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Easy, meaty Lentil Burgers made with brown lentils, caramelized onions, and simple spices. Packed with more protein and fiber than a beef burger, they’re a healthy, water-saving win for your taste buds and the planet! Vegan and Nut-Free; Gluten-Free and Soy-Free options.
With beef and AI taking a toll on our water supply, making these high-protein, fiber-rich Vegan Lentil Burgers is one of the easiest ways to save gallons of water while eating something incredible. Featuring a savory caramelized onion “jam,” cooked brown or green lentils, and vital wheat gluten (or chickpea flour), each oven-baked lentil patty packs a punch of savory umami flavor.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
I love a good summer burger, but I could easily eat these Lentil Burgers year-round. They’re super savory and feel as meaty and hearty as a beef burger while using a fraction of the water. The secret is a quick caramelized onion “jam” and blooming spices in oil. The result? A delicious umami bomb of a burger with no mushy middles or bland veggies!
- Serious Flavor: A quick caramelized onion “jam”—spiced and bloomed in oil—brings deep, savory, mouthwatering flavor.
- Just Pantry Staples: Made without walnuts, cashews, seeds, or breadcrumbs, with easy options to make them soy-free and gluten-free.
- Lentil Burgers > Beef Burgers: A double-stacked lentil burger has 1g more protein, 13g less fat, 14g more fiber, and 88 fewer calories than a beef burger.
Water Savings: Lentils vs. Beef
Aside from how good they taste, one of my favorite things about these burgers is how much water they save. According to research from The University of Guelph, it takes over 1,800 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef, compared with just 43 gallons for pulses like lentils, beans, and peas. Swapping out beef for lentils is one of the easiest (and most delicious) ways to make a dent in your carbon footprint. 💧
What You Need for Lentil Burgers
Pre-cooked brown or green lentils and vital wheat gluten make up the base of these meaty vegan burgers. But all that mouthwatering umami flavor? It comes from caramelized onions and a handful of pantry staple ingredients, like soy sauce, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and simple spices.
How to Make The Best Lentil Burgers
- Add the onions to an oiled pan and sauté until they caramelize around the edges.
- Mix the tomato paste, garlic, paprika, and black pepper with the onions and sauté until fragrant.
- Transfer the onion mixture to a food processor and add the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Process until a thick jam forms, then add the lentils and vital wheat gluten. Process again until thick.
- Add heaping scoops of the burger mixture onto a prepared baking sheet. Use slightly damp hands to shape them into burger patties. Spray the tops with cooking oil.
- Bake the lentil burgers until puffy and lightly crisp around the edges. Flip the burgers and use a spatula to gently flatten the tops. Set them aside to rest.
- Serve the lentil burgers on hamburger buns with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Obviously, the best way to serve the baked lentil patties is double-stacked on a burger bun with all the fixin’s. Let me get mine with tomato, lettuce, onion, vegan cheese, and ketchup. Fries on the side are a given.
The ridiculous amount of protein and fiber in every patty makes these burgers filling enough to serve on their own for dinners and lunches. But if we’re going for cookout vibes, make sure there’s a bowl of this Black Bean Couscous Salad and a platter of these Crispy Ranch Potatoes on the side.
If you’re looking for more veggie burger recipes, you’ll also love these Vegan Beet Burgers, these Mushroom Veggie Burgers, and these Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers!
Or, if you’re ready to add more water-saving lentils to your diet, you should try these High-Protein Lentil Wraps, this Classic Lentil Soup, and this Crispy Lentil Salad with Roasted Veggies and Tahini Dressing.
How to Make Ahead and Store Lentil Burgers
The cooked and cooled leftover lentil burgers keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer. Store them in an airtight container, separated with small squares of parchment paper to prevent sticking, or wrap them individually in plastic to keep them fresh.
You can also prepare and shape the patties 2 to 3 days ahead of cooking. Store the patties in a single layer in an airtight container or cover them with plastic wrap on the baking sheet and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.
To reheat, place the burgers in a lightly oiled skillet and warm them over medium heat until they’re hot and slightly crispy on the outside again.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-Free & Soy-Free Option: Replace the soy sauce with gluten-free soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos, and the vital wheat gluten with 1 cup of chickpea flour.
- Flour Substitution: Use 1 cup of all-purpose flour if you don’t have vital wheat gluten or chickpea flour. Just keep in mind that the extra flour will make the patties thicker.
A note on using chickpea flour: Chickpea flour is a great gluten-free swap for the vital wheat gluten, but it doesn’t absorb liquid quite the same. You need to use more of it, and the burger “dough” will feel slightly wet, sticky, and thick. Just lightly oil your hands to make shaping the patties easy and mess-free.
Recipe FAQs
Brown, green, or black lentils are the best because they’re the meatiest. Red lentils would most likely be too soft and would make the burgers mushy.
There is approximately 13g of protein per patty. With chickpea flour, the protein drops to approximately 10.5g per patty.
This should be fine as long as you fry the burgers in a light layer of olive oil and leave space between each patty in the pan (cook them in batches if needed).
Yes, but I’d recommend frying the onions and processing the burger “dough” in two separate batches to prevent overcrowding.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Incredible Lentil Burgers | Easy High-Protein & Fiber Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked brown or green lentils about 1 cup dry
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion ends trimmed, cut in half, and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika or sub sweet paprika for no smoky flavor
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten see notes for gluten-free
- Cooking spray or additional oil for cooking the burgers
- Burger toppings as desired
Instructions
- Prep: Cook the lentils if you haven’t already, or drain your canned lentils and pat dry. Preheat the oven to 400F, with one rack in the upper third position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside.
- Caramelize the Onion: Warm a large flat bottomed pan (preferably stainless steel or cast iron) over medium heat and add the oil. Once the oil is shimmering add the onion and give it a good mix so every piece is coated in oil. Sauté for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring every minute or so, until the onion is yellow with some caramelized edges and ends.
- Bloom the Aromatics: Add the tomato paste, garlic, paprika, and black pepper to taste. Mix well and saute for another 60 to 90 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant and the spices just begin to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Make the Burger Mix: Transfer the onion mix to a food processor with an S-blade attachment, then add the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Process for about 20 to 30 seconds, until a thick jam forms. Add the lentils and vital wheat gluten, and process again until a thick and uniform “dough” forms, scraping the sides of the food processor with a spatula as necessary.
- Form the Patties: Spray the baking sheet with cooking spray or brush generously with oil. Use a large cookie scoop or heaping 1/3 cup to form 8 even patties; plop each patty “ball” directly onto the baking sheet, then use slightly damp hands to press each ball into a flat burger shape. (Note: if serving with buns, I try to make the burgers the same size as the buns as they will not spread during baking). Spray the tops of the burger patties with cooking spray or brush with oil.
- Bake: Bake on the upper rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the burgers look a little puffy with lightly browned edges. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately use a spatula to flip the patties over, pressing down on them slightly to flatten the top side. Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve & Store: Serve the lentil burgers warm, with desired burger toppings. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Recipe Notes
- Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free soy sauce or tamari, and replace the vital wheat gluten with 1 cup (140g) chickpea flour. The chickpea flour absorbs less moisture, so we need a little more of it! The dough will also be more wet and sticky, so I suggest using oiled hands to shape the burger patties, which will also be a little thicker at ~½ cup each due to the extra flour. Each gluten-free patty has approximately 185 cal, 10.5g protein, 5g fat, and 8g fiber.
- If doubling the recipe, I recommend frying the onions in two separate batches so they do not overcrowd the pan. You may also need to make the burger “dough” in two separate batches depending on the size of your food processor.
Nutrition
