Seitan Chicken Breasts – Completely Vegan

This vegan chicken breast is a real treat. You have the flexibility of having a large piece of protein or it can be cooked, sliced, diced and served in any manner of ways an actual chicken breast would be used.

Seitan chicken is pretty easy to make and I have seen a lot of recipes that make vegan chicken pieces or shredded chicken (I have my own here, it is really good) but hardly any for a whole chicken breast. 

Seitan is a protein derived from wheat. It is this protein, along with some other ingredients that we can make a variety of mock meats from. 

Wheat protein is also called gluten and it has a stringy, elastic texture that is dense and can be described as meaty. 

Strong bread flour is typically around 13% protein and this protein can be separated from bread flour fairly easily. You could do it yourself at home or you could take the easy route of buying vital wheat gluten.

Vital wheat gluten (VWG)is pretty much the same as regular flour except the carbs and starch has been removed and you are left with just the protein. This VWG can be mixed with water and flavouring to form a dough that can be shaped and flavoured to achieve a really authentic plant-based meat.

I think making plant-based or mock meat this way is so much better than anything you can buy in stores.

Perfecting The Texture Of Chicken

The key to making a really good vegan mock chicken breast has to do with the texture and bite.  

Seitan made with vital wheat gluten alone would actually be too firm to make a chicken breast and may end up being too dry.

We want to make a nice juicy chicken breast that has that tender quality and to do this we are going to use another plant-based protein in the form of tofu.

Tofu, of course, has been used as a plant-based protein for thousands of years and although it doesn’t have the texture of meat when combined with seitan it is has a really close resemblance to the texture and density of a chicken breast.

The vital wheat gluten and tofu combine to lighten the colour and the density of the seitan and help the vegan chicken to hold water and remain juicy rather than drying out after cooking.

Creating A Chicken Flavour In A Vegan Way

Once we have a base and texture for our vegan chicken breast we need to introduce the flavours that will complete the picture.

To create any meaty flavour we need to think about salty and savoury flavours. Glutamates introduce a savoury or umami flavour that is associated with meat and the flavour of chicken breast is fairly subtle so we only need a few ingredients to make a convincing mock chicken breast.

• Nutritional yeast is used to add a really savoury character. Along with tofu, nutritional yeast is a complete protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids. It adds not only flavour but also really boosts the nutritional benefits of this vegan chicken.
• Onion powder is savoury and high in glutamates. You may think that chicken isn’t that oniony but that is not the reason for adding onion powder. We want to boost the savoury character of the seitan and onion powder is vegan and really does this.
• Garlic granules/powder is another way to boost the umami flavour. The finished chicken breast doesn’t taste like garlic but does have that savoury quality that you find in actual meat.
• Vegan chicken stock/broth powder is a great shortcut to getting the right flavour. Vegan broth powders are really useful and so simple for introducing that chicken flavour. I use chicken stock powder in the actual seitan and also to poach the chicken breasts in.

How Much Protein Is In This Vegan Chicken?

This vegan chicken is made from seitan and tofu which are both sources of protein that have very little fat and are both low in carbohydrates.

Seitan has roughly equivalent amounts of protein to chicken and other meats, however, it is not a complete protein. Seitan is low in lysine which is an amino acid that we need to consume in our diets.

By adding tofu and nutritional yeast to our recipe which both are complete proteins these vegan chicken breasts contain all 9 essential amino acids that are found in animal or plant proteins.

How To Use Vegan Chicken Breast

These vegan chicken breasts can be used in any recipe that calls for chicken breasts.

They are already cooked so can be served cold or reheated by sauteing or adding to sauces. Just bear in mind that because they are cooked you only need to heat them and cooking for a long time will tend to dry them out or burn them.

You can slice them, cut into chunks, tear into shreds and add them to dishes this way.

They can also be breaded and battered and then fried for a fried chicken sandwich. 

How To Store Seitan Chicken

Once cooked the chicken breasts can be stored in an airtight container/bag in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. 

As this recipe makes 12 chicken breasts you can freeze the vegan chicken in a ziplock bag. You can then get out however many you need to defrost before cooking. The seitan chicken will last for months in the freezer.