Grilled Lentil Burgers
On December 14, 2016 (Updated May 08, 2024)
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These Grilled Lentil Burgers were created in collaboration with Canadian Lentils to help you #lovealentil. All opinions and this ridiculously delicious recipe are completely my own. I’ve waxed long about my family’s love of lentils in my last post for Smoky BBQ Baked Lentils with Bacon. We like to simmer lentils for a simple side dish with awesome nutritional value, but I really wanted to think outside the box for this recipe. We are all meat lovers in this house, but I get questions fairly regularly from readers who are looking for grilled dishes for their vegetarian or meat-free friends.
Lentil burger recipes exist, but most of them are meant to be pan friend because they can be a little delicate. This recipe was specifically developed using red lentils so the patties would have a better texture and be dense enough to hold up to the high temps of the grill. Red lentils have the husk removed and are split, so they cook quickly and become exceptionally tender. The soft lentils, mixed with onions, carrots, breadcrumbs, and oats have an awesome texture and layers of flavor.
I’m not going to pretend that these are mimicking beef burgers, these lentil burgers are a whole different non-animal entirely. And I love them for that. Hearty and filling, yet surprisingly light. The real flavor punch comes from my Homemade Sweet Rub that is both mixed into the patties and sprinkled on top. These grilled lentil burgers have a spicy/smoky flavor with an awesome crunch from the grill. You’ll be making these for dinner even when your vegetarian friends aren’t coming over. YUM!
PRO TIP: I used some ramekins to shape my burger patties, but you can easily make them by hand. Just form the patties to fit the size of your bun, because you don’t have to worry about these patties shrinking while grilling.
Grilled Lentil Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry split red lentils rinsed
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium sweet onion diced
- 1 carrot grated
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Homemade Sweet Rub divided use
- 3/4 cup rolled oats finely ground
- 3/4 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Boil the lentils in the vegetable stock for 20 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed and the lentils are tender.
- Preheat a saute pan to medium heat and simmer the carrot and onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Preheat your grill to high heat (around 450 degrees F)
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the lentils, onions and carrots, eggs, soy sauce, half of the sweet rub, oats and breadcrumbs. Form the mixture into 8 patties (they should be about 1/4 cup each).
- Carefully transfer the patties onto the hot grill grates and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, flipping only once.
- Serve on buns with your favorite burger toppings.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
