Gluten-free Seitan Roast Chicken Sliced Deli Meat Sandwich

By Little Northern Bakehouse

Gluten-free Seitan Roast Chicken Vegan Sliced Deli Meat Sandwich:
Make-Ahead Vegan Gluten-free Deli Meat Recipe

From shared deli slicers to stray crumbs, getting your hands on safe, gluten-free deli sandwiches is no small feat—but our Gluten-free Seitan Roast Chicken Vegan Sliced Deli Meat Sandwich recipe might just be the hero you’ve hoped for!

When most meatless deli slices at the grocery store are made from vital wheat gluten, traditional wheat seitan, tofu, soy protein, or a combination of all the above, gluten-free vegetarian deli meat can feel like an impossible dream.

Especially if you also live with allergies to soy.

And as much as we’re cheering for up-and-coming brands like Plant Provisions with all our plant-based, soy-free, gluten-free deli sandwich- and charcuterie-loving hearts, the lack of local options that don’t involve road trips, international shipping, or cross-border shopping left us longing.

So, we turned our Vegan Gluten-free Seitan Holiday Roast recipe into a gluten-free seitan roast chicken deli meat you can slice up for sandwiches, subs, or charcuterie all year!

With a longer ingredients list and cooking time, we dialed up the chicken flavour and went out of our way to make your gluten-free meal prep a worthwhile investment.

No longer limited to a holiday labour of love, this sandwich-able recipe makes about 1,500 grams—almost 3 lb 5 oz—of gluten-free seitan deli roast chicken.

That’s enough for 15 well-stuffed 100-gram (4 oz) sandwiches or 6-inch subs. Or 30 smaller 50-gram (2 oz) sandwiches!

With that much gluten-free seitan deli roast chicken to work with, this recipe opens new sandwich, snack, and charcuterie doors!

So, slice it thick or shave it thin. Switch up your toppings and spreads. And don’t stop at bread!

Serve it submarine style—turn a Little Northern Bakehouse gluten-free hot dog bun into a hearty gluten-free seitan roast chicken sliced deli meat hero sandwich sure to satisfy.

Pile it high on our gluten-free burger buns for a hot vegan deli sandwich topped with melted dairy-free cheese. Or build a bagelwich with all your favourite fixings!

Instructions for the Gluten-free Seitan Roast Chicken Vegan Deli Meat:

1. Combine all dry ingredients (gluten-free flours, nutritional yeast, xanthan gum, chicken-flavoured seasoning, garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper, and ½ tsp smoked paprika) in a medium bowl. Mix with a whisk to blend them together.
2. Purée beans and all other wet ingredients except the broth / bouillon in a food processor or high-powered blender until smooth. (If using miso, add it to the wet mixture in this step).
3. Transfer wet ingredients to the bowl of an electric stand mixer with the dough hook attached (or to a large mixing bowl with a sturdy spoon and some elbow grease nearby). Add one third of the dry ingredients and mix. When incorporated, add one third of the veggie broth / bouillon, mix, then repeat until all dry ingredients have been added.IMPORTANT: You may not need all the broth / bouillon called for in the recipe!

   Start with the first ½ cup of broth / bouillon divided between dry ingredient additions. After adding the last round of dry ingredients, watch the mixture as it comes together. If it’s still crumbly and dry, proceed with caution adding only small splashes of broth / bouillon at a time and mixing well after each.

   Stop adding more liquid when the gluten-free seitan forms a smooth, clean ball that isn’t sticky and has the consistency of roll-out cookie dough, playdough, or air-dry modelling clay (not like muffin batter or cookie dough you scoop). If you added a little too much liquid, don’t worry—add more glutinous rice flour one teaspoon at a time, mixing and adjusting until the dough is smooth and handles like play dough)

4. Cut a large piece of aluminum foil (about 18- to 24-inches long) and place on a clean work surface. Then cut a fresh piece of parchment paper a little smaller and place it on top. Spray or brush parchment with oil, sprinkle evenly with ½ tsp smoked paprika, and set aside.
5. Dust your hands with glutinous rice flour and remove gluten-free seitan roast chicken vegan deli meat dough from the mixing bowl. Shape into a log that’s evenly thick from end to end and will fit in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid and any purpose-made or improvised steaming contraption, including:

• a collapsable/universal steamer basket
• a nesting steamer/nesting colander/perforated double-boiler
• a bamboo steamer
• an electric food steamer
• an improvised steamer (e.g., a pot with an upside-down pie plate and/or rack on the bottom)

6. Flatten, shorten, or cut into two shorter pieces to make sure your gluten-free seitan roast chicken vegan deli meat dough fits in your steaming contraption with the lid on tight.
7. Place log on the prepared parchment, and roll it on the smoked paprika, adding remaining ½ tsp as needed until evenly coated on all sides. Starting at one long edge, wrap parchment around the log, then wrap in foil. Layer another sheet of foil as needed to ensure full coverage, then twist the foil on both ends like a saltwater taffy wrapper to get a tight seal.

