These are a flavorful and easy alternative to traditional burgers, very adaptable to your palate, and customizable with a few different ingredients. Cook them with cheese, put them between buns with your favorite toppings, and be amazed at the flavor! I like mine pizza-style, topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
A good burger is one of my favorite foods. I love (and cook often) this melting cheese-stuffed skillet burger, but came to the conclusion that I can eat a lentil version and be just as satisfied. That was a revelation, a great one I might add!
Why this recipe works:
- Great flavor. The vegetables and seasonings are spot on so you know the flavor will be wonderful.
- It's satisfying. Use your usual bun and toppings and have yourself a great meal.
- Customizable. There are a few ingredients that can be substituted and you can add different herbs and spices to adjust to your personal palate.
Ingredients
One of the most important parts of these lentil burgers being successful is them having a good flavor and binding well, not falling apart.
- Lentils: brown cooked lentils are the best. They are plump and have a good texture.
- Rice: it has to be cooked and it can be brown or white. I use Yamani a lot because I usually have leftovers. It acts as a binder as it becomes sticky when processed.
- Soffrito: this is the star flavoring of this recipe and is the Italian trinity of ingredients - celery, carrot, onion - used so much in sauces because together they add so much flavor.
- Eggs: they are needed to bind the burgers so they don't fall apart while they're cooking.
- Oats: a dry ingredient that absorbs moisture and makes the structure better.
- Parsley and garlic: they add even more flavor.
- Spices: salt and pepper, always, and I also add paprika, smoked preferably. It adds a barely-there spicy note that elevates the whole mixture. You can add more if you like spicy food.
Easy steps
Here's a guide on how to make lentil rice burgers, and it's very easy!
Flavor mixture
The trifecta of carrot, celery, and onion are processed together with the seasonings and parsley until bite-sized but not mushy. Many other ingredients will be added and it will be further processed.
Adding binding agents
These will be the rice and the eggs. They will bring the mixture together but it will be very liquid, almost soupy, at first. The rest of the ingredients will thicken it.
Adding lentils and oats
The final step is adding the main ingredient, lentils, and also the oats to make the mixture thick enough to form the burgers. This is important because if it's not the right consistency they will fall apart when trying to form into patties.
Forming the burgers
This is easy: simply take a scoop of the lentil mixture, form it into a ball, flatten it into a patty, and place it on top of some oats. Sprinkle more oats to coat the surface. This coating holds them together and will ensure they cook more evenly.
My top tips
- Lentils: they can turn slightly bitter when you process them too much. So make sure you add them at the end and process only until it's all mixed and thick enough. Don't overprocess after adding them!
- Measuring: I use a cup of each ingredient and two eggs, so it's easy to use a larger container to measure or to cut the recipe in half. Simply adjust the number of eggs that you will use.
- Flavor: I strongly recommend that you adjust the seasonings to your and your family's palate. This is a basic recipe that is highly customizable when it comes to taste.
- Ingredients: some can be substituted, like chickpeas for the rice, the spices and parsley. But brown lentils are the best for this. You can use beans, but then they wouldn't be lentil burgers, would they?
Pizza-style burgers
We call it Neapolitan burgers, but they are really the lentil patties topped with tomato sauce and cheese. Make sure the cheese is one that melts a lot, mozzarella for pizza, or any other type that will give you a great melty experience works.
- Cook the burgers on one side, flip them over carefully, and top with a tablespoon or two of tomato sauce and a few slices of cheese.
Continue baking for 5-10 minutes, until cooked through and the cheese is melted.
Frequently asked questions
This recipe uses mostly eggs as the binding ingredient. But rice when processed will also become one.
The easiest way is to process the whole mixture so that the ingredients really mix together and achieve a cohesive mixture that will not fall apart. That said, I also add oats to the formed burgers which will also aid in keeping the form while cooking.
In theory, you can, but we don't. But flour will make the burgers too dense and weigh it down, so we don't use it.
It depends on the ingredients and also how you eat it. Burgers that are mostly beef can be as healthy as veggie ones that are eaten with cheese and sauces.
Related recipes you might like:
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Lentil Burgers
These are a flavorful and easy alternative to traditional burgers, very adaptable to your palate, and customizable with a few different ingredients. Cook them with cheese, put them between buns with your favorite toppings, and be amazed at the flavor!
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 burgers 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked lentils (from a can works too)
- 1 cup of cooked rice (I use whole wheat)
- 1 cup of onion, carrot, and celery, ⅓ of each in pieces
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Smoked paprika, to taste
- 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup of oats (depending on the size of the eggs you might need more)
- Extra oatmeal to cook and store the burgers
Instructions
- Process the onion, carrot, and celery until they are mixed but don't start to turn into a paste.
- Add the seasonings, rice, and parsley. Process until it's all mixed, but it will have texture, not be a paste.
- Add the eggs and process until combined. It will soupy or at least very thin.
- Add a few tablespoons of oatmeal. Process using on/off just to mix a bit. It has to come together but not be completely integrated.
- Only now add the lentils (see Notes below) and process until you have a thick mixture and can it mounds well on a spoon. Don't process the lentils. The whole mixture should be integrated but not a paste or very smooth. It has texture.
- Sprinkle oatmeal on a plate.
- Form the hamburgers by scooping a portion, forming it into a ball, and flattening it into a patty.
- Place on top of the oats, add some extra oats to the top of the patties and press slightly to adhere on both sides.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, well wrapped or in a container with a lid. Or freeze up to a month, individually wrapping each one and putting them in a container so they keep their shape while freezing.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Put the burgers on an oiled baking sheet, and drizzle with some oil. I use olive oil but any will do.
- Cook for 10-15 minutes and turn, cooking an extra 5-10 minutes until done.
- Pizza-style burgers: when you turn them over, top the cooked side with tomato sauce and melty cheese (as you would a pizza). Continue baking until the burger is done and the cheese melted.
Notes
- Lentils: they can turn slightly bitter when you process them too much. So make sure you add them at the end and process only until it's all mixed and thick enough. Don't overprocess after adding them!
- Measuring: I use a cup of each ingredient and two eggs, so it's easy to use a larger container to measure or to cut the recipe in half. Simply adjust the number of eggs that you will use.
- Flavor: I strongly recommend that you adjust the seasonings to your and your family's palate. This is a basic recipe that is highly customizable when it comes to taste.
- Ingredients: some can be substituted, like chickpeas for the rice, the spices, and parsley. But brown lentils are the best for this. You can use beans, but then they wouldn't be lentil burgers, would they?
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Main dishes
- Method: Mixing + Cooking
- Cuisine: International
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅙
- Calories: 145
- Sugar: 1.3 g
- Sodium: 428.7 mg
- Fat: 1.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.1 g
- Protein: 8.3 g
- Cholesterol: 62 mg
Keywords: lentil burgers
angiesrecipes says
They look nice and perfect for vegetarians. I can't imagine my life without meat LOL.
Paula Montenegro says
Me neither Angie, lol. But I was amazed at how much I loved these burgers!