Extra Juicy Vegan Ribs Recipe (made of Seitan) - Carlo Cao (2024)

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Are you looking for the perfect recipe to make vegan ribs? Then you're in the right place. These ribs are juicy and have a meaty texture. They are also super easy to make, require only 9 ingredients, and are absolutely delicious!

Extra Juicy Vegan Ribs Recipe (made of Seitan) - Carlo Cao (2)

I've made these seitan ribs plenty of times for omnivorous friends and family and they've always been a huge hit. Plus, you can serve them with just about any side dish: from salads to plain rice, pasta etc.

If you're interested in more meat substitute recipes, don't forget to check out my extra tender roast beef, or these delicious chickpea nuggets, or this recipe to make the best vegan chicken!

Before you jump into the kitchen to make these vegan ribs, I suggest you read this blog post carefully. The recipe is simple but there are some steps and tricks to take into account.

Jump to:
  • What are seitan ribz made of?
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Substitutions
  • Variations
  • Equipment
  • Storage
  • Make ahead option
  • How to serve
  • FAQ
  • More vegan meat substitutes
  • Pinterest
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Reviews
Extra Juicy Vegan Ribs Recipe (made of Seitan) - Carlo Cao (3)

What are seitan ribz made of?

Now that you've seen pictures of the ribs you're probably wondering what they're made of.

Well the vegan "meat" (if we want to call it so) is made of seitan, which is a mass made of vital wheat gluten (check this blog-post to know more about vital wheat gluten), chickpeas, spices and broth. This mass is then formed to look like traditional ribs.

The bones are made from horseradish. To make them, all you have to do is peel a horseradish and cut it in such a way as to create sticks that look like bones.

And finally the ribs are coated in a bbq marinade (made of olive oil, salt, maple syrup and smoked paprika) and cooked in a skillet or on a grill for 7-8 minutes.

Ingredients

To make the vegan ribs you'll only need the following 9 ingredients:

Extra Juicy Vegan Ribs Recipe (made of Seitan) - Carlo Cao (4)
  • canned chickpeas
  • vital wheat gluten
  • vegetable broth
  • soy sauce
  • maple syrup
  • smoked paprika
  • onion powder
  • olive oil
  • garlic powder
  • black pepper and salt

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Here you have a visual step by step explanation of how to make vegan ribs.

Extra Juicy Vegan Ribs Recipe (made of Seitan) - Carlo Cao (5)

For the ribs, add all the wet ingredients into a food-processor and pulse for a couple of seconds. Then add the dry ingredients until a dough is formed.

Extra Juicy Vegan Ribs Recipe (made of Seitan) - Carlo Cao (6)

Remove the dough from the food-processor and set on a clean working surface. Knead for 2 minutes until elastic and smooth. Cut the seitan into 6 same sized parts.

Extra Juicy Vegan Ribs Recipe (made of Seitan) - Carlo Cao (7)

Flatten each part into a 7x20 cm (3x8'') rectangle. To form a "set of ribs" overlap 3 of them and press the edges together to seal, repeat with the remaining ones.

Extra Juicy Vegan Ribs Recipe (made of Seitan) - Carlo Cao (8)

To make the fat layer on top of the ribs place the vital wheat gluten and water into a food-processor and blend until a sticky mass is formed. Apply a layer of "fat" on top of each rib set.

Extra Juicy Vegan Ribs Recipe (made of Seitan) - Carlo Cao (9)

Bring broth to a boil and then lower the heat to reach a gentle simmering. Add the ribs and simmer for 1 hour. Flip every 20 minutes. Once cooked, remove from broth and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile make the "bones" and marinade.

Extra Juicy Vegan Ribs Recipe (made of Seitan) - Carlo Cao (10)

For the bones, peel the horseradish and cut into 5 cm long sticks. Using a knife cut 4 holes on the side of each ribs set and stick a bone into each hole.

For the marinate mix all the ingredients into a bowl. Brush the ribs with the bbq sauce. Heat oil in a pan, add the ribs and roast on each side for 4 minutes. Serve right away.

Substitutions

if you need to replace an ingredient below i will tell you how to do it.

