Vegan Burger

4.94 from 88 votes

The best vegan burger loaded with flavor and suitable for the grill or stovetop. Hearty and satisfying with a delicious texture.

Prep Time30

Cook Time10

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 473kcal

Author: Alison Andrews

Ingredients

Vegan Burgers:

1 cup Walnuts (100g)
1 cup Chickpeas (164g) canned, drained well
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 Tablespoon Vegan Mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Hoisin Sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
⅛ teaspoon Liquid Smoke
1 cup Cooked Couscous (157g) Packed cup
½ cup Vital Wheat Gluten (75g)

Basting:

2 Tablespoons Vegan BBQ Sauce

Frying:

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Serving:

Hamburger Buns
Lettuce
Sliced Tomato
Sliced Pickles
Sliced Avocado
Sliced Red Onion
Vegan Thousand Island Dressing Optional

Instructions

Add the walnuts to the food processor and process until crumbly. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Add the chickpeas to the food processor with the soy sauce and tomato paste. Process until well mixed in. You might have to stop a couple of times to scrape down the sides and start it up again before it will start to mix properly. Transfer to the mixing bowl with the crushed walnuts.
Add the vegan mayonnaise, hoisin sauce, dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, ground black pepper, smoked paprika and liquid smoke to the mixing bowl .
Add in the cooked couscous and the vital wheat gluten and stir until slightly mixed. Then get in there with your hands and form it into a big ball and knead it about 20-30 times so that the wheat gluten can activate properly. You don't have to worry about the wheat gluten being over-kneaded and causing them to be too tough because there is not a lot of wheat gluten used, so over-kneading is not too much of a worry here.
Divide into four sections and then either form each section into a burger shape with your hands or pat it down into a round cutter to make a nice flat patty shape.
Add the olive oil to a frying pan and then add in the burgers, brushing vegan BBQ sauce onto the tops of the burgers. Fry for 5 minutes on medium high heat and then flip them and brush BBQ sauce onto the other side. For best results don't flip the burgers more than this, burgers hold up best when flipped as little as possible, so ensure the pan isn't so hot that they burn.
If you're cooking on the grill then make sure the grill is lightly oiled so the burgers won't stick. Brush the burgers with BBQ sauce and then grill on one side for 5 minutes and then the other for 5 minutes. The timing can be a little different on the grill so you can also just play it by ear. They're ready when they are nicely browned on both sides.
Serve on hamburger buns with lettuce, sliced tomato, pickles, avocado, red onion and vegan thousand island dressing.

Video

Notes

Couscous. The couscous should be packed into the cup very well, 157g is the standard cup measure for a cup of cooked couscous and this is for a very packed cup. So pack it into the cup, press it down with a spoon and then pack in some more. Or simply weigh it out on a food scale.
Olive oil. If you're frying the burgers in a pan then use 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. However, if you're doing them on the grill then just make sure the grill is lightly greased so it won't stick to your burgers.
Storing: Leftovers keep very well in the fridge and can be enjoyed over the next 3-4 days. You can reheat them in the frying pan or in the microwave.
Freezing: You can freeze them cooked or uncooked for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat, or just cook them directly from frozen.
Nutritional information is for burger patties only (including olive oil for frying and BBQ sauce for basting) and excludes hamburger buns and everything else that the burgers are served with.

Nutrition