Seitan Stir Fry
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This quick and easy Seitan Stir Fry is packed with protein. Made with simple vegetables, homemade stir fry sauce, and pan-fried seitan, it’s a simple one-pan dinner that’s naturally vegan!
From black beans to tofu, delicious plant-based protein options are endless these days. An underrated source of protein is seitan (say-tan), a realistic vegan meat product made from vital wheat gluten. With a whopping 75 grams of protein per 100 grams, why wouldn’t you want to add this powerhouse to your vegan meals?
One easy way to start using seitan regularly is in this easy Seitan Stir Fry recipe. It’s just as easy to put together as a classic tofu stir fry but has much more protein!
A blend of vegetables, diced seitan, and homemade stir fry sauce come together in one pan in this easy recipe. It’s light and nourishing but keeps you full and satisfied for hours. Enjoy it as a quick and easy dinner or for your meal prep!
Recipe features
- Seitan is a vegan protein powerhouse that transforms this veggie stir fry into a satisfying main meal.
- An easy 6-ingredient stir fry sauce coats every bite.
- It’s a healthy recipe that takes minutes to put together! Enjoy it for nourishing dinners or pack up the leftovers for your weekday lunches.
Ingredients
Seitan – Seitan is a vegan meat alternative made from vital wheat gluten. The gluten is usually combined with seasonings, broth, and sometimes other ingredients to give it a realistic meaty flavor. Once it’s cooked, seitan takes on an incredibly tender and chewy texture that’s very similar to real meat.
Vegetables – I used onion, bell pepper, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and garlic in this stir fry. You can stick to the recipe or use any variation of vegetables you like.
Stir fry sauce – This easy sauce is made with broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and cornstarch. It’s poured over the seitan and vegetables in the hot skillet, eventually coating every bite in its savory, umami, and sticky goodness.
Instructions
Step 1: Fry the seitan. Heat some oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced seitan and cook until it’s golden brown. Transfer it to a plate and set aside.
Step 2: Make the sauce. Whisk the stir fry sauce ingredients together in a bowl, then set aside.
Step 3: Stir fry the veggies. Heat a little more oil in the now-empty skillet. Once it’s hot, add the onion, peppers, and mushrooms. Cook until they’re soft, then add the carrots and garlic.
Step 4: Combine everything. Stir the seitan back into the pan. Pour the sauce over top and stir until it thickens and coats the seitan and vegetables. Season to taste, then serve the stir fry over rice. Enjoy!
Tips and FAQs
- Save time by making the stir fry sauce up to 1 week ahead of time. Whisk everything except the cornstarch together and store it in an airtight container or jar in the fridge until it’s time to cook.
- White rice is always delicious with stir fry but so are noodles, brown rice, and quinoa. Use what you like!
- Garnish each bowl with green onions, sesame seeds, and/or toasted peanuts for an elevated presentation.
- Feel free to swap the stir fry sauce for my Thai peanut sauce, teriyaki sauce, or General Tso’s sauce.
Tip
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to the pan if it’s getting dry and/or the vegetables are sticking.
Where can I buy seitan?
You can find seitan in well-stocked grocery stores, like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. It should also be available at health food stores.
How do you make seitan?
You need vital wheat gluten, simple herbs and spices, and vegetable broth to make seitan from scratch. Check out this easy seitan recipe from The Vegan Atlas to learn how to make it yourself.
Is this recipe gluten free?
No. Vital wheat gluten is an integral part of seitan recipes and is rarely made without it. If you need the stir fry to be gluten free, swap the seitan for pan-fried tofu or tempeh and use tamari in the stir fry sauce instead of soy sauce.
What else can I add to this stir fry?
Treat this like a clean-out-your-fridge recipe if you want. Use any vegetables you have on hand – edamame, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, leafy greens, and more can all be chucked into the skillet.
Storage
Refrigerator: Keep the stir fry and rice in separate airtight containers in the fridge. Store them for up to 5 days.
More protein-packed vegan recipes
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Seitan Stir Fry
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
For the stir fry:
- 8 oz seitan, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tbsp avocado oil, plus more as needed
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 5 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 3/4 cup shredded carrots
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- green onion for garnish, chopped
Instructions
- Dice the seitan into bite-size pieces, then heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the seitan and cook until it’s golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove it and set it aside.
- Meanwhile, whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a bowl; set aside.
- Next, add an additional tablespoon of oil to the skillet, then add the onion, bell pepper and mushrooms, along with a pinch of salt, and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. NOTE: you may need to add 1-2 tablespoons of water to help the mushrooms cook down. Add the carrots and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the seitan back into the skillet and give everything a good stir. Pour the sauce in and stir until the sauce has thickened slightly and everything is coated. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve stir fry over rice, then sprinkle everything with chopped green onions. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
The maple syrup was too much sugar for me. It was better when I eliminated the maple syrup and added a tablespoon of San-J Szechuan stir fry sauce (zero g sugar) along with a teaspoon of gouchujang paste. Also – I julienned the carrots instead of shredding. Excellent!
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe overall!
We had this tonight and loved it. We missed out on using the mushrooms (but are certain they would have added even more). We used Udon Noodles, 1.5x the sauce (because of the noodles), and topped with green onions and crushed peanuts. Added this to the regular rotation list. I think it can easily adapt to whatever veggies one might have on hand. Thank you for this recipe!
Thanks Amy! Glad you enjoyed the stir fry!
Just an FYI, when I filtered recipes as gluten free, this recipe showed up in the search.
Most Celiacs are aware that seitan is GF, and you do mention it in the text that it is not GF, but I imagine a tag is somehow attached accidentally!
(I loved seitan before I was diagnosed, and was very sad to have to give it up 😢)