Author: 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
(click stars to vote)
The Best Vegan Seitan Burger
Servings: Burger patties
PRINT
PIN
COMMENT
Ingredients
- 1 large (7oz / 200g) raw beet, (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 or until its internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C) when tested with an instant-read thermometer. If the temperature goes higher, that's perfectly fine—you can't really oversteam seitan.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. Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 5 hours, but overnight in the fridge is best- this 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.* Learn my secret tricks to making perfect seitan in my free masterclass. Click here to learn more and register.
Notes
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕
More Seitan Recipes You Might Enjoy:
Deanna says
I'm trying to increase my protein intake, so I'm excited to see this recipe! I'm not a fan of lentils, so am wondering if I could use beans of some kind instead? Or is it best to stick with the lentils? Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
I find lentils result in the best texture for this recipe, but black beans might work ok too.
Peggy Does Cake says
I followed the recipe to a T. Burgers came out absolutely perfect on the first try. Sam, these are GOOD! They're fast and simple to make, too. This is a game changer for summer grilling! This is our go to burger from now on.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Hooray! Going to be a great summer of burgers!
Sara says
Hi Sam,
I posted a question before but I have a few others that may help those of us trying it for the first time.
1) Peanut Butter: salted or unsalted?
2) Beet root powder: 2 tsps enough?
3) The 200 gr of carrots sub for raw beet: how much is that in cups? And should the carrots be grated or cut in chunks? The weight changes based on how they are cut.
4) Is 4-5 hrs enough to chill them or is overnight in the fridge a non-negotiable?
Thanks so much!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Sara, it should be natural peanut butter (the only ingredients should be peanuts) so unsalted. However if you only have salted on hand it will still be fine. For the beet powder/carrots, I don't have measurements for this. I recommend using raw beet. Any substitutions for this I have not tested myself. Yes 4-5 hours should be enough. Enjoy!
Sara says
Hi for does it have to be overnight or 5-6 hrs enough?
Thanks!
Sara from NYC
Emily says
I posted a comment about a month and a half ago about how I wasn't able to get the texture right for these burgers.
I am here to update and say after three tries I FIGURED IT OUT! I ended up blending all the wet ingredients, and then mixed the dry in with my hand. I think the key (for me at least) was mixing the flour with the wet ingredients a LOT less than I thought I needed to — this time around I still had some flour left at the bottom of my bowl.
Anyway, they were a success! They are so tasty and I have genuinely been craving them every day since I nailed the recipe. Thanks Sam!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Yay! We're so happy you found the sweet spot for your desired texture, Emily!
Peggy says
Sam,
I can't currently find fresh beets where I live. can I use steamed beets?
Thanks for your help!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Steamed beets will work. The texture of the burgers might be a little mushier so you may have to adjust for that.
Emily says
Hi there! I found this recipe a couple of days ago and was really excited to make it. I read what others said about following instructions to a T and made sure to do so.
My first attempt at the recipe was yesterday, and I over-pulsed the wheat gluten and the burger dough was way too gummy. I ended up having to throw the patties out.
My second attempt was this morning, and I made sure to pulse the wheat gluten a lot less, to the point where the it wasn't totally incorporated into the dough. (crumbly like mentioned in the instructions) The dough was slightly gummy but definitely better than my first attempt. Then when I tried to steam the first three patties they seemed to become pretty gummy, similar to yesterday's attempt. Is that normal? Will it get better when I let it sit overnight and then pan fry to eat?
I'm super invested now in getting this recipe right that I would consider trying a third time if you think my second one will be a flop. Maybe I could eliminate the cuisinart gluten blending step and just mix with my hands.
Thanks for the help!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Emily, it sounds like you are doing everything correctly, I wouldn't have even thrown out your first batch. After steaming the burgers need to chill in the fridge overnight, and then you pan fry. You will see then how delicious the texture turns out to be. Enjoy!
Emily says
Amazing, thanks for getting back to me! I will test them out tomorrow and report back. 🙂
Pangaea says
I have made these several times now. They're wonderful! Here are a couple of my observations from making them about 4 times now. I sub out coconut aminos for the soy sauce, and I replace just a few tablespoons of the water with my favorite Sweet Baby Ray's original BBQ sauce for flavoring. We love BBQ sauce, so it just adds some
sweet smokiness. My husband says he likes these even better than the ones I used to buy from The Very Good Butchers (who unfortunately appear to have gone out of business). I do find that I like the finished texture a bit better when I make sure the beets are still in small bits, and not processed too smoothly. Also, one time, instead of hand-forming the patties, I rolled them with a rolling pin. I've decided I like the texture better by hand-forming. We like these so much that I make 4 batches in an afternoon, and then I freeze pairs of them separated by a little piece of wax paper, so we can pull out 2 for dinner really quickly. --- Sam, once again you have knocked it out of the park on your recipe!!! A few of your recipes have become staples I make over & over. You are amazing!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing your tips!
