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Ingredients · Proteins

Substitutions

What can I use instead of seitan?

Wheat gluten washed free of starch, or reconstituted from vital wheat gluten flour, then simmered or steamed into a dense, elastic protein block.

What it does in a recipe: The chewiest plant protein available — it pulls and shreds in a way legumes cannot. Pick the swap that covers that job — the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.

Also called: Wheat gluten, Wheat meat, Mock duck

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Quick answer

Extra-firm tofu, pressed and frozen

8 oz seitan = 8 oz extra-firm tofu, frozen then thawed and pressed

All substitutes, best first

4 ways to replace seitan

Extra-firm tofu, pressed and frozen

Reliable
8 oz seitan = 8 oz extra-firm tofu, frozen then thawed and pressed

Freezing tofu forces its water into ice crystals that tear open the protein network; once thawed and squeezed, the block is spongy and chewy in a way that comes far closer to seitan than fresh tofu does.

MethodFreeze solid, thaw completely, then press out the water hard — the more you remove, the more marinade it will take up.

Trade-offSpongier than seitan's tight elasticity, and it will not shred into strands.

CookingFryingVeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-free

Allergen checkThis is the usual choice when the reason for avoiding seitan is gluten, and tofu is reliably gluten-free — but it is soy, so it swaps one common allergen for another. Check the label either way.

King oyster mushrooms, shredded

Reliable
8 oz seitan = 12 oz king oyster mushrooms, shredded lengthwise with a fork

The stems of king oysters are made of long parallel fibres, so shredding them produces genuine strands that brown and crisp much as pulled seitan does.

MethodShred along the grain, then fry in a generous amount of oil until the edges are crisp.

Trade-offMuch less protein and considerable shrinkage. The flavour is mushroomy rather than neutral.

CookingFryingVeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-free

Jackfruit (young, in brine)

In a pinch
8 oz seitan = one 20 oz can young green jackfruit, drained and shredded

Unripe jackfruit has a stringy, fibrous flesh that shreds convincingly and absorbs sauce readily, which is why it turns up in barbecue and taco fillings.

MethodUse the tinned green fruit in brine or water, never the ripe fruit in syrup, and rinse it well before cooking.

Trade-offAlmost no protein and a faintly fruity note underneath. It looks the part but does not feed like seitan.

CookingVeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-free

Textured vegetable protein chunks

In a pinch
8 oz seitan = 3 oz dry TVP chunks, rehydrated in 1.5 cups hot broth

Extruded soy protein is dried into a porous structure that swells with whatever liquid it is rehydrated in, giving a firm, chewy piece with a protein content close to seitan's.

MethodRehydrate in seasoned broth rather than water — plain TVP tastes of nothing at all.

Trade-offSlightly spongy and uniform, without seitan's dense bite.

CookingVeganVegetarianDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-free

Allergen checkTVP is soy-based, and some products are processed alongside wheat. If gluten was the reason for avoiding seitan, look for a certified gluten-free brand and read the packet properly.

Worth knowing

Seitan is essentially concentrated gluten. It is unsafe for anyone with coeliac disease or a wheat allergy, and it should never be offered as a gluten-free protein no matter how the rest of the dish is built.

Related

More proteins

Bacon4 substitutesBlack beans4 substitutesCanned tuna4 substitutesChicken breast4 substitutesChicken thigh4 substitutesChickpeas4 substitutes

Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter — confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.