"Honey" BBQ ribz from Great Vegan BBQ Without A Grill are meaty, tender, sticky, and delicious! These bbq seitan ribs are a great substitute for the real thing (although, no bones, which we're fine with). Our meat eating friends love these and so do vegans. Serve them with a side of Southern-Style Creamy Potato Salad and our Easy Vinegar Cucumber Salad.
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Published March 20, 2018 and updated October 7, 2020.
BBQ Seitan Ribs are a Great Meat Alternative
If you loved barbecue ribs before you went vegan, then you're going to be thrilled to see this recipe.
We became pros at making vegan meat out of seitan while we wrote our cookbook, Great Vegan BBQ Without a Grill
.
The countless hours that we spent perfecting the flavor and texture, and the amount of vital wheat gluten that we went through was insane, and totally worth it.
This vegan BBQ ribs recipe is a great meat alternative for vegans and vegetarians, as well as anyone who is looking to reduce their meat consumption.
How to Make Them
First – Cook the mushrooms.
Second - Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
Third – Puree the mushrooms and wet ingredients in a food processor and then stir them into the dry ingredients until it forms a stretchy dough.
Fourth– Press the dough evenly into a 8 x 8-inch square pan or form the dough into the shape of a rack of ribs and bake on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes.
Fifth – Make the BBQ sauce and liberally brush it on the ribs and grill it on a grill, a grill pan, or in a skillet. Slice and enjoy!
If you can whisk, process, stir, and bake, then you can make these amazing vegan ribs for your next get together.
Can You Make it Ahead of Time?
Yes! These are even better the next day because the flavors have a chance to develop.
Just wrap them in parchment or foil and heat them up in the oven.
How to Store and Freeze
Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freeze in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
Wrap in parchment or foil and reheat in a 350˚F (176˚C) oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until warmed through.
More Vegan Meat Recipes You'll Love
Vegetarian Breakfast Sausage Patties
Beer Braised Pulled Vegan Pork
Make our vegan ribs recipe and let us know what you think. We love to hear from you! And, don’t forget to take a picture of your gorgeous creation and tag us @veganosity on Instagram.
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“HONEY” BBQ RIBS
Ingredients
- 4 tsp 20 ml extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 cups quartered white mushroom caps
- 2 cups vital wheat gluten (we use Bob’s Red Mill Brand)
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup mushroom broth (we use Pacifica brand)
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tbsp peanut butter or any nut butter, including tahini
- 2 tbsp hickory flavored liquid smoke
- 2 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce (we use Annie’s brand)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp roasted beet or beet juice (this is for color and is optional)
For the BBQ Sauce
- ½ cup ml ketchup
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp Bee Free Honee (available at Whole Foods or Amazon)
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp ground sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F () and grease a 9 x 9 inch (23 x 23 cm) pan.
- In a medium skillet, heat 2 teaspoons (10 ml) olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft, approximately 5 minutes.
- Whisk the wheat gluten, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper until well combined.
- In a food processor or high powered blender, add the mushrooms, broth, soy sauce, peanut butter, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and beet until pureed, approximately 1 minute. Pour the mushroom mixture into the wheat gluten mixture and stir until it turns into a light and stretchy dough. If the dough seems too wet, add a bit more vital wheat gluten until it becomes really stretchy. Spread it evenly in the greased pan and bake for 30 minutes.
- Mix the ketchup, mustard, bee free honee, vinegar, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slather the sauce on both sides of the ribz.
- Heat a grill pan or skillet on medium-high heat and brush with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil. Grill the ribz for approximately 3 to 4 minutes or until you see grill marks. Slice into strips and enjoy!
Dianne says
I just received your book a few days ago and it looks incredible! Congratulations!! These "ribs" look amazing. Anything they can eat, we can eat vegan!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, Dianne! Our photographer did an amazing job. And yes, it's so true, vegans never have to feel deprived.
Jenn S. says
I'm so excited about your book, Linda and Alex!! I was drooling over the photos when I received my copy. I can't wait to get cooking!! Congratulations again!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, Jenn! You're always so supportive and it means so much to us. We can't wait to read your review!
pastabased says
I would love to try out this cookbook. Congratulations! The bbq ribs look delicious!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you!! We hope you buy the book and try all of the recipes. 🙂
nicoleanndawson says
Congrats on the book! I've been drooling over all the pages and can't tell you how excited I am to make all of these recipes for my family too. I'm the only vegan in the house, so finding vegan recipes my meat-loving hubby approves of is always important, especially since I only make vegan at home.
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Nicole! We've served them to many non-vegans and they were a hit. We hope your husband loves them as much as we do.
alisamarie says
I'm still in awe at how much those look like meaty ribs! And all of the flavors - I can't wait to try this cookbook!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, Alisa! We're excited to read your review. 🙂
Kate says
Yum! My mouth is actually salivating after seeing that photo. This looks sooooo good! Can't wait to get my hands on your cookbook!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, Kate! Mission accomplished. 😉 We hope you love the cookbook and we can't wait to hear what you think about it.
Francesca says
Congratulations and bravo for all the hard work! Now seeing those "ribs" I'm sure my ex-meat-lover-now-Vegan-AF French husband would totally fall in love with them, I have to try and make these as soon as possible 😉
Linda Meyer says
Lol! Yay!! That's one of the reasons that we worked so hard on the "meat" recipes. We really wanted to entice those who are on the fence and those who used to love meat and occasionally miss an old childhood favorite. Thank you so much, Francesca!
Nicole says
This is so exciting! So happy for you guys. Big congratulations! And these look like some pretty dynamite ribs 🙂
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Nicole! Your support means the world to us. 🙂
Strength and Sunshine says
Ah, what a fun idea for some great bbq!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you!
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
These look wonderful, can't wait to try them as hubby has been looking for a good vegan rib recipe. Thanks!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you! Let us know what he thinks.
Greg Meyer says
These are AWESOME!
Patti says
I just got the Great Vegan BBQ without a grill book and this was the first recipe I made. They were delicious! I actually made them like the recipe said then cut them into pieces and put them in a salad with the ranch dressing from the book. I can’t wait to make more of the recipes because I know they’ll be amazing!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Patti! Thank you so much for the kind comment. We're thrilled that you liked the ribz, they get great reviews from our readers. 🙂 Please let us know what else you try from the cookbook, we love hearing all about it.
Linda and Alex
Michael says
These are amazing! I’m new to eating vegan and I found your website a couple weeks ago. I’ve made your Italian barley soup/stew twice and love it! The rosemary and lemon juice put just the right touch on it. I saw this recipe for bbq ribs earlier this morning and made it for dinner this evening and I was blown away at how good this is. Until now I hadn’t thought much of trying to replace actual meat dishes. Great job with this recipe!!
Alex Meyer, MA says
Hey Michael,
Thank you so much! We're so glad you loved the recipe : ) It's definitely one of our favorites. Have an awesome day!
Alex & Linda