Instant Pot Seitan

This is the seitan you make when you want something genuinely juicy and satisfying. Blending tofu into the dough keeps it moist and gives it a texture closer to real chicken than most seitan recipes. The Instant Pot does the heavy lifting — wrap, pressure cook, done. Stovetop works too (just steam for an hour).

Ingredients

  • 1 cup vital wheat gluten
  • 7 oz (200g) extra-firm or firm tofu
  • ½ cup vegetable broth or water
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Add the tofu, broth, nutritional yeast, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt to a food processor. Blend until completely smooth.

  2. Add the vital wheat gluten and pulse until the dough comes together. Process for 1–2 minutes until slightly elastic. Less processing (30–60 seconds) gives a more tender result; longer (up to 2 minutes) makes it chewier.

  3. Shape the dough into a log roughly the size of a large sausage. Wrap it tightly in aluminium foil, twisting the ends to seal.

  4. Place a steamer rack in the Instant Pot and add 1 cup of water. Set the foil-wrapped seitan on the rack.

  5. Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Allow a full natural pressure release — don’t rush it.

  6. Remove the seitan and let it cool completely before unwrapping and slicing. It firms up significantly as it cools — slicing hot gives you a spongy texture.

Stovetop alternative: Steam in a covered pot for 1 hour instead.

Keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week, or slice, portion, and freeze for up to 3 months. Use in stir-fries, sandwiches, wraps, tacos, or anywhere you’d use chicken. Per serving (¼ of recipe): ~154 cal | 23g protein | 6g carbs | 4g fat.