What Are Vegan Ribs Made From?
Vegan BBQ Ribs are made using Seitan. It’s often called “wheat meat.”Seitan is fairly bland and tasteless on its own. But, when spices like onion powder and soy sauce are added it becomes a very savory and meaty dish.
Some recipes using seitan call for tahini, almond butter, or another nut butter for adding fat and depth of flavor. But, I have omitted those from this recipe to keep it low in fat yet full of flavor.
If you are trying to eat less meat then seitan is a great way to get there.
Dry Ingredients
- Vital Wheat Gluten: Vital wheat gluten is the primary ingredient in seitan or “wheat meat.” It’s like wheat flour on steroids and it’s pretty much pure protein. It’s a meat replacement and first appeared during the 6th century as an ingredient in Asian cuisine.
- Nutritional Yeast: this adds an earthy nuttiness, especially to savory dishes like these vegan ribs.
- Spices: smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin
Wet Ingredients
- Vegetable Stock: water is an option as well, but I prefer using low-sodium vegetable broth or vegetable stock for added flavor.
- Soy Sauce: used in a marinade or adding an umami flavor but can also add color to your dish.
- Liquid Smoke: optional, but adds a smoky flavor without the actual fire, but it makes the vegan ribs taste as though they came from a smoker.
How To Make Seitan Ribs
These seitan ribs are easy to prepare, delicious, and a great choice for so many occasions.Start by preheating your oven to 375˚F and line a baking sheet or 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.
Combine all of the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whisk everything together. Then pour the wet ingredients, except for the BBQ sauce, into the bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until a dough starts to form.
Use your hands to finish mixing and continue kneading the dough for 45 seconds to 1 minute. If the dough is too dry add a tablespoon of water or vegetable stock at a time.
Transfer the seitan to a clean surface and press the dough out into a rectangle shape about ½″ thick. You can use a rolling pin if needed.
Cut the seitan in half creating two equal pieces and get ready to base with some sauce. From here you have a couple of options. You can just bake them right away but I love to grill them first.
This will give you the appearance and texture of ribs.
Simply preheat a nonstick grill pan over medium heat and grill each half of the seitan ribs for about 3 minutes per side. It will create those griddle marks everyone loves.
Once you’ve finished grilling them place the ribs on the prepared baking sheet, brush with homemade BBQ sauce, and bake for 10 minutes.
Flip the ribs, brush with more sauce, and bake for 10 more minutes.
Remove the seitan ribs from the oven and let them sit for about 5 minutes. Slice the ribs with a sharp knife, drizzle with more BBQ sauce, and enjoy!
I love serving these up with macaroni salad!
Tips and Substitutions
- Vital Wheat Gluten: There are no substitutes for wheat gluten. But, if you prefer a less chewy seitan use ¾ cup of wheat gluten and ¼ cup chickpea flour.
- Soy Sauce: I prefer low-sodium soy sauce, but Bragg’s Liquid Aminos is a great option.
- Rest: The texture of seitan ribs is best when allowed to rest a bit. If you serve them immediately out of the oven the ribs will be soft. Letting them rest for just a few minutes makes a big difference. I like to let the seitan sit in the fridge overnight and then reheat.
How To Serve BBQ Seitan Ribs
Enjoy these vegan ribs just like you would real ones. Here are some of my favorite recipes to serve alongside:- Vegan Potato Salad
- Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
- Vegan Coleslaw
- The Best Vegan Cornbread
- Crunchy Baked Cajun Fries
- Vegan Jalapeño Cheddar Muffins
Storage
Refrigerator: vegan seitan ribs can be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to 5 days.Freezer: place leftover seitan ribs in a freezer-safe container and keep them in the freezer for up to 1 month.
