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You've just landed on the bomb Vegan Yakitori recipe-no freakish, processed crap, just stupidly-flavorful, perfectly textured seitan skewers dripping with sweet, salty, umami-kissed tare sauce. This absurdly yummy recipe delivers authentic Japanese flavors, plus it freezes super well too.
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This seitan Yakitori is pretty unbeatable if you're craving something smoky, savory, and just a little sweet. Serve these skewers hot with classic Japanese sides like wakame salad, sunomono, or somen salad.
To make sure you'll rock it with confidence on your first try, this recipe has been meticulously tested by cooks of a very wide range of skill levels all around the world. Let's get steaming n' grilling!
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🥰 Why You'll Adore This Vegan Yakitori Recipe
✊ Vegan AF: Like all of my vegan Japanese recipes, this banger doesn't harm a single animal to manifest these smoky, savory skewers. No chicken, no pork, no bonito flakes, or other such nastiness in these bad boys.
🧂 Flavor & Texture Powerhouse: The steaming step locks in moisture, so your skewers stay juicy and flavorful. The combination of miso, nutritional yeast, and smoked paprika creates layers of umami and smoky depth in the seitan base itself. Each bite delivers more than just sauce-it's bursting with classic Japanese flavor from the inside out.
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: As with all my vegan recipes, before publishing, this one was put through rigorous testing with hundreds of home cooks across the globe, ensuring consistent results no matter where or how you're cooking.
I'm on my knees staring weirdly into your eyes, asking you in a soothing voice to be my taste-testing partner in crime. Sign up for the recipe testing crew and get early access to new recipes before they're published.
🌶️ Seitan Yakitori Ingredients
Vital Wheat Gluten
Gluten-free folks, cover your ears. If you were hoping for a GF tofu yakitori, this ain't it, so scram, bum.
Vital wheat gluten, made by hydrating wheat flour to extract gluten, is packed with protein and forms the base of the seitan.
Generally speaking, there are two ways to make seitan: either rinsing high-gluten flour to remove starch and bran, or using pre-made vital wheat gluten, as I do in this recipe.
My Seitan Masterclass covers both methods, and then you can use that glorius stuff to make dishes like vegan tikka masala, vegan pepperoni, or vegan fried chicken. For this recipe, using vital wheat gluten ensures reliable, consistent results with minimal fuss, even if you've never messed with making vegan meats before..
Miso
Miso, a fermented soybean paste, adds a punch of umami to the seitan base. Other than in the glaze, this is the primary source of saltiness in this recipe. I like white miso best in this recipe, but if you don't mind the darker color, Korean doenjang (which I sometimes use for making vegan bulgogi or Korean tofu soup), Chinese bean paste (which I use in my vegan chicken recipe), or taucu all work nicely here too.
Ichimi Togarashi (or Gochugaru)
Ichimi togarashi is a bright red Japanese chili powder that brings just a touch of heat to this vegan yakitori recipe.
Japanese grocery stores typically have it. But if you can't find any, my top two substitution recommendations are gochugaru and Aleppo red pepper flakes. If you have either of those leftover after making this, gochugaru can be used to make vegan kimchi, while Aleppo pepper flakes can be used in vegan Turkish recipes like ezme and bulgur pilavi.
Bamboo Skewers
Bamboo skewers are just sturdy enough, ideal for holding the seitan in place while cooking and grilling. When I make vegan kofta, I think it's a good plan to soak the wooden sticks in water before use to prevent burning. But this recipe doesn't require that because the skewers get steamed with the seitan on them for a while before they ever enter the oven.
Mirin
Mirin is a Japanese sweet rice wine. For this recipe, I encourage you to use natural, unseasoned mirin because a lot of the "seasoned" stuff is full of corn syrup and the tears of a thousand sad puppies, or whatever.
If you 100% just can't get mirin, replace it with equal parts rice vinegar and agave nectar.
Sake
Sake, a Japanese rice wine, adds depth and complexity to the tare sauce. Shaoxing cooking wine or a light white wine can be used as substitutes if necessary.
White Pepper
White pepper provides a very gentle heat and smokey vibe to the tare sauce, subtly complementing the other flavors. Black pepper can absolutely be used in a pinch, though it's not going to have the same subtly earthy complexity.
If you have some leftover from making this recipe, a few awesome things you can use it in are vegan pad see ew, tempeh mendoan, and my vegan Alfredo sauce recipe.
Shichimi Togarashi (optional)
Shichimi togarashi, a Japanese seven-spice blend, adds citrusy heat and the subtle buzz of sansho pepper as a garnish to the finished, glazed skewers.
