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This vegan BBQ brisket recipe is built for the true Texas smoker crowd, the folks who will not be satisfied with a limp log of seitan drowned in a ketchup-ass sweet sauce pretending to be brisket. Set aside the better part of an afternoon, and you end up with a vegan brisket that holds its own against the stanky non-veg smokehouse down the street.
Recipe tips tailored to what matters most to you:
This brisket has nearly 4 cups of something that might just kill ya if you have a gluten sensitivity. Back away slowly…
You can make the fat doughs first so that they can chill while you get the meat dough together. Mix up the rub while the roast simmers, and build this a day ahead, since it needs an 8-hour chill before slicing anyway.
Order the cheap Anthony's vital wheat gluten online, and grab whatever BBQ sauce is on sale, since any kind you like works in the braise.
Reduced-sodium tamari works great in both the dough and the braise. The chipotles and that brown sugar bark bring plenty of punch on their own.
Can't track down chipotles in adobo? Make my chipotle in adobo recipe yourself! Otherwise, a mild chipotle hot sauce brings that same smoky heat in a squeezable bottle.
Tie the cheesecloth snug every inch with butcher's twine. Any slack lets the gluten expand as it braises and turns the texture spongy instead of dense.
Keep the braise at the lowest simmer your stove can handle, no cranking up the heat because dinner's running late. High heat turns gluten into a rubbery dog chew toy.
Oodles more tips, step-by-step recipe photos, info on weird ingredients, and FAQs are all still here. I just tucked 'em out of the way so you can start cooking sooner.
Here's why this is extra bangin': it's got a juicy, tender lean dough loaded with chipotle, tamari, and liquid smoke, and a separate fat dough that stays soft and marbled instead of disappearing into the meat. And when you serve it, the reduced bbq jus makes sure every slice is juicy AF.
Unlike a straightforward vegan pot roast, this one pulls double duty with both wine and barbecue sauce in the braising liquid, so the roast is already flavorful as actual heck before it ever sees a rub.
Then it gets coated in bbq sauce, brown sugar and smoked paprika and other spices, and either baked or smoked until the crust goes nearly black. Real brisket bark looks like that, and this one earns it the same way: low heat, a long cook, and sugar that caramelizes hard into the brisket's intentionally craggy edges.
Serve it along side some vegan skillet cornbread and vegan truffle Mac and cheese, and by golly, you've got yourself a pretty dang baller barbecue plate on your hands.
Jump to:
Why you'll adore this seitan brisket recipe
🥩 Realistic Marbling: The fat dough doesn't just streak through the middle of this roast, it wraps around the outside too. So as it cooks, it bastes the meat from the outside in, like a tiny vegan spa treatment.
🌶️ Chipotle and Smoke Built Right Into the Dough: Chipotle peppers in adobo, tamari, and liquid smoke go into the meat dough itself, so subtly smoky heat runs through every slice instead of sitting only on the surface.
Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all my vegan recipes, this one's been tweaked to gosh darned perfection with the love and feedback from over 1,000 testers across dozens of countries.
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.
Vegan BBQ Brisket Ingredients
Vital Wheat Gluten
This is the backbone of both doughs, so give the meat dough the full 8-minute knead, even if your stand mixer starts groaning like it's doing CrossFit in the early morning hours after eating a full pizza the night before.
I just order the cheap Anthony's stuff online. I've tested Bob's Red Mill and Arrowhead Mills too, and they all work the same, so buy whatever's the cheapest.
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
Make your own with my chipotle peppers in adobo sauce recipe, or grab a can of La Morena or La Costeña. Just wash your hands before you rub your eyes, uh, or anywhere else…
Red Yeast Rice Powder
Red yeast rice powder is the secret behind that pinkish-red smoke ring under the bark, so your pitmaster uncle squints at it and wonders what the heck you did. I use the same magical stuff in my vegan pancetta and seitan prosciutto.
Red Wine and BBQ Sauce
These 2 are the braising liquid's dynamic duo, with the wine bringing acidity and the BBQ sauce bringing sweet, smoky swagger. Any BBQ sauce you love works. But if you're piling this over kimchi fried rice, use my Korean BBQ sauce and thank me later.
Lots of wines are secretly produced with animal stuff like egg whites, gelatin, casein, or isinglass (fish bladders, yummmm), and it's never on the label. Look up your bottle on barnivore.com before you buy to make sure it's vegan.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
Variations
Jewish-Style Brisket
Want brisket that tastes more like a Shabbat dinner than a Texas cookout? My vegan Jewish brisket trades the chipotle and BBQ sauce for a red wine and miso braise, and it's not marbled, so it's a much easier, more straightforward thing to get on the table.
Vegan Pastrami
If you love the marbling in this brisket, my vegan pastrami uses the same layered fat-and-meat trick but goes full deli. Think cracked pepper and coriander bark, piled high on rye with a schmear of mustard to make an insane vegan reuben.
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 BBQ Brisket
Kneading, layering, braising, barking, and a whole lot of waiting around, just like real brisket, minus the 4 a.m. smoker shift. Follow along below, or jump to the recipe card if you've already got sauce on your apron.
