This vegan ham recipe will amaze you! Salty, smokey, mock meat made from seitan and roasted to perfection. It’s sure to make a holiday meal special and it is perfect for a vegan ham sandwich! This mock meat is made from seitan aka wheat meat and it will surprise even the most skeptical eaters.
I’ve been playing around with seitan recipes since I became vegan over 20 years ago. I usually make vegan chicken or vegan turkey with it, but I recently decided to try making ham. It came out delicious and my family declared it the best food that they ever had. It’s salty, smokey, meaty, and everything you loved about the flavor of ham!
I know that making a vegan ham sounds really hard and intimidating, but trust me, you can do it. It only takes a few minutes to mix the ingredients together, then you just wait for it to cook.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Broth – for flavor. I like to use a beef-flavored vegan broth for the most authentic flavor, but you can use any vegetable broth that you want. (If your broth comes in a cube that makes 2 cups, cut it in half and mix it with 1 cup of hot water.)
- Smoked Paprika – for the smoky flavor and red color.
- Liquid Smoke – for an extra smokey flavor. If you don’t have any, you can use extra smoked paprika.
- Ketchup – for color and a little sweetness.
- Nutritional Yeast – for an umami flavor. I feel that it adds a lot to the flavor, but you can simply leave it out if you don’t have any and your vegan ham will still taste great.
- Garlic Powder – for flavor. You can use a clove of fresh minced garlic instead.
- Salt – for a salty ham flavor. Feel free to reduce it for a lower sodium ham.
- Oil – to give the mouthfeel of real ham. I think that refined coconut oil gives the best consistency, however, you use can use any neutral flavored oil that you want. You can also omit the oil if you would like, it will just taste a little dryer. (Don’t use unrefined coconut oil or it will taste like coconut!)
- Tofu – this gives the ham a tender and smooth texture and keeps the gluten from being too chewy. You can also swap this out for a can of drained white beans or garbanzo beans, but tofu gives it the most authentic texture.
- Vital Wheat Gluten – for the meaty texture. This is the main ingredient in any seitan and can not be substituted with anything. I’m sorry, but this recipe can not be made gluten-free.
For the glaze:
- Broth – for moisture and flavor. Any vegan broth will work.
- Light Olive Oil – to give your ham a juicy and slightly crispy outer coating. You can swap this out with any neutral-flavored oil that you want. I don’t use coconut oil in the glaze because it will solidify when the ham cools down and leave a funny texture.
- Smoked Paprika – for the red color and smoky flavor.
- Maple Syrup – for sweetness. You can also use agave nectar or any other vegan liquid sweetener.
- Salt – for flavor. Feel free to reduce it for a lower sodium ham.
- Whole Cloves – optional for decorating and adding flavor to the ham.
How to make a vegan ham
Make the mock meat:
- In a small saucepan, warm 1 cup of broth and add paprika, liquid smoke, nutritional yeast, ketchup, garlic powder, and salt, and give it all a good stir.
- Drain and press a 14 oz block of extra firm tofu to get out as much liquid as possible and then add it to a food processor.
- Pour the broth in the food processor with the tofu and blend until smooth.
- Transfer the liquid to a glass bowl and fold in the wheat gluten about 1/2 cup at a time with a silicone spatula. (You may find it easiest to knead in the last 1/2 cup of gluten as it gets thick at the end.)
- Knead the gluten loaf for about 30 seconds and make sure the gluten is fully incorporated and form it into a ham shaped loaf.
- Wrap your vegan ham tightly in a large piece of foil making sure that none of the seitan is exposed.
- Place the ham in a large pot with a steamer basket (or use jelly jar rings to keep the roast lifted up out of the water). Fill with enough water to hit just below your steamer basket.
- Cover with a lid and steam the ham for 1 hour. Check the water frequently to make sure it doesn’t get too low and add more water if needed.
Glaze and roast your vegan ham:
- Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C).
- Remove the foil from your ham and cut diagonal lines in it about 2 centimeters thick crisscrossing each other and place the ham in a small 8 x 8-inch baking dish.
- In a small saucepan, mix together the broth, oil, maple syrup, smoked paprika, and salt then pour it evenly over the ham.
- Bake your vegan ham uncovered for 25 minutes at 375° F (190° C) taking it out of the oven a few times during the baking process to spoon the glaze evenly over the ham.
- Slice with a serrated knife and serve as you would ham.
Pro Tips
- Use a glass bowl and a silicone spatula to mix your seitan. Vital wheat gluten is very sticky once it gets wet and will stick like glue to a plastic bowl or a wooden spoon.
- Be sure to press the tofu well to get out as much liquid as possible. I like to cut the block into quarters and squeeze it with my hands like I’m packing a snowball over the sink to get out all the excess water.
- Wheat gluten is a very fine powder that will get everywhere if you are not careful with it. Pour it low down and slowly over the tofu mixture so it doesn’t splash out of your bowl.
- Knead the seitan until all of the gluten flour is incorporated and you have a dough that’s a little firmer than you would have for bread. Only knead it for about 30- 60 seconds so your wheat meat doesn’t get too chewy.
Why do you wrap seitan before steaming?
Seitan expands during the cooking process, so wrapping it keeps the texture dense and meaty instead of allowing it to expand and become spongier. If you don’t want to use foil, you can use plastic wrap instead. I know that this is not a better option for most people, but it will work. You can also wrap it tightly in a few layers of cheesecloth and use safety pins to secure it.
