Homemade hearty and meaty Vegan Sausages. Easy to make, budget-friendly, freezer-friendly and packed with flavour. This vegan sausage recipe is just perfect for breakfast, weeknight dinners or grilling!
Are you even ready for this vegan sausage recipe? We're talking, meaty, golden, juicy and perfectly seasoned. The flavour and texture is balanced perfectly with plenty of seasoning and a little fat to make them juicy, tender and just like actual, made with meat, sausages!
In fact, with their herby, slightly peppery taste, these vegan sausages are reminiscent of the English bangers I grew up eating and that has me very excited!
In this Vegan Sausages recipe post:
Not only are these vegan sausages absolutely delicious, they are also really easy to make, packed with protein and a lot more budget-friendly than store-bought ones.
Just look at the inside of this homemade vegan sausage - I am so obsessed!
Ingredients
(Full and detailed ingredients &instructions are in the recipe card at the end)
Here's exactly what you'll be needing to make your own homemade meat-free sausages:
You'll notice that the ingredients are pretty much vegan pantry staples. For the best results I recommend not making any subs. This seitan sausage recipe has been tested many, many times and will give excellent results if followed exactly.
A few notes on the ingredients that I know will get the most questions:
- Vital wheat gluten - The main ingredient. Note that this is an essential ingredient in this seitan sausage recipe. There is no substitute and the sausages cannot be made gluten-free. You can buy VWG in a lot of bigger grocery stores these days, or online. The best value one I've found is Anthony's from Amazon. If you are in the UK you can buy vital wheat gluten from Holland & Barrett or Amazon.co.uk.
- Oats - Really important for texture in this recipe.
- Soy sauce, nutritional yeast, bouillon/stock cube, tomato puree, paprika, garlic, black pepper, salt - All important for layers of flavour and color. If you are soy-free you can use coconut aminos instead of soy-sauce and smoked paprika can be used instead of paprika.
- Sage and fennel - For authentic sausage flavour.
Success tip - Adding a little oil to the seitan dough makes a huge difference. If you want juicy, moist and realistic sausages don't skip it. My preference here is refined coconut oil. It gives the best, most authentic sausage mouthfeel and texture. (Note that it must be refined coconut oil. We really don't want coconut flavoured sausages!)If you don't have it though, use any neutral liquid oil like canola, vegetable or sunflower. You can omit the oil but your sausages will be slightly drier.
How To Make Vegan Sausages
So how exactly do you make your own vegan and vegetarian sausages? The process is pretty simple. Let me show you how:
- In a food processor or blender, pulse up the oats to break them up a bit.
- Mix the oats with the vital wheat gluten.
- Blend up everything else.
- Pour the wet into the dry and combine together.
- Divide the dough into 8 pieces and and shape into rough sausage shapes. They won't look pretty at this stage!
- Roll the paper over and tuck it under the sausage to secure it.
- Roll all the way then twist the ends closed. The rolling and twisting compacts the seitan sausage dough and neatens them into proper sausage shapes.
- Make a foil package to nestle them in, seal it up and bake.
Browning
Once removed from the oven the vegan sausages are completely cooked through, but it is best to cook them again before serving to get them nice and golden. Methods for this include:
- Pan-fry in a skillet over a medium heat, turning frequently until golden on all sides.
- Cook on a grill pan until nice char marks appear.
- BBQ/Grill outside until golden.
- Air fry on 350°F for about 10 minutes or until golden.
- Oven bake on 350°F until golden and heated through. About 15 to 20 minutes.
Success tip - You can reheat/brown the sausages without oil if you prefer, but they do benefit from being cooked with oil to keep them moist and to get a really lovely, deep, golden colour and sheen. Also we're talking sausages here and a good sausage should be a little greasy!
Serving Suggestions
These homemade vegan sausages are rustic, hearty and packed with protein. They can be enjoyed anyway you please, for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.
My favourite ways to enjoy vegan sausages include:
- In a sausage sandwich with plenty of the British fave HP sauce (as in the photo above!)
- In recipes like sausage rolls, corn dogs, toad in the hole, vegan sausage casserole, and vegan stuffing.
- Cooked up in a skillet with peppers, onions and garlic then piled up into hot dog buns.
- On salads, pizza and pasta dishes (you can make vegan sausage crumbles or slice them).
- On the side of Red Cabbage with Apples.
- With mashed potatoes, gravy and vegan yorkshire puddings.
- As part of a full English breakfast with vegan scrambled eggs, grilled tomatoes, baked beans, vegan bacon, mushrooms, toast etc.
Making Ahead & Storing
This vegan sausage recipe isn't one you want to be starting midweek when you need dinner on the table fast, because they do take a little time. But once made, they are so handy to have stashed away in the fridge or freezer for breakfasts, lunches and dinners. All they need is a quick sear in a pan or on the grill so your meal can be ready really quickly.
I like to keep the sausages wrapped in their parchment paper for protection, then I pop them in an airtight container or freezer-safe container/bag. They will keep keep for up to 7 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. Defrost overnight in the fridge before using.
Seitan Sausage FAQs
This vegan sausage recipe is remarkably realistic in flavor and texture. My meat-eating family have been really enjoying them.
This recipe needs no casings. The meat-free sausages hold together really well without them.
