This may be the easiest air fryer seitan you ever make. It goes through two baking cycles in your air fryer.
After the rest, it looks a little like puffy bread and it’s still a bit wet and easy to cut into strips.
The second cook makes them nice and chewy. Once you cut the first bake and toss with sauce, that’s when they turn into ribs – Air Fried Seitan is the best!
How is Air Fried Seitan Different From Any Other?
I love making seitan in my air fryer. It’s a different texture than steamed and is perfect for these double-baked Easy Air Fryer Seitan Vegan Riblets from my vegan air fryer cookbook, Vegan Cooking in Your Air Fryer.
How Do You Make Seitan in Your Air Fryer?
First you mix the seitan together in your food processor, then you press it into a shape and size that fits into your air fryer.
Cut it in half so it will cook faster.
Then cook those pieces in your air fryer until they get puffy. And believe me, they are gonna puff up more than you can imagine!
Don’t panic or stop here. They puff up in the first cook, but then you slice them and toss in the sauce and cook again.
Many people decide that something went wrong, but it’s part of the process.
How Do I Make Seitan into Vegan Riblets in my Air Fryer?
Then we take those large pieces out and let them cool for a bit.
Then slice 1/2 inch riblets from both pieces, toss with your BBQ sauce and cook for the last time.
Don’t worry if there are parts that are thinner than others or pieces with some holes. I promise you it will make an out-of-this-world texture!
Be sure to watch the video in this post so you can see the whole process step by step.
New Vegan Tip: Be sure to look at the ingredients on bbq sauces, many have anchovies in them, sometimes in the form of Worcestershire sauce.
These are vegan though:
More Seitan Recipes
Easy Homemade Seitan Ribs is another great seitan recipe and it’s super easy to make too.
Use some of the leftover from this recipe to make Seitan Chimichurri Tacos or Sweet-and-Sour Stir-Fried Vegetables with Seitan.
Easy Air Fry Seitan Riblets
This may be the easiest seitan you ever make. It goes through two baking cycles. After the rest, it’s still a bit wet and easy to cut into strips. The second cook makes them nice and chewy.
Ingredients
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1⁄4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp mushroom powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt, (optional)
- 1⁄2 tsp garlic powder
- 3⁄4 cup water
- 1⁄4 cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Add the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, mushroom powder (or vegan Worcestershire sauce), onion powder, salt and garlic powder to your food processor.
- Pulse until mixed well. Let the dough settle, then drizzle the water in through the top opening while you have the processor on.
- Then let the food processor run for about 3 minutes more to knead the seitan. Remove the dough and put it on a cutting board and knead a little bit more with your hands.
- Press and pull the dough into a circle or square shape that will fitt into your air fryer basket. Then cut it in half so that it will cook a little faster and more evenly.
- Place the 2 seitan pieces into your air fryer and cook on 370°F (188°C) for 8 minutes. Then flip the pieces over and cook 5 minutes more.
- You could stop here and cut into chunks to use in stir-fries, slice thin for sandwiches or cut into pieces and pulse in your food processor to make ground seitan for tacos or spaghetti sauce.
- Or go ahead and make riblets! Slice half of the seitan into 1⁄2-inch (12-mm) wide strips, then toss with about 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) of your favorite BBQ sauce. Place in an oven-safe container that fits into your air fryer and cook at 370°F (188°C) for 5 minutes.
Notes
No mushroom powder? Use vegan Worcestershire sauce instead!
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Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 272Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 0mgSodium 787mgCarbohydrates 19gFiber 3gSugar 6gProtein 47g
Nutrition information is provided from nutritionix.com as a close estimate. If you have specific health issues please put the recipe information, including the exact ingredients you use, into the nutritional calculator your Dr. recommends.
Becky Striepe says
Oh my gosh, what a brilliant idea! I have got to make these!
Kathy Hester says
They are so good – I just ate some for lunch!
Suzanne George says
I have a fan oven but no air fryer. Will that do?
Kathy Hester says
That should work, you might just have to cook them longer.
Dianne's Vegan Kitchen says
These look AMAZING! I love how easy they make they are. I always think that seitan is going to be too much trouble, but it’s actually pretty easy!
Kathy Hester says
I feel the same way, but somehow not having to make a broth or simmer makes it easier in my mind too.
Cynthia says
Can these be cooked in a regular or convection oven if no air fryer?
Kathy Hester says
Yes. I would cook on 375 and you may have to add extra cooking time.
cynthia says
thanks, Kathy — can hardly wait to try these!
Jan says
First it was seitan in a bread machine … now seitan in an airfryer. This is definitely a game changer, thank you!
Laura E says
I have tried MANY seitan rib recipes and these are by far the BEST!! Thank you!
Kathy Hester says
Thank you – I’m so glad you like them!
