Homemade Seitan Skewers with Chimichurri

Homemade grilled Seitan Skewers with Chimichurri and Jalapeno Lime Aioli are a fun appetizer for summertime cookouts and bbqs. You can serve a few of them together with vegetables for a main course, too. Homemade seitan makes these kebabs extra delicious. This easy recipe is vegan.

Seitan Skewers

Have you ever made your own seitan? I used to be too intimidated to do so. But then I took the Rouxbe Plant-Based Professional course, and it was one of our assignments, so I had to make it. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was. So much so, that I created my own recipe for the final project.

This recipe was inspired by the amazing seitan skewers appetizer at (sadly now closed) Candle West in New York City. Their recipe is available out there on the internet, so I took a peek. It uses premade seitan and a marinade. I made my own seitan, and mixed marinade ingredients right into it during the cooking process. I created my own chimichurri and jalapeno aioli recipes too.

What You Need

• Garlic 
• Parsley
• Cilantro,
• Oregano
• Black pepper
• Salt
• Paprika
• Vital wheat gluten
• Nutritional yeast
• Mushroom powder 
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Vegetable stock
• Orange juice
• Tamari or soy sauce
• Tomato paste
• Worchestershire sauce
• Chimichurri
• Jalapeño lime aioli

See the recipe card for exact amounts.

How to Make Seitan

Seitan is much easier to make than you might think. If you can mix together a dough, you can make seitan. Most seitan recipes call for boiling the dough in broth, but whenever I've tried to make it that way, it turns out way to spongey. I prefer to bake it, which is what I do in this recipe.

• First you preheat your oven for 350° and lightly oil a baking dish.
• For this recipe, I use a spice rub. So to start, you should mix together the spice rub ingredients and set them aside.
• Then you mix together the dry ingredients.
• In a separate bowl, you mix together the wet ingredients.
• Next you add the wet ingredients to the dry, a little at a time, mixing as you go.
• Once everything has been mixed together, you knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes. The longer you knead it, the chewier it will be.
• Now you stretch the dough out so that it's about an inch thick.
• You place the dough into your baking dish and rub the spice rub on each side.
• While it’s in the dish, you carefully the seitan into cubes. They don’t need to be perfect cuts – it’s more like you’re scoring the dough to make it easier to break apart later.  
• Next you pour the remaining liquid mixture over the seitan. 
• Now you bake your seitan for 20 minutes, flip it, and then bake it for another 20 minutes.

How to Make Seitan Skewers

Once your seitan is done cooking, making skewers is a breeze!

• If your skewers are bamboo, you should soak them in water before you put them on the grill.
• First you cut the seitan into cubes, about an 1 ½-inches in size.
• Then you thread the cubes into your skewers.
• Cook the skewers on a hot grill, grill pan, or electric grill for about 5 minutes on each side.
• Once the skewers are cooked, drizzle them with chimichurri and jalapeño lime aioli.

Recipe Notes

I know the ingredients list makes this recipe look bonkers, but I promise it's easier to make than you'd think. If you're really not up to making your own seitan, you can use store-bought. Although I do highly recommend making it yourself, because it tastes waaaay better than pre-made seitan.

I use my homemade chimichurri and jalapeño lime aioli in this recipe. You can save them my making them in advance. Or you can use store-bought sauces to really cut back on time.

Serving Your Seitan Skewers

Serve these skewers as an appetizer, like Candle West did. They're great for parties and cookouts.

Or you can serve them as a main alongside a whole grain and some vegetables. They're a terrific companion to Spanish Rice or Green Rice, Street Fair Corn, and Grilled Summer Vegetables.

Umami

Umami is known as the 5th taste, and it's a savory flavor. It's abundant in the omnivore world, but it can be difficult to come by in vegan food. Some foods that do contain it include soy sauce, tomatoes, and mushrooms.

I've used ingredients full of umami in this recipe in order to make these skewers as savory as possible. Tomato paste and tamari are in the wet ingredients, and I've used mushroom powder in the dry.

Mushroom powder is available in some stores, but I prefer to make it myself. I just place tried mushrooms in my Blendtec and mix until they turn into a powder. You can use a spice grinder or small food processor.

Worcestershire sauce is also added to the wet ingredients for a touch of umami. Most brands contain anchovies, so they aren't vegan. I like Annie's Naturals, which is vegan.

Vital Wheat Gluten

Vital wheat gluten can be found in the flour aisle of most grocery stores, and it's crucial to making seitan. Other flours can't be substituted for it. This recipe isn't suitable for those with gluten sensitivities. If you have your heart set on skewers, you can use the spice rub on sliced portobello mushrooms, and thread them onto skewers before grilling them.

More Seitan Recipes You Might Enjoy Include:

• French Mustard Seitan
• Seitan Chimichurri Tacos
• Slow Cooker Seitan Stew
• Seitan Gyros
• Soy-Lime Seitan Tacos