• For a collapsable steamer basket or improvised steamer: Fill pot with water to just below the base of the basket or top of the rack or pie plate.
• For a pot with nesting steamer: Fill base pot with water halfway, or as high as possible that boiling water won’t bubble up and directly contact the gluten-free seitan.
• For a bamboo steamer: Fill pot with water halfway; if using a wok, fill to just below the base of the bamboo steamer.

8. Place gluten-free seitan roast chicken vegan deli meat log/s in the steamer and bring the water to a boil. Cover tightly with the lid and reduce stove heat to medium*. Steam for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until the centre of the roast reaches 185°F on a kitchen thermometer poked through the foil. Don’t have a kitchen thermometer? Stick it with a skewer like it’s banana bread—if it comes out gummy, it needs more time!Don’t let your pot boil dry! Be sure to check the water level every 15 minutes (or sooner for shallow pots).
9. When fully cooked, use oven mitts to remove gluten-free seitan roast chicken vegan deli meat from the steamer, and allow to cool.
10. For thin, deli-style slices, place Gluten-free Seitan Roast Chicken Vegan Deli Meat in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes, until firm but not frozen solid. Unwrap, then use a serrated knife (like a bread knife) or a freshly sharpened chef’s knife and slice as thin as safely possible using a gentle sawing motion. Wet the knife with water between slices if it starts to stick.

If you have a meat slicer: refrigerate gluten-free seitan roast chicken vegan deli meat until cold, unwrap, and slice.

To store: If not using right way, slice portions as needed, or pre-slice and place a small square of parchment or freezer paper between each slice and refrigerate 7 to 10 days. (See Tips for freezing).

Instructions for the Gluten-free Seitan Roast Chicken Vegan Deli Meat Sandwiches:

1. Per sandwich, spread hummus, vegan mayo, and/or any savoury sandwich spread you desire on 2 slices of your favourite Little Northern Bakehouse gluten-free bread.
2. Pile 50 – 100 grams (2 – 4 oz) sliced gluten-free seitan roast chicken vegan deli meat on the bottom slice, and top with sliced red onion, cucumber, and lettuce.
3. Close the sandwich with the top slice, serve, and enjoy!

Makes about 1,500 grams (3lb 5oz) of gluten-free seitan roast chicken vegan sliced deli meat.

Tips:

• Like a smokier deli slice? Add more smoked paprika. Test it with a few splashes of liquid smoke. Try it with other chili powders like smoked ancho or chipotle. Spice it up with hot paprika or cayenne. Or experiment with fresh herbs or finely chopped chili peppers to balance smoky flavours with a bit of brightness (add them with the flours to keep them intact)
• Can’t use over 3 pounds of gluten-free seitan deli roast chicken? Make half a batch!
  And if you’re not much of a gluten-free baker or some the gluten-free flours in this recipe are new to you, don’t let them go to waste—store them in the freezer to extend the life of what’s left for a later batch!
• Gluten-free seitan roast chicken vegan sliced deli meat is good for up to 10 days in the fridge, or 3 – 6 months in the freezer—ideal for a big-batch make-ahead recipe! If you plan to freeze it, try these tips:
  • Slice the whole batch of gluten-free seitan roast chicken vegan sliced deli meat—or cut meal- or lunch-week-sized blocks you can partially thaw and slice without needing to defrost the entire loaf.
  • Separate slices with a strip of parchment or freezer paper so they don’t stick together and store in one-sandwich (or one-meal) portions to enjoy as needed.

Check out our original Vegan Gluten-free Seitan recipe and try it in our Vegan Gluten-free Cuban Sandwich, Gluten-free Seitan Vegan Corned Beef and Cabbage Sandwich, and Vegan Hot Pastrami Sandwich with Gluten-free Seitan!

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1. Gluten Intolerance Group. FAQ: What is glutinous rice and is it safe to include in a gluten-free diet? Available from: https://gluten.org/faq/is-it-safe-to-include-glutinous-rice-in-a-gluten-free-diet-what-exactly-is-it/, accessed March 25, 2026.
2. Fuller, DQ. and Castillo, C., Chapter 15: Diversification and Cultural Construction of a Crop: the case of Glutinous Rice and Waxy Cereals in the Food Cultures of Eastern Asia in Lee-Thorp, J. and Katzenberg, M.A., (editors), The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Diet, Table 15.2, p. 330. Oxford University Press, June 24, 2024. Available from: https://books.google.ca/books?id=u6QKEQAAQBAJ&Ipg=PA323&ots=te2unxUE6O&dq=what%20is%20glutinous%20rice&Ir&pg=PA322#v=onepage&q=what%20is%20glutinous%20rice&f=false, accessed March 25, 2026.