The Best Vegan Grillable Seitan Burger

A juicy, hearty, unbelievably tasty vegan burger that will hold up on the grill! This seitan burger is filled with umami flavour from mushrooms and miso paste, with a smoky, savoury bite. Prepare these in advance and when that burger craving hits, fire up the grill.

Ready for the best vegan burger ever? This one is shockingly delicious and satisfying.

Do you do burgers in the summer, or all year long?

We enjoy them at any time of year, especially since summers in Canada are short. That would be a shame to only enjoy this delicious and classic comfort food for a few months of the year.

This grillable seitan burger is inspired by my mushroomy seitan roast and pairs beautifully with potato wedges, poutine, or sweet potato fries.

Jump to:

• Ingredients + Substitutions
• Instructions
• What toppings should I use?
• Storage
• Expert Tips
• More vegan burger recipes
• Recipe

Ingredients + Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Mushrooms: I used white button mushrooms this time, but cremini or baby bella will also work well. The mushrooms help keep your burger juicy inside and of course, flavourful.
• Broth: Use a salty, flavourful broth since there is no added salt. Or add some salt if you only have low sodium broth on hand.
• Miso Paste: I like white miso, but if you prefer the stronger flavour of red, feel free to use either. For soy free, replace the miso with additional tahini and add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of salt.
• Black Beans: For their hearty flavour. You may use red kidney beans if preferred.
• Tahini: If you cannot have tahini, sub for another neutral flavoured nut or seed butter, like cashew. OR if not avoiding oil, use a neutral flavoured oil, like avocado.
• Vital Wheat Gluten: Unfortunately there is NO substitute for vital wheat gluten. Nor is there a gluten free alternative. Do not use another type of flour, as the gluten is crucial to the outcome and texture of your seitan burger.
• Garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika: The spices are for flavour. None are overpowering, so do not skip unless you absolutely must. If you don’t have smoked paprika on hand, you may use liquid smoke, instead.

Instructions

(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Start by adding all your seitan burger ingredients EXCEPT for the vital wheat gluten to the bowl of your food processor. Blend until smooth. (photos 1-2)

Add approx. HALF of the vital wheat gluten and process until combined. Then add the remaining half and pulse, scraping down the sides as needed. Do not over process. (photos 3-5)

Transfer the mixture to a clean surface and knead (without overdoing it) until you see bands of gluten forming as shown below. (photo 6)

Now divide the mixture into 8 pieces to make 8 vegan burgers. Do your best to make them as equal as possible in size. (photo 7)

Roll each piece using a rolling pin to flatten it into a patty shape. The patties will grow as they cook, so roll them a little flatter than you’d like the final result to be. (photo 8)

Add a thin layer of broth to an oven-safe dish with a lid. Then layer your seitan burgers inside with broth in between each layer. (photos 9-10)

Cover the burgers entirely with the broth, place the lid on top and bake in your preheated oven. (photos 11-12)

At this point, treat the seitan patties like raw burgers. For best results, refrigerate overnight and then finish them off on the grill or in a frying pan. I like using the grill to get those nice grill lines. (photos 13-14)

Once grilled, serve your seitan burger with burger buns, plus all your favourite toppings and sauces.

What toppings should I use?

Top your seitan burger as you would any other vegan or veggie burger. Here are some ideas:

• Lettuce or shredded cabbage
• Tomato slices
• Pickles or relish
• Red onion
• Caramelized onion, pepper, and/or mushrooms
• Avocado slices or guacamole
• Spicy mayo, “regular” mayo, ketchup, mustard or BBQ sauce

Storage

Store leftover seitan burgers in a sealed container in your refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Or, you may freeze them air-tight in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Separate the seitan patties with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking to one another in the freezer.

Expert Tips

• If possible, prepare your seitan burgers one day in advance of grilling. These taste best when refrigerated overnight, and grilled the next day. However, they’re still great if grilled straight after making.
• Weigh your vital wheat gluten for the most accurate results. Relying on cup measurements could result in a seitan burger that’s dry and dense as measuring tends to pack more flour into the cups, when compared to weight.
• Use salty, flavourful broth for the best results since there is no other added salt to this seitan burger recipe.
• Try to portion your mixture into 8 equal size pieces for even cooking and similar sized seitan burgers. If you want them to be perfect, use a kitchen scale to weigh the pieces.
• Roll your patties fairly flat, as they will grow and almost double in size during cooking.
• You want the patties to simmer in the broth and NOT boil, so they cook slowly, for the best texture. Don’t increase the oven temperature in an attempt to cook these faster.

More vegan burger recipes

If you tried this recipe, please let me know about it in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don’t forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter to see more delicious food and get all the latest updates.

Buon appetito

Rosa

Recipe