  • Vital wheat gluten - it's responsible for providing ribs with a texture similar to that of traditional meat. So far there is no ingredient capable of duplicating the characteristics of it and therefore it cannot be replaced.
  • Chickpeas - can be replaced by any type of canned beans.
  • Smoked paprika - can be replaced with a couple of drops of liquid smoke or you can just leave it out.

Variations

Giving the visitor ideas on how they can change this recipe to better suit their dinner guests, or their cultural cuisine, is a great way to increase the chances they make the recipe

  • Gluten-free - these ribs are made using vital wheat gluten. Since this ingredient cannot be substituted it's not possible to make gluten free ribs using this recipe.
  • Marinade -the marinade suggested in this recipe is a simple bbq, but you can change it to any other type of marinade if you prefer.

Equipment

All you need to make this recipe is a good food processor/blender, a large pot and a pan.

Storage

If you have any leftovers place them in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat put the ribs in the oven at 180 °C (360 °F) for 15 minutes.

You can also make a big batch of ribs and store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge before marinating them as described in the recipe card below.

Make ahead option

If you want, you can make the ribs a day or two in advance. To do it, cook the ribs in the broth, then remove them from the broth and let them cool completely. Once cool, place them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge.

The next day you can marinate them as described in the recipe card below.

How to serve

You can serve these seitan ribs with a vegan potato salad, coleslaw, or risotto Milanese.

FAQ

What is vegan ribs made of?

Vegan ribs are made of seitan, chickpeas and spices, making them healthy, satiating, packed with nutrients and full of protein.

What is a healthy alternative to ribs?

These vegan ribs are definitely a healthier alternative to traditional ribs. This is because they are cholesterol-free and are low in saturated fat.

More vegan meat substitutes

  • Extra Tender Vegan Roast Beef
  • Vegan Chickpea Cutlets
  • How To Make Vegan Shredded Chicken
  • Vegan Mushroom Wellington

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📖 Recipe

Extra Juicy Vegan Ribs Recipe (made of Seitan) - Carlo Cao (15)

Best Vegan Ribs Recipe (Juicy & Meaty)

Carlo Cao

This vegan ribs are juicy, tender and absolutely delicious!

5 from 21 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 6 people

Equipment

  • food-processor

Ingredients

ribs

  • 250 g canned chickpeas (without the liquid) ((9 oz))
  • 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 3 tablespoon soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 150 ml vegetable stock ((⅗ cup))
  • 200 g vital wheat gluten ((7 oz))

fat layer (optional)

  • 30 g vital wheat gluten
  • 30 g all-purpose flour
  • 60 ml water

marinade

  • 2 ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 ½ tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • For the ribs, place all the ingredients (except vital wheat gluten) in a food-processor and blend until perfectly smooth. Add in vital wheat gluten and pulse for a couple of seconds until a dough is formed.

  • Remove the dough from the food-processor and set on a clean working surface. Knead for 2 minutes until elastic and smooth.

  • Cut the seitan into 6 same sized parts. Flatten each part into a 7x20 cm (3x8'') rectangle. To form a rib set overlap 3 rectangles and press the edges to seal, repeat with the remaining seitan to form a second set.

  • (Optional) To make the fat layer on top of the ribs place the vital wheat gluten and water into a food-processor and blend until a sticky mass is formed. Apply a layer of "fat" on top of each rib set.

  • Bring broth to a boil and then lower the heat to reach a gentle simmering. Add the ribs a simmer for 1 hour. Flip every 20 minutes. Once cooked, remove from broth and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

  • Meanwhile make the "bones" and marinade. For the bones, peel the horseradish and cut into 5 cm long sticks. Using a knife cut 4 holes on the side of each ribs set and stick a bone into each hole. For the marinate mix all the ingredients into a bowl. Brush the ribs with marinade.

  • Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, add the ribs and roast on each side for 4 minutes. Serve right away.

Nutrition

Calories: 308kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 34gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 1006mgPotassium: 236mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 639IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 4mg

Keyword vegan ribs

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Extra Juicy Vegan Ribs Recipe (made of Seitan) - Carlo Cao (2024)

FAQs

What is seitan ribs made of? ›

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.

