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    Home » Recipes » Mains

    The Best Vegan Grillable Seitan Burger

    Published: Jan 24, 2022 by Rosa · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, meaning if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

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    JUMP TO RECIPE

    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.

    vegan burger in bun with tomato, lettuce, pickle, onion and spicy mayo.

    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.

    Hand holding up burger with bite taken out of it.
    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:

    Ingredients scattered on kitchen counter to make vegan seitan burgers.
    See recipe card for quantities.
    • 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)

    Image collage: mushrooms, beans, seasoning in food processor being blended, and then flour added and reblended.

    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)

    Image collage: seitan mixture being divided into 8 patties and rolled thin, then adding to baking dish with broth.

    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)

    Seitan burgers on grill, before and after grilling.

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

    Seitan burger with double stacked patties, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, and spicy mayo.

    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

    • Vegan chicken burger in bun with onion, tomato, lettuce and mayo.
      Vegan Chicken Burgers [GF + Oil Free]
    • hand holding up veggie burger with lettuce, onion, and peppers inside
      Mushroom Risotto Burger [GF+Oil Free]
    • Veggie burger in bun with pickled jalapenos, avocado, onion and ketchup on cutting board.
      Vegan Sweet Potato Burgers [Oil Free]
    • burger in bun with tomato, onion, pickle, spicy mayo
      Black Bean Pumpkin Burgers [Oil Free]

    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

    vegan burger in bun with tomato, lettuce, pickle, onion and spicy mayo.

    Grillable Seitan Burger

    A juicy, hearty, unbelievably tasty seitan burger that will hold up on the grill!
    5 from 35 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Add to Collection Go to Collections
    Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Canadian
    Servings: 8 Seitan Burgers
    Calories: 173kcal
    Author: Rosa

    Equipment

    Food Processor

    Ingredients

    For the seitan burgers

    • ¾ cup black beans cooked or canned
    • 4 ounce white mushrooms
    • 2 tablespoons white miso paste
    • 1 tablespoon tahini
    • 2 teaspoons onion powder
    • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
    • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
    • ½ cup vegetable broth
    • 280 grams vital wheat gluten approx. 2 ¼ cups

    For cooking

    • 3-4 cups vegetable broth room temperature

    For serving

    • vegan burger buns
    • lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, avocado
    • vegan spicy mayo
    US Customary – Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 C).
    • Add all the seitan burger ingredients EXCEPT the vital wheat gluten to a food processor, and process until smooth. Next, add about half of the vital wheat gluten and process until mostly smooth. Then add the remaining half and process until mostly combined, without over-processing.
    • Transfer the mixture to a clean surface, like a cutting board or countertop, and knead the dough for about 30 seconds, but don't go overboard. Once you see strands of gluten, the dough is ready. (See process shots above for a visual.)
    • Divide into 8 equal pieces for even cooking. I use a kitchen scale to make them perfectly equal, but this is not necessary. You can eyeball it.
    • Roll each piece into a ball and then use a rolling pin to flatten each one into a patty. They will expand during cooking, so make them a little flatter than you'd like the final result to be. As you're stretching the burgers, you should see them spring back a little.
    • Use an oven-safe dish with a lid, like a dutch oven, and add a thin layer of vegetable broth to the bottom. Then layer your seitan patties on top, adding more broth in between the layers of patties. Add enough broth to ensure the patties are completely covered.
    • Then place the lid on top and bake in your preheated oven for 80 minutes, carefully flipping them at the 40-minute mark. Be very careful when flipping to prevent breaking the patties. When the 80 minutes is complete, remove from the oven.
    • If you're making these in advance, transfer the patties to a container to refrigerate overnight and finish cooking on the day you're serving. (Reserve the broth for drinking, it's delicious, don't dump it! 😉 )
    • Treat these as you would raw burgers. They are NOT ready to eat straight out of the oven. Finish off your seitan burger on the grill, or in a frying pan. Brush a little oil to prevent sticking and sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired. Then grill or pan fry for a few minutes on each side until brown and heated through.
    • Enjoy with burger buns and all your favourite toppings.

