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This vegan grilled chicken is made from seitan, and complete with a simple vegan bbq sauce! It’s extra flavorful and has an impressively tender texture. This easy meal is perfect for vegans, or even non-vegans looking to switch things up!

What Makes This Recipe So Good

It’s a meat-free alternative to grilled bbq chicken! Whether you’re vegan, or simply searching for a meatless meal, this tasty lunch or dinner recipe is perfect for you. The seitan has a surprisingly similar texture to grilled chicken, and the homemade vegan bbq sauce takes this recipe to the next level.
It’s actually easy to make! Start by making the seitan dough, cutting it into cutlets, then steaming it until tender. Last, brush with homemade vegan bbq sauce and grill the “chicken” for only a few minutes per side.
The seitan grilled chicken and vegan bbq sauce can either be made together, or separately! If you’re short on time, make just the seitan chicken and use a store-bought bbq sauce instead. And in case you’re only on the hunt for a vegan bbq sauce recipe, then easily skip to that part of the instructions.

Key Ingredients

Vital Wheat Gluten – Vital wheat gluten is flour that’s been stripped of almost everything, namely starch, leaving behind only the gluten. Once hydrated, then cooked, the vital wheat gluten transforms into seitan. Seitan has a chewy, meat-like texture, making it the perfect vegan chicken substitute. Vital wheat gluten is sold in some grocery stores, though you might be better off ordering it online since it’s still a pretty rare ingredient!

Vegan Worcestershire Sauce – Standard Worcestershire sauce typically contains some type of fish sauce, meaning it’s not always vegan-friendly. Therefore, be sure to pick up a vegan Worcestershire sauce for this recipe. While vegan Worcestershire sauce tastes best in this seitan grilled chicken recipe, you can substitute it for soy sauce or coconut aminos if you’d like.

Chef’s Tips

Serve this delicious vegan recipe any way you’d like! I enjoyed mine over veggies and lettuce, as a sort of plant-based bbq chicken salad. Though it’d also taste great alongside grilled vegetables!
If you don’t have a grill or grill pan handy, simply pan sear this “chicken” instead! To do this, heat about a teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Then, sear the seitan chicken in the skillet for about 3-5 minutes per side, or until lightly charred and delicious!
Leftover seitan grilled chicken will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Or, you can freeze this recipe for up to 3 months! I also recommend storing any leftover vegan bbq sauce separately from the chicken.

seitan grilled chicken on a plate with fresh parsley and a lemon wedge

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Sam Guarnieri

Sam is a travel, food, and fitness enthusiast from the New York metro area who loves creating new and inventive recipes. Her love of food goes all the way back to her early childhood, cooking alongside her mom and Nonna – the two best cooks she knows! She's a big believer that good-for-you food can still explode with flavor and (most importantly) be easy to make. When she's not in the kitchen, Sam can usually be found planning her next vacation, spending time outdoors, or bingeing the latest Netflix docu-series.