What makes ribs juicy? ›

Moist, gentle heat and a wet vinegary sauce can save dry ribs. Here's what to do: Make a 50/50 mixture of your favorite BBQ sauce and apple cider vinegar and coat the ribs in this mixture. Then wrap the ribs tightly in foil and put them in a low oven (say 300°F) for about an hour.

What do vegan ribs taste like? ›

The taste is meaty with a subtle smokiness and very little trace of the soy in the ingredients. Without the marinade, there isn't much flavour, but you wouldn't eat ribs without marinating them or adding a spice rub. After all, as we vegans always say – it's not the meat that tastes good, it's what you flavour it with!

Who should avoid seitan? ›

While seitan is a versatile plant-based protein, people with celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or gluten allergy should avoid it.

What are the disadvantages of seitan? ›

What are the cons?
  • Not suitable for those with gluten-sensitivities or coeliac disease.
  • Doesn't absorb much flavour.
  • High amounts of sodium (salt) in the packaged product.
  • Seitan is hard to source unlike other vegetarian protein alternatives meaning you may have to venture to a specialty vegetarian “butcher”

What is the secret to moist ribs? ›

The secret to incredibly tender ribs is baking them low and slow. Baking ribs in the oven is so easy. 95% of the cooking time is spent relaxing while your ribs transform into fall-off-the-bone perfection.

What liquid to add to ribs? ›

You may, if desired, spritz or mop your ribs while smoking with a liquid of your choice. Apple juice or cider, butter, Dr. Pepper, apple cider vinegar, beer… there are plenty of options.

Why add vinegar to ribs? ›

Essentially, the vinegar solution "cleanses" the meat and makes the flavors shine through without any "gamey" flavor.

What happened to MorningStar Farms ribs? ›

Back by Popular Demand: MorningStar Farms Riblets Return to Retail Spring 2024. After disappearing from store shelves in 2018, the customer favorite is back to stay. After disappearing from store shelves in 2018, the customer favorite is back to stay.

What does vegan stand for? ›

Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. Veganism. The symbol widely used to denote a vegan-friendly product.

What is vegan brisket made of? ›

The Ingredients and Substitutes

Vital wheat gluten: This makes up the base of the vegan meat substitute. You can't replace it. Water: For more flavor, use vegan beef broth or vegetable broth. Seasonings: You'll need onion powder, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast for a savory, umami flavor.

What makes vegan meat taste like meat? ›

Some manufacturers will use what you might call an “umami bomb” to give plant-based applications the hearty, meaty taste consumers want from traditional meat. However, they're just adding a high level of non-declarable MSG source to the product to give it more intense flavour, versus an authentic taste experience.

Why do my ribs taste rubbery? ›

On the back of most ribs, there is a thin connective piece of tissue called the membrane or silver-skin. It's a good idea to remove the membrane from the rib otherwise it can become tough and rubbery during the grilling process.

What is seitan made out of? ›

Seitan is a plant-based meat substitute made from wheat gluten that mimics the flavor and texture of chicken. You can buy it in many health food supermarkets, or you can make it yourself. It's typically made out of vital wheat gluten, an ingredient that has a similar texture to flour but is mostly, well, gluten.

Is seitan meat good for you? ›

While this may limit the variety of plant-based meat alternatives you consume, it shouldn't limit your recipes. Seitan is an excellent protein source for vegans and vegetarians who are allergic to soy. Because it's made from wheat and not soy, it's okay for those with soy allergies to eat.

What is seitan sausage made of? ›

Seitan sausage FAQs

Seitan is a vegan the term given to a food made predominantly from wheat gluten. Wheat gluten is the main protein of wheat and is made by washing regular flour to remove any starch. When cooked seitan has a surprisingly “meaty” texture and is very easy to mould into different shapes and sizes.

What does seitan meat taste like? ›

Seitan on its own doesn't taste like much – it's very mild, a little bit savory and kind of bland. It's more about texture rather than its taste. Texturally, it's ultra meaty and can take on any flavor.

References

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