Crockpot Vegan BBQ (Seitan)
This crockpot vegan BBQ made with seitan is rich, smoky, and packed with flavor, making it a delicious plant-based alternative to traditional BBQ. It’s a satisfying meal that is perfect for summer outdoor gatherings or any time of the year.
We absolutely LOVE barbecue, and I remember the first July 4th holiday, after we went plant-based, was when I found this crockpot vegan BBQ recipe in a book by Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. It became a family favorite, and now we even have a soy curl vegan BBQ recipe that is gluten-free and can be made in minutes or slow-cooked in a crock pot.
If you love vegan BBQ like we do, we have a list of 21 Best BBQ Recipes on this site as well as an ever-growing vegan BBQ category page. We have a whole list of great vegan recipes for the Fourth of July holiday.
Reasons you will love this recipe
- Rich and Smoky Flavor – This vegan BBQ made with seitan delivers a bold, smoky taste that perfectly mimics traditional BBQ, making it a delicious plant-based option.
- High in Protein – Seitan is a great source of plant-based protein, making this BBQ both satisfying and nutritious.
- Versatile and Filling – Serve this BBQ on sandwiches, wraps, or over salads for a hearty, flavorful meal that everyone will love.
Ingredients you will need
- Vital wheat gluten- Creates a chewy, meat-like texture that’s perfect for mimicking traditional BBQ dishes. It’s also high in protein, making it a filling and nutritious base for plant-based recipes, while easily absorbing marinades and smoky flavors for an authentic BBQ taste.
- Tahini- Adds a rich, creamy texture and a subtle nutty flavor. It also helps to bind the seitan together.
- Spices- Oregano, smoked paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder add the perfect balance of flavor.
- BBQ sauce- We have included a homemade barbecue sauce that is delicious or you can use store-bought-
Tips for making vegan BBQ
- It’s worth it- At first glance, I know this recipe seems a bit labor-intensive, but believe me when I say it will be well worth the effort.
- Seitan- After you’ve learned to make seitan for this barbecue, you’ll feel more comfortable making it for other recipes like recipes that use seitan.
- Make it quick- If you decide to purchase precooked seitan and bottled BBQ sauce, this dinner can come together in about 10 minutes flat. Simply combine the cooked seitan with the BBQ sauce, heat, and eat.
What is seitan?
Seitan is a high-protein, meat-like food made from vital wheat gluten, the protein found in wheat. Often called “wheat meat” or “wheat gluten,” it has a chewy texture and can be seasoned and cooked in various ways to mimic the taste and texture of meat. Seitan is commonly used in vegetarian and vegan dishes as a versatile protein source.
I sometimes make my own seitan, because it’s quite easy to make. We even have a vegan seitan roast that is great for the holidays. We have an article on everything you need to know about seitan and recipes to use it in. It can also be purchased already cooked at Whole Foods and other health food stores.
How to make vegan BBQ
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
STEP #1: We begin this recipe by making the seitan. Combine the dry ingredients of wheat gluten powder, spices, and herbs in a large bowl and whisk together well.
STEP #2: In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients of water, tamari, “oyster” sauce, and tahini.
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture. It will thicken very quickly.
STEP #3: Use your hands to knead everything together for approximately 3 minutes. Set to the side and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Then knead for another 2-3 minutes. The longer you knead, the chewier the seitan will be after it is baked.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and press seitan into the pan. Bake at 325°F for 40 minutes.
STEP #4: Remove from oven, cut in half, and place in a crockpot with barbecue sauce. Allow to cook on low for 1 hour.
By allowing the seitan to cook slowly in the barbecue sauce for at least an hour, it achieves a tender, pulled texture.
STEP #5: Serve warm on whole grain buns. We added fresh spinach leaves and sliced onion to ours. Delish!
*Originally published May 2015.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. These sandwiches can also be made with Soy Curls instead of seitan if preferred for those that are gluten-free.
Yes, you can prepare BBQ seitan in advance. Cook it, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. To reheat in a microwave-safe dish, cover with a damp paper towel to keep it moist. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between intervals, until it reaches your desired temperature. Be cautious not to overheat as it can make the seitan tough.
Store leftover vegan BBQ with seitan in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. Reheat gently in the oven, on the stovetop, or in the microwave to maintain its texture and flavor.
For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!
