These Vegan Moroccan Spiced Lentil Burgers are proof that veggie burgers don’t have to suck. The spiced lentil patties are made with simple, healthy ingredients and oven baked until crisp. Served on a toasted sesame bun with a quick herb smashed avocado spread to top it off. Not only are these burgers delicious, they don’t fall apart on you when you try to pick them up! They’re vegan, gluten free, easy to make, surprisingly good for you and loved by vegans and meat eaters alike.

How to Make Moroccan Spiced Lentil Burgers

Step 1: Cook the Lentils: To cook the lentils, simply place your dry brown lentils in a pot with a few inches of water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook them for about 30-35 minutes or until most of the water absorbs, then drain off any excess. I find that using slightly overcooked lentils is perfect for these burgers, so you’ll want them to be pretty soft but not mushy. Make the lentils up to one day in advance and chill in the fridge before use.

Step 2: Sauté the Veg: For an extra hit of umami, these this vegan lentil burger recipe calls for mushrooms. Since they have a pretty high water content, it’s important that we cook them down before adding them to the burgers to prevent sogginess. Just sauté the mushrooms, half an onion, a couple cloves of garlic and a Moroccan spice blend called Ras El Hanout in a little oil. No need to cook them for very long, just until some of the water has cooked off and the onions have softened.

Step 3: Blend: These burgers are vegan, so we will not be using eggs as a binder. I also wanted to keep these gluten free and on the healthier sides, so bread crumbs just weren’t really doing it for me. instead, I opted for rolled oats, which soak up any extra moisture and give way to perfectly moist, not-crumbly burgers. Before any other ingredients go in, place a heaping cup for oats into a food processor and blend until a course flour forms.

Now add in the sautéed mushrooms/onion mixture along with your cooked lentils, a little soy sauce and some green olives. Pulse–not blend– the ingredients until combined. The texture should be uniformly mixed, but not pasty. A few good pulses will do the trick.

Step 4: Form and bake: Form the mixture into a patty, using well oiled hands to keep it from sticking.

The first time I made these, I tried pan frying them and it was a disaster. Made a total mess, so baking is definitely the way to go here. The key to crisp baked lentil burgers is generously oiling both the sheet pan and the outside of the burger. This also prevents the burger from drying out in the oven.

Once brushed with oil, slide the burgers into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. When they come out of the oven, let them sit for a few minutes before trying to pick them up. They will continue to firm up as they cool.

Step 5: Serve: These burgers are best served fresh on a toasted sesame bun with herb smashed avocado (recipe for that is below) and some more fresh herbs. These also taste quite good the following day. I like to pop it in the microwave for a minute of so then finish it off in a pan over low heat to crisp up the outside.

Tips for Making The Best Vegan Lentil Burgers

• It’s easy to over blend the mixture in the food processor resulting a pasty texture. Make sure you do quick pulses instead of one long blend. Scrape down the sides between each one to make sure everything gets well incorperated.
• If the blended burger burger mixture seem too sticky to handle, you can place it in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes or until its chilled. This should make it easier to work with.
• This recipe calls for Ras el Hanout which is a Moroccan spice blend. You can find it at most grocery stores, but its also pretty easy to make your own.

Other Recipes to Try:

• Grilled vegetable sandwich with sunflower ricotta
• Toasted Lemon pepper orzo with crispy chickpeas
• Vegan spinach artichoke pasta

Made this recipe? Tag @wandering_chickpea on Instagram and follow along on Pinterest for more delicious recipes!

Made this vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup? Tag @wandering_chickpea on Instagram to be featured in my stories and follow along on Pinterest for more delicious recipes!