A vegan burger that is filled with sautéed veggies and a touch of vegan mayo. Textured vegetable protein is used here to help make these burgers meaty and like turkey burgers!
Prior to going vegan one of my favorite things was a turkey burger. I would always get them from the diner and for years it has been on my list of things to recreate. I have been buying the turkey-less protein patties from Trader Joe’s. While those are really great I wanted to make these vegan turkey-style burgers because they are perfect for summer. Textured vegetable protein (TVP) is the main ingredient in this recipe, so this is a soy-based recipe. It is combined with a lot of sautéed veggies and chickpea flour is used here as a binder. The vegan mayo adds a little touch of moisture and fat to the dish, albeit very minimal.
Textured Vegetable Protein
Let’s talk about our friend TVP here! So, TVP is one of my favorite substitutes to use when I want to make something meaty. I use it in various recipes in my cookbook, I used it in my Vegan Wonton Recipe, it is seriously such an amazing ingredient. TVP is basically defatted soy flour, that they dehydrate and form into little chunks or in this case almost like ground bits. I love that it is shelf stable making it perfect to stock up on and just keep in the closet. You can find it online or at Whole Foods and other health stores. All you do is rehydrate it before using it and you are good to go. It does have a bit of a weird look and texture to it, but don’t be weirded out, I promise it is amazing.
Grilling and Ways to Cook These
I am a big fan of my little George Foreman grill. The one I specifically have is small which is perfect for me. It can cook two patties at one time, and makes beautiful grill marks. I always seem to struggle with the actual grill and find my vegan burgers get stuck to it very easily. If you do want to make these on a regular grill I would highly encourage you to cook it on a piece of a foil. I am very worried about these sticking and falling apart, so definitely cook it on the foil. You can also bake these vegan turkey-style burgers, I would suggest starting at 375°F (190°C) for 18-20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Let’s Talk Seasonings
Now, I am sure there will be people who are like “why isn’t there any seasonings listed in the ingredients?” The vegetable broth, unless you are using a lower sodium, will obviously have salt and other flavors. The vegetables add a lot of flavor as well. From there I personally like to add seasonings to the top of my burger patties. I have been loving the Trader Joe’s Citrusy Garlic seasoning, it is amazing. So, I used that on mune but I want you to feel free to add flavor to how you like things. You can use garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, BBQ sauce, Buffalo sauce – I mean really anything you like, so feel free to customize these vegan turkey-style burgers to your preference.
Chickpea Flour
I am a big fan of using chickpea flour when cooking. It has some extra nutrients and fiber. It is great if you are gluten free (I am not but still love it) and it is so versatile. I use it in a lot of things and if you have seen my other recipes then you know I love it. If you can’t use chickpea flour or don’t like it you can use breadcrumbs in this recipe or another type of flour. I would steer away from using all purpose flour in this personally, something just feels weird to me about using that, but you can use oat flour, rice flour, buckwheat flour – I feel things like that would work well. But I can’t recommend chickpea flour enough!
FAQ
- Can I substitute the TVP with something else? You could try using quinoa, I am not sure how well it will hold. You may need to add more chickpea flour and even a vegan egg replacer. I haven’t tested this but that would be my first suggestion.
- How can I equally divide the burgers up? Kitchen scale! I think a kitchen scale is so useful and makes cooking so much easier. All you have to do is get the total weight of the mixture when it’s done and divide that number by 4!
- Can I freeze these? Sure, just freeze them individually first and then store in a container.
- How long do these last in the fridge? Up to 2-3 days.
- Can I use different veggies? Of course. You can use mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, jalapeño – any vegetables you like.
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Sharing direct links to recipes and pictures is highly encouraged, please do not copy and paste my recipes or share my pictures without permission. I work very hard on my blog and don’t want to see my recipes popping up anywhere. Thank you so much.
Vegan Turkey-Style Burgers
Equipment
- George Foreman Grill
Ingredients
- ½ large red bell pepper (about 4 ounces/120g), chopped
- ½ small red onion (about 1.5 ounces/40g), chopped
- 3 green onions chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup (100g) textured vegetable protein (TVP)
- ¾ cup (180ml) vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon vegan mayonnaise
- ½ cup + 1 teaspoon (65g) chickpea flour
- Seasonings of choice for topping burger
- Spray oil
Instructions
- In a pan sauté the peppers, red and green onions, and garlic in oil for 5 minutes on low heat. Just until fragrant and softened, stir occasionally.
- Meanwhile, rehydrate the TVP by adding the vegetable broth to the TVP in a bowl set aside for 5 to 10 minutes until absorbed.
- Add the rehydrated TVP, vegetables, vegan mayo, and a third of the chickpea flour into the food processor. Pulse to combine. Add another third of the chickpea flour, pulse to combine. Finish, with the remaining chickpea flour and pulse to combine. The mixture should be easy to make into a patty and hold its shape. If it cannot do this add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of chickpea flour.
- Divide the mixture into 4 equal amounts and use your hands to create 4 patties.
- Season the patties with your favorite seasonings: salt, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper. You can even brush it with a sauce. I used the Trader Joe’s Citrusy Garlic seasoning and salt.
- Spray a small grill, like a George Foreman grill, with oil and place the patties in there. Grill for 10 minutes until the top is crispy and dark. Remove from the grill. Repeat with remaining patties if you can’t fit all 4 in the grill. See notes above about alternative cooking methods.
- Allow the patties to cool for 1 to 2 minutes as this will help them to firm up a bit after cooking.
- Add the patties to a bun if desired and top with your favorite toppings and vegan cheese of choice.
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