Step One
Chipotlebraham Lincoln:
In a blender, blend the vegetable stock, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, tamari, tomato paste, molasses, liquid smoke, and olive oil until smooth.
Step Two
Gluten Things I Hate About You:
Add the contents of the blender to the bowl of a stand mixer, along with the vital wheat gluten, chickpea flour, mushroom powder, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, red yeast rice powder, coriander, and black pepper. Mix on medium-low with the paddle attachment (not the dough hook) for 8 minutes, until the dough is firm and pulls into ropey strands.
Step Three
Fatty Boombalatty:
In a food processor, blend the melted coconut oil, cold soy milk, apple cider vinegar, vital wheat gluten, tapioca starch, white miso paste, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast. Process for 30 seconds, just until a grainy, oily dough forms.
Transfer to a container and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes to stiffen the coconut oil.
Step Four
Divide and Conquer:
Divide the meat dough into 3 pieces (about 13 oz. / 370 g each). Flatten each into a rough 7x5-inch (18x13 cm) slab, about ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick.
Divide the fat dough into 2 smaller pieces and 2 larger pieces. Press each small piece to about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick, keeping them slightly uneven on purpose. Press the large pieces to about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, again keeping them somewhat uneven.
Step Five
Streaky Blinders:
Stack the layers in this order: thick fat sheet, meat slab, thin fat sheet, meat slab, thin fat sheet, meat slab, thick fat cap. Let the inner fat sheets stop short of the edges in spots, so the seams look natural and the meat wraps around the inner fatty layers.
Step Six
Brisky Business:
Press the stack down firmly into a 14-inch (35 cm) long shape, no thicker than 2 inches (5 cm) at any point. It's OK if the shape is irregular.
Step Seven
Gangster Wrap:
Wrap your seitan tightly in 2 layers of parchment paper or cheesecloth and tie with butcher's twine every inch (2.5 cm) or so. Too much slack lets the gluten puff up and go spongy, which sorta sucks.
Make sure the shape doesn't change on you a lot when you bind the seitan. You still don't want it to be thicker than about 2 inches in any spot.
Step Eight
Stock Options:
In a wide Dutch oven, whisk together the red wine, barbecue sauce, vegetable stock (or water), smashed garlic cloves, bay leaves, poultry seasoning, tamari, and liquid smoke. Bring to a boil.
Step Nine
Simmer, Who's Got the Keys to My Bimmer:
Lower in the roast and reduce the heat to the lowest possible simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 70 minutes, flipping the roast once or twice along the way.
Turn off the heat and let the roast cool in the liquid for a full hour.
Step Ten
A Tisket a Tasket, There's Brisket in M'Basket:
Lift out the roast and strain the braising liquid, or just fish out the garlic and bay leaves with a slotted spoon.
Step Eleven
Jus Can't Get Enough:
Simmer the liquid over medium-high heat until it reduces to about 1 cup (240 ml). Stir often toward the end so the sugars in the barbecue sauce don't scorch.
Step Twelve
Rub-a-Dub-Dub, 3 Men in a Tub:
Heat the oven to 310°F (155°C), or a smoker to 250°F (120°C). Unwrap the roast and pat it dry.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, smoked paprika, thyme, black pepper, garlic powder, mustard powder, chipotle powder, and coarse salt.
Step Thirteen
Saucetin Powers:
Brush barbecue sauce over every surface of the roast.
Step Fourteen
Raiders of the Lost Bark:
Sprinkle and then press the rub on hard over every surface, especially on the fat cap.
Step Fifteen
Roastbusters:
Set the roast on a rack over a sheet pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the crust is almost black in spots.
Step Sixteen
Miami Slice:
Cool the roast to room temperature, then refrigerate it for at least 8 hours. Don't skip this, because it sets the fat seams and firms up the inside enough to slice cleanly.
Slice thinly across the layers and serve with warm jus poured over the top.
To reheat, steam the slices for 2 to 3 minutes, or warm them in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of jus.
Serving Ideas
Pile this sky-high on a metal tray like you're running a roadside Texas BBQ joint, with a scoop of vegan butternut squash mac and cheese and a hunk of vegan pumpkin cornbread on the side. Set out some spicy roasted habanero salsa or jalapeño salsa too, so the heat freaks at your table can go nuts without bugging you.
Wanna go to Tex-Mex Shangri-La? Chop it into pinto bean chili and bake it into the most epic vegan tamale pie of all time. Or shred little bits over a vegan Frito pie, and you're all set to wander around the state fair in a food coma fugue state for hours.
Top tips
- Low and Slow, Don't Blow It: Keep the braise at the lowest simmer your stove can handle, no cranking up the heat because dinner's running late. High heat turns gluten into a rubbery dog chew toy, and nobody wants to gnaw on that at a cookout.
- Wrap It Tight, No Slack: Tie the cheesecloth snug every inch with butcher's twine. Any slack lets the gluten expand as it braises and turns the texture spongy instead of dense.
