Homemade Vegan Burgers

There are veggie burgers and then there’s vegan meat. And this homemade vegan meat burger recipe, a perfect blend of TVP and seitan seasoned to perfection, is most certainly the latter. They have an irresistibly meaty texture with a delicious flavor and a light pink center, thanks to a bit of vegan magic using beets. Perfect for the plant-based lifestyle on the go, this vegan hamburger recipe is easy to make, freezer-friendly, and ohhh so satisfying!

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A while back I was watching my parents’ house (and my sister-puppy!), and therefore, on my own for dinner. T and I genuinely love cooking and eating dinner together, but these types of nights give us each a chance to really tune into precisely what we’re craving and make it! 

We always laugh at how different our dinners are when we do this, and this occasion was no different. T went with a giant veggie stir fry with a light vinegar sauce. And me? A vegan bacon cheeseburger! Oh so typical.

I initially assumed I’d grab a pack of Beyond Meat burger at the store and do something super easy. But then I realized I wanted to make my own vegan meat burger copycat recipe! 

Not that I’m bashing vegan convenience food like the Beyond or Impossible burger because…hahaha, that would be silly of me. I love that stuff! 

But sometimes, I just want to know I’m capable of making a fantastic version of these meat alternatives, with fewer processed ingredients and at a fraction of the cost, in my own kitchen.

Why You’ll Love This TVP Burger Recipe

I based the recipe for this off our TVP meatballs that we just love. It took a few tries to get this homemade version just right, but I can now say with confidence they are everything I ever wanted in a vegan copycat of a traditional meat burger! 

They’re meaty and flavorful, no mush, not at all bland. Not to mention, they’re easy to make, freezer-friendly, and have 100% less cholesterol than a regular beef burger! 

What are vegan TVP burgers made of?

You’ll need a few simple plant-based ingredients for this meaty veggie burger recipe.

To make this Beyond Meat Burger copycat recipe, you’ll need:

• Sliced beets – We’ll blend these with more water until smooth and use it to add an earthy flavor and nice beefy color to our burgers.
• TVP – Short for “textured vegetable protein.” This is a must-have plant-based pantry staple and the main ingredient. It’s bits of dehydrated soy protein you season and rehydrate for a vegan meat substitute. They’re a great addition to a lot of our favorite dishes that require a meaty texture. TVP is sold by brands like Bob’s Red Mill and Anthony’s Goods, and they’re usually pretty budget-friendly!
• Vital wheat gluten – Gluten is the protein element in flour. This product is the extracted gluten protein that will add a chewy, meaty texture to our burgers.
• Yellow onion – minced
• Fresh garlic – minced
• Hamburger seasoning – We use our special blend of Copycat Red Robin seasoning.
• Seasonings – dried parsley, ground black pepper, ground cumin
• Soy sauce
• Olive oil – to saute the vegetables and give a nice fat component to the texture

What’s TVP?

TVP is a dehydrated soy product. Mostly commonly in the US, it comes in a crumbled form that takes the place of ground or minced beef in many vegan recipes. 

When rehydrated with the spices, it really takes on the flavors you’re looking for to make great vegetarian chili, vegan meatballs and of course, the best veggie burgers that taste like ground beef instead of brown rice.

It can often be found in the health food section of your grocery store or wherever they keep the Bob’s Red Mill products. They’re rather affordable too! We typically order them online in packs of four like this and store extras in the fridge or freezer. 

They’re great to have on hand to throw into marinara sauces to make a quick bolognese among other things!

Where to Buy TVP

Of course the Internet is always an option. Amazon sells a popular brand of TVP from Anthony’s Goods. 

But it’s becoming increasingly popular and more easily available. You can probably find TVP from Bob’s Red Mill in your local grocery stores or health food stores.

Is TVP gluten-free?

Yes, TVP is a naturally gluten free product. Bob’s Red Mill proudly states that their TVP is made and packaged in their separate and dedicated GF site if you worry about cross contamination of gluten. And it’s a great source of protein and fiber as well! To make these burgers gluten-free, just sub chickpea flour for the wheat gluten!

Substitution Tips for This Vegan Burger Patty Recipe

If you don’t have or can’t tolerate one of the above ingredients, here are our best substitution tips. Remember, substituting any of the ingredients may lead to a varied degree of difference in the final product. Let us know in the comments if you try any subs and how they work out for you! 

To replace the wheat gluten: Feel free to replace the vital wheat gluten with chickpea flour for a gluten-free vegan burger!

For the beet puree: We’ve had success using beet powder in similar recipes, but you’d need to add a considerable amount of liquid if you try this.

For the onion: We suggest using yellow or white onion because they’re more mild than their red onion counterpart. You can also use some dehydrated onion or onion powder. One tablespoon of dehydrated or one teaspoon of onion powder onion is equal to one small minced onion. You can also sub a red onion for a different flavor vibe.

For the fresh garlic: Use 1 tsp of jarred minced garlic for each garlic clove the recipe calls for. If you are using garlic powder, use 1/8 of a teaspoon per clove of garlic.

