? I’d like to make a large batch and freeze some to pull out and throw on the grill when we have people over.
Bianca
Wow, thank you so much for the amazing review, Scott!! :) I’m so glad you all enjoyed them!
Although I haven’t tried freezing them, I would think that it would work just fine. It’s definitely worth a try! :)
Alocasia
What a great recipe. We inhaled them. :) I usually have to knead the seitan for 8 minutes in my electric mixer to get this kind of tenderness. Fantastic!
Bianca
Thank you so much, Alocasia, I’m so glad to hear that! They are so easy to make, right?!
Rebecca
What role does the vital wheat gluten play? I have all the other ingredients and would love to make them without it.
Bianca
The vital wheat gluten is the most important ingredient in this recipe. It makes the sausages meaty and holds everything together.
Diane
Would you be able to substitute the vital wheat gluten with bread flour ?
Bianca
Unfortunately not! Vital Wheat Gluten is 100% gluten and is needed for binding and a meaty texture.
Marcus
Any chance Psyllium Husks, Xantham Gum, Guar Gum, or some other non-gluten binding agent would work without yielding weird-tasting/textured results? I’m gluten intolerant and really miss eating veggie sausages.
antje
Hey Bianca
sounds like a yummy recipe. Can you tell me if I have to use sparkling water or if this could be substituted?
Look forward to hear back from you.
Antje
Bianca
You can use regular water BUT I found that sparkling water makes the seitan softer, so I really recommend it.
Julia
Hi Bianca, this recipe is great! I ended up tripling the recipe… Can you freeze the sausages?
Bianca
I have seitan frozen right now. I’ll let you know later today how it will turn out! :)
Bianca
Okay, so I’ve tried freezing them! It works perfectly! Keep in mind to remove the foil, let them cool off completely, then freeze them in a freezer-friendly container or ziplock bag. If you want to use them take them out a couple of hours before, let them thaw at room temperature (haven’t tried the microwave as I don’t have one), then grill/roast/cook whatever you want to do with them. They are good as new! :) Hope you enjoy!
Katrine
Hi Bianca
This look amazing! We’re having people over for a housewarming end of this month and plan to serve hot dos on the grill. Do you if they will hold up on the grill?
/Kat
Bianca
Absolutely, you can grill them as well! They hold together really well!
James
Tried this recipe on a Wednesday and made them again on the Friday, they are SO good!
I made a couple of herb substitutions and used a pressure cooker to steam them.
Thank you so much this has changed my eating habits completely.
Amy
Hi Bianca,
Awesome! I’ve been trying to find recipes like these and bingo! I’m going to try and make these soon – The question I have is can these be made in an Instapot? If so, what would the instructions be for that? Thank you!!
Bianca
Oh, I’ve never tried steaming them in the instant pot. Interesting idea! I will have to try that the next time!
Amy
HI Bianca,
An update – I steamed the sausages for 40 minutes in the instapot and they came out AWESOME!! My boyfriend said that this recipe is the best one yet!! Thanks for sharing :)
Bianca
Perfect! Thank you so much for letting me know! I steamed the seitan in the instant pot too (after you telling me about it) and I loved the results! :)
Colleen
How would you steam them in the instant pot? Thanks!
Mrs Thompson
What release did you do for the instant pot? And was it set on high pressure? TYIA. Can’t wait to make this!
Amy
I also made a new batch this morning – Yup, that’s how good they are folks! Tried something new tho – Substituted the tomato paste for bbq sauce, the soy sauce for liquid smoke and instead of a white onion, I used red. In the instapot now and we shall see! Am hoping for a bbq smokey flavor this go around –
Bianca, do you have other spices / flavors for the sausages that would suit this recipe as well?
Bianca
I will have to try different varieties! I’ve been meaning to make a spicy chorizo-style sausage. I’ve been using liquid smoke in the sausages and that has been working great. I haven’t tried bbq sauce but I have been thinking about it. I think that would turn out great :) Can’t wait to hear what you say!
Amy
Thank you for replying Bianca! An update on the 2nd batch with the substitutions – Honestly, sticking with the first batch and ingredients is better. The flavor in the 2nd batch wasn’t as tasty as the first. Look forward to trying out more of your recipes!
Bianca
Thank you for letting me know! :)
Florence Hanampota
I tried them. They are wonderful
Clinton
Hi bianca.
I’m from south africa and of indian descent. I just recently became a pescatarian and I enjoy soya meals but the shop ones are plain. I plan to spicy it up so I’m definitely gonna try this recipe and will let you know how it tastes.
Regards
Clinton R
Bianca
That’s the beauty of making things from scratch :)
Lester
If making Vegan sausages why on earth would the author suggest using “Milk” in the Corn Dog batter?
Quote “Corn Dogs (coat them in a batter of cornmeal, flour, spices and milk and fry)”
Mal Lee
I saw that too – I’m guessing she meant “your favourite plant milk”?
Bianca
Of course, I meant plant-based milk! :) Unsweetened rice milk or soy milk would be a great choice.