Options for steaming the vegan ham
Pressure cooker – place the wrapped veggie ham in a steaming basket inside the pressure cooker. Fill with water until it’s just below your steamer basket. Place the lid and pressure regulator on top and heat until your pressure regulator is steadily rocking. Turn down the heat slightly so that it rocks gently for 40 minutes, then allow the pressure to release on its own.
Instant Pot – Place the wrapped veggie ham on the steaming rack inside the Instant Pot. Fill with water until it’s just below the steamer basket (about 2 cups). Close the lid, set the pressure valve to sealing, select “steam”, and then set to 30 minutes. Press start and allow it to come to pressure, cook, and then release the pressure naturally. This whole process will take about 45 minutes.
Do I have to baste and roast the ham?
No, once your vegan ham is steamed, it’s ready to eat if you choose. At this time you can also dice it up and use it in recipes like my vegan omelets, vegan quiche, vegetarian 15 bean soup, or simply make a vegan ham sandwich. For this purpose, you don’t need to use the glaze and you can omit the last step of baking.
Can I make the vegan ham ahead of time?
Yes! The great thing about this recipe is that you can make it up to 3 days ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to bake it. Mix up the dough and steam it then just keep it in the foil wrapping in the fridge until you are ready to glaze and bake it.
Storing and Freezing
Once you steam the meatless ham, it has been cooked enough to slice and eat. You can keep it in the fridge in a sealed container or wrapped in foil for 3-5 days.
If you want to freeze your ham, simply wrap it tightly in foil and place it inside a large freezer bag getting out all of the excess air possible. You can keep it frozen for up to 3 months. To thaw it, let it thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheating
To reheat your seitan ham, simply place it in a baking dish, cover with the basting liquid and bake for 25 minutes. You can also reheat individual slices in the microwave in about 1 minute on high.
What to serve with your seitan ham
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A vegan ham made from tofu and wheat gluten. A smokey, salty, seitan ham for a holiday roast or ham sandwiches.
- 1 cup vegetable broth or vegan beef flavored broth
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke or extra smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 clove minced garlic)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons refined coconut oil or any neutral-flavored oil of choice
- 14 oz. extra firm tofu
- 1 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons light olive oil or any neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 15 whole cloves (for decorating the outside of the ham)
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In a small saucepan, warm 1 cup of broth and add paprika, liquid smoke, nutritional yeast, refined coconut oil, ketchup, garlic powder, and salt, and give it all a good stir.
-
Drain and press a 14 oz block of extra firm tofu to get out as much liquid as possible and then add it to a food processor.
-
Pour the broth in the food processor (or blender) with the tofu and blend until smooth.
-
Transfer the liquid to a glass bowl and fold in the wheat gluten about 1/2 cup at a time with a silicone spatula. (You may find it easiest to knead in the last 1/2 cup of the gluten as it gets thick at the end.)
-
Knead the gluten loaf for about 30 seconds and make sure the gluten is fully incorporated and form it into a ham shaped loaf.
-
Wrap your vegan ham tightly in a large piece of foil making sure that none of the seitan is exposed.
-
Place the ham in a large pot with a steamer basket (or use jelly jar rings to keep the roast lifted up out of the water). Fill with enough water to hit just below your steamer basket.
-
Cover with a lid and steam the ham for 1 hour. Check the water frequently to make sure it doesn't get too low and add more water if needed.
-
Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C).
-
Remove the foil from your ham and cut diagonal lines in it about 2 centimeters thick crisscrossing each other and place the ham in a small 8 x 8-inch baking dish.
-
In a small saucepan, mix together the broth, oil, maple syrup, smoked paprika, and salt then pour it evenly over the ham.
-
Bake your vegan ham uncovered for 25 minutes at 375° F (190° C) taking it out of the oven a few times during the baking process to spoon the glaze evenly over the ham.
-
Slice with a serrated knife and serve as you would ham.
Recipe Video
- Use a glass bowl and a silicone spatula to mix your seitan. Vital wheat gluten is very sticky once it gets wet and will stick like glue to a plastic bowl or a wooden spoon.
- Be sure to press the tofu well to get out as much liquid as possible. I like to cut the block into quarters and squeeze it with my hands like I'm packing a snowball over the sink to get out all the excess water.
- Wheat gluten is a very fine powder that will get everywhere if you are not careful with it. Pour it low down and slowly over the tofu mixture so it doesn't splash out of your bowl.
- Knead the seitan until all of the gluten flour is incorporated and you have a dough that's a little firmer than you would have for bread. Only knead it for about 30- 60 seconds so your wheat meat doesn't get too chewy.
Cooking Options:
Pressure cooker - place the wrapped veggie ham in a steaming basket inside the pressure cooker. Fill with water until it's just below your steamer basket. Place the lid and pressure regulator on top and heat until your pressure regulator is steadily rocking. Turn down the heat slightly so that it rocks gently for 40 minutes, then allow the pressure to release on its own.
Instant Pot - Place the wrapped veggie ham on the steaming rack inside the Instant Pot. Fill with water until it's just below the steamer basket (about 2 cups). Close the lid, set the pressure valve to sealing, select "steam", and then set to 30 minutes. Press start and allow it to come to pressure, cook, and then release the pressure naturally. This whole process will take about 45 minutes.
