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

Published by Carlo on Mar 17, 2022 (last updated: Jan 19, 2024).

This post is also available in: Deutsch

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!

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.

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:

• 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.

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.

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.

See Also

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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.

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 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.

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

More vegan meat substitutes

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