Vegan Easy 6-Ingredient Lentil Burgers are the ultimate high-protein, plant-based burgers. Kid-friendly using affordable ingredients. Foolproof recipe. Oil-free option and gluten-free.
I was inspired to make a simple vegan burger that actually holds together. So many fall apart and use multiple ingredients. These turn out perfectly every time.
For more easy burger recipes on my site, try these Easy Vegan Chipotle Burgers, and Thai Tofu Burgers with Thai Red Curry Dressing. These burgers pair well with my tasty Crispy Roasted Potato Bites.
Jump to:
👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- Dried Red Lentils
- Shallot
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Tomato Paste
- Cilantro
- Salt & Pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
📖 Instructions
Soak the red lentils in enough water to cover by about 2 inches for 2 hours. Drain well.
Squeeze the grated carrots between paper towels to remove excess liquid.
Add the ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are combined and hold together when squeezed with your hands. Do not overdo. The mixture will feel a bit sticky but don't panic. The texture changes when they are cooked.
Using ¼ cup measurement for each, form 12 equal-sized patties.
Option 1 (oil-free): Bake Easy 6-Ingredient Lentil Burgers on a large nonstick baking sheet in a single layer at 400ºF for 10 minutes.
Option 2: Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. (Test that the oil is hot by dropping a small amount of the batter into the skillet and see that it sizzles.)
Cook the patties in a single layer, with enough space to flip, for about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crispy. (You may need to do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet.)
Transfer the cooked burgers to a paper towel-lined plate to remove any excess oil.
🥕 Substitutions
Easy 6-Ingredient Lentil Burgers are versatile:
- Carrots - instead of carrots, you can use grated sweet potato or zucchini, or chopped spinach using the same measurements
- Cilantro - instead of cilantro, use a variety of fresh herbs as desired
- Falafel - instead of burgers, use 2 tablespoons of the lentil mixture for each, and make 24 falafels
🌶 Variations
- Spicy - add minced jalapeño to the food processor with the other ingredients
- For more of a kick - use red onions in place of the shallots
🔪 Equipment
Make sure to use a food processor with a pulse button to combine the ingredients. Do not use a blender.
⏱ Storage
Refrigerate any remaining patties in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
These cooked patties stand up well to freezing. Wrap each individually in parchment paper to avoid sticking and place in a freezer bag.
💡 Top Tip
To ensure that the red lentils cook fully, soak them for at least 2 hours before using. Pan-fry the patties in enough oil to reach halfway up the sides.
Lentils typically do not require soaking before cooking. However, they do require soaking in this recipe as they are not being cooked in water.
Make sure to wash your lentils thoroughly before using.
Not all lentils are created equal. Red lentils are especially rich in protein. Plus, they have the added benefit of the shortest cooking time. One half cup of uncooked lentils boasts 22g of plant-based protein.
📖 Recipe
Easy 6-Ingredient Lentil Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups dried red lentils
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 large shallot or 1 small onion, small dice (about ⅓ cup)
- ⅓ cup grated carrots about 3 small
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Neutral flavored cooking oil for pan frying (optional)
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Soak the lentils in enough water to cover by about 2 inches for two hours. Rinse and drain thoroughly.
- Place the ingredients into a canister: Add the drained lentils, garlic, shallot, carrot, tomato paste, cilantro, salt, and black pepper to a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are well combined and the mixture holds together, scraping the sides of the canister as needed.
- Shape the patties: Scoop out ¼ cup of the mixture at a time. Shape into patties, about ½ inch thick.
- Option 1 Bake: Bake the patties for 10 minutes. Flip them over and bake for about 10 minutes more, or until crispy on both sides.
- Option 2 Pan-Fry: Heat enough oil in a large nonstick skillet to reach about halfway up the sides of the patties. Cook the patties for about 4 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy. (You may need to do this in batches so as not to overcrowd the skillet.) Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil.
- For serving: Serve with a bun and desired toppings; a side salad; or oven roasted potatoes.
Notes
- To ensure that the red lentils cook fully, soak them for at least 2 hours before using. Pan-fry the patties in enough oil to reach halfway up the sides.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Siobhan
Can you use a tin of red lentils?
Nisha Melvani
It depends how soft they are. You might be better off with a tin of green lentils. Drain and dry them.
Marian
Made these for the first time tonight and my husband loved them! He suggested we use sausage seasonings in them next time since the texture would make them great as vegan sausages. Thanks so much for creating this great recipe. So many recipes require oil, which we are avoiding, this one did not need it.
Nisha Melvani
I'm so glad they were a hit. I like the idea of sausage seasoning. Sounds delicious. Thank you.
Lee Londino
Okay so I was unsure about this as it is a red lentil recipe, HOWEVER to my pleasant surprise and a couple of adjustments (like adding zucchini and green lentils because I have no red ).
I will be making this at least 2 days a week ! Easy to heat in the air fryer too . I also made this into meatballs ! I’m am very pleased and happy with this easy to use recipe . I cook with a mood and a smell and taste, no recipe, however my wife is surprised I have printed and will continue this one … YUMMY:)
Lee and Jan
Nisha Melvani
Makes my day.I'm so glad to hear that. Thank you.
KarennS
Mine were a bit wet so mixed in some breadcrumbs and coated with breadcrumbs and baked in oven. Think I need to ensure drained lentils are almost dry. Swapped cilantro for parsley and added cumin. Very tasty
Nisha Melvani
Glad they worked out in the end. Yes, the lentils should be well drained. Great additions!