If you don't see it at your local Asian market, I have a superberly-slammin' shichimi togarashi recipe that will only take you minutes to whip up if you have the ingredients on hand. I use the stuff to garnish my vegan tofu katsu and my vegan sushi bake recipe too.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Kimchi Fried Rice Yakitori
Transform your recipe into a rice bowl by chopping up some Korean BBQ sauce-grilled yakitori skewers. Then stir-fry them in a wok with some vegan kimchi fried rice. Serve with a side of steamed bok choy, Korean cucumber salad, and a garnish of furikake.
Vegan Yakitori as a Steamed Bun Filling
After letting them cool, remove the skewers from the yakitori, finely chop them, and use them as a filling for steamed buns, like in Vietnamese bánh bao chay or Chinese-style chee cheong fun. The tare sauce provides a rich, savory contrast to the light, fluffy bun wapper (and trust me, "wapper" is not a typo).
Shio Koji Marinated Vegan Yakitori
Embrace a more traditional Japanese variation by adding shio koji before grilling. This fermented seasoning adds depth of flavor and enhances caramelization during cooking. This is a killer yakitori to serve with miso-glazed eggplant to double down on the complex, fermented flavors.
Grab my easy-yo-use app that builds your whole week with real, chef-tested vegan dinners in 30 seconds, customized to your budget, time, and taste, with a shopping list sorted by aisle.
📖 How to Make Vegan Yakitori
Nail this Japanese vegan BBQ classic on your first shot by following these step-by-step photos with helpful tips. Or scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card.
Step One
Seitanic Panic:
Add the vital wheat gluten, olive oil, water, miso, minced garlic, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, and ichimi togarashi to a food processor. Process for 90 seconds until the mixture becomes an elastic, slightly stringy-looking dough.
Step Two
Divide and Conquer:
Cut the dough into 8 portions, placing them on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Let them relax for 5 minutes, which will make forming the skewers easier.
Step Three
Taming of the Skew'
Wrap each dough portion around a bamboo skewer, shaping each into a slightly uneven cylinder that sorta resembles chunky meat.
Step Four
It Was All a Steam (I Used to Read Word Up Magazine):
Bring water to a boil in a steamer and place the skewers on parchment paper to prevent sticking. Steam over medium-low heat for 30 minutes until just firm. Remove and let them cool enough to handle.
Step Five
Tare it Up:
Combine tamari, mirin, sake, water, brown sugar, and white pepper in a saucepan. Cook the glaze ingredients over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 4-6 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Set aside to cool.
Step Six
Grill, or Roast:
Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C) or fire up your grill to high heat. Brush the steamed skewers generously with tare sauce. Roast on a parchment-lined sheet for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through, or grill, rotating every 2-3 minutes, until charred in spots all over.
✅ These are best cooked on an outdoor grill over a charcoal fire, but you can make them all year round either in a grill pan or by roasting them instead.
Step Seven
Brush Limbaugh:
Give the skewers a final brush with tare sauce to create a shiny, juicy final gloss.
Step Eight
Donald Duck's Nephews: Huer, Dewer, and Skewer:
Arrange the vegan yakitori on an attractive serving plate. Sprinkle with sliced spring onions, radishes, lettuce, and shichimi togarashi.
💡 Serving ideas
Once grilled, you can take the yakitori off the skewers, chop or hand-tear it into bite sized pieces and use it as a pre-flavored meat in a ton of recipes.
I love me some yakisoba added to vegan Japanese curry. It's also pretty legendary stir fried in place of, or in addition to the tofu in vegan yakisoba.
Or serve it with other common Japanese street food clasics like umeboshi plug-stuffed onigiri, or tamari-glazed yaki onigiri.
👉Top tips
- Rest & Relaxation: Let the dough rest for at least 5 minutes before skewering. This helps the gluten to relax, making it easier to shape and preventing the final texture from being overly tough. Resting also gives the dough a chance to firm up, which ensures it holds its shape better while steaming and grilling.
- Use That Pape: When steaming the skewers, always place parchment paper under the skewers to avoid them sticking to the steamer. This is especially important if you use a bamboo steamer because the porous wood will absorb some of the flavor and be more annoying to clean.
- Watch the Tare Sauce Closely: Don't overcook the tare sauce! Because it contains sugar, it can burn and become bitter if it cooks too long at too high of a temperature.
- If Grilling, Use Tongs and a Sharp Spatula: When grilling, turn the skewers every 2-3 minutes to get a uniform char all over. Tongs are the best option for rotating the skewers, but if the tare sauce makes them stick to the grill, have a nice, thin, sharp spatula nearby to help.