DJ says
Do you defrost then before cooking, or cook from frozen? Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
I would defrost them. Enjoy!
dilini says
Hi! Excited to try this — any non-soy alternatives (and amount) for the 1/4 cup of soy sauce?
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Coconut aminos should work in place of soy sauce.
Dilini says
1/4 cup still, yes?
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Yes same amount!
Emmy says
These are amazing! I’ve made this recipe twice and plan to make some to freeze this weekend. I’m not a beet fan but they don’t taste like beets so don’t let that scare you away.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Thanks for your review, Emmy!
Shirl says
I'm curious whether beet powder would work
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Yes! A few readers have told us they've had success with 1-2 tsp of beet powder.
Joe says
Outstanding texture and flavor. The taste beets and lentils combine to bring rich earthy flavor to the burgers.
First I made a half batch as a trial. Next I made a double batch so we can have a frozen reserve. Now I’m making another freezer batch because the frozen reserve plan lasted only two days.
These burgers are convenient to reheat. And the taste is so crave-inducing that they are becoming a daily summer staple.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Amazing, thanks Joe!
Alocasia says
Are the beets mainly for color? I don't usually have red beets, but I do have a bag of red beet powder. Is there any way the powder can be substituted for the fresh?
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Color and moisture, so you could try subbing in about 200g of other veggies (perhaps carrot or sweet potato) and a spoonful of beet powder should add some nice color!
Elaine Tsai says
I made your recipe exactly as written with no changes. It really is the best burger recipe I’ve had since I went vegan. It is not mushy and tastes really good. I’m not a fan of beets (only veggie I don’t like) and thought I would taste them but I didn’t. Two thumbs up! Thank you.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
What a wonderful review, Elaine!
Robert says
These burgers are awesome. I’ve searched for a vegan burger recipe for 6 years, and finally found one that I love. My wife, non-vegan, loved them also. Can’t wait to try the chicken, the steak, and the Italian sausage. Sam, thanks so much for sharing!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
We're so happy to hear it, Robert!
Marie says
Great! I added 2 1/2 tsp of Bill's Best Beaf Powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, and 1 Tbsp more water and used almond butter. The flavor was delicious. I am going to make them again using a mild Israeli tahini (it is not bitter as others I have tried) as I am now helping a family who are going vegan and their daughter cannot eat nuts at all.
Thank you Sam for all you do. Stay cheerful and happy.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
That's fantastic! Thanks for sharing your ideas!
Molly says
The flavor is really nice. I think I processed it too much, fearing not enough gluten development would leave them mushy (like most veg burgers). I missed the "crumbly dough" stage (didn't even see it go by) and found the mass of dough pushing the grated beet out. So, word to the wise, trust Sam! If the usual sad vegetable patties don't ring your burger bell, give these a whirl. Even my more seitanic 😉 results are worth eating, but I will be trying again this summer when the grills are hot!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Thank for sharing your seitanic experience!
Carrie Xie says
The title doesn’t lie! Literally the best and easiest recipe ever! VWG is usually difficult for me to work with because I either make it too tough/chewy or too mushy but this one turned out perfect!
Do you have any tips on how I can keep more “juices” /moisture within each patty?
Thanks for the great recipe!
Jari says
This was really quick and easy. But expensive as had to get a new, larger machine to mix the stuff with. BUT I got a shredder with the new machine. 10 sec to grate the beets, 5 mins to make the mis-en-place, 5 min to get the dough and patties ready.
The taste and feel is just 100%.
I recommend -as Sam does- you to make the recipe as is before trying any tweaks.
I am moving over to Sam's place as soon as she tells me the address! I really love these meatless meats. So does The Darling Wife, too.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Hahaha! Thanks for sharing your experience, Jari!
Otter says
Here to comment on time estimates! I clocked myself from the beginning, which included measuring everything and peeling the beets, and the prep before steaming took 30 minutes. I got the water boiling while measuring out the patties so that once they were ready I could steam. Had to go in two batches because of space so in total it took me 1.5 hours, though with a single steamy sesh (heheh) it would have been just an hour. In case anyone has a husband who’s waiting on them to “get the prep out of the way” and gets progressively grumpier with every minute beyond the announced ETA ;-P
All that aside, EXCELLENT recipe!!!!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Thanks for sharing your experience, that's wonderful! 🙂