The Best Vegan Lentil Burgers

These Vegan Lentil Burgers are the absolute best! They’re so satisfying and nutritious thanks to the cooked lentils, brown rice, sweet potato, and onion. Serve with your favorite burger toppings and a side of home fries for a burger night to remember. 

If you love my original Vegan Burger recipe, you’re going to love these lentil burgers! Not only are lentils an amazing nutrition powerhouse, but they’re also high in protein, and have the perfect hearty chew for homemade veggie burgers. With many years of homemade veggie burger experimentation behind me, I can assure you that this recipe is indeed foolproof. 

So if you’re tired of mushy veggie burgers that fall apart, dry ones that taste like cardboard, or expensive store-bought ones with too many ingredients, you have to try these lentil burgers. I’ll admit you do need a food processor, but not much else!

Once you learn how easy it is to make the Best Vegan Lentil Burgers, make sure to check out these 9 Mouthwatering Vegan Burger Recipes!

Why these are the Best Lentil Burgers

• It’s a foolproof recipe. If you’ve made a homemade burger mixture in the past that fell apart, don’t worry! These patties are made with wholesome ingredients that help bind everything together into a hearty, chewy texture. 
• Has a great texture and consistency. The combination of lentils and brown rice makes the best lentil burgers that are just as satisfying. Perfect for hosting non-vegans! 
• Perfect recipe for using up leftovers. This recipe is best when made with leftover rice and lentils that have been refrigerated overnight and had time to slightly dry out and lose their moisture. If you have leftover lentils from making this Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, this is the perfect recipe to use them up!
• It’s vegan and gluten-free. Many vegan burgers are made with wheat-based ingredients to help bind the patties together, but this recipe is 100% gluten-free and vegan as is. If you have a wheat allergy, this recipe is great for you!

The Ingredients

• Lentils: Use brown lentils, green lentils, or black lentils. Note that the measurement for this recipe is for cooked lentils. If you are cooking lentils from dry, cook ¾ cup of dry lentils. 
• Aromatics: These burgers are made with a chopped onion and minced garlic. Any onion of choice will work. 
• Sweet potato: Any sweet potato of choice will work. Make sure it is fully cooked before you add it to the homemade veggie burgers. To learn how to cook sweet potato, check out these posts: How to Microwave Sweet Potatoes and Vegan Mashed Sweet Potatoes.
• Walnuts: Raw walnuts without any seasonings will add the best neutral, ‘buttery’ flavor. Avoid using roasted walnuts. 
• Brown rice: Cooked brown rice helps bind the cooked burgers together and adds heartiness. Just like the lentils, note that the measurement for this recipe is after the rice is cooked. If you are cooking the rice from dry, you’ll need approximately ¼ cup of dry brown rice. 
• Ketchup: Adds subtle sweetness and depth of flavor. If you don’t have ketchup, use tomato paste. 
• Mustard: Use either yellow mustard (for a more mild flavor) or dijon mustard (for a spicier, more complex flavor). 
• Flax: Ground flaxseed meal helps to bind the veggie patties together and absorbs excess moisture. Make sure to use ground flaxseed meal, not whole flaxseeds. 
• Cornmeal: Also helps bind the patties together and absorbs excess moisture. If you don’t have cornmeal, try polenta. 

Toppings

The best veggie burgers are loaded up with toppings! We love these vegan burgers on vegan burger buns with the classic tomato, lettuce, pickles and a creamy vegan garlic aioli, but here are a few more topping ideas to inspire you: 

• Lettuce and leafy greens
• Raw red onions
• Cucumber slices
• Roasted red peppers
• Caramelized onions
• Tomato slices
• Avocado slices
• ​Roasted mushrooms
• Guacamole
• Vegan Coleslaw
• Classic hummus

How to Make Vegan Lentil Burgers

• 1) Before starting, it is best to pre-cook your rice and lentils and let them cool. I like to do this a day or two in advance (the drier the lentils and rice, the better!). 
• 2) Into a large-cup food processor, add the onion, garlic, sweet potato, and walnuts. Process together until finely chopped until a uniform consistency. Add in the cooked rice and lentils and process until combined, scraping down the sides as needed. 

• 3) Transfer the mixture to a large bowl along with the ketchup, mustard, flaxseed meal, salt, cayenne, and optional black pepper. Stir to well to combine. 

• 4) Add cornmeal to the bowl until the mixture is thick and you can easily form the lentil burgers into patties with your hands. The mixture should be thick and not stick to your hands. 

• 5) Form the lentil mixture into small, palm-sized burgers. You can make the burgers larger, but the smaller ones bake up better and have less of a risk of breaking apart. 
• 6) Place the formed patties on a baking sheet, evenly spaced apart. Bake for 15-20 minutes, then flip, and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. When the burgers are ready, the burgers should be easily browned and have a nice crispy coating on the outside. 

• 7) Serve the vegan burgers on your favorite burger buns with your favorite toppings. Enjoy! 

Recipe FAQs

Top Recipe Tips 

• Make sure to use the right lentils. These lentil burgers are specifically formulated using brown, green, or black lentils. If you only have red split lentils, make these Easy Red Lentil Patties instead. 
• Cook the lentils and rice well in advance. This is a great meal prep recipe and is best made with refrigerated lentils and rice. If you have to cook the lentils and rice fresh, make sure to leave enough time to cool and cool ​completely before starting. If the lentils and rice are warm, the plant-based burgers will be mushy. 
• Double the recipe for meal prep. This recipe as written makes about 6 slider-sized lentil burger patties, but this vegan lentil burger recipe can be doubled and frozen for an easy dinner in the future. 

Serving Suggestions 

This healthy burger recipe makes the perfect main dish and pairs well with several sides. Here are a few of our favorites homemade fries to serve with veggie burgers: 

• Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries
• Oven Baked Sesame Fries
• Baked Zucchini Fries
• Crispy Green Bean Fries

Storage Instructions

Allow leftover patties to cool completely on a wire rack, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. If you prefer to keep the patties for longer, freeze them for up to 3 months. To help prevent sticking, freeze with a piece of parchment paper between each patty, or flash freeze the patties before storing together in a freezer bag. 

​Reheat leftover patties in the microwave, air fryer, or in a large skillet on the stovetop until warmed through. 

More Easy Lentil Recipes 

• Vegan Lentil Bolognese
• Lentil Tacos
• Vegan Lentil Meatballs
• Easy Mushroom Red Lentil Meatballs
• Lentil Tabbouleh
• Kichari Lentil Patties

Photos by Alfonso Revilla.