Mongolian Seitan (Vegetarian Mongolian Beef) Recipe | Yup, it's Vegan (2024)

By Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan 90 Comments

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Now that you’ve made homemade seitan, it’s time to do something fancy with it! This Mongolian Seitan is my version of vegan Mongolian beef, made by tossing crispy pan-fried seitan in a sweet and slightly spicy Asian-inspired sauce.

Mongolian Seitan (Vegetarian Mongolian Beef) Recipe | Yup, it's Vegan (1)

Just like with my General Tso’s chickpeas, kung pao chickpeas, and vegan drunken noodles,the origin for Mongolian seitan is not authentic Asian cuisine, but the Americanized version of it. Us Americans tend to make recipes sweeter, less spicy, and a little more bland when they arrive over here. Usually when adapting those adaptations to be vegan I also reduce the sugar, switch to less refined coconut sugar, add more aromatics to the sauce, and reduce the cornstarch and oil. This time is no exception.

Mongolian Seitan (Vegetarian Mongolian Beef) Recipe | Yup, it's Vegan (2)

Vegan Mongolian beef is made by pan-frying pieces of seitan until they’re lightly crisped, and then simmering them in a sticky, sweet and spicy sauce. I add a pinch of Chinese five spice to mine – I noticed that Gardein was using it in their meatless szechuan beef, which is a guilty pleasure of mine.

Mongolian Seitan (Vegetarian Mongolian Beef) Recipe | Yup, it's Vegan (3)

Some recipes for Mongolian seitan/etc. use hoisin sauce, but I didn’t have that on hand so I built up the flavors from scratch. Even despite this, the recipe comes together very quickly. I made it on the saucy side so that I could steam some extra veggies to toss together with the mock beef.

If Asian-inspired recipes aren’t your cup of tea, don’t worry – I have more seitan recipes coming soon too! Hope you enjoy!

Mongolian Seitan (Vegetarian Mongolian Beef) Recipe | Yup, it's Vegan (4)

Mongolian Seitan (Vegetarian Mongolian Beef) Recipe | Yup, it's Vegan (5)

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Mongolian Seitan (Vegan Mongolian Beef)

Pan-fried seitan pieces are tossed in a sweet garlic ginger soy sauce to make this meatless Mongolian beef.

Course Main Course

Cuisine nut-free, refined sugar-free, vegan, vegetarian

Keyword mongolian seitan, vegan mongolian beef

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 324kcal

Author Yup, it's Vegan

Ingredients

For the Mongolian beef-less sauce:

  • 2 tsp vegetable oil (I used grapeseed oil)
  • 1/2 tsp minced or grated ginger
  • 3 cloves minced or grated garlic
  • 1/3 tsp Chinese five spice (optional)
  • 1/3 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce (see note)
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp coconut sugar (or use a scant 1/2 cup brown sugar)
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp cold water

For the crisped seitan:

  • 1 and 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil (I used grapeseed oil)
  • 1 lb homemade seitan (16 oz.) (or use store-bought seitan), cut into 1-inch pieces

For serving:

  • toasted sesame seeds (optional)
  • sliced scallions (optional)

Instructions

To make the sauce:

  • Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic; stir constantly. After 30 seconds, add the five spice (if using) and red pepper flakes, and cook for 30-60 seconds more, until fragrant.

  • Add the soy sauce and coconut sugar and stir well. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let simmer until the coconut sugar is dissolved and slightly reduced, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  • Whisk together the cornstarch and cold water, then add it to the pan and stir. Cook for 2-3 more minutes, until the sauce becomes glossy and thickened slightly. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and keep simmering gently until ready to add to the seitan.

To make the seitan and finish the vegan Mongolian beef:

  • In a skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the seitan and cook, stirring frequently, for about 4-5 minutes or until slightly browned and crisped around the edges.

  • Reduce the heat to low and add the sauce to the pan. Stir to coat all of the seitan pieces, and continue cooking until the sauce has adhered to the seitan. Remove from the heat and serve hot, with rice and/or vegetables of choice, and garnished with sesame seeds and scallions if desired.

Video

Notes

LOW-SODIUM SOY SAUCE: I strongly recommend against using full-sodium soy sauce. The sauce will be too salty. If you can't get low-sodium soy sauce then dilute 1/4 of the soy sauce with water.

CRISPY-NESS: With this method of browning the seitan, the end result after adding the sauce isn't super crispy. I also tested this recipe with tossing the seitan in about 1/4 cup cornstarch before frying it, and the result got and stayed more crispy but also required more oil and worked best in a non-stick pan. Give it a try if you'd like!

Nutrition

Serving: 1sixth recipe | Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 566mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 19g

Adapted from PF Chang’s Mongolian Beef.

