Vegan Steak | No Seitan and Perfect Texture!
A vegan steak without seitan is absolutely possible — and this recipe proves it. Made with oyster mushrooms and sticky gluten-free pasta as the crust, these pan-fried patties deliver a satisfying, meaty texture and a bold barbecue flavor, with no gluten, no soy protein isolate, and no complicated techniques.
I first came across seitan and how supposedly amazing it is for making vegan “meats” — right around the same time I discovered gluten and I were not exactly friends. Not great timing. I almost accepted that veggie burgers would have to be my forever solution. Then, a few weeks later, I had this idea: what if I could build a vegan steak from scratch, gluten-free, using ingredients I could actually feel good about?
To make a convincing vegan steak, you need to get three things right: shape, texture, and taste. This recipe solves all three. The oyster mushroom cap becomes the “filling,” the spiced pasta dough becomes the “crust,” and the steak spice blend handles the flavor. It sounds unconventional — because it is. But it works.
This Recipe Works If You Need
- A gluten-free vegan main dish that actually feels substantial
- A seitan-free alternative for vegan “meat” nights
- A weekend cooking project that impresses at the table
- A high-flavor dinner using simple, pantry-friendly spices
- Something to serve guests who avoid both gluten and animal products
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 100% gluten-free — the crust uses corn-based pasta, so there is no wheat or vital wheat gluten anywhere in the recipe.
- No seitan needed — oyster mushrooms and a spiced pasta dough do all the heavy lifting for texture and structure.
- Bold, smoky flavor — a layered steak spice blend plus barbecue sauce and apple cider vinegar give these real depth.
- Flexible cooking method — fry them for a crispy exterior or grill them if you prefer a lighter result.
- Make-ahead friendly — the mushrooms can marinate overnight and the pasta dough can be prepped ahead, making dinner-time assembly quick.
- Whole-food ingredients — no processed meat substitutes, just mushrooms, pasta, spices, and pantry staples.
Ingredient Notes
Gluten-free pasta (corn-based, 150 g) — This is the secret to the steak’s structure. Cook it well beyond al dente — a full 15 minutes — until it is very soft and sticky. When blended, overcooked corn pasta becomes a gluey, moldable dough. Schar GF penne works very well here.
Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus, 500 g) — Choose the largest caps you can find, since the whole caps become the meaty “core” of each steak. The stems and smaller hard parts get sliced, cooked, and mixed into the pasta dough, so nothing goes to waste. Their naturally meaty texture is what makes this concept work.
Steak spice mix — This blend — allspice, thyme, coriander, pepper, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, mustard seeds, garlic powder, onion powder, ground bay leaf, and caraway seeds — is what gives the steaks their convincingly “beefy” aroma. The mix is divided in two: half goes into the mushroom marinade, half into the pasta dough, so every layer is seasoned.
Carob powder (2 Tbsp) — Added to the pasta dough, carob deepens the color to a rich brown and adds a faint, slightly sweet earthiness that reinforces the “steak” look and flavor. It is naturally caffeine-free and a great cocoa substitute.
Apple cider vinegar (3 Tbsp) — Goes into the mushroom marinade. It tenderizes the mushrooms slightly and adds brightness that cuts through the richness of the spices and oil.
Barbecue sauce (1 Tbsp) — Added to the mushrooms in the final five minutes of cooking, it creates a sticky glaze and amplifies the smoky, savory profile of the whole dish. Use a vegan barbecue sauce to keep the recipe fully plant-based.
Tips
- Overcook the pasta on purpose. The stickier and softer the pasta, the better the dough holds together around the mushroom caps. Aim for well past al dente — 15 minutes of boiling is the target.
- Chill the pasta dough before assembly. After blending the pasta with the spices and carob, refrigerate it for 30 minutes. Cold dough is firmer and much easier to press around the mushroom caps without falling apart.
