This vegan seitan burger recipe will satisfy your cravings for a juicy burger! It uses a mixture of seitan, mushroom, and TVP to create the most realistic meaty, grillable homemade veggie burger that you will ever eat!

A vegan burger on a piece of white parchment paper on a cutting board.

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My husband and teenage boys go crazy for these protein-packed burgers and beg me to make them again and again. With a house full of hungry active boys, we eat a lot of veggie burgers, so I save a ton of money by making these vegan burgers at home.

Why make veggie burgers

These seitan burgers are surprisingly easy to make with just a little prep time you can double or triple a batch and have a week’s worth of vegan burgers to keep in the freezer, pop on the grill, or fry up for a quick and easy dinner.

After years of experimenting, I have found that this combination of ingredients provides the ideal flavor, texture, density, mouthfeel, and moisture content.

This is the best vegan burger recipe I’ve ever used. Easy to make and delicious! Will definitely make these again. I honestly think these are better tasting than any pre-made burger out there. Did I say DELICIOUS!?! Thanks!

—Carol

Ingredients and substitutions

  • Mushrooms – I like to use portabella mushrooms or crimini mushrooms (baby Bellas) in this vegan burger recipe, but you can use any type of mushroom that you have. Even if you don’t like mushrooms, I promise you, they don’t taste like mushroom burgers.
  • Oil – you can use olive oil, canola oil, refined coconut oil, or any neutral-tasting oil that you like.
  • Salt – For flavor.
  • Smoked Paprika – to give your steak a red color and a slightly smoky flavor. You can also use regular paprika and a dash of liquid smoke.
  • Onion Powder – for flavor.
  • Bragg’s Liquid Aminos – for a beefy flavor. You can also use soy sauce
  • Liquid Smoke (Hickory)– For more of a smokey flavor. If you don’t have it, you can simply use extra smoked paprika.
  • Ketchup – for little sweetness and vinegar to help the taste of the wheat gluten.
  • TVP – This stands for textured vegetable protein. Rehydrated TVP will provide the authentic texture in the seitan hamburger. Without it, the burger is too dense. If you want a soy-free vegan burger, you can use couscous instead of the TVP. Read this post if you want to learn more about TVP.
  • Vital Wheat Gluten – this is a wheat protein that is used for the base of the seitan. This can not be substituted with any other ingredient. (I’m sorry, but this recipe can not be made gluten-free.) You can usually find it in the Bob’s Red Mill section or the specialty baking section of large grocery stores. I order a large bag from Amazon to make lots of seitan recipes.
  • Vegan Cheese – to turn your seitan burger patties into vegan cheeseburgers. I like to use the meltable version of my vegan cheddar cheese.
A veggie burger made of seitan on a white plate with a red and white tea towel behind it.

Helpful tools

  • A food processor – you can also use a blender or an immersion blender to puree the mushrooms with the broth.
  • A Cookie Sheet – aka sheet pan to bake the burgers.
  • A Glass Bowl – to mix everything together since gluten sticks to plastic.
  • A Silicone Spatula – to stir the gluten. Seitan will stick to wooden or plastic spoons.

How to make burgers from seitan

Make the mushroom “beef” broth

Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Step 2 – Wash and cut mushrooms into bite-sized pieces, then saute them in 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Step 3 – Heat over medium heat until they begin to release their juices, then add 2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1 tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, 1 tsp liquid smoke, and 1/4 tsp black pepper and stir well.

Step 4 – Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender, add 2 tbsp ketchup and 1/4 cup of water then blend for about 20 seconds. Slowly add the remaining 3/4 cup of water to the blended mushroom mixture until it’s well combined.

Step 5 – Pour the blended mushroom broth into a large glass mixing bowl and set aside while you prepare the TVP.

Portabella mushrooms being sauted with spices, then added to a food processor with water and ketchup to make a beef flavored mushroom broth.

To rehydrate the TVP

Step 6 – In a small saucepan heat 1/3 cup of water, 1 tbsp of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, 1 tsp of liquid smoke, and 1 tsp of smoked paprika. When it starts to boil, turn off the heat and add 1/2 cup of TVP. Stir well then let it sit and absorb the liquid for about 5 minutes.

Rehydrated TVP to put into seitan burgers.

Make the seitan burger paties

Step 7 – Pour the TVP into the mushroom broth and stir. Then add 1 cup of vital wheat gluten and mix well with a silicone spatula.

Step 8 – Add the remaining 1/2 cup of wheat gluten and knead it in with your hands.

Step 9 – Pull off a handful of dough, form it into a seitan patty, and place it onto an oiled sheet pan.

Four images showing the process of mixing the mushroom broth, TVP and wheat gluten to form vegan burger patties.

Step 10 – Once all of the veggie burgers have been formed, put them in the oven a 375° F for 35 minutes. (Take them out after 20 minutes to flip them.)

Two images of vegan burger patties on a sheetpan before and after they have been cooked.

How to make a vegan cheeseburger

To make a vegan cheeseburger, add a slice of vegan cheese to the top of the burgers about 2-3 minutes before they are done cooking, and put the tray back in the oven until the cheese melts.

