• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

ZardyPlants

  • Home
  • Vegan & Oil-free Recipes
    • Cheezes
    • Breakfasts
    • Soups
    • Salads
    • Snacks & Apps
    • Entrees
    • Dips & Sauces
    • Ingredients
    • Desserts
    • Gluten Free
  • Shop
    • Recipe Books
    • Products I Use
  • About
  • Contact
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Vegan and Oil-free Recipes
  • Free Cookbook with Signup!
  • Plant-Based Jewish Recipes
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • About
×

Home » Vegan and Oil-free Recipes » Entrees

Vegan + Gluten-Free Lentil Cheeseburger Sliders

Published: Jan 28, 2020 · Modified: Mar 29, 2021 by 💚 Liz

Share with friends!

Jump to Recipe
Skip to the Recipe!

Hey Internet, are you ready for Vegan + Gluten-Free Lentil Cheeseburger Sliders? This is a great entree for The Big Game coming up this Sunday!

These cheeseburger sliders are seriously made of lentils and they're SERIOUSLY amazing. Protein-packed lentils are combined with smoky mushrooms, caramelized onions, oat flour and spices to create an oil-free, delicious patty that's perfect for sliders, burgers, "meatballs," and meatless ground.

I'll be frank with you (even though I'm Liz): these don't taste like the popular plant-based patties that are having a moment in our grocery stores, fast food restaurants, and pubs.

This recipe is not loaded with oil or chemicals. If you're like me and are not a fan of those burgers that try to mimic beef but still want a burger that has a traditional flavor, then you'll love these lentil sliders. I'd compare the flavor more to lean ground beef or ground turkey than traditional burgers.

That doesn't mean they taste like mush either! These delicious, smoky little patties get baked (or air fried for an even crispier texture if you have an air fryer) for a lightly crispy burger that's perfect on a bun or in a lettuce wrap!

So let's talk about what you'll need to make these burgers.

What Goes into the Vegan Burgers

I always start with the most obvious ingredient first, and today that's lentils. You can use green or brown lentils. I used green and the burgers still turned a brownish color, so no worries if that's what you're working with. Just don't use red lentils, because they can turn completely to mush when cooked.

However, to save time and because I know some people buy canned or steamed pre-cooked lentils, we'll start this recipe with cooked lentils. So if you're cooking these from scratch (you can do so up to a few days in advance, if that helps you), you'll use about 1 and ¾ cups of lentils and about 4 cups of water.

The onions and garlic are aromatics, and add a lot of flavor to the patties. We'll saute them in water like we normally do, just adding a little bit at a time to keep them from sticking.

The mushrooms (I used crimini / baby Bella but white or Portabella will work too) are a really important part of these lentil burgers. When cooked, mushrooms take on a lightly "meaty" texture and flavor that is seriously perfect when combined with the lentils. You won't directly taste them, though, if you're not a huge fan.

I used a splash of reduced sodium tamari to keep the mushrooms from sticking and add a little flavor.

How to Bind the Ingredients Together

To hold things together, we'll use a combo of wet and dry ingredients.

The wet: 3 flax eggs. All you need to make a flax egg is 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed (I grind mine fresh in a spice grinder) and 3 tablespoon of water. Mix your flax eggs together and let chill in the refrigerator for about 5 min.

The dry: some kind of flour. I've only tested 2 kinds of flour with this recipe: garbanzo bean / chickpea flour and oat flour. I grind oats quickly in my blender--just make sure to use certified gluten-free oats if needed.

As mentioned above, I've only tested these two types of flour because they're a little heartier. If using more like an all purpose flour, you may need more to get the right non-sticky consistency.

And the last thing you'll need is some spices! I like this particular combination because it tastes a little smoky, nicely savory, and a light reminder of "meat" or "meatballs" without trying to mimic it exactly.
Dried Oregano
Dried Thyme
Onion Powder
Smoked Paprika
Salt
(use any type of salt, this is the one I use for everything because I love the flavor)

How to Make the Sliders

It's a pretty easy process to make these burgers, and it makes a batch of 20, so it will serve about 10 people. If making these to freeze some for later, you can easily double the recipe.

After mashing half of the lentils, you'll combine that with cooked down onions, garlic and mushrooms, then the rest of the ingredients.

The mixture will chill in the fridge, and then you can use a large cookie scoop to grab an equal amount for each patty -- mine holds about 3 tablespoons.

Shape each patty and place on a silicone mat or parchment paper lined pan.

The silicone mat is highly recommended as it helps to crisp and caramelize things even more than parchment in my experience. It's also better for your wallet and the environment!

You can also cook these for less time in your air fryer and get an even crispier outcome! Cook them at 400 degrees F or 205 degrees C if using this method.

Putting it all Together

You can serve your burgers however you'd like, but this is how I did mine.

I found vegan mini pretzel buns at Whole Foods. Keep in mind that these do have oil in them. For a special occasion like The Big Game, I decided to let myself enjoy them. It's on my list to try making oil-free buns, though!

NOTE: These buns are NOT gluten-free. I saw some buns in the gluten-free freezer section of market that could be used instead, or you can do other things like cut gluten-free bread, use gluten-free English muffins, or lettuce wraps.

When I flipped these burgers halfway through the cooking process, I added slices of my nut-free gluten-free cheddar cheese. Other vegan sliced cheeses could also work.

I also added a little ketchup, pickles, and lettuce to my sliders. Mr. Zardyplants did not have pickles on his sliders and did not appreciate me teasing him about it. Too bad, I told him, it's the tax for having a wife that cooks.

Use fancy toothpicks when serving these up to your friends and family, and enjoy! I used these ones made from bamboo.

Anything else?