- Marinate the mushrooms overnight if possible. Even a few hours makes a noticeable difference in flavor. If you are short on time, a 30-minute soak at room temperature still helps.
- Cook the mushrooms low and slow. Medium-low heat with a lid on for 30 minutes lets the mushrooms release their liquid and become fully tender before the final uncovered glaze with the barbecue sauce.
- Press the dough crust firmly. When wrapping each mushroom cap, press the dough on evenly and make sure there are no thin spots — this prevents the crust from breaking open when you flip the steak in the pan.
Substitutions and Variations
- Different GF pasta: Any corn-based or rice-based gluten-free pasta will work. Avoid chickpea or lentil pasta — they do not turn sticky enough when overcooked to form the right dough texture.
- No carob powder: You can substitute with unsweetened cocoa powder for a similar dark color and earthy depth. The flavor will be slightly more bitter.
- Grilled instead of fried: These steaks can be placed on a lightly oiled grill or grill pan for a smokier exterior. Grill 3-4 minutes per side over medium heat.
- Spice mix shortcut: If you do not have all the individual spices, use 2-3 teaspoons of a ready-made smoky BBQ spice blend and add extra garlic powder. The flavor will be slightly simpler but still very good.
Storage and Make Ahead
Refrigerator: Store cooked vegan steaks in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a dry non-stick pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side to restore some crispness. Avoid the microwave — it softens the crust.
Make ahead: The mushroom marinade can be prepared the night before and left to soak overnight in the fridge — this actually improves the flavor. The pasta dough can also be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to cook, simply assemble and fry. This makes weeknight dinners much faster.
Freezing: Assembled but uncooked steaks can be frozen on a tray, then transferred to a bag once solid. Fry straight from frozen over medium-low heat with a lid on, adding a few extra minutes per side.
If you enjoy cooking with oyster mushrooms, you will find plenty more inspiration in this collection of oyster mushroom recipes. For another hearty vegan dinner built around mushrooms, the vegan lasagna with mushrooms is a great next recipe to try. And if you are building a full vegan menu, the oyster mushroom soup makes a perfect starter alongside these steaks.
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Vegan Steak | No Seitan + Perfect Texture!
Ingredients
- 150 g gluten-free pasta corn-based (I used GF penne by Schar )
- 500 g oyster mushrooms Pleurotus
- 2 Tbsps carob powder
- 1 Tbsp barbecue sauce
- 4 Tbsps oil
- 3 Tbsps apple cider vinegar
- sea salt to taste
Steak spice mix
- ⅓ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp thyme
- ⅓ tsp coriander ground
- ⅓ tsp pepper ground
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp smoked paprika optional, but recommended
- ½ tsp mustard seeds ground
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 bay leaf ground
- ½ tsp caraway seeds ground
Instructions
- Put pasta in a medium pot and boil it for 15 minutes, until it’s really soft. Remove from heat, drain it and leave it in the pot. It will get sticky. This is normal.
- Rinse the oyster mushrooms very well. Remove the stems from the caps. Choose the larger caps, and set aside. Slice the stems/hard parts. Leave the caps whole.
- Prepare your steak spice mix by mixing all the spices mentioned above, together. If you have whole ingredients, it is best to just put them all, just as they are, in a blender, and process them all at once. Divide the spice mix into two.
- Place the mushrooms in a large bowl. Add one-half of the spices, 2 Tbsps oil and season with salt. Add 1/2 cup of water and vinegar.Mix well. Ideally, you should let them marinate overnight, but you can cook them right away too.
- Meanwhile, place the pasta in a food processor or a blender. You’ll see that the pasta is all sticky and gluey. This is just perfect! Add the other half of the spices mix over the pasta paste, carob powder, and season with some salt. Process until a sticky, dough-like consistency is achieved. Store it in the fridge for 30 minutes, so it will cool and harden a bit.
