Green lentil burgers have the best taste and texture! These gluten free veggie burgers made with green lentils hold together well without breadcrumbs, which makes them ideal for the BBQ. Even hardened meat eaters will be converted!
Jump to:
What you'll love about the recipe
- Green lentil burgers are an excellent plant-based protein alternative to meat.
- They are an easy mid-week dinner, and can be prepared ahead of time. Healthy chips are a very nice accompaniment, along with some low sugar ketchup or chutney.
- Lentils are a super healthy choice. They are fibre-rich, and high in B vitamins and minerals including iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. One lentil burger will provide you with 10 g of protein and 9 g of fibre. (Read more about the health benefits of lentils here)
- I've tried a lot of different lentil burgers, and hand on heart, these green lentil burgers are the best. They have a great texture which holds together well and doesn't fall apart.
You can also make veggie burgers with canned beans - you might like to try this adzuki bean burger recipe.
Ingredients
Lentils. These lentil patties are made with green lentils, but you could also use brown lentils which have a similar taste and texture. Red lentils are not good for burgers as they'll break down too much and become mushy when cooked.
Lentils cook quite quickly, so you can easily cook them fresh for this recipe. But you can also make the recipe with canned lentils.
Onions add flavour and texture to these veggie burgers. Chop them quite finely so that there aren't big chunks in the burgers. The onions are quickly pan fried before they are added to the rest of the ingredients. This brings out the natural sweetness and ensures that they are cooked through properly.
Ground almonds and oat flour. Gluten free green lentil burgers are made without breadcrumbs. Instead, they have a small amount of ground almonds, and some quick homemade oat flour.
You could also use instant oats in place of oat flour as they are fine enough. For gluten free green lentil burgers, make sure that you buy certified gluten free oats.
The almonds and oats add more protein, fibre and nutrients, and help to bind the burgers together.
Eggs also help these green lentil patties to bind together well, and add extra protein and nutrition.
Seasonings. It's important to season your burgers well. This recipe has some mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce and herbs. Mixed dried herbs are convenient, but fresh herbs such as chopped basil, parsley or thyme are also delicious.
If you are using fresh herbs, increase the quantity to 1 tablespoon as the flavour is less concentrated.
Variations
- For easy vegan lentil burgers without egg, you can use a classic egg replacer. For the full recipe quantity which uses 2 eggs, mix 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed with 5 tablespoons of water. Leave to stand for 10 minutes, then add to the rest of the ingredients in place of the eggs.
- You could use other nuts such as ground hazelnuts or walnuts if you prefer. Or for nut-free burgers, omit the almonds and replace with an equal amount of oat flour.
- For grain-free burgers, replace the oat flour with additional ground nuts.
- For spicy lentil burgers, you could also add cumin, ginger or curry powder. Or for a slightly smoky flavour, try smoked paprika.
How to make easy green lentil burgers
If you are using dried lentils, add them to a pan of boiling water and simmer gently for 20-25 minutes. When they are cooked, they'll be soft and squash-able. Drain them well.
If you're using canned lentils, you'll just need to drain them.
Meanwhile, place a frying pan over a medium heat and add a teaspoon of the olive oil. Fry the onion for a few minutes until starting to caramelise and turn golden.
Then add the cooked lentils, onions, 2 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil, eggs, ground almonds, oat flour, seasonings and herbs to a large bowl.
You can either semi blitz them with a hand blender, or mush them together with a fork. The lentils should be a bit squished, but not broken down so much that they turn into a puree.
If you want to meal prep, the uncooked green lentil burger mixture can be stored in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
Divide the mixture into 6 and shape into patties with your hands.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a pan, and fry the burgers for 2-3 minutes until they have a golden crust. Turn them over with a fish slice and fry on the remaining side.
You might need to pan fry the burgers in 2 batches.
Expert tips
- Green lentils freeze very well, so you could cook up a big batch and freeze them in portions for convenience.
- Cooked lentils weigh approximately two and a half times more than dry because of the water they absorb, so check your quantities, as you'll need more weight of cooked lentils. 400g of cooked lentils (2 cups) is equal to 160g of dry lentils.
- You can also bake these easy lentil burgers if you prefer, although the texture of baked lentil burgers will be slightly drier than pan-fried burgers. Bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes, turning them over halfway through the cooking time.
Serving and storage
It is best to serve green lentil burgers warm. You could also add some grated cheese to the top for a cheesy veggie burger if you prefer.
Although they are classically served in a bun, they are also delicious served with a salad or vegetables. They are perfect with a side of healthy coleslaw, or Waldorf salad.
Gluten free lentil burgers keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
They also freeze well - when defrosted, heat them through for a few minutes in a pan. It's worth making a double batch to freeze, as this recipe is a great veggie midweek dinner.
If you prefer, you can also freeze uncooked lentil patties.
Frequently asked questions
This recipe uses a mixture of ground oats and almonds, plus the moisture of eggs to hold the burgers together. A flaxseed egg also has good sticking power!
Make sure that you drain the lentils well before adding them to the mixture. And it's important to not over blend the mixture and end up with a puree. Using green or brown lentils helps to prevent mushy veggie burgers as they have a better texture.
Yes, they freeze really well. I like to wrap them individually, before freezing them in an airtight container or bag.
Other lentil recipes you might enjoy
Lentils are a great source of plant protein and fibre, and they are packed with vitamins and minerals. Why not add some of these other healthy lentil recipes to your meal plans?
- Little spinach and lentil pies - a lightly spiced mix of spinach and lentils wrapped in a soft bread dough
- Tomato and red lentil soup - a delicious, healthy, filling soup
- Red lentil bolognese - a super versatile, vegan bolognese sauce
- Red lentil shepherd's pie - a tasty vegan ragu topped with sweet potato
You might also like to browse the vegetarian meals category for more inspiration.
If you loved this easy, healthy recipe please leave a rating and comment at the bottom of the page. Your email will not be published.
Your feedback and questions are much appreciated.
You can also follow me on Pinterest and Facebook.
Why not subscribe to the newsletter to receive free delicious healthy recipes straight to your inbox?
Recipe
Green Lentil Burgers
Ingredients
- 160 g uncooked green or brown lentils or 400 g cooked see notes above
- 1 onion peeled and finely chopped
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon ground almonds
- 4 tablespoon oats, ground to a coarse flour certified GF if required
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce certified GF if required
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder
- salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs or use fresh, see notes above
Instructions
- If using dried lentils, cook them in boiling water for 20-25 minutes until soft. Drain well. If using canned lentils, drain the liquid away.160 g uncooked green or brown lentils or 400 g cooked
- Meanwhile, fry the onion in a teaspoon of the olive oil for around 10 minutes until golden and soft.1 onion
- Add the lentils, onion, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and all the remaining ingredients to a bowl. Blitz briefly with a hand blender, or mix well with a fork. The mixture should be well mixed with the lentils slightly broken down, but don't over blend so it becomes a mush. You could also use a food processor, but pulse gently and take care not to over process.2 tablespoon ground almonds, 4 tablespoon oats, ground to a coarse flour, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, ¼ teaspoon mustard powder, salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
- Using your hands, form the mixture into 6 large patties, approx 1.5 cm thick. Fry in the remaining olive oil for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is for guidance only
Julie says
These hold together well and are very tasty. Thanks for the recipe.