5 Meatless Duck Substitutes, From Seitan to Jackfruit

Often, vegan meat is treated as a new invention. But while it’s true that bleeding vegan burgers and chicken-free nuggets only started to hit the shelves in the last few decades, plant-based meat has actually been around for much longer. 

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In China, for example, mock meats were first eaten centuries ago by Buddhist monks. Duck was one of the most common mock meats—it was, and still is today, made with wheat gluten and given dimpled skin to resemble the real thing. 

You can find cans of mock duck in many Asian supermarkets, but you can also make it from scratch using wheat gluten (of course), as well as plant-based ingredients like jackfruit, rice paper, and mushrooms. Intrigued? Keep reading to find some of our favorite vegan recipes, from crispy duck pancakes to roast duck legs. 

Does mock duck taste like real duck?

Duck is a popular meat all over the world. Research suggests that in 2022, the global duck meat market reached $1.9 billion, and by 2030, it could hit $2.3 billion. But there are many alternatives to eating real duck meat, and they taste just as good (if not better).

Vegan Gwailo

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Traditional wheat gluten mock duck is still eaten widely across China, and it’s designed to have a chewy, meaty texture similar to duck. It absorbs savory and umami flavors well, and when cooked, it can be crispy and tender just like real duck meat.

Many brands in the West make vegan duck, too. Linda McCartney Foods, for example, makes its vegan Shredded Hoisin Duck with soya and wheat protein, while Vbites sticks to traditional wheat gluten. You can also buy vegan smoked duck from Lily’s Vegan Pantry, a New York-based Asian grocery store that delivers across the US. 

5 vegan duck recipes to try

If you’re in the mood to get creative in the kitchen, you can also make vegan duck with many plant-based staple ingredients. Below, we’ve listed five recipes from different talented recipe developers who will show you exactly what you need to do to make delicious vegan duck from scratch.

Lazy Cat Kitchen

1 Vegan Jackfruit Duck Pancakes

In this recipe from Lazy Cat Kitchen, recipe developer Ania Marcinowska will show you how to take cans of young green jackfruit with ingredients like tamari, hoisin, and Chinese five spice to make crispy vegan duck pancakes that taste just like the ones you would order from your local Chinese restaurant. “Once again, jackfruit has delivered,” writes Marcinowska. “First its meaty flesh gets marinated in aromatics, spices, and hoisin sauce and then it is baked in a hot oven to give it a bit of added crispiness around the edges. I recommend marinating it a day in advance as it is one of these dishes that develops more flavor with time.”
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The Woks of Life

2 Chinese Vegetarian Duck

Just like many traditional Chinese recipes, this recipe from The Woks of Life opts for bean curd skin to make a tender, juicy duck centerpiece. For extra umami goodness, recipe creator Judy Leung combines it with shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and carrots. “When sliced, you could almost swear it looks like slices of Chinese roast duck,” she says. Get the recipe

Zucker & Jagdwurst

3 Vegan Duck Legs

Duck is eaten all over the world, and it’s particularly popular in Europe, where it’s sometimes served over the holidays or during the colder winter months. In this vegan recipe, seitan and jackfruit are combined to make a super meaty duck “leg” that’s served with hearty winter warmers like red cabbage and dumplings. “This recipe is perfect for anyone who wants to impress,” writes recipe creator Isabel Friedrich. “It looks much more complicated and elaborate than it is.”
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Bosh!

4 Vegan mushroom duck pancakes

While Lazy Cat Kitchen opted for jackfruit to make tasty crispy duck pancakes, in this version of the Chinese takeout classic, Bosh! looks to king oyster mushrooms. They’re just as meaty and tender, and soak up the Chinese five spice and hoisin sauce beautifully. “We’ve been perfecting this plant-based version for a while now, and it’s a total game-changer,” note the recipe developers.
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Zucker & Jagdwurst

5 Plant-Based Duck With Orange Sauce

In this recipe from Zucker & Jagdwurst, recipe developer Julia Zucker uses seitan and rice paper to make a tender, vegan duck with a crispy skin. She combines it with a zesty and vibrant orange sauce, which is inspired by the traditional French dish duck à l’orange (duck with orange). Zucker describes the vegan duck as “a special but not at all complicated dish.”
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