It's finally here: the best vegan seitan burger ever!!!!!!!!!! To say I'm excited is an understatement. This girl, loves a good veggie burger, and when I say good I mean it. In my opinion a good veggie burger has certain requirements. It need to have a nice bite and chew (no mushiness!), it needs to be juicy and packed full of flavour, and it has to be strong enough to hold up on the grill. These vegan seitan burger patties are all that and more!
To make this recipe, I decided to combine my very popular beet burger recipe with my seitan steak recipe to make the most perfect homemade vegan burger there is. And it worked!
The secret to making these burgers the best ever is the combo of ingredients.
The beets in this recipe add a deep earthiness that really makes these burgers taste authentic. Now if you aren't a beet fan, don't be scared, my Adam is a beet hater but is obsessed with these burgers! Lentils add heartiness, soy sauce adds salt and umami, peanut butter (trust me on this) adds just a bit of richness and good fat, liquid smoke enhances the meaty taste, and the vital wheat gluten is the key that gives these vegan burger patties the meatiest texture.
As with all of my setian recipes, these vegan seitan burgers require a few steps to make, but each step is super easy to follow. These burgers need to be prepared at least one day in advance, so this is the perfect recipe to meal prep and have ready to go for later. They will keep fresh when covered in the fridge for up to 5 days, or they freeze beautifully as well. So whip these up when you have time and then when burger time comes, just fry them up or grill them!
To Make The Best Vegan Seitan Burgers:
Add all of the ingredients except for the vital wheat gluten to a food processor. Pulse, stopping to scrape the sides until everything is mixed together into a mush.
Add the vital wheat gluten and pulse, stopping to scrape the sides as needed until combined into a crumbly dough.
Divide the dough into six and use your hands to form six burger patties. You could alternatively make mini patties for sliders!
Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the burger patties to the steamer basket, cover and steam for 25 minutes.
How to Shape Seitan Burgers:
The seitan burgers patties can become funny shapes if they are piled on top of each other so steam the patties in a single layer without overlapping, working in batches if needed. Or you could use layered bamboo steamer baskets if you have them.
Once steamed, the burgers will look kind of funny at this stage, but don't worry! Allow the burgers to cool completely, then cover and chill in the fridge overnight before serving. Chilling overnight ensures the best burger texture.
How to Serve Seitan Burgers:
Steaming the seitan is what gives it the perfect texture. Once the patties are steamed and chilled overnight, you can basically treat them as if they were raw burger patties. Pan-fry them or grill them for a couple minutes per side until browned and heated through.
Place the seitan burger patties on a burger bun and top with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle or whatever your favourite vegan burger toppings are. And then... prepare to bite into the BEST vegan seitan burger ever!!
Common Questions:
Can you freeze seitan burgers?
Yes, these freeze beautifully. For best results, freeze after steaming (prior to cooking). If kept wrapped tight or in an airtight container, they should last 2-3 months. To defrost, take them out of the freezer and let them defrost either in the fridge or on the counter. Once defrosted, grill or fry and enjoy!
Can these be made gluten-free?
As seitan is essentially gluten, the answer is no.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull
The Best Vegan Seitan Burger
Ingredients
- 1 large raw beet (200g) (about 1 cup), peeled and cut into chunks
- ½ cup cooked lentils (I used canned brown lentils)
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter (sub any other nut or seed butter)
- 1 ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups vital wheat gluten
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients except for the vital wheat gluten to a food processor. Pulse, stopping to scrape the sides until everything is mixed together into a mush. Add the vital wheat gluten and pulse, stopping to scrape the sides as needed until combined into a crumbly dough.
- Divide the dough into six and use your hands to form six burger patties. You could alternatively make mini patties for sliders!
- Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the burger patties to the steamer basket, cover and steam for 25 minutes.For the best shape: the burgers can become funny shapes if they are piled on top of each other so steam the patties in a single layer without overlapping, working in batches if needed, or you could use layered bamboo steamer baskets if you have them. Once steamed, the burgers will look kind of funny at this stage, but don't worry! Allow the burgers to cool completely, then cover and chill in the fridge overnight before serving. Chilling overnight ensures the best burger texture. They will keep fresh when covered in the fridge for up to 5 days, or they freeze for up to 3 months.
- To serve: steaming the seitan is what gives it the perfect texture. Once the patties are steamed and chilled overnight, you can basically treat them as if they were raw burger patties. Pan-fry them or grill them for a couple minutes per side until browned and heated through. Place on a bun and top with your favourite vegan burger toppings.
Mary says
Hi Sam
Do you think I could swap TVP the lentils???
I live in Quebec (Canada) and there is a vegan restaurant that makes amazing vegan patty by mixing wheat gluten and TVP. I’ve been trying to hack their recipe with poor results lolll.
Thanks for all your amazing recipes.
Sam Turnbull says
I haven't recipe-tested it but it might work. I always recommend trying my seitan recipes as written first so you get the intended result, then if you make changes you know how it affects the recipe.
Meta Passannante says
I make all the seitan recipes. Use one of the copper colored sheets that are used as liners on baking sheets, on my counter when I dust and roll out the vital wheat gluten. Cleans beautifully.
Deb Z says
Hi Sam!
I use instant pot for making seitan for almost all of it. Especially when it's hot out. Makes great texture and is easier than using steam with constant energy of your cooktop being used. More efficient. Try it!
Sam Turnbull says
Thanks for the tip!
