Soy Curl Beef
Soy Curl Beef is cheap, easy, delicious as heck, and you can use it anywhere you would use store-bought vegan beef or conventional beef too!
Soy Curls were one of the first vegan meats that convinced me it would be easier than I thought to go vegan. They are super cheap, easy and versatile.
Their texture is unmatched in my opinion! They are almost like a really tender seitan, super meaty, chewy but not tough. They also take on any flavor super well too!
I’ve worked with them on many recipes, but I’ve never made a stand alone beef (or chicken which will be coming soon!) recipe that can be used in a wider application, hence this recipe!
what are soy curls?
While Soy Curls are a specific product, the concept behind them is not new. It’s essentially just dehydrated soy, that’s it! TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) is a similar product, and there are variations of it around the world. Sometimes they are called Soya Chunks too.
The ones I use are made by Butler Foods. You can get it directly from them or on Amazon. But I suggest getting them direct from Butler Foods as it’s way cheaper. This post isn’t sponsored by the way, I just love Soy Curls!
why you’ll love soy curl beef
In a nutshell it’s…
- EASY TO MAKE
- AFFORDABLE
- VERSATILE
- CUSTOMIZABLE
- NUTRITIOUS
- AND DELICIOUS!
One of the first things I ever made with Soy Curls was a Philly Cheesesteak, and I’m happy to say that the most recent one I made was my favorite one yet!
You can also make some Broccoli Beef or Beefless Burgundy, the list goes on!
INGREDIENTS FOR soy curl BEEF
Besides Soy Curls, all we need are a few ingredients to infuse some flavor!
seasonings / marinade
For the seasoning and marinade, we are packing a lot of UMAMI with a variety of sources.
The marinade employs some of my favorites to make things beefy, such as Beefless Broth, Mushroom Seasoning, Vegan Worcestershire Sauce, and Gravy Master.
You can sub out most of these however! You can use veggie broth instead of the beefless broth. Use 1 tsp of Miso Paste per 1 Tbsp of Mushroom Seasoning (so 2 tsp for the recipe below). Steak Sauce instead of Worcestershire, and the Gravy Master is mostly for color, so you can skip it if you like.
And while this does taste good as is, I tried to leave it neutral flavored enough so you could customize it to whatever dish you want to make.
Add some cumin and oregano for something Mexican, or Italian Seasoning for something…well Italian! You get the idea! Adding some onion and garlic powder, and some smoked paprika is a great move too!
how to make soy curl beef
This couldn’t be easier! First rehydrate the soy curls in some water for about 10 minutes.
While the soy curls rehydrate, make the marinade by combining all the ingredients.
Drain and squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the rehydrated soy curls.
Add the soy curls to a pan over medium heat. Pour the marinade over and then reduce the marinade until most of it is absorbed.
Taste and adjust for seasoning. Your Soy Curl Beef is ready to eat! Enjoy as you wish! You can use it in just about any application you would use regular beef!
If you want to make it in bulk to use over the week, you can double or even triple the recipe. A single recipe will give you about 1 1/2 pounds of vegan beef.
Use this recipe to make these
tips for cooking soy curls
- Rehydrate the soy curls for at least 10 – 15 minutes. I have found that using cold, warm or hot water doesn’t make a noticeable difference.
- Using broth will infuse a light amount of flavor into the soy curls. This is good for something milder in flavor like chicken. However for something like a Soy Curl Beef, I find that reducing them down in broth will render them even more flavorful.
- No matter what you hydrate them in, you’ll want to SQUEEZE out as much of that liquid as possible.
- You can also further dry them out by toasting them in a dry pan to cook out even more of the moisture. This should help remove the aftertaste as well as any mushiness. It should yield a chewy soy curl that’s still juicy.
Storage
Store any leftovers in the fridge and eat within 3 – 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. If freezing, let them cool down completely before adding to a freezer safe container.
You can even flash freeze them on a baking sheet for a couple hours before adding to a container if you want to be sure to avoid any moisture getting trapped and frozen in the container.
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Soy Curl Beef
Ingredients
- 8 oz Dried Soy Curls
- 2 cups Vegan Beef Broth (or Veggie Broth)
- 1 Tbsp Vegan Worcestershire (or Steak Sauce)
- 2 Tbsp Mushroom Seasoning (I used Imperial Taste Brand) (or 2 tsp Miso Paste)
- 2 Tbsp Browning Sauce (Gravy Master, Kitchen Bouquet etc.)
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cover the soy curls in water and rehydrate them for 10 – 15 minutes. Then drain them and squeeze out as much water as possible.
- While they rehydrate, make the marinade by combining the remaining ingredients in a bowl.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add the soy curls and cook them for about 3 – 5 minutes to dry them out a bit more. Then pour over the marinade and stir to combine.
- Cook the soy curls until most of the liquid has reduced down and they are a nice dark brown color. You can add more browning sauce if you like.
- And while this does taste good as is, I tried to leave it neutral flavored enough so you could customize it to whatever dish you want to make.Add some cumin and oregano for something Mexican, or Italian Seasoning for something…well Italian! You get the idea! Adding some onion and garlic powder, and some smoked paprika is a great move too!So season to taste, adding in anything else that you like and enjoy!
Notes
tips for cooking soy curls
- Rehydrate the soy curls for at least 10 – 15 minutes. I have found that using cold, warm or hot water doesn’t make a noticeable difference.