Slices of vegan cheese melted on top of vegan burger patties.

Pro Tips

  • Don’t over-mix the gluten dough. Mix just enough to incorporate all the vital wheat gluten with the broth and TVP.
  • Be sure to cook your burgers long enough that the internal temperature reaches 160° F (71°C).
  • If your seitan burgers are doughy in the middle you need to cook them longer. They will have a meat-like texture when fully cooked.

Vegan burger toppings

Serve your veggie burger on a vegan hamburger bun with lettuce, tomato slices, pickles, and/or onions. Top your burgers with your favorite vegan sauces like …

A vegan burger on a white plate loaded with toppings.

Frequently asked questions?

Can I grill veggie burgers?

Yes, these seitan burgers can be grilled as the last step in cooking. Unlike most veggie burgers that will fall apart on a grill, these seitan burgers will hold together. However, you must bake or steam the seitan patties before the final step of grilling. You can’t cook raw seitan on a grill.

Do I have to bake the seitan burgers first?

You must thoroughly cook the seitan burgers before eating. Seitan can not be eaten raw and it must reach an internal temperature of 160° F (71°C). Undercooked seitan will be chewy and the texture will not be as meat-like.

Cooking these seitan patties on the grill or frying pan alone will not get the internal temperature high enough. You can wrap the burger patties in foil and steam them for 35 minutes instead of baking them if you would like.

How do I prep these vegan burgers to eat later?

If you want to make up a bunch of burgers to keep in the freezer and heat up as needed, simply double or triple the recipe given. Bake the burger patties as directed, then let them cool for about 30 minutes. Place the burgers in a freezer bag one at a time with a square of parchment paper between them. Squeeze out as much air as possible, then seal up the bag.

When you are ready to eat them, take out as many as needed and reheat them over low heat in a frying pan with a little oil until heated through.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate: These seitan patties will keep well in the fridge for 3 days in an airtight container.

Freeze: Seitan burgers keep well in the freezer and can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating or cook frozen patties over low heat until warm in the middle.

Reheating: Reheat veggie burgers in a little oil in a frying pan or grill them for a few minutes to warm them.

A close up of a veggie burger made from seitan with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and red onion.

More seitan recipes

Seitan burger recipe

A vegan seitan burger on a toasted bun with lettuce, tomatoes, pickels, red onion, ketchup and mustard on it.
Diet
High Protein Icon
Nut Free Icon
Vegan Icon
4.92 from 12 rating

Seitan Burger

Yield: 6 patties
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
A meaty seitan patty that tastes amazingly similar to a hamburger. The best vegan veggie burger you will ever eat!
Print Leave a Review Pin Recipe

Ingredients

To make the beefy mushroom broth

  • 2 cups mushrooms, (I like to use portabella, but any type will work)
  • 1 tablespoon oil, (plus an additional tablespoon or two to oil the cookie sheet.)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos, (or soy sauce)
  • 1 tsp liquid smoke
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup water

To rehydrate the TVP

Gluten to bind it together

Equipment

Instructions
 

Make the mushroom “beef” broth

  • Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C).
  • Wash and cut mushrooms into bite-sized pieces, then saute them in 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
  • Heat over medium heat until they begin to release their juices, then add 2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1 tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos, 1 tsp liquid smoke, and 1/4 tsp black pepper and stir well.
  • Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender, add 2 tbsp ketchup and 1/4 cup of water then blend for about 20 seconds. Slowly add the remaining 3/4 cup of water to the blended mushroom mixture until it's well combined.
  • Pour the blended mushroom broth into a large glass mixing bowl and set it aside while you prepare the TVP.

To rehydrate the TVP

  • In a small saucepan heat 1/3 cup of water, 1 tbsp of Bragg's Liquid Aminos, 1 tsp of liquid smoke, and 1 tsp smoked paprika. When it starts to boil, turn off the heat and add 1/2 cup of TVP. Stir well then let it sit and absorb the liquid for about 5 minutes.

Make the seitan burger patties

  • Pour the TVP into the mushroom broth and stir. Then add 1 cup of vital wheat gluten and stir well with a silicone spatula.
  • Add the remaining 1/2 cup of wheat gluten and knead it in with your hands.
  • Pull off a handful of dough and form it into a seitan patty and place it onto an oiled sheet pan.
  • Once all of the veggie burgers have been formed, put them in the oven a 375° F (190° C) for 35 minutes. (Take them out after 20 minutes to flip them.)

Notes

  • Don’t over mix the gluten dough. Mix just enough to incorporate all of the vital wheat gluten with the broth and TVP.
  • Be sure that you cook your burgers long enough that the internal temperature gets to 160° F (71°C).
  • If your seitan burgers are doughy in the middle you need to cook them longer. They will have a meat-like texture when fully cooked.
*To make soy-free vegan burgers swap out the TVP step for 1 cup of cooked couscous.
 
Serving: 1patty, Calories: 175kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 449mg, Potassium: 190mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 519IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 76mg, Iron: 3mg
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