Vegan Corned Beef Recipe (Made with Seitan!) (2024)

Learn how to make Vegan Corned Beef, a protein-rich meat alternative with an eerily similar texture to the “real” thing! Made with tomato paste, liquid smoke, and even cinnamon.

Vegan Corned Beef Recipe (Made with Seitan!) (1)

Next up for our Irish series we’re making Seitan Corned Beef, the perfect addition to any sandwich or casserole!

This seitan corned beef is made much like our other seitan recipes, through creating a gluten and water mixture and kneading into dough. It’s steamed (like seitan pepperoni!), and rubbed with a delicious blend of spices.

Wondering how to use your delicious meatless corned beef? There are tons of options! Use it in soup for a hearty, protein-rich addition, toss it in casserole, slice it up and eat it alongside veggies, or place it atop rye bread with cheese and sauerkraut for a classic Reuben sandwich!

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Vegan Corned Beef Ingredients

Seitan corned beef is made with a blend of gluten wheat and water, the same way we start all of our seitan recipes! For flavorings, we’ll use tomato paste, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, and various spices.

Dough

  • Gluten: First, you will need 1½ cups of vital wheat gluten to create the seitan base. Gluten creates a chewy texture that helps to replicate the texture of meat!
  • Water: The gluten will be mixed with ½ cup of water.
  • Tomato Paste: Add ¼ cup of tomato paste to give the seitan savory umami flavor (along with a rich red color).
  • Soy Sauce: Next, add in ¼ cup of soy sauce for a salty element.
  • Nutritional Yeast: ¼ cup of nutritional yeast will be add even more savory flavor.
  • Coconut Oil: Add ¼ cup of coconut oil, ensuring that it is solid and not melted. The solid coconut oil will give the corned “beef” little fat pockets, helping to replicate real meat.
  • Liquid Smoke: 1 tsp of liquid smoke transforms the flavor of the dough. Pick it up in most grocery stores or online!
  • Seasonings: Season with 1 tsp each of salt, garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard seed, and ground black pepper, and ⅛ tsp of ground cinnamon.

Spice Rub

The spice rub is made from a blend of brown sugar, smoked paprika, ground black pepper, and ground coriander seed. Use 1 tsp of each!

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How to make seitan corned beef

Seitan corned beef is made by first creating the seitan dough using wheat gluten and water. From there, shape the dough, season with the spice rub, steam, and slice!

Step 1: Create the dough
In a large bowl, stir together all of the dough ingredients until a ball forms.

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Transfer the dough to a clean surface and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is elastic and cohesive. It will still be lumpy, which is okay.

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Vegan Corned Beef Recipe (Made with Seitan!) (6)

Step 2: Shape the dough
Shape the dough into a rectangle. The thicker it is, the taller the slices will be. Combine all of the spice rub ingredients in a separate bowl, and then rub them to coat the entire loaf. Wrap the loaf tightly in aluminum foil, making sure the foil overlaps so it doesn’t open during cooking. Shape it as best as possible into a neat rectangle. The seitan will take on the shape of the foil packet as it steams.

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Step 3: Steam the seitan
Bring a pot of water with a steamer basket to a boil, and then place the wrapped loaf into the basket. Cover and let steam for 45 minutes. Keep an eye on the water level to make sure the water doesn’t evaporate.

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Step 4: Cool and slice
Remove the loaf from the basket and gently unwrap. Transfer the seitan to the fridge and allow it to cool (1 to 8 hours), then use a sharp knife to thinly slice into corned beef.

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Recipe Tips

Solid Coconut Oil
Be sure to use solid coconut oil in making your seitan. This is specified because it contributes to the finished texture of your dish. If it’s not solid, transfer it to the fridge to cool down before using in your recipe.

Storing Corned Beef
Have leftovers? They can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge and will stay good for 5-7 days.

Make a Reuben!
This Vegan Corned Beef is best served on a Reuben Sandwich! Just stack the slices onto rye bread, drizzle with thousand island dressing, top with sauerkraut, and cook on the stove until cheese gets all melty and delicious (full instructions here).