- Finish with a Final Glaze: For that perfect finishing touch, brush the yakitori with the tare sauce once more just before serving. This step locks in the flavors, adds a glossy sheen, and makes the skewers even sexier and stickier.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
These are kinda magical brushed with Szechua chili garlic sauce, or just simple kecap manis and grilled. Another option is to chop the roasted yakitori and stir-fry it with either nam prik pao, sriracha, or a tablespoon of sambal oelek.
bsolutely! Grill the steamed skewers over high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side, turning every few minutes to get an even char. Grilling adds an extra smoky flavor and a perfect crispy exterior.
Once steamed and roasted, you can really use the yakitori in almost any kind of cuisine as a meat replacement.
You can serve it over some Turkish kisir, chopped and seasoned with baharat (the same 7-spice mixture I use on my oyster mushroom shawarma). Another great way to use the chopped pieces of yakitori is in Indian curries, as an alternative to regular seitan or tofu. Think vegan butter chicken, soya chaap sabji, or vegan tikka masala.
You hate gluten with all of your heart and soul? Well, this recipe can be easily modified to avoid wheat.
Simply skip the whole seitan-making process and hand-tear bite-size pieces of extra firm tofu to put on the skewers instead. Brush the tofu skewers with the tare sauce (it's already GF) and roast them. If you want to cook them on a charcoal grill, tofu cubes will be less likely to break than hand-torn pieces. After cooking them, garnish 'em all up with toasted sesame seeds and green onions.
You can also totally forgo the tofu and make skewers with shiitake mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, bell pepper, and/or young green jackfruit to rock out with the yakitori sauce.
❄️ Refrigeration: After cooking, allow the Japanese skewers to cool to room temperature, then store the skewers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
🧊 Freezing: To freeze, first cool the cooked yakitori completely. Place the skewers in a single layer on a baking tray and freeze until solid. After they are frozen, transfer the skewers to an airtight container or reusable freezer-safe bag. Frozen yakitori will keep well for up to 2 months.
🌡️ Thawing Frozen Yakitori: To thaw frozen yakitori, transfer the skewers from the freezer to the refrigerator and allow them to thaw overnight. For quicker thawing, microwave the skewers on the defrost setting for 1-2 minutes, checking regularly to avoid cooking them during the thaw.
🔥 Stovetop Reheating: To reheat on the stovetop, heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Place the skewers in the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes, turning occasionally, until heated through. If the yakitori appears a bit dry, brush with additional tare sauce.
⚡️ Microwave Reheating: Place the skewers on a microwave-safe plate and cover them with a damp paper towel to retain moisture. Heat on medium-high for about 1-2 minutes or until heated through, checking every 30 seconds to avoid overcooking. Add extra sauce if needed to refresh the flavor and glossiness.
💣 Bomb vegan Japanese recipes you'll love too:
Vegan Yakitori Recipe (Japanese BBQ Skewers)
Ingredients
Vegan Yakitori
- 1 ¼ cups vital wheat gluten
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ cup water
- 4 teaspoons miso paste
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ichimi togarashi or gochugaru
Tare (Yakitori Sauce):
- 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- ⅓ cup mirin
- ¼ cup sake
- ¼ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
To Garnish and Serve:
- 1 scallion thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon shichimi togarashi (optional)
Instructions
- Place the vital wheat gluten, olive oil, water, miso, garlic, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, and ichimi togarashi into a food processor.
- Process the mixture for a full 90 seconds until a sort of crazy-looking, stringy dough forms.
- Divide the dough into 8 portions and let them rest for 5 minutes on a clean, lightly oiled baking pan.
- Once the gluten has relaxed, wrap each piece around a bamboo skewer to form a natural, slightly chunky-looking cylinder.
- Prepare a steamer and bring water to a boil. Steam the skewers over medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Make sure that any part of the seitan resting on the surface of the steamer has parchment paper underneath to prevent sticking. Remove and allow to cool slightly.
- While the skewers are steaming, prepare the tare sauce. In a small saucepan, whisk together the tamari, mirin, sake, brown sugar, white pepper and cornstarch. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 4-6 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the sauce thickens slightly. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) or a grill to high heat. Dip or brush the steamed seitan skewers with the prepared tare sauce, ensuring they are well-coated. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet or grill. Roast for 8-10 minutes, turning halfway through. If grilling, turn 90 degrees every 2-3 minutes until there are light char marks all around the yakitori.
- When finished cooking, brush the yakitori with more sauce for a glazed-looking finish.
- Transfer the skewers to a serving platter. Garnish with thinly sliced scallion and a sprinkle of shichimi togarashi, if desired.
Notes
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hg says
I really liked this dish. Im usually not a big fan of Japanese food, but this one is a keeper.
Kimbi Walton says
The preparation was fun and easily accomplished. The sauce, delectable!