Sandy
I made these and they turned out incredibly well. Easy to make and very tasty. Will definitely be making again. Thank you for the recipe!
Bianca
Yeay! I’m so glad to hear that, Sandy!
Sam
Hi- I plan to make sausage rolls with these. Should I cook them (steam them) first,
Then wrap in the puff pasty and bake, or do you think I could use the raw mixture in the pastry then bake?
I’ve used dried sausage mix before and just put that in raw without pre- cooking.
Many thanks
Sam
Bianca
I’d definitely recommend steaming them first. Otherwise, they might not cook all the way through.
Sam
Thank you! Will let you know how they turn out!
Emily
Hey I made these and they turned out good although they are quite chewy. I know this is a typical issue with seitan, do you have any solutions for this?
Cheers!
Rosie
Hi, I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. I have tried a few attempts at vegan sausage, and they always come out rubbery. These don’t? And do you know why that happens? Will report in when I’ve made these!
Bianca
Hi Rosie! I’ve found out that the chickpeas and sparkling water make soft seitan! This one isn’t rubbery at all! But I’d love to hear your opinion as well! :)
.emma
HI THERE do you think this mixture would work if put through a sausage machine into vegan Casins..
Bianca
Interesting! I’ve never tried that! Unfortunately I have no idea how they would turn out but let me know if you give them a try!
Louise
I was going to ask the exact same thing. Been looking for a good vegetarian sausage recipe for a while now.
Have you tried it with the celulose casing? If so can you tell me if it worked? Thanks
Kathy
LOVE LOVE LOVE! I have made these four times now, each time upping the spice a bit as I prefer a more spicy sausage. The third time I made these, in addition to the spices in the recipe, I added Italian spice and red pepper flakes, and a bit more garlic. The texture is amazing and so much better than store bought vegan sausage without all the additives you can’t pronounce. They are so easy to mix and roll and actually look like a sausage on the ends. I prefer to pan fry versus the grill, but both turned out well. When I go to friends who BBQ regular meat sausage at get togethers, I always bring these for myself.
Bianca
Oh! I’m so happy to hear that, Kathy!! I will have to make really, really spicy ones soon! :)
Rosie
I do want to try this. I’m trying my first seitan recipe that I happened to have the ingredients for, finish the recipe tomorrow. We’ll see! I haven’t tried the store bought, too expensive, and I also don’t want all those weird ingredients. I do miss sausage flavors, so I would want the Italian spice, too.
Bianca
Honestly, I find store-bought seitan way too hard and chewy. I prefer the homemade ones! :) Hope you enjoyed this one!
Denise
I would love to make this recipe , but my food processor broke. I can blend the first part of the ingredients in the blender to make the ”sauce” . But I think adding the vital gluten go well in my blender. I think kneeding it by hand will work as well ? What do you suggest ?
Bianca
I wouldn’t recommend adding the gluten flour into the blender, I think it will be a sticky mess. You can totally make the sauce in the blender. Then just knead the dough by hand for a couple of minutes! :) That should turn out just fine!
Terrianne
I’ve just completed veganuary and this is only the second seitan recipe I’ve tried. I made sausages with this and they do taste amazing. This will definitely be my go to from now on.. the parchment paper did stick . So any helpful hints to avoid this will be muchly appreciated.
Could I use this same recipe to make a loaf? Lining the loaf tin in parchment and foil ?
Beverly
This is an easy seitan sausage recipe that tastes great and has a great texture. The inclusion of sparkling water is sheer genius. It’s also the secret ingredient to making great, fluffy, light matzo balls, so it didn’t surprise me that it works so well to make seitan. This has become my go to recipe for everyday seitan meals.
Bianca
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear that, Beverly! :)
Angela
This recipe is a keeper! The flavor and texture is perfect. My only regret is not making more of them :) Thank you!
KP
I’m curious – would this recipe work as a substitute for sausage in a traditional sausage gravy where the sausage is more crumbly and not needed to be in “log” form? Thank you!
Jacqueline
I’d like to know too. I like using crumbled sausage in spaghetti.
Melissa Anderson
Hi Bianca,
This is my favorite go to recipe for vegan sausage, have you ever tried rolling them into cellulose casings?
Antonette
I would love a gluten free version!
Holly B.
I love the texture of these sausages! I didn’t have sparkling water, so I used Corona Beer. They still turned out amazing with a great beer-sausage flavor! I made them a bit smaller than recommended and my son stood at the counter and ate 5 of them in a row. He’s a skinny, teenage, eating machine! These are fantastic! I’m going to make these to take on vacation with us. Thanks for the recipe!
Lisa
Everyone in my family loves these! I omit the oil, add sun dried tomatoes and a little more spice. I also used these silicon sausage molds and steam them. They work beautifully:
https://www.amazon.ca/OHYESS-Silicone-Handmade-Bakeware-Accessories/dp/B078TG6JP6/ref=asc_df_B078TG6JP6/?tag=googlemobshop-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292944040466&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17661527438288752069&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001537&hvtargid=pla-524768356937&psc=1
Sorcia
I love the silicon mold idea! I do not like using tin foil so this is a great option. Thanks! :D
Susan
Lisa – Thanks for mentioning you left out the oil – that was my question.