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More Recipes Using Seitan

Want to perfect your seitan making skills? Try some more of these recipes featuring the tasty meat alternative!

  • Seitan Steak
  • Seitan Burgers
  • Buddha’s Delight
  • Easy Seitan Pepperoni
  • Seitan Wings (2 Ways!)

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Vegan Corned Beef Recipe (Step-By-Step Guide)

4.25 from 4 votes

Prep: 15 minutes minutes

Cook: 45 minutes minutes

Total: 1 hour hour

Calories: 216kcal

Servings: 6 servings

Print Rate

Learn how to make Seitan Corned Beef, a protein-rich meat alternative with an eerily similar texture to the "real" thing! Made with tomato paste, liquid smoke, and even cinnamon.

Ingredients

Dough

  • 1 ½ cups vital wheat gluten 180 g
  • ½ cup water 120 mL
  • ¼ cup tomato paste 50 g
  • ¼ cup soy sauce 60 mL
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast 15 g
  • ¼ cup coconut oil* should be solid 50 g
  • 1 tsp liquid smoke 5 mL
  • 1 tsp each salt, garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard seed, ground black pepper
  • tsp ground cinnamon

Spice Rub

  • 1 tsp each brown sugar, smoked paprika, ground black pepper, ground coriander seed

Instructions

  • Dough: In a large bowl stir together all Dough ingredients until a ball forms. Transfer to a clean surface and knead for about 5 minutes, or until dough is elastic and cohesive (it will still be lumpy, that's okay!)

    Vegan Corned Beef Recipe (Made with Seitan!) (12)

  • Shape: Shape dough into a rectangle – the thicker it is, the taller your slices will be. Combine all Spice Rub ingredients in a separate bowl, then rub to coat the entire loaf. Wrap the loaf tightly in aluminum foil, making sure the foil overlaps so it doesn't open during cooking. Shape it as best as possible into a neat rectangle – the seitan will take on the shape of the foil packet as it steams!

    Vegan Corned Beef Recipe (Made with Seitan!) (13)

  • Steam: Bring a pot of water with a steamer basket to a boil, then place wrapped loaf into the basket. Cover and let steam for 45 minutes. (Keep an eye on the water level to make sure water doesn't all evaporate.)

    Vegan Corned Beef Recipe (Made with Seitan!) (14)

  • Cool: Remove loaf from the basket and gently unwrap. Transfer to the fridge and allow to cool (1 to 8 hours), then use a sharp knife to thinly slice into corned beef!

    Vegan Corned Beef Recipe (Made with Seitan!) (15)

Tips & Tricks

*Solid coconut oil is important for the finished texture. If your coconut oil is not solid, transfer it to the fridge so that it can cool down and become solid.

Store corned beefin an airtight container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving Calories: 216kcal (11%) Carbohydrates: 10.9g (4%) Protein: 23.4g (47%) Fat: 9.9g (15%) Saturated Fat: 7.9g (49%) Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 1009mg (44%) Potassium: 294mg (8%) Fiber: 2.2g (9%) Sugar: 1.5g (2%) Calcium: 11mg (1%) Iron: 2mg (11%)

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Vegan Corned Beef Recipe (Made with Seitan!) (2024)

FAQs

Is seitan good or bad for you? ›

Is Seitan Healthy? In many ways, yes, seitan is quite a healthy option. The seitan nutrition facts are hard to argue with: notable amounts of protein, iron, calcium, selenium, phosphorus, and B vitamins. This combination of macro- and micronutrients can result in some pretty impressive health benefits.

What is vegan corned beef made of? ›

Ingredients for Corned Beef Seitan

Extra-firm tofu: This seitan is a blend of proteins from tofu and vital wheat gluten. Adding tofu lends a superior texture to the deli meat (in my opinion), since pure seitan can be quite dry and rubbery on its own. Tofu makes it a little more tender.