- Heat 2 Tbsps of oil in a large pan. Place the mushrooms in the pan. Cook the mushrooms on medium-low heat for 30 minutes, while being covered with a lid. Add barbecue sauce, remove the lid and cook them while stirring for another 5 minutes.
- Now, the assembly part. Separate the cooked sliced mushroom stems from the whole mushroom caps. Mix the sliced mushroom stems with the pasta dough.
- Take ~2-3 Tbsps of pasta dough and cover a whole mushroom cap with it. The mushroom cap should be like a “filling” and the pasta dough is the “crust”. Do this for all vegan steaks.
- You can then grill these or lightly fry them, for a crunchier texture. I chose to fry them.
- Grease a non-stick pan with some oil and fry each vegan steak for 3 minutes on each side.
- Serve with mustard or any other sauce you like! 🙂
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This recipe uses large oyster mushroom caps as the meaty core and a spiced gluten-free pasta dough as the crust. Cooked together, they produce a satisfying texture and a bold, smoky flavor — no seitan or vital wheat gluten required.
In this recipe, the texture comes from two sources: the naturally firm, fibrous oyster mushroom cap, and a sticky dough made from overcooked corn-based pasta. The pasta, when blended with spices, becomes gluey enough to form a crust that crisps up when fried.
Yes, it is fully gluten-free. The pasta crust uses corn-based gluten-free pasta (such as Schar penne), and all other ingredients — mushrooms, spices, oil, vinegar, carob powder, and barbecue sauce — are naturally gluten-free. Always check your barbecue sauce label to confirm.
The recipe recommends marinating overnight for the best flavor, but you can cook the mushrooms right away if needed. Even a 30-minute soak in the spice, oil, vinegar, and water marinade makes a noticeable difference compared to no marinating at all.
Yes. The recipe notes that you can either grill or lightly fry the assembled steaks for a crunchier texture. Grill on a lightly oiled grill or grill pan over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes per side, watching carefully so the dough crust does not break apart.
Carob powder is mixed into the pasta dough to give the steaks a rich brown color that looks more like a real steak, and to add a mild, earthy sweetness that complements the smoky spice blend. If you do not have carob, unsweetened cocoa powder is a workable substitute.
Oyster mushrooms are hard to come by. Can I use another kind?
Hi Lori. I haven’t tried it with any other kind of mushroom.
This sounds fantastic! Exactly what I am looking for for my GF vegan family!
Was wondering if using shredded king Oyster mushrooms might work? The cluster Oyster mushrooms in your recipe are hard to find in any good size around here, they’re always puny, so the caps are rediculously small, which wouldn’t make for a steak.
Hi! They have similar textures, you can try with king oyster mushrooms as well.
I don’t have a gluten issue. Would wheat/whole grain pasta work with this?
Sure!
Hi. I looked at every variety of SCHAR pasta and all were made with corn and rice flour. I can’t find any GF pasta made of just corn. Suggestions?
Hi Polly! You can use the Schar pasta. Even if it’s rice+corn it works very well. I’ve tried the recipe with pure corn pasta and Schar as well and it is the same result.
I want to make a mushroom wellington. would preparing it as you do and then putting it in puff pastry cook it too long?
I have a Wellington recipe right here: https://gourmandelle.com/vegan-wellington/
I know this is going to sound weird, but my allergy isn’t gluten, it’s black pepper. Actually, it’s the black pepper corn, so black, white, red and green pepper corn which are hot spicy, not sweet, I am allergic to.
I can eat the red, yellow, green sweet peppers. They are from a different pepper family.
I see you listed black pepper as one ingredient in your recipe, which I can over look, but means if anyone but myself makes it I and others with my allergy (there are others) cannot, but you don’t mention if black pepper is in the steak spices. Nor what is in the steak spices.
For those of us who carry allergies to a specific spice, knowing exactly what spices are in our foods is paramountly important.
I’ve grown accustomed to breathing.
