How can you resist this perfect, plant-based party food? This barbecue seitan wings recipe will really sell you on seitan. Try even a tiny taste and you’ll be tempted to make another batch (just for you)!
If you’ve been intimidated in the past by this vegan meat substitute, you’re in for a treat. These vegan seitan wings are super-easy to create and to cook. Grab some vital wheat gluten and bring that pot to boiling!
Why You’ll Love These Wings
Who isn’t wow-ed by a platter of succulent and savory seitan wings? The combination of sweet and savory with chewy and crispy creates some serious snack cravings!
A fan favorite, barbecue vegan seitan wings are not only an awesome appetizer, but they’re also amazingly addictive. The marvelous mustard sauce is crucial for an authentic, southern-style tang. Grab a handful of these nifty nuggets and you’ll fall in love with their fantastic flavor.
Don’t worry about diving into the Sea of Seitan. It’s not as scary as you think and it’s actually pretty easy to prepare.
Secret of Seitan (What The Heck Is Seitan?)
Many people confuse tofu and seitan. Tofu is made out of soybeans and is made by pressing curds from coagulated soy milk into blocks. Seitan is made out of wheat gluten (sold in grocery stores as a powder called “vital wheat gluten”) and is made by developing sticky strands of gluten protein from kneading wheat flour with water.
Both are plant-based foods and make excellent meat substitutes, but they are decidedly different. While both are low in fat and high in protein, they have different ratios of each and have markedly different textures. Tofu is great for people who have gluten sensitivities and seitan works well for those with soy allergies.
Tofu has a terrific egg-like texture that is slightly squishy, but also a bit firm and mildly moist. Seitan has a particularly meaty chewiness that, when cooked and seasoned well, can fool even the most staunch meat lovers. It’s also often used to make plant-based jerky with a dense chewiness that jerky lovers adore. Although distinctive, both are delicious in their own dishes. For these well-seasoned vegan chicken wings, seitan is the sure winner!
Bask in the Barbecue
There’s nothing quite as satisfying as a homemade sauce. This is especially true when it comes to barbecue!
You can certainly count on this Carolina style BBQ sauce to be both rich and robust. Tart tomatoes and tangy apple cider vinegar are balanced out by thick maple syrup and sweet brown sugar. A pleasantly pungent punch is provided by the mustard, onion, garlic, and cayenne.
If you love your B-B-Q as much as I do, you may wish to make a double batch of this vegan barbeque sauce for the next day! Leftover wings may warrant more of this amazing marinade.
How to Serve Up Your Vegan Seitan Wings
- Perfect Pairing with Potatoes – It’s like a marriage made in heaven! Sticky sweet seitan paired with this slightly savory starch is the perfect choice for sure. These wings would be wonderful with our super-crispy vegan Hasselback potatoes.
- Complete with Crudite – Crunchy carrots, cucumber, cauliflower, and even a bunch of bold broccoli combine with the barbecue seitan wings in the best possible way! Boost any party platter by adding these barbeque wings to our epic hummus board.
- OMG Onion Rings – Who can resist these crispy, sharp, and scrumptious circles? A tantalizing and tasty team. You’ll love our outstanding vegan onion ring recipe!
Storing Your Saucy Seitan Wings
Sadly, stored seitan can dry out quite quickly. If you have any leftover sauce, make sure to spoon over the seitan before setting it into a container or reusable bag. Leftovers will last about 10 days in the fridge and can be reheated either in the microwave or sauteed in a pan.
When microwaving, add extra sauce or water to your container before heating for a minute or two. To reheat in a saucepan or skillet, it’s also a good idea to include additional liquid and cook over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook or your seitan will become dry and dense.
Freezing is also an option for this fantastic fare. Vegan seitan wings will last about 6 months in a well-sealed freezer bag or container. Thaw overnight before reheating.
More Amazing Vegan Appetizers and Sides
Listen while you cook! Tune into my podcast, The Plant Powered People Podcast, while you’re cooking, folding laundry, or taking a bath. It may just change your life!
The BEST Vegan Barbecue Seitan Wings
Ingredients
Seitan Wings:
- 2 cups
vital wheat gluten
- 1 teaspoon
garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoon
salt
- 1¼ cups
vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon
olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives optional
Mustard Barbecue Sauce:
- 1 cup
tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons
apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup
pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup
Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon
onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch of salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Instructions
- To make the seitan wings, stir together the vital wheat gluten, garlic powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Slowly stir in the broth, and when the gluten becomes too hard to stir, knead it with your hands until the seitan comes together and forms a ball.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Pull tiny pieces of seitan from the dough ball and drop them in the water. Continue this process until all the dough is used. (The seitan will expand; the smaller the pieces you pull off, the better.)
- Boil the seitan, reducing the heat if needed, for 30 minutes. Drain the pot and let the seitan cool completely.
- While the seitan cools, preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C).
- When the seitan pieces are cool enough to handle, squeeze as much liquid out of them as possible with your hands. Place the wings on a medium baking sheet. Drizzle the oil onto the wings and toss to coat them.
- Bake the wings for 20 minutes, flip them and bake for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until they are brown and firm.
- When the wings are almost done, make the barbecue sauce. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together the tomato sauce, vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Remove the saucepan from the heat
- When the wings are done, toss them in the barbecue sauce and serve them topped with the chives (if using).
Notes
Nutrition
We want to thank our amazing recipe tester Taylor Gillespie for helping us perfect this recipe!
This recipe for the best Carolina Barbecue Vegan Seitan Wings was reprinted with permission from the Southern Vegan cookbook by Lauren Hartmann (Page Street Publishing Co. 2020). Photo credit: Lauren Hartmann and Julie Grace.
The post The BEST Vegan Seitan Wings With Barbecue Sauce appeared first on World of Vegan.