Which is healthier tofu or seitan? ›

Is seitan better for you than tofu? Both foods are a good source of plant-based protein. Seitan has twice as much per serving than tofu. However, tofu has more calcium, phosphorus, and antioxidants than seitan.

Which is healthier tempeh or seitan? ›

The two foods also have different flavor profiles—seitan is mild, while tempeh is nutty and earthy. Nutritionally, seitan offers more protein per serving than tempeh; but seitan is not a complete protein like tempeh. While seitan and tempeh can be healthy protein sources, not everyone should include them in their diet.

Who should avoid seitan? ›

While seitan is a versatile plant-based protein, people with celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or gluten allergy should avoid it. Premade seitan can also be high in sodium, so it's important to read the nutrition label if you monitor your sodium intake.

Is seitan a highly processed food? ›

The Drawbacks Seitan

“To make it complete, you'll have to pair this food with other plant proteins such as legumes, grains, and nuts,” she says. Additionally, she points out that, since seitan is a processed food, it contains preservatives such as sulfites, which you may not want in abundance in your diet.

What is a good substitute for corned beef in corned beef and cabbage? ›

While brisket is the traditional cut used for corned beef, other cuts such as top round, bottom round, or chuck roast can also be used with great results.

What is a good corned beef substitute for a Reuben? ›

You could also opt for pastrami in place of the corned beef, which isn't the traditional meat in a Reuben, but it still tastes damned good. Typically at delis, the meat will be steamed whole, then carved by hand while it's still hot.

What can I substitute for corned beef? ›

This easy vegan corned beef recipe can turn tofu, tempeh, seitan or any meat substitute into a delicious corned beef dish. Serve with cabbage and potatoes, sliced in a vegan Ruben sandwich or chopped up in a vegan corned beef hash. It's perfect for a special St. Patrick Day dinner or just a delicious sandwich!

Is it okay to eat seitan everyday? ›

Will there be any side effects after eating it every day? Eating seitan every day can be a part of a healthy diet for many people, especially those following a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.

Is it cheaper to make or buy seitan? ›

Because of its meaty texture, seitan can be used in a variety of dishes, from sandwiches and stir-fries to stews and soups. The best part is that making seitan at home is easy, and it's much cheaper than buying pre-made or store-bought seitan.

Is it OK to eat homemade seitan everyday? ›

The answer is, yes! —as long it's part of a well-rounded diet. A 100g serving of seitan has about 141 calories and 25 grams of protein, making it comparable to the amount of protein in chicken or beef. Because the starches are removed from the wheat when seitan is made, it has very little fat and carbs.

Is there a downside to tempeh? ›

Perhaps the only downside to tempeh is its calorie count is higher than tofu's, but the nutrients it packs more than make up for this.

What are the disadvantages of seitan? ›

What are the cons?
  • Not suitable for those with gluten-sensitivities or coeliac disease.
  • Doesn't absorb much flavour.
  • High amounts of sodium (salt) in the packaged product.
  • Seitan is hard to source unlike other vegetarian protein alternatives meaning you may have to venture to a specialty vegetarian “butcher”

How do you make seitan a complete protein? ›

Ingredients like chickpea flour, soy flour, and soy sauce can be added to your seitan dough to complete the string of essential amino acids.

Can you lose weight eating seitan? ›

So seitan is the perfect ingredient for meals in a protein diet. If you're on a protein diet, you often lose a lot of weight in a short time. It's also important to be aware that, at the start, you'll lose quite a lot of fluids. So if you have problems with fluid retention, a protein diet would be great for you.

Is seitan a low quality protein? ›

Proteins of seitan, tofu, soya milk and pea emulsion are highly digestible. Seitan protein quality is low because of the low lysine content of wheat protein.

Does seitan increase cholesterol? ›

What are the worst foods for high cholesterol? Red meat, fried foods, and baked goods are notorious for raising levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the sticky kind that builds up in artery walls.

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