Stephie says
Does the seitan grow a lot in the air fryer? I burned out a toaster oven once because my little seitan steaks inflated so much during cooking they touched the top elements, don’t want to repeat that expensive mistake!
Kathy Hester says
It does grow some, but it hasn’t touched the top coil of my air fryer. I would just check it more often if you’re worried.
Melissa says
Mine puffed like bread. Completely inedible. Don’t bother 🤬
Kathy Hester says
Just like in the video – the first cook puffs up. But then you cut it into strips and bake again. After the second bake it is no longer puffy.
kristin says
oh my gosh, this looks so easy! i’m getting an air fryer this weekend!
Jan says
worst – eh – sheer
It’s British, they tend to skip some letters … like Anwick is pronounced ann-ick 🙂
Dawn says
These look AMAZING.
What Air Fryer(s) do you recommend, Kathy?
Kathy Hester says
I have a whole page about that. Check out
David says
I followed the recipe and used chik pea powder and it came out looking like bread… do you know how I can fix it for next time?
Kathy Hester says
If you substituted chickpea flour in place of the vital wheat gluten the recipe will not turn out.
Scott Rudolph says
Where’s the video?
Kathy Hester says
It’s in the post under the first pic and paragraph. It may be be taking longer to load. Are you on a phone or computer?
Jan says
Can’t find the video either. The “first pic and paragraph” only has a link to the book on Amazon.
Lori says
If I don’t have any mushroom powder, can I substitute mushroom broth for the water?
Kathy Hester says
Absolutely!
Michele Broad says
Kathy can you use anything in place of the vital wheat gluten- I don’t do gluten?
thanks Michele
Kathy Hester says
I can’t do gluten anymore either, but I don’t think there is a one to one sub for this recipe. I am experimenting with some gluten-free vegan meat subs though.
Sam says
WOW. I grew up in TX and know from bbq ribs, though I’ve been a vegetarian since 1993. These are great! I was unsure of the holes and texture, but these came out terrific! Thank you!
Martha Bergner says
Step 2: “Let the our settle”? Dough?
Kathy Hester says
Yes, dough.
Paul says
It looks good. I would use a dough hook In place of the panel when kneading the dough. But other than that it looks great
Marta Putnam says
Help! My seitan come out to puffy and light in certain areas, not dense enough. Was it because I added too much water, or did I need it too much? Thanks
Kathy Hester says
Was this on the first cook where it’s in one piece? The video shows how puffy it is in the first cook, it’s the second cook that makes it more like ribs.
Allison says
Can I make this in a vitamix? I don’t have a food processor.
Kathy Hester says
It’s a very thick batter like bread, so I don’t think so. You can mix and knead by hand or use a mixer if you have one.
Coco in the Kitchen says
Giiiiiiiiiiirl, this looks scrumptious!
Anita says
Glad I found this. Making today.
The sauce is pronounced ‘Woo-ster-sheer’. Hope this helps.
Emma says
if we dont do the BBQ step, do we cook them a second time in the air fryer? thanks!
Kathy Hester says
You would need to cook them a second time in the dish you are using them in.
Kathy Hester says
No, you need the second cook for texture.
Melissa says
If you want to make seitan bread, this is the recipe. 🥲
Kathy Hester says
Did you make both steps of the recipe? In the video I show that after the first cooking it looks like a puffy piece of weirdness. Then you slice that, toss with sauce, and cook again – in that step it becomes like ribs.
Linda says
I am marinating now, but the Seitan came out of the air fryer like two lovely brown and light loaves of bread! Not at all the doughy, chewy texture of store bought seitan. It tasted like bread, too. I read a bit on line and apparently this is what some people have experienced when baking vs simmering in water.
I will be curious to see what happens to it after it marinates. It’s one big experiment right now!
Kathy Hester says
They have a 2 step cooking process. The first is as 2 loaves, then they get cut into strips, tossed with sauce and cooked again. That makes the nice chewy texture.
bridget says
Hi there! I am kind of new to seitan, but I followed ALL your steps, including step two. These were great! Sorry for all the comments saying this is inedible bread, it’s not. I’m using a Cuisinart air fryer/toaster oven and they puffed up a lot in step 1 so thanks for the warning.
Kathy Hester says
Thank you so much! People don’t always follow directions and I appreciate that you did <3
Charolette says
These are sooooo delicious! Yes, it puffed up and hit the roof of my air fryer, causing a burnt spot but I just pushed it down a bit and kept going. They turned out fabulous. Just follow the directions and keep going no matter what, they turn out good in the end. I air fried all of it again in bbq sauce and had the best seitan ribs ever! Thank you!
Douglas DiPaola says
I am new to Seitan. I was given a few packages of Upton’s Traditional Seitan Vegan Chunks. For this recipe would I still do the two step process as in recipe? Or, go directly to saucing the packaged chunks and baking? Thanks so much.
Doug
Kathy Hester says
Just sauce the premade chunks and air fry away!