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Crockpot Vegan BBQ
Ingredients
Baked Seitan
- 2 cups vital wheat gluten
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1.5 cups water
- 1/4 cup tamari
- 2 tablespoons vegetarian "oyster" sauce
- 2 tablespoons tahini
Barbecue Sauce
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic diced
- 2 cups fire roasted tomatoes
- 1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard not ground mustard, but liquid
- 2 tablespoons black strap molasses
- 2 tablespoons agave or maple syrup
- juice from one lemon
- 2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke optional
Instructions
Baked Seitan
- We begin this recipe by making the seitan. Combine the dry ingredients of wheat gluten powder, spices, and herbs in a large bowl and whisk together well.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients of water, tamari, "oyster" sauce, and tahini.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture. It will thicken very quickly. Begin to knead everything together with your hands for approximately 3 minutes.
- Set to the side and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Then knead another 2-3 minutes. The longer you knead, the chewier the seitan will be after baked.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and press seitan into the pan. Bake at 325 for 40 minutes.
- Remove from oven, cut in half, and place in a crockpot with barbecue sauce. Allow to cook on low for 1 hour. By allowing the seitan to cook slowly in the barbecue sauce for at least an hour, it achieves a tender, pulled texture.
- Remove from the crockpot. Use a couple of forks to pull and shred the seitan apart. This can be shredded in a food processor, but I like mine chunkier and did it by hand. Then place back into the crockpot with barbecue sauce and cook 6-8 hours on low.
- Serve warm on whole grain buns. We added fresh spinach leaves and sliced onion to ours. Delish!
Barbecue Sauce
- Over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic in 3 Tbsp of veggie broth until it softens. I cook a little longer to caramelize.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, simmering for another 5 minutes.
- Pour mixture into a blender and puree until smooth. Add to crockpot with seitan.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
Hi, I was wondering if I can half the recipe successfully?
Leslie- Sure! Halving the recipe should work just fine.
Several of my family members have a gluten intolerance so do you think it’s possible to just use soy curls and the bbq sauce instead of the seitan?
Terry- I usually suggest using buckwheat, steel cut oats, farro, brown rice, or some other grain as a substitute for the bulgur. Soy curls would taste great I’m sure, but the texture for chili would be a little different.
I just put this in my intant pot on slow-cook for 6 hours after breaking it up in my food processor because trying to pull it apart with 2 forks wasn’t really working. It wound up looking like ground meat that one might use in sloppy joes; is that what it is supposed to look like?
Hi Amelia- I haven’t made this in my Instant Pot before, so I’m not sure about the setting and time. However, it shouldn’t be difficult to pull apart and should have the texture shown in the pictures shown in the article.
Can this be made ahead, frozen then reheated?
Hi Candy- This can be frozen and reheated just fine. I freeze my seitan regularly and it does great.
We thought this was delicious. Even the meat eaters gobbled it up.?
Hi Jwiltz- That’s awesome! I’m so glad the whole family enjoyed this bbq. Perfect on sandwiches for July 4th this week!
I am making this tonight for dinner! I have enjoyed exploring your recipes. And we live in North Carolina too! Yay!
That’s terrific to hear! What part of North Carolina are you in? So glad that you enjoyed the barbecue sandwiches.
Love jackfruit! It is so easy to use and delicious. Enjoy!
So happy to find your blog, your story is an inspiration and the food all looks beautiful. I love, love, love how you present the step by step guide to each recipe, it seems so do-able! At 52 with all kinds of aches and pains, it’s time to do what is best for my body. Been sampling a few plant based recipes here and there, but now, ready to jump in. Thank you!!
Liz, welcome to your new journey back to health! I hope you find lots of encouragement and help along the way. You’re right that it is very doable, and you are certainly worth every effort. 😀
Also I used 1 tbsp hoisin sauce and 1 tbsp miso for the oyster sauce.
Those sound like good substitutes to me! 🙂
Can you do the final cook for 4-5 hours on high?
Laura, I haven’t tried it before but think that medium might be a little safer though for 4-6 hours. I think it should work just fine.
What can I use in place of the oyster sauce?
Kim, I think soy sauce in equal amounts would do a good job of replacing the vegetarian ‘oyster’ sauce. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Terri: I found your blog from your postings on Dr. McD’s discussion board. I can’t wait to spend more time checking out your recipes. Reading about this bbq recipe reminded me of one Mary McDougall had in the McDougall May 2010 newsletter. I don’t know if you’ve seen it but it is based on a vegan bbq sandwich from a restaurant that Mary’s sister has had. I’ve never made the recipe but I have had the sandwich from the actual restaurant where Mary’s sister had it. It is amazing. Here is the link to the McDougall recipe section where the recipe appeared.
https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2010nl/may/recipes.htm
I’ve never even heard of jackfruit. How interesting! Sounds delicious! Thank you for the link! Hope you enjoy the recipes in my blog, and I love to hear feedback when you try one. 🙂