These vegan lentil burgers are the perfect cookout main course! Flavorful, easy to make, and easily Top 9 Allergen Free. Can be baked for an oil free option too.
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Here’s the thing about lentil burgers—
The texture has to be just right or it all falls apart (literally and figuratively).
And after testing dozens of batches, I can confidently say: these work. The consistency is spot on—no crumbly mess, no mushy center. Just hearty, flavorful burgers that hold together from skillet to bun.
As a long-time vegan and food allergy-aware parents, I also made sure these lentil burgers are easy to make (hello, food processor!) and free from the Top 9 allergens. That means no soy, no nuts, no gluten, no stress—just simple, wholesome ingredients that work for a wide range of eaters.
They’re perfect for meal prep, freezer-friendly, and totally satisfying for everyone at the table—even the non-vegans.
Want more vegan burger recipes? Check out our vegan black bean burgers or vegan chickpea burgers!
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Lentil Burger Ingredients
Gather your ingredients!
Red Lentils
These are great for not only added protein but also because they had the perfect texture when cooking.
Substitute: We don’t recommend trying other types of lentils for this recipe at this time.
Vegetables
We’re adding onions, carrots, garlic, and cilantro to this recipe (as well as tomato paste). The ingredients add nutrients, but also help with flavor, binding, and color.
Substitute: You can swap the cilantro for parsley.
Spices
We’re using salt and pepper, as well as smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Substitute: The spices in this recipe are versatile. Swap in or out your favs or do a lend like bbq or italian to have something different every time.
Oil
This is totally optional and only needed if you plan to fry your burgers. You want a high heat oil. Otherwise, if you plan to bake, you can omit.
What are some topping ideas for vegan lentil burgers?
In the picture, the burgers are topped with a vegan tzatziki sauce, along with pickled red onions and cucumber slices.
Other topping ideas are:
- fried onions
- tomatoes
- vegan mayo
- homemade vegan BBQ sauce
- lettuce (or use spinach/arugula/spring mix)
- Guacamole (or just slice or mashed avocado)
- Vegan Cheese
- Vegan Bacon
- Roasted Red Peppers
- Onions
- Pickles
- and so much more!
OTHER MUST TRY VEGAN BURGERS:
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Lentil Burger Recipe (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups dried split red lentils*
- 1 small yellow onion, diced (½ cup)
- 1 small carrot, grated (⅓ cup)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped (can sub with parsley)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Neutral flavored cooking oil for pan frying, optional
Instructions
- Place dried lentils in a large bowl and pour enough water that they are covered by 2-3 inches as they will swell. Let soak for 2 hours, then drain and rinse them.When done if baking: Pre-heat the oven to 375°F (220˚C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Into a food processor add the drained lentils, onions, carrot, cilantro, garlic, tomato paste, and all the spices. Pulse until ingredients are a good moldable mixture, but still have some texture, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Evenly divide the mixture into the size desired (I used a scale for accuracy and did 6 patties). Shape each amount into a round patty shape.
- Option 1 Pan-Fry: In a large skillet, heat 1-2 inches of oil. Cook the patties for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy. Do not overcrowd.
- Option 2 Bake: Place patties on your parchment lined baking dish and place in the oven for 16-20 minutes, flipping halfway through to rotate.
- Add whatever toppings you prefer to your burgers and enjoy!
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is written to be Top 9 allergen free. If you are putting on buns, you do need to make sure that the buns are gluten free and vegan.
We’re using a Hamilton Beach 12 cup food processor. Any quality food processor should be able to handle making these burgers. If you are questionable about your particular brand, we recommended chopping up the onions and green peppers before putting in your food processor.
Once cooled, these are good in the fridge for up to 5 days as long as you store them in an air tight container.
Absolutely! Let cool completely then place on a parchment lined tray in the freezer for 30 minutes. Cut out parchment squares to stack with a layer of paper between them. Place in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 6 months.
This recipe was originally published on 7/3/2019 and updated on 6/7/2025. The recipe was completely redone for easier instructions, ingredients and clarification. If you preferred the older recipe, please e-mail us at [email protected] for help.
This looks great! I’d love to make them, but I don’t have a food processor, just a high powered blender. can I pulse the ingredients in the blender?
It won’t necessarily work in a blender because there’s not enough liquid. You could possibly pulse the lentils in the blender and then I’d recommend mashing with a potato masher really, really well.
This is by far the best texture I’ve ever obtained when making a vegan burger! The flavors are spot on! Kudos to the creator of this recipe! Many thanks!!!!
Thanks so much!
The recipe says it is for 4 servings. But the nutritional estimates and discussion say 6 burgers? Can you please clarify.
Btw- love you recipes! Can’t wait to make these today!!
Sorry for the confusion. This was an updated recipe and we must have missed that part. We make 6 patties with this recipe. Thanks for catching, we’ve udpated!
Hi.
I can’t wait to make these!
I want to make them tomorrow, but I have zucchini in hand and no carrots and red onions instead of white onions.
Will I need to modify it drastically?
Make sure to squeeze as much water out of the zucchini as you can. Red onions are fine. Enjoy!
Simple and easy, as well as tasty. The burger kind of reminds me of falafel when I shallow fried them. I love that the flavor is fairly neutral, so you can use them with lots of different tops and sauces. Will definitely make these again!
Totally agree, glad you enjoyed
These were very easy to make. I baked them in the oven and then I air fried them at 400 degrees for 4 minutes. I brushed a bit of oil on each side of the burger. Not sure once they are cold, how long I will have to cook them in the air fryer. I wish I could add a photo. Do I just reheat them from the freezer or do I let them defrost first?
You can do either. It will take a few more minutes from frozen.
I am wanting to make these tonight. However, I was hoping to use the pre-cooked lentils I have from Trader Joe’s. I really didn’t plan ahead that well. I know the recipe calls for red lentils but in a pinch can the TJs lentils be used? These sound amazing!!
They will definitely have a different texture, they need to be drained and rinsed and dried really well. You may also need 2-4 tbsp of breadcrumbs (this would add gluten into the recipe) to hold together depending on how dry you can get them.
I followed the instructions but the mix was watery. I couldn’t shape a burger.
I’m sorry you had this experience. We’ve updated this recipe for better results. I hope you’ll try again
I just made these for the first time. I was suffering from some serious Mom brain and prepared way too many lentils (on top of making double batch). I had to add some oat flour to firm up the mix a bit in addition to additional spices. They still came out great and I’ve enough to last a while.
So glad you make it work!
Excellent recipe! I used them as part of my meal prep. I switched it up a bit and added chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. Then, I baked them. I also paired the burgers with a chipotle sauce made with vegan yogurt. It was ahhhmazing! I had to walk away so that I could have the remaining ones where planned throughout the week. Thank you both for sharing!
HAHHA, love that for you! So happy you’re enjoying, the adobo in it and the sauce sounds great