If you’re following a plant-based diet and think your days of grilling meat on the barbecue are over, check out these vegan grilled chicken breasts.
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They’re flavorful, high in protein, and easy to make at home. This vegan grilled chicken is made with seitan. Seitan is a popular and versatile meat substitute. It’s 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.
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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 minutesminutes
Preparation time2 hourshours
Portions2portions
Ingredients
350gstrong white bread flourminimum 12% protein
Filtered water
frying oil
½teaspoonsmoked paprika powder
¼ teaspoonsalt
For the sauce:
2tablespoontomato paste
1tablespoontamari soy willow
1tablespoonMaple syrup
1tablespoonolive oil
2teaspoonsmoked paprika powder
¼teaspoonfine salt
¼teaspoonblack pepper
Instructions
Create a ball of dough
Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and create a well in the middle.
Add a little water at a time until you can roll the dough into a firm ball and knead in the bowl or on a lightly floured surface for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth.
Soak the dough
Return the dough to the bowl and let it rest for 10 minutes, then fill the bowl completely with water to submerge the ball of dough.
Let stand 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 start to release its starches and it should turn white and thicken slightly (almost creamy!).
Knead the dough for 2 to 3 minutes, then discard the starchy water, pour in fresh water and repeat.
Your dough should take about 3 washes total and the water should not be as thick or clear at the end. It is normal for the dough 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 mix for 10 to 20 seconds. You can also incorporate the spices by hand.
Stretching and tying
Stretch the seitan dough until you can tie it neatly.
Stretch it out and knot it repeatedly about 5-6 times. This step will help create a shredded chicken-like texture in the dough. However, tying takes some practice, so if you have difficulty, just skip 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 barbecue to full power and mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl in the meantime.
Brush your seitan with sauce on both sides and place it on the hot barbecue grill.
Grill on both sides for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown, then remove from the grill and serve with delicious salads and your favorite vegan barbecue treats.
For this recipe to be successful, it is essential to use a 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 pan-fry them for a few minutes on each side, until they are golden brown.
This recipe was republished with permission from Romy London.
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