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.
I made these recently and they are great . I actually have use as my protein with a vegetable and starch. They are also good on a sandwich. I will be making on repeat.
Yay! Love that
MAKE THESE AND MAKE ENOUGH TO FREEZE!! These are now my favorite little protein part of the Buddha Bowls I make for my clients. I make minis/fritters and tuck 3 in each bowl with roasted veggies and quinoa with raw greens and a chipotle aioli I make. I want that NOW!! Seriously. A really great burger guaranteed!!!
OMG thank you so much! Absolutely love your idea to include these with your buddha bowls. Thanks for the recipe a try!
Do you think this would work with split red lentils (that’s what I have in the pantry at the moment)? I am wondering if measuring would be an issue, since 1.5 cups of splits might be more by weight than whole lentils? Also, maybe less time to soak? I use other lentils quite often, but I have very little experience with red lentils. I can experiment, of course, but thought I would ask in case you already tried this and it didn’t work as well. Thank you – I’m looking forward to trying these!
Hi – yes, we’re going to update to clarify this recipe!
These burgers were flavorful and crispy on the outside. They had a nice outer crunch and I did not pan fry or use any oil before baking. I baked a little longer on both sides than what the recipe called for (since I didn’t pan fry).
Thank you! We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe. We appreciate you giving it a try!
I just made these tonight and I am stunned by how good they are. (I’ve had a lot of not-very-good-lentil burgers! I had to make subs…no tomato paste, so I used red miso. I added nutritional yeast and needed to grind some oats to make oat flour (which really helped the texture). So much left to freeze! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Love this! Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try. Love that you were able to make the recipe your own as well!
I made a four times recipe this week and knew (obviously) that they’d be amazing. Made 18 regular sized burgers to freeze and the rest minis for fritters for Buddha Bowls!! These are super good, so crisp on the outside and firm and flavorful on the inside!! THANKS!!
Love this! Such a good idea to meal prep these ahead of time. And love the idea of adding the minis to buddha bowls!
I baked mine but they turned out very dry. what did I do wrong?
You may have over baked them? Did you make any changes? Do you have any other issues with your oven ?