BTW I highly recommend serving these with Nacho Fries!

These patties can be frozen for later and reheated in the oven or air fryer.

As always, I hope you love this recipe! Let me know in the comments below if you make it, tag me @Zardyplants on Instagram so I can see your beautiful recreations! If you tag me on IG, I will share your post in my stories :)

Also, one quick request: if you love how this recipe looks or tastes, please leave me a 5-star rating and a nice comment--these things help more people find my recipes which helps me keep providing them! Thank you!

<3 LIZ

Follow me on Social Media!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Vegan + Gluten-Free Lentil Cheeseburger Sliders


★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

  • Author: Liz Madsen
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 20 Sliders 1x
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Impress your guests at your next party with these Vegan + Gluten-Free Lentil Cheeseburger Sliders! Makes 20 sliders per batch! Vegan, Gluten-free, Oil-free, Nut-free, Sugar-free


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3.5 cups cooked green or brown lentils
  • 1 medium white onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 16 oz crimini / baby bella mushrooms, diced
  • 1 tbsp reduced sodium tamari
  • 1.5 cups oat flour (or garbanzo bean flour)
  • 3 flax eggs (3 tbsp ground flaxseed + 9 tbsp water)
  • 3 tsp dried thyme
  • 3 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1.5 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. First, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. When it's hot, add the diced onions and let them get hot and lightly stick for a minute, then add a tablespoon of water to deglaze the pan and stir well.
  2. Continue the sticking, deglazing, and stirring process for about 4 minutes until the onions have lightly caramelized. Then add the minced garlic and cook for about a minute more. Next you'll add your diced mushrooms and continue to let them stick. At the first splash, instead of water, add the low sodium tamari. For a few more minutes, cook these down, adding just enough water to deglaze each time. Make sure there is no more liquid remaining before adding to the lentils (drain excess liquid if needed).
  3. While these are cooking, first prepare your 3 flax eggs by mixing 3 tablespoon of ground flax with 9 tablespoon of water in a small bowl and placing in the refrigerator to gel. Next, add the lentils to a large bowl and mash about half of them with a fork. It can be easier to mash the lentils if they're warm and a little overcooked.
  4. Let the mixture cool on the counter for just a few minutes. Mix it well, then add the rest of the ingredients: spices, flax eggs, and flour. Mix well again, using hands if you need to. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl too for any flour being mischievous.
  5. Your mixture needs to chill now to be easier to shape, so place it in the fridge for about 10 minutes. Make sure to preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit or 218 degrees Celsius if using the oven method.
  6. Using a 3 tablespoon-sized large cookie scoop, scoop out the mixture into balls and flatten with your hands to a slider-sized patty about ½ inch thick. Place on your silicone mat or parchment lined baking pan, about ½ inch apart or more. If using air fryer method, set them ½ inch apart in the basket.
  7. If using oven method: Bake for 20 minutes, then flip, place on a slice of vegan cheese if using, then bake 10 more minutes.
  8. If using air fryer method: Cook for 15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 205 degrees Celsius, then flip, place the vegan cheese, and cook 5 more minutes.
  9. Assemble your burgers with whichever buns, condiments, and veggies you desire. Secure with fancy toothpicks and serve, preferably with nacho fries.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Lunch, Dinner
  • Method: Oven, Refrigerator
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Vegan, Gluten-free, Oil-free, Nut-free, Sugar-free, Vegan Burgers, Sliders

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us @zardyplants — we can't wait to see what you've made!

Section Bottom
Click Here to Sign Up for my Newsletter and Never Miss a Recipe!

« Nut-free Vegan Cheddar Block Cheese that Melts and Shreds!
Vegan + Gluten-free Valentine's Day Brookies | Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies »

Share with friends!

Filed Under: Entrees, Gluten Free, Snacks & Apps, Vegan and Oil-free Recipes

Follow us on Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

You May Also Like:

Vegan Garlic Butter

Air Fryer Gnocchi

Garlic Risotto

See More

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. janet

    January 29, 2020 at 12:00 am

    What kind of buns do you use?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • 💚 Liz

      January 29, 2020 at 12:16 am

      I used these Pretzilla rolls. Unfortunately they are not GF. However, I intend to create a GF pretzel bun in the near future.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

About Liz

Paul and Liz holding a small black dog standing in front of Lake Michigan
Plant-based Nutrition Certificate Badge

Hi, I'm Liz!

I develop plant-based comfort food recipes that are delicious, easy, and budget-friendly. My husband Paul and I created Zardyplants to share our fun, delicious food with the world. But what does the name Zardyplants even mean?

Read More

Get our Free e-book and Never Miss a Recipe!

Cover for a free vegan ebook

Our Most Popular Recipes

Bowl of vegan dumpling soup

Vegan Stew with Dumplings

Vegan Garlic Noodles in a bowl

Vegan Garlic Noodles

A cracker cutting into soft vegan brie

Vegan Brie

Hand holding a vegan philly cheesesteak

Vegan Philly Cheesesteak

Vegan Gluten-free Teriyaki Cauliflower Wings piled in a bowl

Vegan Gluten-free Teriyaki Cauliflower Wings

Categories

  • Breakfasts
  • Cheezes
  • Compilations
  • Desserts
  • Dips & Sauces
  • Drink
  • Entrees
  • Gluten Free
  • Holiday
  • Ingredients
  • Lifestyle
  • Meat Alternatives
  • Quick Meals
  • Salads
  • Sides
  • Snacks & Apps
  • Soups
  • Uncategorized
  • Vegan 101
  • Vegan and Oil-free Recipes
  • Vegan Baking

Legal

  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Copyright © 2023 ZardyPlants on the Foodie Pro Theme

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT

Disclaimer - Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy