Vegan seitan meatloaf - this hearty, savoury vegan loaf is full of flavour, with a great meat-like texture.

It's perfect served as part of a roast with potatoes, veg and gravy; and leftovers make delicious sandwiches!

Vegan seitan meatloaf on a plate with bowls of barbecue sauce and pepper.

There's nothing wrong with a classic vegan lentil or bean based meatloaf, they are great in fact! But they just aren't quite the same as an old-fashioned, meat-based one.

This vegan seitan meatloaf comes much closer to a true meaty texture and flavour. It's moist but not mushy, and has a crumbly, mince-like texture, but doesn't fall apart when you slice it!

Serve it with mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables and gravy for a retro, comforting meal.

What Is Seitan?:

Seitan is made using vital wheat gluten, which is the main protein found in wheat.

It is what gives bread it's bouncy, chewy texture, though seitan has very little in common with bread. When cooked it has a chewy, meaty texture and it is high in protein, which makes it a great meat substitute for vegans.

In fact, wheat gluten has been eaten as an alternative to meat for centuries in China, it is not a new thing!

Wheat gluten used in combination with TVP/soy protein mince gives this vegan seitan meatloaf a meaty flavour and texture that is incredibly close to the real thing!

Vegan seitan meatloaf on a plate with mashed potato and green beans.

What Do I Need To make Vegan Seitan Meatloaf?:

Don't be put off by the long ingredients list! This recipe is easy to make and is totally worth it!

Vital wheat gluten: This is the essential ingredient for making seitan and cannot be substituted. It is the protein from wheat and looks just like flour, but when made into a dough and cooked it has a chewy, meaty texture. It can easily be found online.

TVP: Aka textured vegetable protein or dried soya protein mince. A meatloaf made with just seitan would be more of a slab, you need something else to help recreate the crumbly texture of mince. That is where TVP comes in.

It is sold under a few different names, but it is a dry mince made from soy that needs to be rehydrated to be used. Do not use a wet, ready to cook mince instead. This ingredient cannot be substituted.

Breadcrumbs: Along with the TVP, dry breadcrumbs help to create a mince-like texture. Don't use fresh breadcrumbs, they need to be dry.

Vegan worcestershire sauce: Traditional worcestershire sauce isn't vegan as it contains anchovies so make sure that you use a vegan version. I use Henderson's Relish and you can also make your own.

Miso paste: This adds savoury umami flavour. You could use 1 teaspoon of msg instead.

Soy sauce: Provides flavour and saltiness.

Stock: I use OXO meat-free beef stock to help add meaty flavour.

Porcini mushroom powder: I love adding this to seitan to add deep flavour. It can be left out if you can't get hold of any. I buy mine online.

Olive oil: This isn't just for frying the vegetables in, it is important to add a bit of fat to prevent the meatloaf from being dry. You can use any kind of oil that you like.

Barbecue sauce: This could be swapped for ketchup, but I think the BBQ sauce gives a better flavour. Make sure that the one you buy is vegan friendly as not all are. I use Levi Root's Reggae Reggae jerk BBQ sauce.

Vegetables: Finely chopped onion, celery, carrot and garlic and tomato puree add flavour, moisture and texture to the meatloaf.

Herbs and spices: nutritional yeast, mustard, mixed dried herbs, cayenne, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, salt and pepper are my go-to's. Feel free to vary these to suit you.

Close up of slices of vegan seitan meatloaf.

How To Make Vegan Seitan Meatloaf:

(Full measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)

Mix together the boiling water, stock cube, tomato puree, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, mustard, miso paste and barbecue sauce.

Fry the finely chopped onion, celery, carrot and garlic in the olive oil for about 10 minutes until soft.

Add the nutritional yeast, porcini mushroom powder, mixed dried herbs, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, cayenne, garlic powder and plenty of black pepper and cook for about 30 seconds while stirring.

Add the wet ingredients and the TVP. Bring up to a simmer then remove from the heat and set aside for 20-30 minutes for the TVP to rehydrate.

Stir in the breadcrumbs and vital wheat gluten. Mix until no dry patches remain but do not knead the mixture.

Tip into a lined loaf tin and press the mixture down.

Cover with tin foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the tin foil, spread a layer of barbecue sauce over the top of the meatloaf and bake for 10-15 minutes more.

Top Tips:

I highly, highly recommend weighing out the ingredients using a digital scale rather than using the cup conversions. You will get a far better, more consistent result. Cups are a very innaccurate measuring system and you may end up with meatloaf that is either too wet or too dry.

Don't knead the dough as that will make the meatloaf tough; just mix it until it is fully combined and there are no dry patches.

The meatloaf will keep in the fridge for about 4 days and can be reheated in slices in the microwave.

Thinly sliced leftovers make great sandwiches!

I haven't tried freezing the meatloaf whole, but leftover slices freeze well.

Can I Make It Gluten-Free?:

No. The vital wheat gluten is THE essential ingredient to make seitan, it cannot be substituted so unfortunately this recipe cannot be made gluten-free.

More Vegan Comfort Food Recipes:

If you tried this recipe let me know how it went! Rate it, leave a comment or tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess

All images and content on Domestic Gothess are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe then please do so by using the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or post the recipe or content in full, instead include a link to this post for the recipe.

4.67 from 6 votes