Carolyn says
I made these on Memorial Day weekend and they came out great! Just made them again for Father's Day and they were rubbery 🙁 What causes that to happen with seitan? I think I did everything the same, except pan-fried the first time and grilled the second.
Roger says
Made these several time, there must be something good about them! I have tinkered by adding smoked paprika to get a greater presence of smokiness. My go to vegan burger at this time. They are versatile as I often slice them thinly to make sandwiches.
Helene says
Thanks for this awesome recipe, Sam. These burgers have become my standard lunch - while I'm on a calory budget to loose weight! Any day, I look forward to my burger lunch (with a 100 cal wholegrain flat bun, a leaf of chinese/napa cabbage, and a spoonful of chipotle tartar sauce). It even works in the office, as I simply microwave the burger pattie and toast the bun (if I can get that office toaster to work).
These seitan burgers don't turn out exactly the same every time for me. I've noticed that it is key that the beet is very finely chopped. I first chop the beets, then add the lentils and chop again, then add the liquids and chop again. You want a pretty smooth paste, no big bits. Also, those times that I added 5 shiitake mushrooms (soaked in hot water, stems removed with scissors, then chopped with the lentils), the burgers turned out just perfect. The shiitake reduced the beet taste, and while I don't understand why, my impression is that they affected the texture of the dough, too.
After mixing in the vital wheat gluten flour, and a little bit of kneading, I shape the dough into a log and let it rest. Then I cut slices for the burgers, which need only little more shaping. I find this makes the shaping much easier and results in tender burgers.
Melanie Davis says
Awesome tips! Thank you!
Carl says
I have not made this recipe yet, although I'm fairly desperate to find a good seitan burger recipe. The only thing holding me back is the saturated fat found in the peanut butter (or other nut/seed butter). I'm hoping this ingredient isn't critical. I've tried other recipes, and, frankly, they fall a bit flat, AKA chewy. Do you have any substitution ideas?
Bianca says
1 tbsp of peanut butter has 1.6 g of saturated fat. This recipe yields 6 burgers, so 0.27g per burger.
To each their own, but it seems like very very very little to me.
P.s.: Just read a medical article about that where they mention 16 to 22g of saturated fats a day as being a safe/healthy amount (unless you have heart disease or high cholesterol, then it may be less).
Carl says
Well, you're right, Bianca, and thank you for the reply. I do actually have heart disease (atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease), and it is possible to arrest/reverse it, but only if I'm super religious about saturated fats; no nuts, no dairy, no meat, no salt, no sugar, little to no alcohol, no oil, etc, etc. Re-ligious. That's why I was asking.
The next problem I face is finding a bun that isn't made with oil.
Wes says
Maybe try substituting mashed white beans or more lentils for the peanut butter. Sunflower seed butter has only 0.7 gms of saturated fat per tablespoon if that is a more acceptable amount.
Wes says
Ok, I think I tried to post here, but maybe it has to be approved before it actually posts, so sorry if it duplicates. I think you could sub mashed white beans or more lentils for the nut butter, but it is a small amount, so you might be able to omit it with only a small change in texture and flavor.
Carl says
Thanks for all the suggestions! I will try subbing or omitting and see how it goes. If it goes gloriously well, I'll report back!
Deb Z says
Try one TBSPN of tahini, which works great with seitan. Is that saturated?
Carl says
Tahini does contain saturated fat, slightly more than peanut butter. I think of it this way on my more pessimistic days: if it tastes good, it's probably not good for me. 🙂 I have to read labels too. The federal regulations regarding listing saturated fat amounts state that if the saturated fat content is below 0.5 grams, you can go ahead and state that saturated fat = 0.
Most of my adult life, I've been vegetarian or pescatarian. Now I have heart disease. Genetics are a factor, but there are a lot of ways your diet can hurt you, and that includes vegan diets.
That's why I appreciate this site. Just think back not that many years ago, you could NOT find a recipe like this, or for many of the other things you find here. I tweak things to make recipes more heart-friendly, and it turns out pretty well most often.
Catherine says
Hi, I have canned beets, would that work?
Kathy says
These burgers look sooo good, but I don’t have beets. Can you suggest a substitute?
Matt says
Not sure what went wrong but when wheat gluten added it didn't go crumbly but instead all clumped together in a big ball of dough?? The beet kept falling out of the dough everywhere. I used the metric measurements if that makes any difference. Any tips for next time?
Am planning on having tomorrow so will see how they are 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
I hope they turned out for you! I use cups and spoons when measuring. And it's totally ok if the dough comes together in a ball and beet bits fall out, just form patties and you should be good to go 🙂
Riki says
Does that mean I can add the wheat gluten and the blended ingredients in a bowl? I’m terrified about having to clean the blender if I put wheat gluten in there.
Sara says
Hi Sam, was wondering it would be ok to substitute the beets with beet powder? If yes, how much? Thanks so much!
Von says
I do have a little tip for you about cleaning up vital wheat gluten. Always use cold water. It won’t be as sticky and will wash out of cloths too
I will be trying these burgers as soon as in get some beets
Sam Turnbull says
Great tip!
Lisa says
These have been a huge hit with my family, vegans and non vegans alike. I am thinking of forming the patties into a Wellington shape to add to a vegan Mushroom Wellington recipe that includes carmelized onions, spinach and mushrooms. Do you think the bake in puff pastry will suffice after the steam, or should I pan cook it first?
Karen says
Made these today. Awesome. Next time I am going to add some Montreal steak spice. Easy and grilled amazing.