- Cooking For Peanuts

Name: Easy Vegan Turkey
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 15 ounces chickpeas (canned, drained and rinsed); 1 cup vegetable broth (plus more for steaming); 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 teaspoons soy sauce (or tamari); 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning; ¼ teaspoon garlic powder; ¼ teaspoon onion powder; 1 1/3 cups vital wheat gluten; 2 tablespoons maple syrup; ½ tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari); ½ tablespoon vegan butter; ½ tablespoon sriracha; ½ teaspoon smoked paprika; 2 rice paper wrappers ((spring roll wrappers))

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This Easy Vegan Turkey is moist on the inside with an irresistible crispy skin on the outside. Even non-vegans love this Thanksgiving turkey recipe. Plus, it's budget-friendly, high in protein, and made with healthy ingredients.

Roasted vegan turkey sliced on a white plate with gravy and fresh thyme. On marble board with gravy and cauliflower mash. — Enjoy Your Vegan Turkey with my easy herb gravy and low carb cauliflower mash.

Once you try this foolproof recipe, you will be coming back to make it every holiday, I guarantee! The crispy skin is delectable, and makes this the best vegan turkey recipe out there. You will be surprised by how easy and quickly this comes together.

Serve your vegan turkey with my Vegan Gravy (Gluten-Free) on this site. Pair with these Crispy Roasted Potato Bites, or my Sweet Potato & Quinoa Salad with Tahini Dressing for a healthy and satisfying side.

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👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients
🍶 Substitutions
📖 Instructions
💡 Expert Tips
🔪 Equipment
🍽 Related Recipes
👩🏽‍🍳 Made This Recipe?
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

Vital wheat gluten, chickpeas, nutritional yeast, tamari, apple cider vinegar, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, olive oil, Dijon, and vegetable broth. — Ingredients for making Easy Vegan Turkey.

Vital wheat gluten is a powder made from the natural protein (gluten) found in the wheat berry. Mixing it with liquid forms a popular vegan meat alternative known as 'seitan'. I used 'Anthony's Premium Vital Wheat Gluten' purchased from Amazon.
Poultry seasoning, soy sauce, and nutritional yeast give the vegan turkey a meaty, umami flavor. Fortified nutritional yeast adds vitamin B₁₂ to this recipe.

Vegan butter, soy sauce, sriracha, maple syrup, smoked paprika, and spring roll wrappers on a white marble board. — Ingredients for the glaze and crispy skin.

The sweet glaze mimics cranberry sauce traditionally served for Thanksgiving dinner.
Spring roll wrappers (rice paper) are wrapped around the steamed seitan, basted with the glaze, and roasted to form a crispy skin.

See recipe card for quantities.

🍶 Substitutions

Chickpeas - instead of chickpeas, use an equal amount of white beans
Vegetable broth - use 'Vegetarian No Chicken Broth' if you can find it for an even meatier flavor
Nutritional yeast - optional ingredient but highly recommended
Spring roll wrappers - These are optional for the crispy skin. Otherwise, baste the steamed seitan directly with the glaze and follow the same roasting instructions.

See these Chipotle Tofu Steaks on my website for a tofu-based vegan turkey alternative. Visit my Vegan Side Dish Recipes page for holiday sides to pair with your vegan turkey.

📖 Instructions

Nutritional yeast, chickpeas, Dijon, and seasonings in the canister of a food processor.

Step 1. Blend the chickpeas with the broth, poultry seasoning, onion and garlic powders, and vegetable broth.

Blended mustard colored liquid with white flour dusted in top in a glass bowl.

Step 2. Transfer the blended liquid to a medium glass bowl and add the vital wheat gluten. Mix to combine.

Sietan dough shaped into a loaf on white marble.

Step 3. Fold in the powder and knead to form a shaggy dough. Do not overwork the dough or it will become tough. Knead just enough for the mixture to hold together. Form a wide loaf shape. Wrap the dough in aluminum foil or cheesecloth.

Seitan in aluminum foil being placed on steaming basket in a stainless steel saucepan.

Step 4. Place the wrapped dough in a large saucepan on a large steamer basket, over about 1 inch of vegetable broth. Bring the broth to a gentle simmer, cover, and steam for one hour. Check the liquid level occasionally and add more as needed. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375ºF and make the glaze.

Steamed seitan wrapped in rice paper on white marble.

Step 5. Unwrap the vegan turkey and set aside to cool. Wrap with two spring roll wrappers, one underneath and one on top. Baste with the glaze before roasting.

Seitan inside rice paper wrappers basted in red marinade on an air fryer tray.

Step 6. Roast the basted seitan for 5 minutes. Baste for a second time with the remaining glaze. Roast for about 5 minutes more, or until crispy.

💡 Expert Tips

Gently fold the vital wheat gluten into the batter. Do not overwork the dough or it will become tough.
Steam the seitan until it is just cooked, and no more than 1 hour. The middle of the loaf should be just firm to the touch when the seitan is done cooking. Do not make the log (loaf) too thin or it will overcook and become tough.
Heat the glaze until it starts to form bubbles and thickens.
Cut the vegan turkey into thin slices (about ⅛ to ¼-inch-thick) with a sharp knife for serving.
Storage: Refrigerate any remaining Easy Vegan Turkey in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days. Reheat at 325ºF for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through. Add gravy for serving as desired.

🔪 Equipment

Use a glass bowl for combining the chickpea broth with the vital wheat gluten. This mixture tends to stick to plastic.
The 'If You Care' brand of aluminum foil is more environmentally friendly. You can also use cheesecloth to wrap the seitan for this recipe. Or skip wrapping the turkey altogether, and cook for less time until the middle of the loaf is just firm to the touch.
A stainless steel steamer rack is perfect for steaming the seitan. It is large enough to hold the seitan, and easy to use. Simply place one at the bottom of a large pot over the liquid. If you don't have a flat steaming basket or insert, you can make your own by placing a few balls of aluminum foil on the bottom of a large pot, then add a heat safe plate that the loaf can sit on.

What is seitan?

Seitan is frequently used as a meat substitute because of its versatile and meaty texture. It readily takes on the flavor of marinades and sauces, making it very flavorful.
It is made from gluten, but don't be put off. Unless you have a gluten-allergy, it is not something you have to avoid. It's high in plant-based protein, low in calories, and delicious. It is easily made using vital wheat gluten, which is increasingly becoming widely available.

Can I make vegan turkey ahead of time?

Yes! This recipe tastes great the next day. Refrigerate the roasted turkey in an airtight container once it has cooled. I recommend making a little extra glaze and basting the turkey again before reheating for serving. Reheat at 325ºF for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through.

Can I freeze vegan turkey?

Freeze any leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat at 325ºF for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through. I recommend making an extra batch of glaze before serving and glazing the turkey before reheating.