Seitan

Doneness

Done when the cubes or strips are browned and firm with crisp, chewy edges and heated through. Seitan is already cooked, so you're crisping and warming it rather than cooking raw protein — there's no internal temperature to hit. Shake the basket at the halfway mark so every side browns.

Oil & seasoning

Yes — toss the pieces with a little oil (and a splash of soy or sauce if you like) so the edges brown and crisp; bare seitan stays pale and dries out.

Season with: BBQ: toss in barbecue sauce in the last few minutes for sticky, charred edges., Teriyaki / soy-ginger: a soy-ginger or teriyaki glaze for a stir-fry-style protein., Buffalo: toss in buffalo sauce after cooking for vegan buffalo 'wings' or bites., Cajun or blackened: a dry Cajun rub tossed on with the oil before cooking..

Watch out for

• !Seitan is NOT gluten-free — it's made almost entirely of wheat gluten, so never serve it to anyone with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. (This is the key difference from soy-based, gluten-free Tofu and Tempeh.)
• !Store-bought and from-scratch seitan are both already cooked — you're crisping and heating, not cooking raw protein, so go by browned firm edges rather than a thermometer.
• !Toss with oil and, if using, sauce — without it the surface stays pale and the edges turn leathery.
• !Cut even cubes or strips and keep them in a single layer with a halfway shake so every side crisps instead of steaming.
• !Add sugary sauces (BBQ, teriyaki) only in the last few minutes or after cooking — they scorch quickly in the dry heat.