There’s something communal about ribs. Maybe everyone is talking about how delicious they are or maybe everyone is fighting for an end piece, but either way they bring people together. These are chewy and toothsome and smoky and caramelized and messy, everything you want a rib to be. A mixture of jackfruit and seitan gives you a gristly texture you have to chew and rip with your canines, like a wild animal that doesn’t eat animals. Just wheatmeat and a shredded fruit named Jack.
This BBQ seitan ribs recipe is great for a cookout plate, but equally amazing for a regular old meal. I also like to turn it into rib sandwiches with coleslaw. Check out my serving suggestions below.
But most importantly, don’t be intimidated. Making your own seitan ribs might sound like a complicated task, but let me break it down for you:
- Knead the dough
- Flatten into a rectangle, wrap in foil and parchment
- Bake
- Unwrap and smother in sauce
- Bake again
- Throw under the broiler
See? No big deal. Whether it’s game night, a barbeque or you just have a carnal craving for something meaty and smoky, these are the vegan ribs you want.
Why This Recipe Rocks
The jackfruit is the magic. On its own seitan can be a little uniform, but kneading shredded jackfruit into the dough breaks up the texture so it actually shreds and tears like ribs. The two bakes do the rest. The first sets the slab, the second creates that sticky caramelized crust where the sauce gets candied at the edges.
What’s In These BBQ Seitan Ribs
Vital wheat gluten for the chew and structure
Jackfruit pulled into shreds, for that gristly tear-apart texture
Nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika for flavor and savoriness
Tamari (or soy sauce) for salt and depth
Tomato paste for body, color and a little tang
Red wine vinegar for brightness and it helps neutralize the vital wheat gluten wheaty flavor
Maple syrup to round out the seasonings
Three cups of barbecue sauce, store-bought or the Almost Bottled BBQ Sauce, because it’s all about the sauce, always
Tips
Knead until you see gluten strands and the dough is springy. That elasticity is what makes the slab hold together when you score and cut it.
Wrap the package loosely. Too tight and the ribs steam dense instead of setting up with a little chew.
Stay with the broiler. Three to five minutes, but you check every minute. This is the step that turns good ribs into caramelized ones, and it’s also the step that burns them if you wander off.
A pizza wheel cuts the scored lines cleaner than a knife.
How to Serve Jack’s BBQ Seitan Ribs
These ribs are a messy, glorious masterpiece all on their own, but if you want to turn them into a full-on feast, here is how to style your plate:
The Ultimate Cookout Platter
Go old-school. Pile a few ribs on a plate next to a heap of crunchy No Mayo Cookout Coleslaw, a scoop of smoky Cheater Baked Beans, and a piece of grilled corn on the cob. Don’t forget a slice of thick white bread or a vegan cornbread muffin to mop up the extra sauce left on the plate.
The Vegan McRib (McRobbed?)
Either do this on purpose or if you somehow have leftovers. Toast up a hero roll, lay two ribs inside with extra barbecue sauce. I also like mayo or ranch over the sauce. Top with plenty of pickles and some slaw.
The Game Day Fully Loaded Platter
Serving a crowd? Double the recipes, cut the ribs into individual pieces and pile them high on a massive platter. Surround the ribs with wet naps (trust me, you’ll need them), extra dipping sauce, and a big bowl of ridged potato chips or sweet potato wedges.
A Sit Down Dinner
Serve over or alongside a comforting bowl of Vegan Mac and Cheese, potato salad, or garlic-rubbed grilled corn. Include some greens for good measure.
What Does Scoring Mean And Why Are We Doing It?
Scoring means cutting partway into the dough without going all the way through, so the slab stays in one piece. You score the ribs before the first bake, pressing down hard but stopping short of the bottom. This does two things. It gives you a guide to cut clean ribs later, and also, it lets the sauce work its way into the grooves during the second bake so every rib gets caramelized edges instead of just the outside of the slab. Cutting all the way through now would dry the pieces out and let them spread apart. It’s better to bake as one connected slab and separate into ribs only at the end.
Seitan Ribs FAQ
Can I make these ahead? Yup yup yup. Bake the slab through step 6, then wrap and refrigerate up to two days. Sauce, bake, and broil when you’re ready to serve.
Can I make these gluten-free? No. Crying emoji crying emoji crying emoji.
Do I have to use jackfruit? Yes, for the texture. You can skip it and the ribs will still taste good, but they’ll be denser and more uniform, less like something you tear apart. I haven’t tried it with any subs (artichokes? lentils?), but let me know if you do!
What barbecue sauce should I use? Whatever you love. The Almost Bottled BBQ Sauce is made for this, but a good bottled sauce works fine. You need three cups, so don’t skimp.
Can I grill these instead of broil? Hells yeah. Once they’re baked through and sauced, you can finish them over the grill for the char. Watch them close, same as the broiler.
How did I end up here? You came looking for vegan ribs and now you have a slab of jackfruit seitan caramelizing under your broiler. Search over.
Jack’s BBQ Seitan Ribs
Notes
Ingredients
- 1 14-ounce can young jackfruit in water, rinsed
- 1 ¾ cups vital wheat gluten
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 3 cups prepared barbecue sauce or Almost Bottled BBQ Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Have ready a large piece of aluminum foil lined with parchment paper, about 24 inches long.
- Drain the jackfruit. Discard any large seeds and pull the pieces apart with your fingers until they resemble shredded meat.
- In a large bowl, mix together the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Make a well in the center and pour in ¾ cup water, the tamari, olive oil, tomato paste, vinegar, and maple syrup. Add the jackfruit to the well and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Use your hands to knead the mixture together for a few minutes until it’s very springy and you can see gluten strands.
- Roll the dough into a 10 by 6-inch rectangle. Score the ribs widthwise with a knife, pressing down hard but not cutting all the way through, so that you have 8 ribs, a little over 1 inch wide each.
- Transfer the rectangle of ribs to the parchment paper-lined aluminum foil and fold into a neat package. Wrap loosely to cover. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, flipping halfway through.
- Remove the package from the oven and transfer it to a cooling rack. Carefully unwrap the rib loaf; it will be hot. Do not turn off the oven.
- Spray the baking sheet with cooking spray, then pour 1½ cups of the barbecue sauce onto the baking sheet (line the pan with parchment first if you don’t want to scrub it forever). Spread the sauce out so that when you return the ribs to the pan, they fully cover the sauce.
- Place the slab of ribs on the sauce and smother the tops with the remaining 1½ cups barbecue sauce (gloved hands work well, but tongs do the trick too). Return the ribs to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly caramelized. Remove from oven.
- Turn your broiler on and keep a close eye on the ribs. Place them under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes, checking for caramelization every minute or so. Be careful not to burn them.
- When the ribs are caramelized in spots, remove them from the oven. Cool until they are easy to handle but still warm, about 10 minutes. Use a pizza wheel to cut along the scored lines, creating 8 ribs. Or use a sharp knife, pressing down hard with a downward motion to separate the ribs. Serve them on a platter, with additional barbecue sauce alongside if you like.