Hi Charlie. Sorry to hear this. You can simply skip the pepper from the ingredients list. The taste won’t be too different.
Hello, Ruxandra,
This recipe looks amazing! My husband and I are vegetarians, leaning more towards veganism. One of our friends lives with celiac disease so it’s great to have a repetoire of GF vegetarian recipes for when we get together for a meal.
Question: Can corn/brown rice/quinoa pasta be used? I haven’t been able to find corn-only pasta in our area.
Thank you!
Hi, Donna! Thank you! You can try, it should work. If it doesn’t get sticky enough, leave it more in the water after boiling.
I make mushroom powder from dry shiitake mushrooms in a blender, that I store in an old jam jar. Nutritional yeast is good for a nutty flavour and nutrients. I would add a couple of TBS of each. You might also consider a TSP of brown (or white) miso, to add more Unami flavour depth — I use these in seitan to give a more meaty taste, so will likely help with no-seitan steaks in the same way. Martmite and Vegemite are also good, if you don’t over power the dish.
Great ideas, Andy! Thanks for sharing them with us!
Hi.
I’m just wondering, what does the vinegar do in this recipe?
I hate the taste of vinegar, so I don’t keep any around. I have all of the other ingredients though.
If I omit it, what will happen?
You can skip it, though you can’t even tell it’s in the recipe. I think it makes this taste more like meat, it adds a zesty note to the recipe.
Whooohoooo, my significant half is gluten intolerant too and she is always grumpy when I make my batches of seitan. She really loved that stuff and the one I make is simply awesome.
I’ll give your recipe a go. I have everything except the Carobe powder, but the bio store is only a few minutes from home. Oyster mushrooms are easy to find here in the Netherlands and we have plenty of gluten free pasta.
I was wondering if, since the gluten free pasta is maize based, I could substitute the pasta for thin polenta. I’ll give it a try anyway.
You can replace carob powder with cocoa, same quantity. Don’t worry, you won’t feel the taste of cocoa. It is just for the color. Never used thin polenta so I can’t tell if it would work or not. Let me know how it turned out!
Hello. I’m intrigued. Pretty much convinced to try this recipe. One question though, will it work if I mince everything together; pasta and mushrooms with seasonings, then make patties shaped like steaks?
It won’t have the same texture. The whole mushroom in the middle gives it the right texture. It will still taste good, but the texture will not be the best.
Will portabella mushroom work for this? Has anybody tried it? I bought them thinking about this recipe, but it called for oyster mushrooms. 😒
Nope. 🙁 Pleurotus have a totally different texture. You could try it with large Portabellas but it won’t have the same texture at all. It will still taste good, though. 🙂
Thanks SO MUCH for this recipe. It’s the ONLY ONE I can find online for vegan steak with NO SEITAN. I am very excited to give it a try however I’m having a tough time finding the mushrooms. I wish there was another alternative, but I/’m still looking.
You’re welcome! 😀 So glad you liked it! Unfortunately, this is the only type of mushrooms that works for this recipe. I haven’t yet found other mushrooms with a similar texture.
that salad looks good! can you link or list the recipe/ingredients?
Hi, Lisa! I don’t remember the exact quantities but I made it with cucumbers, sweet corn, chopped red bell pepper, chopped tomatoes, chopped scallions, arugula and a dressing made of tahini, lemon juice, salt, pepper and a little bit of olive oil. 🙂
The video makes everything so clear! I’m not vegan, but love meatless meals. I would SO eat this! My mouth is watering. 😳 It sounds so complicated, but the video makes it look easy. I make vegan meals for myself and my daughter when my husband is away. The cremini mushrooms were a stroke of genius! I’m gonna try it!
Thank you, Nanci! So glad you liked it!
can i sub out oil for stock perhaps?
It may turn out too dry, but you can give it a try.
Did you make a video? Also how do I find you on YouTube?