Recipe FAQs
This usually happens when the reduction is left unattended near the end. Barbecue sauce carries a lot of sugar, and that sugar burns quickly once the liquid thickens, so stir often during the last few minutes of reduction.
A mild chipotle hot sauce is your best bet, since it brings the same smoky heat in a squeezable bottle.
In a pinch, smoked paprika and a little cayenne get you in the neighborhood too, but you'll miss some of that pungent, vinegary depth the adobo brings.
🧊 In the Fridge
Store sliced or whole brisket in an airtight container with a splash of the reserved jus for up to 5 days. The jus keeps the slices from drying out as they sit.
❄️ In the Freezer
Wrap slices tightly and freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
🔥 Reheating
Steam or pan-fry slices for 2-3 minutes, or warm them in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of the reserved jus until heated through.
You'll also love these Vegan Beef Recipes
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Vegan BBQ Brisket Recipe
Equipment
- Cheesecloth (optional)
- Kitchen twine
- Smoker (optional)
Ingredients
For the Meat dough:
- 1 ¾ cups unsalted vegetable stock
- 3 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- ¼ cup tamari
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons molasses
- 1 ½ teaspoons liquid smoke
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 ¾ cups vital wheat gluten
- ⅓ cup chickpea flour
- 4 teaspoons mushroom powder
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon red yeast rice powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the Fat dough:
- ½ cup refined coconut oil melted, then cooled to room temperature
- ⅓ cup unsweetened soy milk cold
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 ⅓ cups vital wheat gluten
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
For the Braising liquid:
- 2 cups red wine
- 1 cup bbq sauce
- 2 cups unsalted vegetable stock or water
- 6 garlic cloves smashed
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
For the BBQ Rub & Crust:
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon thyme
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon chipotle powder
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- ⅓ cup bbq sauce
Instructions
Make the meat dough:
- In a blender, blend the vegetable stock, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, tamari, tomato paste, molasses, liquid smoke, and olive oil until smooth.
- Add the contents of the blender along with the vital wheat gluten, chickpea flour, mushroom powder, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, red yeast rice powder, coriander, and black pepper to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium-low with the paddle attachment (not the dough hook) for 8 minutes, until the dough is firm and pulls into ropey strands.
Make the fat dough:
- In a food processor, blend the melted coconut oil, cold soy milk, apple cider vinegar, vital wheat gluten, tapioca starch, white miso paste, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast. Process for 30 seconds, just until a grainy, oily dough forms.
- Transfer to a container and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes to stiffen the coconut oil.
Build the roast:
- Divide the meat dough into 3 pieces (about 13 oz. each) and flatten each into a rough 7x5-inch (18x13 cm) slab, about ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick.
- Divide the fat dough into 2 smaller pieces and 2 larger pieces. Press each small piece to about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick, making them slightly uneven on purpose. If they have holes in some places, that's fine, maybe even preferable for natural looking marbling. Press the large piece to about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick for the fat cap, again keeping it somewhat uneven.
- Stack the layers in this order: thicker fat sheet, meat slab, thin fat sheet, meat slab, thin fat sheet, meat slab, thick fat cap. Let the inner fat sheets stop short of the edges in spots so the seams look natural and the meat encapsulates the inner fatty layers.
- Press the stack down firmly to shape it into a 14 inch long log, no thicker than 2 inches (5 cm) at any point. It's ok for the shape to be irregular.
- Wrap it tightly in 2 layers of parchment paper or cheesecloth and tie with butcher's twine every inch (2.5 cm) or so. Too much slack lets the gluten puff up and go spongy, which sorta sucks.
Braise:
- In a wide Dutch oven, whisk together the red wine, bbq sauce, vegetable stock (or water), smashed garlic cloves, bay leaves, poultry seasoning, tamari, and liquid smoke. Bring to a boil.
- Lower in the roast and reduce the heat to the lowest possible simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 70 minutes, flipping the seitan over once or twice during the time it cooks.
- Turn off the heat and let the roast cool in the liquid for a full hour.
Reduce the jus:
- Lift out the roast and strain the braising liquid, or just remove the garlic and bay leaves with a slotted spoon.
- Simmer the strained liquid over medium-high heat until reduced to about 1 cup (240 ml), stirring often toward the end so the sugars in the bbq sauce don't scorch.
Bark it:
- Heat the oven to 310°F (155°C), or a smoker to 250°F (120°C). Unwrap the roast and pat it dry.
- In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, smoked paprika, thyme, pepper, garlic powder, mustard powder, chipotle powder, and coarse salt.
- Brush the bbq sauce over every surface of the roast, then press the rub on hard, especially on the fat cap.
- Set the roast on a rack over a sheet pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes. It's done when the crust is almost black in spots.
Chill and serve:
- Cool the roast to room temperature, then refrigerate it for at least 8 hours. Don't skip this, because it sets the fat seams and firms the inside enough to slice cleanly.
- Slice thinly across the layers, and serve with additional warm jus poured on top.
- To reheat, steam the slices for 2-3 minutes, or warm them in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of jus.
Notes
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