    Notes

    If possible, prepare your 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 recipe.
    Try to portion your mixture into 8 equal size pieces for even cooking and similar-sized patties. 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.
    Your seitan burger patties will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days or freeze, layered with parchment paper to prevent sticking for up to 3 months. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 644mg | Potassium: 171mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 471IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2mg
    DID YOU TRY THIS RECIPE?Mention @this.healthy.kitchen on IG and tag #thishealthykitchen!
    *Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools and does not include optional ingredients unless otherwise indicated.
    807 shares

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    Comments

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    1. Joe

      June 17, 2023 at 12:49 pm

      5 stars
      Juicy, flavorful, and irresistible!

      Umami, meaty, earthy and moist.

      I add marmite when I make it.

      This is the first burger recipe I’ve found that isn’t mushy, doesn’t crumble apart, nor just a granola mix of various carbs on a bun.

      Excellent grilled or heated in a cast iron skillet. Very versatile cutlets. A burger, a steak, a fajita, a shepherd’s pie.

      They really double up when they’re poached, so after the first time, I’ve been making them into 16 VERY thin patties. It’s a more manageable size for when I heat them in the skillet or grill them. Plus, who isn’t satisfied with a “double” lol

      Thank you so much for sharing this outstanding seitan recipe.

      Reply
      • Rosa

        June 19, 2023 at 8:35 am

        Thanks for taking the time to leave a detailed review, Joe. I’m so thrilled you loved the seitan burgers. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Jean TEMPEST

      May 03, 2023 at 12:19 pm

      5 stars
      Lovely tasty burgers and easy no fuss ingredients – a winner

      Reply
      • Rosa

        May 04, 2023 at 9:21 am

        Thrilled you enjoyed them Jean! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Teri

      May 02, 2023 at 4:48 pm

      5 stars
      Mine turned out HUGE! I need to divide into 10 or 11 patties next time and roll seriously thin, which will be a challenge because they prefer to spring back after rolling. That said, I sliced one in half, which fried okay as a patty, and another one got sliced into strips and seasoned with shwarma seasoning – seriously good. I love the broth cooking – puffs up the results more than steaming, but so much simpler. This recipe opens up a lot of possibilities for me; I personally think I’ll use them sliced more than as patties. I’m thinking bulgogi, shwarma, gyros, fajitas:)

      Reply
      • Rosa

        May 03, 2023 at 9:14 am

        So glad you enjoyed it Teri. Thanks for sharing all these great ideas with us. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Meagan

      March 27, 2023 at 8:14 am

      Do you think it’s possible to sub the mushrooms for anything else?

      Reply
      • Rosa

        March 27, 2023 at 9:39 am

        I haven’t tried making this without the mushrooms, but if you must omit them, you could try some eggplant or zucchini in their place.

        Reply
    5. Mary P

      March 10, 2023 at 10:07 am

      I can’t get over the odd taste seitian has. Someone suggested washing the flour first. If I do that do I just follow the recipe as is and just add all ingredients to the washed seitan?

      Reply
      • Rosa

        March 12, 2023 at 10:13 am

        Hi Mary, I haven’t tried washing flour for this recipe but in theory, yes that should work. Please let us know if you give it a try.

        Reply
      • Holly

        April 19, 2023 at 12:31 pm

        MaryP, try adding a small amount, 1tsp, of apple cider vinegar to your seitan dough. I find that cuts the “bready” flavor of seitan. I hope this helps!

        Reply
    « Older Comments

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    Hi, I'm Rosa! Welcome to This Healthy Kitchen where you'll find tasty and nutritious, plant-based recipes. I'm an avid home cook who believes food is medicine. Each recipe is made using wholesome ingredients and under 400 calories per serving with many gluten-free and oil-free options. Occasional cheat days included. 😉

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