Mongolian Seitan (Vegetarian Mongolian Beef) Recipe | Yup, it's Vegan (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan Mongolian beef made of? ›

This Vegan Mongolian Beef is made from soy curls and has the best texture and flavor! Serve it with rice and your favorite veggie side dish. This is one of my favorite soy curl recipes to date! They are marinated, tossed in corn starch and fried until crispy.

What is seitan made out of? ›

Seitan is a plant-based meat substitute made from wheat gluten that mimics the flavor and texture of chicken. You can buy it in many health food supermarkets, or you can make it yourself. It's typically made out of vital wheat gluten, an ingredient that has a similar texture to flour but is mostly, well, gluten.

Is seitan a vegetarian or non vegetarian food? ›

Seitan is an excellent protein source for vegans and vegetarians who are allergic to soy. Because it's made from wheat and not soy, it's okay for those with soy allergies to eat.

What is similar to Mongolian beef? ›

If you are like me, you probably asked yourself what's the difference between Szechuan Beef vs Mongolian Beef because these two dishes look very similar. The main difference is in flavor and the use of peppercorns. Szechuan Beef has a sweet and spicy flavor with added chili peppers and Szechuan peppercorns.

What is vegan fake meat called? ›

A meat substitute, also called a meat analogue, approximates certain aesthetic qualities (primarily texture, flavor and appearance) or chemical characteristics of a specific meat. Substitutes are often based on soybeans (such as tofu and tempeh), gluten, or peas.

What do you use seitan for? ›

Add raw seitan to cool dishes. It can be piled in a salad or mixed into a sandwich filling like this vegan chicken salad. Dredge your seitan in a breading, such as flour or cornstarch, then fry it and douse it in flavorful sauce like in this vegan Mongolian beef recipe. Marinate your seitan before cooking it.

Who should not eat seitan? ›

While seitan is a versatile plant-based protein, people with celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or gluten allergy should avoid it.

What are the side effects of seitan? ›

Digestive Discomfort: Seitan is high in protein and can cause digestive discomfort in some people, especially if consumed in large quantities or if the digestive system is not used to high-protein foods. Symptoms may include bloating, gas, indigestion, and stomach pain.

What is healthier seitan or tofu? ›

However, while seitan is an excellent plant-based protein alternative, tofu is a complete protein (seitan lacks the amino acid lysine). Unseasoned tofu is typically lower in sodium than store-bought seitan, which can be processed with salt, sugar or other flavors added.

Is seitan good or bad for you? ›

Is Seitan Healthy? In many ways, yes, seitan is quite a healthy option. The seitan nutrition facts are hard to argue with: notable amounts of protein, iron, calcium, selenium, phosphorus, and B vitamins. This combination of macro- and micronutrients can result in some pretty impressive health benefits.

Can you eat seitan everyday? ›

Eat it sparingly,” he says. “It's not necessarily a once a day thing, and if you think you need a plant-based option I'd actually suggest tofu over seitan.” That said, Mora says there's no denying that folks can benefit from adding seitan to their menu—especially since it comes in a variety of flavor profiles.

What is seitan called in Chinese? ›

It is also known as miànjīn (Chinese: 麵筋), fu (Japanese: 麩), milgogi (Korean: 밀고기), wheat meat, gluten meat, or simply gluten. It is made from vital wheat gluten, a flour-like substance primarily consisting of gluten extracted from wheat flour.

What is Mongolian beef called in China? ›

Mongolian beef
Chinese蒙古牛肉
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Měnggǔ niúròu Wade–Giles Mêng²-ku³ niu²-jou⁴
2 more rows

What country is Mongolian beef from? ›

Mongolian barbecue, despite its name, is Taiwanese, not Mongolian. Mongolians typically cook with beef, lamb, mutton, or cheval, all of which come from the traditional herd animals in Mongolia.

Why is Mongolian food so good? ›

Mongolian food has umpteen flavors instead of spices in their food which makes this the foremost preferred food item for people that love meat as every dish has its mysterious variety of flavor and taste.

What is vegan beef made of? ›

The plant-based burgers and sausages found on supermarket shelves are made by extracting the protein from plant foods, often pea, soy, wheat protein, and mushrooms. But a myriad of additives are needed to make these products look and taste like traditional meat.

What is plant-based beef made of? ›

Meat products, like beef, bacon and sausage, come from animal sources, like pigs (pork), cows (beef) and chicken. Plant-based meat, on the other hand, may look and taste like your favorite meats, but it is made from a variety of meat-free ingredients, like soy, pea, wheat gluten, pulses or even jackfruit.

What are most vegan meats made out of? ›

Soy protein isolates or soybean flour and gluten are usually used as foundation for most meat substitutes that are available on the market. Soy protein isolate is a highly pure form of soy protein with a minimum protein content of 90%.

What is vegan from Chinese? ›

Almost every Chinese restaurant has tofu, a versatile vegan staple, which can replace meat in pretty much any dish—making any menu item a potentially vegan one.

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