I just published it! 🙂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgoizAUUSzg
Did the video ever get made? 🙂
I just published it! 🙂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgoizAUUSzg
Hi there. Did you end up making a video for this recipe? It sounds good but complicated…
I will try to shoot it this month! 🙂
was there ever a video? It’s not clear, are you only cooking the stems in the steak seasoning, garlic, water, vinegar for 1/2 hour and not the caps..correct?
I will shoot the video this month! 🙂
Hi Their,
Just wondering if u posted the Video yet? Would love to see it if it’s up on another website.
Sorry for to ask again but would love to try this but it does seem complicated.
Thanks so much!
I just published it! 🙂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgoizAUUSzg
I must have done something terribly wrong because mine came out gross and sour?
Sour? You dropped the whole vinegar bottle in it? :)) This is quite a complicated recipe and need to be followed to a T to turn out ok. I will update it soon and do a video or maybe a step-by-step series of photos. Maybe this will help. 🙂
I don’t eat corn and read that it doesn’t work with rice pasta. Ir that person made a mistake ? Why is it important to use corn pasta? I have all sorts of pasta, buckwheat, rice, lentil an chickpea. Can you imagine any of these wil work?
Nope. Don’t try it with rice pasta. It’s not sticky enough. I cannot promise it will work with buckwheat, lentil or chickpea pasta. I’m afraid they don’t have the right amount of stickiness like corn pasta.
On the Big Island of Hawaii, we have Ali’i mushrooms that are grown on the Hamakua coast. They have a texture like oyster mushrooms, only more so — and they are larger. Ali’i mushrooms are often described as, both “dense” and “beefy.” In fact, I was served Ali’i mushrooms that had been marinated in teriyaki sauce, then spiced and grilled over a Kiawe wood fire, and without any further preparation, it reminded me of steak.
When I sat down at the table, eating something that suggested both the flavor and texture of steak was quite a surprise. I had not expected that.
So, that being said, I’m wondering whether using your recipe but substituting Ali’i mushrooms for the oyster mushrooms sounds like a possible winning combination?
Mahalo!
Hi, Sid! As I can see, Ali’i mushrooms don’t have quite the shape of oyster mushrooms, so this may be a problem. However, you can give it a try! Maybe if you cut the mushrooms lengthwise, in thin, 0,5cm strips and then place 3 strips inside each “steak”. Let me know how it turned out!
Hi, this looks delicious, and we’re making it now. I have a question. The corn pasta we purchased lists corn flour and water as the only two ingredients. Would it be possible to make this with polenta or corn meal, as opposed to deconstructing pasta?
Thanks,
Tom
Thank you! 🙂 Nope. Pasta has a different consistency. I don’t think cornmeal will be that sticky.
Okay, I am cooking this tomorrow for my thanksgiving. Taking a chance on something that I have not done before. But the mushrooms seem to be challenge.
Hope it turned out good! I didn’t have time to do this recipe again and film it or photograph the steps but I’ll definitely do it in the future. It’s delicious but may look quite complicated based on text only. Did you find large oyster mushrooms? It doesn’t work with other kinds of mushrooms.
Could definitely do with video / step by step!
Hi there,
Just wondering what you are using for a steak spice mix?
Thank you!
Hi Brianna! It is written in the recipe: Steak spice mix
⅓ tsp allspice
½ tsp thyme
⅓ tsp coriander, ground
⅓ tsp pepper, ground
1 tsp sweet paprika
½ tsp smoked paprika (optional, but recommended)
½ tsp mustard seeds, ground
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 bay leaf, ground
½ tsp caraway seeds, ground
Amazingly clever!
Yes, I think a video would be good for this one.
It somehow just makes things so obvious that I miss and mess it up!
Thank you! Yes. I will make a video soon. 😀
Well this is rather clever. I would have never thought of using gf pasta as a base ingredient. As soon as I find mushrooms I’ll have to try this.