No. This recipe does not turn out well when steamed. For the best appearance, texture and flavour they need to be baked.
If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!
Recipe Video
Recipe
Vegan Sausage Recipe
Author:Ingredients
- 1 cup (100 grams) oats , rolled, old fashioned or quick oats (not oat flour)
- 2 cups (250 grams) vital wheat gluten
- 1 medium onion (about 165 grams or 1⅓ cup if diced)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce , (or coconut aminos for soy-free)
- 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon or a stock cube (beef, veggie or chicken style)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste , (puree in the UK)
- 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil , or any neutral liquid oil (if using coconut you must use refined not unrefined/virgin) Oil-free? Omit but read recipe notes.
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon paprika , regular or smoked
- 2 teaspoons rubbed sage
- 2 teaspoons ground fennel , or fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 10 tablespoons (150 ml) water
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and cut 8 squares of parchment paper about 10 x 10 inches in size. Set aside.
- In a food processor or blender, pulse up the oats until they are broken up and a mix of floury and small pieces. Tip them into a mixing bowl, add the vital wheat gluten and mix together.
- Peel and cut the onion into a few smaller pieces then add it to the food processor/blender (there's no need to wash the bowl first). Add all of the other ingredients and blend until pretty much smooth.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir well with a spatula until mostly combined. There will still be some dry bits that won't mix in. Tip out onto a clean surface and knead for about 1 minute or until there are no dry bits showing, and a dough is formed.
- Divide into 8 even pieces and shape into rough 1½ inch diameter sausage shapes. They won't look pretty or perfect at this stage (more like poops 🤣) but don't worry it gets better!
- Roll each sausage up tightly in a piece of parchment paper, at first tucking it over and slightly under the sausage to secure it before rolling all the way. (There are pictures in the post above to show this process).
- Once rolled all the way up, twist both sides really tightly like paper wrapped caramel candies. It's the rolling and the twisting that compacts the seitan sausage dough and neatens them into proper sausage shapes.
- Tear a piece of foil about double the length of all your sausages lined up. Sit the sausages on one end of it then lift the other side of the foil up and over to cover them. Squeeze the edges tightly shut all the way around to create a seal.
- Place on a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes then carefully turn the foil packet over and bake for another 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, and use as needed or allow to cool in their parchment paper wrappers.
NOTES
- Cook in a skillet over a medium heat, turning frequently until golden on all sides.
- Cook on a grill pan until nice char marks appear.
- BBQ/Grill outside until golden.
- Air fry on 350°F for about 10 minutes or until golden.
- Oven bake on 350°F until golden and heated through. About 15 to 20 minutes.
STORING SAUSAGES - Keep sausages wrapped in their parchment paper for protection, then put them in an airtight container or freezer-safe container/bag until needed. Store for up to 7 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Defrost overnight before using. OIL-FREE? Adding a little oil to the seitan dough makes a huge difference. If you want juicy, moist and realistic sausages don't skip it. However if you are oil-free you can omit it but bear in mind though that your sausages will be a little drier.
Gretchen says
Very good! I just have one suggestion - it's probably not the best idea to describe them as "poops". It's a bit of a turn-off for a recipe. :( That being said, they're delicious and I'll be making them again.
Melanie McDonald says
Nothing wrong with a bit of humour ;) The finished sausages aren't described that way. Just the way they look before they are rolled in paper, and that's because they really do look like that. 🤣
So pleased you enjoyed the recipe!
Aileen says
Amazing flavor. I made it according to the directions the first time. Then made it into 3 larger logs the second time, hoping to cut them into patties around the size of Morningstar Sausage Patties. I need to play around with the baking time just a little, but it came out great!
Luis Minem says
Is there a video?
Melanie McDonald says
The video is in the post. It's just above the recipe card. If you can't find it click the "watch video" button at the top of the page.
Tracy says
Excellent. Very reminiscent of Field Roast, and significantly more cost effective! Easy to make, freezes well.
Thank you!
Pauline says
Hi!
Any idea what Vegan wheat gluten is in The Netherlands?
Melanie McDonald says
I guess it's known as vital wheat gluten. The same. Try googling it in your area or check Amazon. That's where I get mine.
Gertrude says
We call them tarwegluten Pauline, you can buy them in bulk at De Zuidmolen (I buy them there) or any other webstore that sells flours.
Jo says
De Notenshop also sells tarwegluten, including online (and they sell nutritional yeast/edelgistvlokken too).
Alan says
I’d like to make these as sausage patties. I assume the cooking time will be reduced since they’ll be thinner?
Melanie McDonald says
It will definitely need reducing. It's hard to say by how much without trying it. I'd probably go for about 35 to 40 minutes total time. It's important they are well cooked for the right texture and they are pretty forgiving so if it is slightly more than necessary they should still be fine.
Sandy says
Hi, I haven't made them yet but they definitley look and sound 5 star.
I don't eat oats though and wonder if you can suggest a sub please? I was wondering if ground flax seeds might work. Thanks.
Melanie McDonald says
I wouldn't use flax. It's a bit too absorbent and won't give any texture. I think I'd use cooked brown rice. Don't add it until you mix the wet mixture with the vital wheat gluten though so the grains stay pretty much intact.