Super Easy Seitan and Vegetable Fajitas

Seasoned seitan swaps in for meat, perfectly complementing vibrant, tender-crisp vegetables, in these simple, satisfying fajitas!

A Mexican restaurant staple, classic fajitas deliver a certain wow that belies how ridiculously easy they are to make. This is especially true when they arrive sizzling on a mini cast iron pan—delight! But while the aromatic, flavorful dish is clearly worthy of a meal out, let’s not forget about its merits as a quick to throw together, nutritious weeknight dish.

Half an onion, a pair of bell peppers, a small zucchini, and some stalwart pantry spices are all you need to mingle with meaty seitan strips. Wrap in corn or flour tortillas for a cozy package that feels both festive and relaxed. Of course you can always mix and match vegetables—if it weren’t for the last of the garden zucchini needing a home, I may have left out the squash here, but I do like to stick with the traditional pepper and onion blend. A bunch of zesty optional toppings really make this dinner complete, but you don’t need a recipe to tell you which or how much.

In fact, making these simple fajitas is so straightforward and intuitive, you really don’t need a recipe at all. Treat this as a reminder of one more quick and easy meal for your rotation, and let your palate be your guide. Also, if you have a moment, maybe indulge me in sharing the real impetus behind this post: I finally made my own homemade seitan! And guess what? One time is enough to confirm, I can and most definitely will be making it over and over again. :)

Why Making Seitan is Worth It

You know how there are some things that seem daunting, but once you finally do them, you can’t understand what took you so long? Canning is a bit like that, or at least it was for me. But with canning, the process can be so involved and time-consuming that although the actual experience is easy, over time the intimidation starts to build back up (again, just speaking for me). Making seitan, on the other hand, really is so simple! You can bake, steam, boil, or pressure cook—every way is straightforward with little effort. Honestly, the most “work” you put in is merely a few minutes kneading, and even that part is kind of playfuylly therapeutic. Even better, it’s more cost effective, and you get to choose what goes into yours. I used a recipe from The Big Book of Vegan Cooking by Dianne Wenz. I can’t find it online, but this recipe for Vegan Chicken Seitan Cutlets from The Curious Chickpea is very similar. One thing that appealed most to me was the inclusion of chickpeas and plenty of good seasoning.

What is Seitan?

I used to be somewhat skeptical about seitan since its primary component is vital wheat gluten. However, despite the vilification, an ever-growing body of studies reveal gluten as being healthy for most people. Given the complexities of our food systems, this is a very general statement, and of course there are factors to consider. If you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivites, seitan is obviously not a good choice for you. But it you are able to process wheat, and you feel good about the source, seitan offers a source of high proten that is low in fat and carbs, low calorie, and soy-free. Like tofu, it doesn’t have a strong flavor of its own. It does, however, absorb flavors beautifully, and its somewhat chewy texture makes it a superb substitute for meats.

Another key factor to consider when incorporating seitan into your diet is of course the processing. Storebought versions may be ultra-processed and packed with sodium and sugars. All the more reason to make your own! You can stretch a bag of Bob’s Red mill Vital Wheat Gluten Flour to a few solid batches. The results are versatile, freezable, and soon to be flavorful as you pour your culinary creativity into it. Speaking of creativity, when you’re able, let dinners be an opportunity to let yours flow. With so much heaviness in the world and the wearying anxiety of staying informed, my creative flow often feels awfully stoppered up. Letting intuition take over in the kitchen is one thing I’ve relied on to calm the nervous system. Cooking is so sensory, naturally nurturing, and full of imaginative possibilities. Then again, some days it really is all we can do to get some form of dinner on the table; when we’re at our limits of exhaustion, then maybe even on the couch! When those moments hit, rest assured, meals like this can lift you up with minimal taxing of energy—especially if you’ve got a half batch of seitan waiting in the freezer. Pick up your feet, eat, enjoy. xo

Yield: 4-6

Author: Wendy McMillan

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Seitan and Vegetable Fajitas

Seasoned seitan strips swap in for these simple, satisfying fajitas.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb seitan strips, homemade or storebought
• 2 Tablespoons lime juice
• Cooking spray
• 1 Teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 Teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 Teaspoon smoked paprika
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 2 bell peppers of different colors, seeded and cut into strips
• 1 small or medium zucchini, halved and cut into strips
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 4-6 flour or corn tortillas
• Optional to serve: salsa, avocado slices and/or guacamole, cilantro, cashew sour cream

Instructions

1. Brown the seitan: Warm a skillet lightly coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add the seitan strips, lime juice, and spices. Let cook 3-4 minutes before turning and cooking an additional 3-4 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Add the vegetables to the same pan, adding a fresh coating of cooking spray or just sprinkling in a little water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5-7 minutes, until vegetables are becoming tender.
3. Return the seitan strips to the pan and stir to combine. Cook a futher minute or two so that everything is evenly warmed through. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve with warm tortillas and toppings of choice.

Alternative Sheet Pan Method

1. Preheat your oven to 400 F.
2. Spread all ingredients evenly on a parchment or silpat lined, rimmed baking tray. apply a light coating of cooking spray followed by the lime juice and spices. Stir to distribute the seasonings.
3. Bake 20-25 minutes. Near the end of baking, place the tortillas in oven to warm as a stack wrapped in foil.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

164

Fat

2 g

Sat. Fat

0 g

Carbs

24 g

Fiber

5 g

Net carbs

19 g

Sugar

4 g

Protein

15 g

Sodium

333 mg

Cholesterol

0 mg