A hearty vegan burger that satisfies well enough to become the go-to house burger! The sixth of six recipes that create one epic seventh recipe, from Dustin Harder’s new cookbook, Epic Vegan: Wild and Over-the-Top Plant-based Recipes. This recipe is meatless, dairy-free, vegan, has a gluten-free option, and is easy to make.

A vegan burger piled high with multiple sauces, an extra bun, mac & cheese, and veggies, with a knife sticking out the top.

recipe 6 of 7: all-american burger

The sixth and final recipe to make the amazing (epic, really) Bacon Mac and Cheese BBQ Blue Burger from Epic Vegan is the burger itself. In the next recipe, we will be putting all these recipes together, and it’s gonna get messy in a good way!

There is a special burgeriness to these All-American Burgers, and I didn’t use the vital wheat gluten, which adds that burgery texture. It’s in the depth of flavor, and I think the key is the allspice. Specifically, the cloves in allspice - it adds an earthy note that balances the burger in a way that is often lacking in standard veggie burgers. This could easily become your new go-to burger!

all seven recipes

A closeup of half a burger with layers of lettuce, vegan patty, blue cheese sauce, bbq sauce, mac & cheese, and a bun.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Olive oil is used to cook the onion, baby bella mushrooms, and tempeh. If you'd like to avoid oil, omit it and be sure to preheat the skillet well before adding the ingredients.

If you don't have baby bella mushrooms, other varieties like button or shiitake will do.

Garlic, allspice, and thyme combine to provide a delicious, deep flavor.

Brown rice, vital wheat gluten, and bread crumbs are the binders in this recipe, helping the burger stick together. If you don't want to use vital wheat gluten, you can replace it with more bread crumbs, which can be gluten-free.

Soy sauce, salt, and red pepper flakes finish off the ingredients.

Let's make all american burgers

Preheat a large skillet and sauté the onion, mushrooms, and tempeh. Then, add the aromatics and spices.

Next, add all the ingredients to a food processor and process just until it starts to form a ball. You're ready to form and grill or bake your burgers!

other epic vegan burger ingredients

The Recipe

A closeup view of half a burger stacked with the works, including mac and cheese.

All American Burger Recipe

A hearty vegan burger that satisfies well enough to become the go-to house burger! The sixth of six recipes that create one epic seventh recipe, from Dustin Harder’s cookbook, Epic Vegan: Wild and Over-the-Top Plant-based Recipes. This recipe is meatless, dairy-free, vegan, has a gluten-free option, and is easy to make. Yield: 4 burgers (or 16 sliders)

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Key Attributes: burger, vegan

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 1 30

Total Time: 50

Servings: 4

Fiber: 2.7g

Equipment

skillet
food processor
grill or oven

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil 30 ml
1 cup onion 160 g (roughly chopped)
1 cup baby bella mushrooms 70 g (stemmed and chopped)
1 cup tempeh 125 g (crumbled)
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¾ cup brown rice 140 g (cooked)
½ cup vital wheat gluten 50 g (see Tip below for gluten-free option)
¼ cup bread crumbs 30 g (dried; gluten-free if desired)
2 tablespoons soy sauce 28 ml
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
canola oil or cooking spray

Instructions

To make the burgers: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, and tempeh; sauté for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, allspice, and thyme, and cook 1 additional minute, until fragrant.
Add the brown rice, vital wheat gluten if using, bread crumbs, soy sauce, salt, and crushed red pepper to a food processor. Add the onion-and-tempeh mixture, and process on low speed until a ball of dough is just starting to form; do not over-process; there should still be some texture to the mixture.
Let the mixture cool slightly, then form the mixture into a 4-inch-long (10-cm) log (see Tip). Cut the log crosswise into 4 patties (1 inch [2.5 cm] thick) and form to desired shape.

Slider Option

If you wish to make sliders, cut each patty into 4 sections and re-form into 16 slider patties. Cook following the directions for the burgers. Heat ¼ inch (6 mm) of canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 patties and fry 2 to 4 minutes on each side, or until browned and crispy. Repeat with the 2 remaining patties. Serve burgers topped as desired.

Baking Option

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C, or gas mark 4). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the prepared burgers, patties, or meatballs on the baking sheet and coat lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes, and remove from the oven. Flip, spray again lightly with cooking spray, and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until browned and firm.

Notes

Author’s Note: It’s important for me to offer a multipurpose recipe for vegetable-grain meat in this book so you can make delicious burgers, sausage patties, and meatballs to have on hand, even if your local grocery store sells the latest in plant-based meats. This recipe is so versatile with just the switch of some spices. Also, if frying isn’t your thing, I’ve included a general baking option.

Tip: If you don’t have vital wheat gluten, don’t stress; you can still make these meats delicious, though they won’t be as firm or have the same chew. Just add ¼ to ½ cup (30 to 60 g) extra bread crumbs until you get a dough-like texture. To create the “log” for the burgers and sausage, transfer the mixture onto a surface and form it into a ball. Push it down on the surface and roll it back and forth with your palms flat, forming it into a log shape with smooth sides, until you reach the desired length.

Kari's note: For an oil-free option, pre-heat the skillet well and dry sauté the veggies. Add a touch of water if sticking.

Tried this recipe?I'd love to see! On Instagram, mention @beautifulingredient and tag #beautifulingredient!