- Using broth will infuse a light amount of flavor into the soy curls. This is good for something milder in flavor like chicken. However for something like a Soy Curl Beef, I find that reducing them down in broth will render them even more flavorful.
- No matter what you hydrate them in, you’ll want to SQUEEZE out as much of that liquid as possible.
- You can also further dry them out by toasting them in a dry pan to cook out even more of the moisture. This should help remove the aftertaste as well as any mushiness. It should yield a chewy soy curl that’s still juicy.
Hi!
I also love Soy curls! They are just awesome! I have a question for you. So I cannot digest TVP at all! And it’s pretty hard to find TSP so I use soy curls a lot, but I’d like to make them into a hamburger. I don’t own a food processor but I think I might pick up a cheap one because if I could blend the cooked soy curls, add some oat flour and all the seasonings and fry it up maybe into hamburger patty it would really be great. Have you ever tried that? Just curious 🙂 anyway, thanks for all the wonderful, recipes and inspiration you share! It’s truly appreciated!
Um…easy and tasty? Fifty stars. Meat-eating husband also liked.
Awesome! So stoked to hear that! Thank you!
Great recipe!!! Can’t wait to try it!!!
Soy curls and tvp are slightly different, but very similar nutritional profile. I believe soy curls are less processed and contains more of the soy beans, whereas tvp is more refined. Also… Taste wise soy curls are definitely superior!
Yes they are different. Soy Curls are actually the whole soy bean, pod and all that have been dehydrated. Totally different than TVP and soya chunks.
What could I sub the browning sauce for?
It’s just for color so you can leave it out. Or maybe try a little dark soy sauce.
Easy. Relatively quick. I actually had all the ingredients in the house.
Taste? Off the charts amazeballs.
haha nice! So glad you dug it!!
This was a huge hit with the kids and spouse! It took a bit longer than I thought it would and so I increased the temperature a bit (to 375 F). I will definitely be making it again. One hint: a little Jamaican hot sauce took this to the next level1
Thank you, so glad to hear that! And some Jerk Sauce would be good for sure!
I love soy curls and make the best carne asada tacos with them. I would love for them to be bigger in size so I can make carne asada. steaks. Do you have any tips on how to make these at home but larger?
Hi, no I don’t think you can make a larger steak with these, I do have a seitan carne asada though!
This is amazing. I’ve had soy curls for years but this recipe is exquisite and delectable. I made this in bulk to eat as my lunch throughout the week. Thank you.
Awesome so glad you like it!
I love these! Easy and versatile, I’ve made them several times. Thank you for your recipes!
Nice, glad you like it, thank you!
This is awesome. I have made so many meals from this… made brown gravy and added this to noodles, green beans and red peppers, added teriyaki sauce and paired it with rice and broccoli, added zataar and made gyros, added bar-b-que sauce and paired it with cole slaw on a bun. It is so good! Thanks for sharing this recipe
Excellent, so glad to hear it, that’s why I made this, super versatile!
This is my favorite recipe so far! I made it until I got sick of it and then did it all over again 4/5 times. It really does taste so much like beef, I have no cravings for the real thing. I’m so happy to have food that is filling, tasty, and versitile.
Nice, haha thank you, glad you dig it!
I can’t believe how good these are. I couldn’t stop eating them. I substituted Bull dog tonkatsu sauce instead of vegan Worcestershire, and added dried minced onion and garlic powder.
I’ve always thought soy curls were ok, but these are next level. Thank you for the delicious recipe. It will be a staple. Can’t wait to try the chick’n marinade.
Hi thank for the recipe, I will try it out!
One question, is the amount (8 oz or 3,6kg) of dry soy curls correct?🤔
Hi, it’s 8 oz, where are you seeing 3.6 kg? I don’t see that anywhere on the recipe, thanks!
Soy curls aren’t available in my country but I can get soya chunks/mini chunks. Not sure if you’ve ever tried them before but I thought I’d ask if you think using this method with them could work for getting a similar (or at least decent) result.
Thank you burger dude!
Hi, yes those should also work, let me know if you try it out!
I love this, especially for stroganoff and beef broccoli. I make it multiple times a week. QUESTION: can I blitz it in a food processor to make ground beef? I know you have tofu, tempeh and TVP versions but I always have this in my freezer and would love to get another use out of it.
Yes you can absolutely do this, glad you like it!!
Can you save any leftover soaking marinade, and maybe freeze it?
Hi I’m not sure I understand, do you mean when you are rehydrating the soy curls? If so I wouldn’t because the soy curls have a funky aftertaste that they leave behind in the soaking broth.
You Mentioned, “I find that reducing them down in broth will render them even more flavorful.”
What does “reducing them down in broth” mean?
Do you mean cooking them and Reducing the broth amount down by cooking/evaporation?
Yes
These were awesome! Quick & easy. So happy to find your website! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Nice! Glad you’re here, hope you enjoy the other recipes! Thanks!
How would you go about making pulled pork/bbq with soy curls? Would it be too much flavor to use this recipe and then a rub/sauce?
Haha no such thing as too much flavor! These work great with my BBQ Rub and BBQ Sauce, and you could top it with some coleslaw too!
Love this recipe, use it all the time.
Happy to hear this, thank you!