Ant
These were so delicious, I’m going to start making them weekly. I baked them to avoid oil and dipped them in hot sauce. Next time I’ll have to put one on a bun!
Nisha Melvani
I'm so happy you enjoyed them. Thank you for commenting. I love hot sauce too! Have a great day.
Lori
I have cooked brown lentils I the freezer. If I process all other ingredients and add the thawed cooked lentils last and just pulse a bit, do you think it would work for this recipe?
Nisha Melvani
I think it's worth giving it a try. Let me know how it goes.
Jaime
I love these, and actually stayed together! Ideas for the sauce? I used yoghurt, honey and lime last time, but open to suggestions!
Nisha Melvani
Hi. So glad they worked out. For the sauce, a mixture of mayo, ketchup, sweet pickle relish, maple, and vinegar could be delicious!
Mary
Very tasty and easy to make. I have used both red and brown lentils and have had great success...they freeze well too! Thank you for the recipe.
Nisha Melvani
Thank you for letting me know. I'm so happy they are working out. Have a great evening.
Ian
Curious about baking vs frying results. I assume frying gets them crispier vs baking? I guess I could experiment myself.
Nisha Melvani
Hi. Frying gives a beautiful color and crisp. A good compromise is to fry in a small amount of oil (just enough to coat a nonstick pan) and then bake.
Christy Coté
Hello there,
I want to try these but I was wondering if there was a substitution for the tomato paste? I can not eat nightshades!
Thanks so much!
Christy
Nisha Melvani
Hi. I'm tempted to say mellow miso, but I have not tested it in this recipe.
Holly
It might taste a bit different, but I'd probably use canned carrots. They blend up to about the same consistency as tomato paste. When my kids were tomato free, we made a carrot based spaghetti sauce that tasted pretty much like the real thing.
Nisha Melvani
Sounds like a great idea! I can imagine it would work well.
Charyl
I didn’t have any tomato paste on hand so I used some hummus and it worked very well. I also baked my patties but I put a good amount of oil on top of the parchment paper and then added some oil when I flipped it so they were kind of baked and fried. They stayed together very well and they’re tasty. I did add jalapeño
Nisha Melvani
I love the idea of adding hummus! They sound perfectly crispy and delicious.
Lynn
I made these today (a lazy Saturday). They came together really well and smelled great while baking. I made your "curry dressing" to go with them. My kids & DH ate them as burgers with the delicious dressing and I had them on the side of my salad. They are really really good. My 16 year old son has asked for them for his lunch! Love your recipes! They never disappoint!
Nisha Melvani
Hi! Thank you so much. Your comment really made my day.
chrystina owusu-sotia
Is it possible to use green or brown lentils instead of red lentils?
Nisha Melvani
Hi. I haven't made it with green lentils, but they would have to be cooked al dente beforehand. Let me know if it you try it! I'm curious.
Subhas
I didn't have red lentils. I substituted with split peas. But needed to add a bread slice, un-toasted to be able to make into patties. Airfield. Came pretty good.
Nisha Melvani
Sounds delicious. Great substitutions.
subhas
Typo; Should read "air fried" instead of airfield.
Nisha Melvani
No worries! Happens to the best of us!
Sally Lashmar
Yum, made these yesterday, used homegrown zucchini, as I had a glut of them.
Really enjoyed them at a vegetarian birthday party and had a couple of leftover patties for breafast!!
Served them with a yoghurt/tahini and mint dressing. Will deffo make them again. Easy quick and yum 😀
Nisha Melvani
I'm so glad they were a hit. They must be so good with yogurt/tahini and mint. I have to try that! Thanks for leaving a comment.
Marla
Can these be cooked in an air fryer? If so do you know the temp and length?
Nisha Melvani
For the lentils to cook fully, they should be pan-fried with enough oil to reach half way up the sides of the patties. This is because the lentils are not precooked, but soaked.
Kristie
Do i have to cook or bake them before freezing?
Nisha Melvani
I would cook them first.
Eli
This is the very first dish I made in my new food processor. Very tasty and easy to make. Thank you for sharing it.
Nisha Melvani
Congrats on the food processor. It's a great tool to have. I feel honored to have christened it:) I'm so glad these worked out. Have a great weekend.
Lynda
Can I make these without food processor?
Nisha Melvani
I haven't tried, but I don't think it would work too well without one.
Nikki
Hey so i soaked these in hot water and they softened but when cooked i felt they didn't cook well
Nisha Melvani
Hi Nikki,
Soak in tap water for 2 hours. If you soak in hot, they may get too mushy in the food processor. Make sure you are processing them for long enough in the food processor (see video for texture), and the oil in the pan should reach halfway up the sides of the patties so they cook. They should cook beautifully. Mine always turn out well cooked. I hope this helps.
Jess
Ugh...was going to make this recipe tonight and just realized the lentils are cooked and not soaked. I don’t have 2 hours. Can I cook these briefly to lessen the time? They look so yummy!
Nisha Melvani
Hi. Cook them briefly until al dente and drain very well.
Nikki
It says makes 12 but serves 6 so does that mean 2 burgs per person.
Nisha Melvani
Yes! That's the assumption, but this may vary depending on how hungry you are:)
Carrie
These were delicious and super easy to make, even on a work night! Thank you for another amazing plant based recipe!!
Nisha Melvani
I'm so thrilled you liked them Carrie. Thanks so much for leaving a comment. Have a great Sunday.
Anitha
Love the recipe.. Looks delicious!