For the soy sauce: You can sub Tamari or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos for the soy sauce.

For the olive oil: You can omit, but the oil adds a nice fat component to the burgers. Feel free to switch for avocado oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil, or refined coconut oil.

How to Make Plant Based Burgers

As with all hand-formed burger recipes, this takes a little time. But once you make them once, you’ll have burgers for weeks and pull them out of the freezer when needed.

Step 1: Make the beet puree.

First, you’ll make the beet puree by dumping the whole can of beets (water + all) into a blender or food processor. Fill the empty can to the brim with water and pour that in too. Then, blend on high until no chunks of beets remain. Measure out 1 1/2 cups from this mixture and set it aside to use in your burger. 

You can add the leftover beet puree to sauces, smoothies, and soups for a nutritious boost! You can also freeze it for up to 2 months.

Step 2: Rehydrate the TVP

Then, the TVP needs to be re-hydrated. We do so in a mix of spices and flavor-packed ingredients to really get the flavor going. 

You’ll cook everything up in your wok or a large, deep saute pan and then stir in some vital wheat gluten.

Step 3: Finish the vegan burger mix.

The wheat gluten (both Bob’s Red Mill and Anthony’s Goods make this stuff too!) is used as a binder, but we also like to knead it into the mixture for a minute or two. This activates the gluten and will create an incredible meaty texture. So cool! If you’re using the chickpea flour sub, you won’t have to

Step 4: Form and cook.

From there, you’ll form your patties, bake them on a heavily oiled pan (which kind of faux-fries them), dress, and serve! 

I have yet to try these burgers in the air fryer, or on a griddle or grill but will report back as we do. They seem to hold up rather well, so I’d imagine they’d be good!

How to Serve Homemade Plant-Based Burgers

We have a ton of fun dressing these delicious burgers up with alll our favorite burger toppings! 

I always opt for some rice paper bacon, lettuce, some vegan “secret sauce”, and a gooey melted vegan slice of cheese. T loves sliced onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and a generous helping of yellow mustard and ketchup. 

We’ll each tell your ours is the best way. But the real question is what are you going to top your burger patty with?! Try some of these great options below, and have fun with it!

A note about burger buns: Always check the ingredients when buying burger buns, as some contain milk, honey, and/or eggs. We find you’re usually safe with basic store brands, but still check to make sure. If you’re into making your own buns, check out this recipe for our homemade hamburger buns. Or go wild and make our homemade soft pretzel buns!

Vegan Burger Topping Ideas

Veggies: You can’t go wrong with the classic combination of a lettuce leaf, tomato, dill pickles, and an onion slice. But you can always spice things up a bit with some avocado slices, sweet pickle relish, pickled veggies or even kimchi. Sauteed mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and caramelized onions are all great toppers too!

Condiments: Ketchup and mustard are the standards, vegan mayo too. Make sure you get the bottom half and top half of the buns. Also, feel free to shake things up with fun sauces like a spicy BBQ sauce, guacamole, vegan ranch, or an easy homemade vegan burger sauce! Also, a lot of the steak sauce you find at the grocery store is actually vegan-friendly. 

Vegan Cheese: Vegan cheeses are almost as plentiful as vegan burgers these days. Some of our go-to brands for vegan are Violife, Vevan (great melt!), Daiya, Follow Your Heart, Field Roast, and 365 (Whole Foods’ store brand). Our vegan feta cheese recipe or vegan goat cheese is also great on a burger!

Vegan Bacon: We like using Lightlife for store-bought vegan or seitan bacon. But our rice paper bacon recipe is our go-to for meat-free burger bacon! A sprinkle of our coconut bacon salt would also work.

Vegan Burger Seasoning: There’s a lot of vegan burger spices and seasoning blends out there. We always top our burgers (AND our fries) with a little of our copycat Red Robin seasoning. Highly recommend it!

What to Serve with Burgers (vegetarian)

As far as burger sides go, here are a few of our favorites:

• Homemade Potato Wedges
• Vegan Baked Beans
• Pasta Salad
• Pan-Fried Green Beans
• Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese
• A simple bag of chips

Homemade Meatless Hamburger FAQ

Here are a few FAQs we hear often about making homemade vegan burgers. To learn more about plant-based burger options, check out our Plant-Based Burger Guide!

More TVP Recipes

• Vegan Ground Beef Substitute
• Hearty Vegan Chili
• Vegan Teriyaki Burgers – If you love copycat Beyond Meat burger recipes like this one, you have to try our Teriyaki pineapple version!
• ​The Best Vegan Meatballs
• Vegan Coney Dogs

And bookmark our full list of vegan TVP recipes, so you never run out of ideas!

We can’t wait to see all the beautiful vegan burgers you’re going to create with this recipe. Let us know what you think by rating the recipe and leaving a comment in the section below. 

Not only do we really appreciate it, but it helps more people like you find our delicious recipes. 

Now, go pour yourself a drink and get into the kitchen. It’s burger time!