Homemade Seitan coated in breadcrumbs and pan-fried until golden and crispy. This is the perfect vegan alternative to traditional Schnitzel. Serve the Seitan Schnitzel with baked potatoes and lingonberry jam and you'll be in foodie heaven!
This vegan Schnitzel recipe is one of the most popular recipes on my blog but a few people have reported that they can't find TVP slices (which I use for the base), that's why I wanted to offer an alternative that is just as delicious: Seitan Schnitzel.
For this Seitan Schnitzel recipe, we're making our own seitan steaks. But don't worry. It's much easier than it sounds.
The Ingredients for the Seitan
You will need:
- vital wheat gluten (a shortcut to making seitan because washing flour until the starches are washed away isn't fun (and takes a long time!)
- onion & garlic
- herbs & spices: thyme, fennel, cumin, chicken seasoning (it's usually just a mix of salt, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper - you can make your own if you don't have it at home)
- cooked chickpeas (to balance out the flavor and texture)
- soy sauce (adds saltiness)
- tomato paste (adds color)
- sparkling water (gives the seitan a texture that is not as tough (like you would find it in store-bought seitan) and almost fluffy)
That's it! Sounds easy, right? Well... it's not hard.
Here's another pro-tip: We don't even knead the seitan by hand. We just let the food processor knead the seitan. That's what I call a kitchen helper.
How to make Seitan Schnitzel
How to make Seitan that isn't spongy/rubbery/tough?
My super secret ingredient for Seitan that doesn't have the texture of a rubber mallet is Sparkling Water! It's just a simple substitution with a huge effect. The seitan has an almost fluffy consistency! Keep in mind that the texture of seitan changes with time. Seitan will be a bit tougher and chewier if you eat it the next day. Breaded seitan will stay softer than 'naked' seitan.
Serve Seitan Schnitzel with ...
Traditional Schnitzel is usually served with either potato (cooked potatoes coated in butter and sprinkled with salt and parsley OR french fries) or rice, and lingonberry jam (people hate it or love it - I love it!). The traditional side dishes are great for the Seitan Schnitzel as well. I also love to serve the Schnitzel with parboiled rice with lots of peas.
You could also cut the Seitan Schnitzel in strips and serve it over a salad or in a wrap.
More Seitan Recipes you will love
- 15+ Seitan Recipes - The perfect meat substitute
- Basic Seitan made with Vital Wheat Gluten
- Seitan Sausages
- Vegan Hot Dogs
- Seitan Steak
- Seitan Roast with Bread Stuffing
I hope you’ll enjoy this homemade seitan schnitzel as much as I do!
Let me know if you give this recipe a try! I’d love to hear how it turns out for you.
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Cheers, Bianca
Seitan Schnitzel
Equipment
Ingredients
Seitan Base *
- ½ tablespoon canola oil
- ½ white onion - chopped
- 1 garlic clove - chopped
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ¼ cup cooked chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ tablespoon chicken seasoning (salt, paprika, pepper, garlic)
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ¼ cup sparkling water
- ¾ cup vital wheat gluten
Egg Replacement
- ½ cup chickpea flour
- ⅓ cup water
- ⅛ teaspoon sriracha sauce
Breading Ingredients
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon chicken seasoning (salt, paprika, pepper, garlic)
Additional Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons canola oil for pan-frying
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, chicken seasoning, thyme, 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 the water to a boil.
- Divide the seitan into 2 equal pieces and roll them with a rolling pin until 0.5-1 inch thick (2-3cm). Add the seitan filets into the steaming basket and let them steam for about 20 minutes, flipping them after 10 minutes.
- In one bowl, combine the ingredients for the egg replacement, whisk until smooth. You might have to add a bit more water to get the consistency right.
- In a second bowl, combine the ingredients for the breadcrumbs and chicken seasoning.
- Once the seitan is soft, let it cool off a bit, then dip it first in the egg replacement, then coat it in the breading. Repeat for the second seitan filet.
- Cover the bottom of a pan with canola oil. Pan-fry the Seitan Schnitzel for about 4 minutes per side until golden and crisp. Enjoy with baked potatoes and lingonberry jam.
Andrea Cole says
I have a gluten allergy. Is there a substitute for the vital wheat?
Bianca says
Vital wheat gluten is the key component for seitan, so you'll want to check out the Schnitzel made with TVP. The TVP base is gluten-free, for the breading you can use gf breadcrumbs instead.
Andrea Cole says
Thank you so much ❤️
Emily says
Hi! I don’t see big chunks of chickpeas in the seitan. Am I supposed to chop those up before mixing them in?
Bianca says
ah sorry! There was a mixup in the instructions. It's all fixed now and I added step-by-step photos on how to make the seitan in the post.
Ellee says
Any chance these are freezable (and therefore suitable to batch cook)? Or does the texture go weird?
Asha says
Used this as part of a chick’n and waffles meal and it was delicious! My kids said it reminded them of chicken nuggets. Great recipe!
Marco says
I made this today with some vegan gravy for my wife’s grandmother from Germany.. it was AMAZING! Perfectly crunchy on the outside and deliciously moist on the inside! It got her seal of approval, definitely making this again! I substituted the chickpeas for white beans (since it was what I had on hand). Can’t wait to share this recipe with the rest of my family
Bianca says
Aww yeay! Good job! :)