A. Corro
I’d like to try this recipe with sweat potato mash, carrot, parsnip, coliflower, broccoli, onion, garlic &cheese, if I wrapped up all these ingredients in the vital wheat gluten would they stick together, & would I have to add the chickpeas to it.
David
BI
BIGOS!!!
My vegab bigos recipe uses these, plus other homemade seitan (beef-, chicken-, pork-style) to create a bigos which even my Polish carnivoew friends enjoy and ask for again and again.
These are also very good if made with the diameter of a Wiejska or Krakowska whole sausage and then sliced. specially if you have an electric slicer.
Thank you!
Bianca
sounds delicious!!
Joe
First, try this foil… it’s parchment on one side and foil on the other, so you don’t need two products and do two wraps.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0145I67PO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=joebyer99-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B0145I67PO&linkId=18eaf7d5feaac11179369e2f36a487e2
Second, great recipe! I like to cook up some lentils, wheat berries, and kalmut in a little veggie stock and stir into the mix. The little globular textures randomly stirred around the mix gives a great mouthfeel like ground meat. Also, I heated up my oil (and was a little more generous with it) and added all my spices and herbs to the warm oil to infuse for a few minutes before adding into the mix. The toasty flavor of fennel and everything else really blooms in the hot oil. Next time, I’m going to do a carribean jerk version; can’t wait!!
Thanks!
leigh
the provided link for 3 rolls of the parchment/foil on amazon is $99.99???????????? think i will stick with the parchment paper and foil separately. would have been a fantastic idea though.
Suzie
Thank you for this fantastic recipe! I will try it soon! :)
Also, I shared it on my blog. :)
https://suzinspire.com/how-to-replace-meat-on-a-vegan-diet-best-protein-sources/
Keep up the great work!
Andrea
This recipe is brilliant! I could not believe how good the sausages came out. I can’t wait to make them as meatballs or fry them up with peppers and onions. I’ll definitely double the recipe next time. I skipped the parchment paper and just oiled the foil a bit before rolling. I just can’t get over how good this turned out. Thank you!!
Joshua Howard
Hi! I really like your recipes! I’ve made these sausages today and now it’s my favorite recipe/ Some people think that vegan food is boring, but your recipes show that it’s not so. Thank you for the share!
Mar Zammit
Hi, I am really interested in this recipe, was wondering if I could cook them in a convection oven after wrapping them instead of steaming?
Kajol Sethia
How long do you think I can freeze them and then reuse?
Sydney
Great recipe for the texture. I nearly doubled the seasoning and added a chipotle pepper. I don’t think the sparkling water is necessary. These are great with just plain water.
Sorcia
Hi! Curious if this can be done with something other than tin foil?
Thanks!
Kathleen
Is there a specific reason for using both tin foil and parchment?
Bianca
yes, I don’t want the sausages to cook in aluminum foil, therefore the parchment paper acts as a barrier. The aluminum foil holds them together much better, this couldn’t be done with parchment paper only.
Dave Big Chief
There is also a great recipe for vegan chickpea schnitzels by Isa Chandra / veganomicon that can easily be adapted to sausages. There is more mashing than processing, so tend to have a less smooth texture.
And without being pedantic, Pigs in a Blanket is a sauaage wrapped in bacon. A sausage wraped in puff pastry is a Sausage Roll. Greggs in the UK is famous for their vegan sausage rolls.
Ana
Easy to make and tasty. Thanks
Barb
Thank you for sharing this recipe, which is the best vegan meat alternative I’ve ever tried and I’ve been buying and eating vegan meats for years. Even my brother, a die hard meat eater, said he never would have known it was vegan if I hadn’t told him.
Bianca
wohoo!! what a success :)
Melody-Rose
Just wondering if the sparkling water needs to be mineral sparkling water?
Bianca
No it doesn’t, as long as it’s sparkling it’s great!
Fernando
Wow. What can I say. I made this the other day and oh my goodness, they came out beautiful, tasty and just as described. My partner was totally in love with the end product and so was I. The taste was exceptional and you won’t believe me, but I have been looking for a recipe like this for ages. We had “bangers” and mash the one night and the rest the next day we baked some fresh hotdog rolls and had it in a bun. These sausages are versatile and can be used in anything. There’s something so satisfying making your own food from scratch and enjoying it after. So, thank you, thank you for sharing this recipe, totally love it.
Cathy
Thank you for the recipe! I love all the great comments. I made my first batch today. The taste was good but the texture was like a very doughy bread. Where did I go wrong? Did I pulse it too long? Thank you in advance for you help!
Wanda
This sausages are Great very flavorful sausages and very easy to make , this is my 3rd time doing them👍🏼
meaghan
AHHH Was tasting so good until I added real flour thinking I could substitute it – since read in comments I cant. I dont know what to do with my gooey batter – I tried to add some zucchini and almond flour to get it to mix but it has failed. what can Ido with the remaining batter? it is a waste to throw out :(