Making Vegan Grilled “Chicken” From Scratch Is Easier Than You Think

deleciousfood | June 28, 2024 | Bred | No Comments

If you’re following a plant-based diet and think your days of grilling meat on the grill are over, check out these vegan grilled chicken breasts.

Read more: 10 Vegan Recipes for Summer

They are tasty, high in protein and easy to make yourself at home. This vegan grilled chicken is made with seitan. Seitan is a popular and versatile meat substitute. It is made from wheat gluten, the protein found in wheat. This plant-based alternative is known for its dense texture and remarkable ability to absorb flavors, making it a popular choice in vegan cooking.

Although seitan is commercially available, it’s actually quite simple to make at home. Romy London describes this recipe as “ideal for seitan beginners.”

Here’s how to do it.

Read more: 15 Vegan Picnic Recipes

Grilled “Chicken” Seitan Recipe

Deliciously succulent grilled vegan seitan chicken – perfect for a vegan BBQ, and also great pan-fried. Wonderful texture created by the flour wash method.

Cooking time15 minutes

Preparation time2 hours

Servings2 servings

Ingredients

350 g strong white bread flour minimum 12% protein
Filtered water
frying oil
½ teaspoon smoked paprika powder
¼ teaspoon salt

For the sauce:

2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon tamari soy willow
1 tablespoon Maple syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon smoked paprika powder
¼ teaspoon fine salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Create a ball of dough

Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and create a well in the middle.
Pour in a little water at a time until you can roll the dough into a firm dough ball and knead it in the bowl or on a lightly floured surface for 2-3 minutes until smooth.

Soak the dough

Return the dough to the bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes, then fill the bowl completely with water to submerge the ball of dough.
Let sit for at least 30 minutes.
Wash the flour
Once the resting time is up, start kneading the dough in the bowl under water.
The water will begin to release its starches and it should turn white and thicken slightly (almost creamy!).
Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes, then discard the starchy water, pour in cool water and repeat.
Your dough should take about 3 washes in total and the water should not be as thick or more transparent at the end. It is normal for the paste to almost fall apart during this washing process. Don’t worry, it will reform in the next step.
Discard the water and place the seitan dough in a large colander.
Rinse it under running water for 10 seconds, then let it sit for 30 minutes.

seasoning

Remove the dough from the strainer and knead it gently between your hands, then place it in a food processor fitted with a dough hook, add the smoked paprika and salt and pulse for 10 to 20 seconds. Alternatively, you can also stir in the spices by hand.

Stretching and tying

Stretch the seitan dough until you can tie it neatly.
Stretch it and tie it repeatedly about 5-6 times. This step will help create a chicken-like shredded texture in the batter. However, tying takes some practice, so if you have difficulty, just omit this step.

Fry

Carefully divide the seitan into 2 or 3 cutlets and heat about 2 tablespoons of oil over medium/high heat.
Brown your seitan cutlets in the pan for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until a light golden crust forms, then remove the seitan from the pan.

Make a barbecue

Heat your BBQ to full heat and in the meantime mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Brush your seitan with sauce on both sides and place it on the hot barbecue grill.
Grill it on both sides for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown, then remove it from the grill and serve it with delicious salads and your favorite vegan barbecue treats.

For this recipe to work, it is essential that you use fine, high-protein wheat flour. I recommend aiming for a minimum of 12 percent protein in your flour and I personally use a strong white bread flour from a brand called “Allisons”.
You can also pan-fry these seitan fillets instead of grilling them on the barbecue. Simply heat a little oil in the pan beforehand, brush the fillets with sauce and fry them for a few minutes on each side, until they are golden brown.

This recipe has been republished with permission from Romy London.

Read more: 10 Quick Vegan Lunches (Ready in 15 Minutes or Less)