Yes! I was amazed by how similar it is to seitan. Try it only with oyster mushrooms. Other mushrooms may not have the right texture.
Sounds interesting! I don’t have any type of mushroom on hand. Can I skip it for this recipe or what is the importance of it?
Hi Ellen! This recipe works only with oyster mushrooms. It must be followed exactly or else it has a high-risk chance to turn into a mess. 🙂
I love the idea of a gluten free option. I am confused on how you combine the dough and the mushrooms. Have you considered doing a video?
Hi, Stephanie! Yes, I think I will shoot a video soon for this recipe or at least photograph the step by step process. All you have to do is take one large oyster mushroom and cover it in the dough. The mushroom should be in the middle, the dough on the outside, like a crust. Hope this clears things out a bit. 🙂
Thank you. I was also going to suggest a video or extra photos, but this clarifies things immensely.
I’m thinking maybe I didn’t blend the dough mixture for long enough
I really wanted this to work!!! I did this to a T and the dough was crumbly it looked almost like ground beef. So I ended up frying those with the mushrooms and some veggies and made tacos. I just don’t understand how to make this sticky.
What pasta did you use? The pasta itself gets very sticky if left in water for a longer time. I will try to make a video soon everybody can see how it’s made step by step.
If you are freezing them, do you cook them before or after? If you cook it after it has been frozen, do you let it thaw first or take it directly out from the freezer and fry it?
I cook them before and then freeze them in separate Ziploc bags. Then I let them thaw a bit, so they’re not rock-solid, and then bake/grill or fry them.
I never tried it with rice pasta. Use corn pasta only. It will get that crunchy surface.
Perhaps I am missing something here – but the last time I checked, pasta (even GF pasta) contains EGGS!?
Please explain to me how a recipe containing pasta can be categorised as vegan?!
Not all pasta contains eggs. There are many types of GF pasta made with only corn flour, corn starch and water.
This looks amazing but I don’t understand the wrapping of the mushroom, wouldn’t that be more like a ball and way smaller then the flatter stake pictured? Can you explain this more? Thanks
Hi Emily! Oyster mushrooms are larger and flat. See this image: http://bit.ly/29BzW9p I used the softer part of the mushroom and cut out the ‘stem’ (the hard part). This is what I covered in the GF seitan mix.
Did you use the large king oyster mushrooms…or the smaller/bundled group of oyster mushrooms? I can only find sliced king oysters. Wonder how I could make that work…??? Thoughts?
Hi Stacey! Yes, I used large oyster mushrooms.I think you can use sliced ones as well and just mix them with the GF seitan composition. The texture will not be exactly the same, though.
Misunderstanding here I think!
Large oyster mushrooms
http://minnesotaseasons.com/Fungi/Large/Oyster_Mushroom_02.jpg
Large KING oyster musrooms
http://www.mushrooms.ca/images/varieties-king.jpg
Hi Ian,
The first ones, just large oyster mushrooms, as I mentioned in the recipe. 🙂
Wow! This looks and sounds incredible! Can’t wait to try!
Thank you, Jenn! Did you give it a try? How was it?
Hello, I’m interesting to read many vegan recipes, but I don’t understand like “gluten free pasta” and where to buy” as example..
If there’s any recipe besides with explanation w/images but some foreigner need what is ingredient and where to find them. This is my opinion when I want to learn. Thank you. I love all vegan people.
Hi Pauline. By gluten-free pasta, I mean any GF pasta you want, brand of choice. You can use spaghetti, penne, tagliatelle and so on. I use GF pasta by SCHAR.
Looks yummy, dear. Can’t wait to give it a try! God bless you and yours. In the love of the Lord Jesus, Allen.
Thank you, Allen! 🙂
Hi, I was just wondering what type of vinigar? Malt or white or apple cider…. Does it matter? I’m so excited to try these…. Thanks
Hi Sandra! 🙂 Any kind. 🙂 I used apple cider vinegar.