You want the best burgers in the neighborhood.
We get it. But, it needs to be vegan!
You can either find vegan substitutes where the burger is already made. A couple of brands already do this. It’s incredible how close they can get to a meaty flavor. (Beyond, Impossible, Gardein) In today’s modern times, vegan burgers can impress in how close they can mimic real meat in texture and taste.
Alternatively, you can grab a couple of ingredients, search for a vegan burger recipe, and make it from scratch. It all depends on your time and preference.
If you can’t find vegan burgers in your local grocery stores (or if you’re in the mood for cooking at home) then the next step is to decide what type of vegan burger you want to make.
There’s no need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to hamburgers. You can literally go on YouTube right now and spend hours viewing how chefs make their vegan burgers.
Ain’t nobody got time for that!
If you’re in a rush, you don’t have to do that. Here are a couple of recipes available around Youtube:
#1 Korean Style Vegan ‘Shroom Burger by Gaz Oakley
Don’t you love portobello mushrooms?
They’re certainly not for everyone, but if they’re for you then this vegan burger is worth trying out.
Mushrooms are a great alternative if you’re looking for a low-calorie vegan burger. It still has a ‘meaty’ flavor to it without the heaviness on the gut.
This will not only be a deliciously light recipe, but it also will surprise your guest with your ability to transform a mushroom top into an ultimate plant-based burger.
There are only two downsides to this recipe:
- It’s time-consuming. You’ll have to separate a considerable amount of prep time for this homemade, vegan burger.
- Lack of storability. Mushrooms get soggy and slimy when stored so it’s best served fresh.
- Mushrooms are mostly water. If not cooked properly, mushrooms are notorious for dripping liquid on every bite you take.
Get the exact ingredients and cooking method here.
#2 Best Ever Vegan Burger by Tasty
Almost like the vegan meats you can buy at the grocery store!
Are you familiar with Beyond Burgers? How about the Impossible Burger? Well, if you want to make a close version of them at home then this is the recipe you need to look out for.
“I think it’s one of the closest recipes to those kinds of burgers.” – said one of Tasty’s producers.
The goal was to replicate the “meaty” and juicy texture meat lovers love from their original burgers.
You’ll enjoy this burger because:
- It’s storage friendly because it freezes well.
- The texture is strong so it won’t crumble while you handle it.
- It’s dry and starchy so you won’t have to wipe the water dripping down your forearms.
What you won’t like about this vegan burger:
- Full of gluten – If gluten is your number one enemey of if you’re currently exploring a gluten-free diet than this burger is not for you. Alternatively, you can exclude the vital wheat gluten from the recipe but the burger won’t bind as good and you’ll loose the desired texture.
- It’s time-consuming – You’ll have to separate a considerable amount of prep time for this homemade, vegan burger.
- Weird ingredients– You might have trouble finding things like vital wheat gluten or Vegan Worcestershire sauce in your local area.
Get the exact ingredients and cooking method here.
#3 “Plant-based” Burger by Sauce Stash
If you really want to get into the whole cooking process, here’s a vegan burger you’ll enjoy making.
It has a ton of individual plant-based ingredients.
Many of these ingredients need to be cooked prior. However, you can buy most of the ingredients in their canned version. For example, beans and chickpeaks are perfectly fine if they’re canned. Meanwhile, the portabella mushrooms and beets are best prepared fresh in order to maintain quality in texture and taste.
You’ll enjoy this burger because:
- If you enjoy the cooking process, you’ll love making this burger. Even better, you’ll love how you feel when you see the satisfied faces of your impressed guests.
- It’s “meat” rich. Since this recipe skips the tomato and lettuce, the only ingredients hugging the plant-based meat are the buns, a couple of pickles, cheese and chipotle sauce.
What you won’t like about this vegan burger:
- It’s time-consuming – You’ll have to separate a considerable amount of prep time for this homemade, vegan burger.
- Weird ingredients– You might have trouble finding things like vital wheat gluten or Vegan Worcestershire sauce in your local area.
Get the exact ingredients and cooking method here.
#4 Black Bean Baked Burger by Jamie Oliver
Black Bean OG
Before tempeh, seitan and soy came to revolutionize the vegan burger space, black beans were here happily satisfying vegans’ burger needs. You can consider it an OG vegan-friendly ingredient – LOL.
As an interesting fun facts this recipe is made by a world famouse meat-eater. It’s delicious and it’s judgment-free.
You’ll enjoy this burger because:
- It’s baked! You get to use the oven for a change. It’s a great alternative if you’re trying to limit on the frying oils.
- Rich in fresh ingredients. Avocado, mango and cherrie tomatoes share the stage in this recipe. Each bite will feel refreshing and zesty.
What you won’t like about this vegan burger:
- Warning! These are some ugly-looking burgers. Instead of a meat-looking vegan burger, it looks like a double chocolate cookie.
- The vegetable toppings mostly water. You can guarantee this vegan burger will be dripping liquid on every bite you take.
Get the exact ingredients and cooking method here.
Final thoughts
A note on food Procesors
For these recipes mentioned above, a food processor is vital. It is technically possible for you to chop and mix everything by hand. However, time and energy for the prep will increase exponentially. A good vegan burger relies on its capability to mimic meat texture, look and feel. To achieve this, it’s important for the ingredients to bind correctly during the preparation phase. Processing the food by hand will not yield good results and ingredients will mostly not bind. The last thing you want is for the burger to crumble on the pan while you attempt to make the first flip.
What about the buns?
What in the world are hamburgers without their buns? If you want to bring your vegan burgers to a whole nother level, then you need to check out this plant-based bread recipe.
Are you a mushroom lover?
If you didn’t notice, most of these vegan burger recipes include some sort of mushroom in the ingredient list. Mushrooms are a key ingredient in any plant-based diet. If you’re looking to expand your fungi cooking capabilities then check out this post with 10 Vegan Recipes with Mushrooms.
Have fun!
Basically, all of these recipes are labor-intensive. You’ll be chopping, dicing, and cooking many ingredients individually before you get to serve the final result. Embrace it, take your time. Sure, this won’t be something you’ll do on a daily basis but enjoy the process and discover the relationship you can develop with your food.