Sprouted Lentil Burgers (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

By Hannah Healy

Updated June 14, 2023

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These sprouted lentil burgers are slightly crispy on the outside and moist on the inside with a slightly smokey and earthy flavor. If you have lentil sprouts on hand, they are quick and easy to make.

Close up of open faced sprouted lentil burger on green lettuce on a bun on a white plate with tomato and onion in the background

Even though I decided to start eating meat after 11 years of vegetarianism, I still enjoy healthy soy-free vegetarian foods. I really like to sprout or soak beans and grains to help increase their nutrient content and make them easier to digest.

That’s why I’m a fan of sprouting lentils. Not only does it make them easier on the gut, but it also brings out a new texture and flavor to the legume! So I figured some yummy sprouted lentil burgers would be a great way to use up my sprouted lentils.

Sprouted lentil burger with lettuce, tomato, onion and a bun on a white plate with a red and white striped dish towel next to it

Why I love this recipe

  • Sprouted lentils can be eaten raw so there’s no need to cook them before making them into burgers!
  • The smokey flavor and soft texture of these burgers makes for a satisfying meal.
  • Did you know that sprouting lentils results in increased nutrients and even higher protein content? Making these burgers with sprouted lentils also makes them easier to digest!
  • Once you’ve sprouted your lentils, making this recipe is super quick and easy and requires minimal ingredients.

Overhead shot of open faced sprouted lentil burger on green lettuce on a bun on a white plate with tomato and onion next to it on a white plate next to a red and white striped dish towel

Sprouted lentil burger recipe tips

  • Sprouting lentils takes about 2-3 days, so make sure you’ve done that before you make this recipe. You can find directions on how to sprout lentils here (you’ll need to double the sprouted lentils to have enough for these burgers).
  • You’ll need a food processor or a strong blender like a vitamix to process and grind the lentils in this recipe.
  • I use all purpose gluten-free flour in this recipe, but you can also substitute that with regular all-purpose flour.
  • The spice mixture is what really makes the flavor shine with these sprouted lentil burgers, so don’t skip out on any of the spices or it may result in a less than stellar flavor.
  • Sprouted lentils can be eaten raw and have a very different texture than regularly cooked lentils, so it’s not possible to replace the sprouted lentils for regular ones in this recipe.
  • You can store these lentil patties in the refrigerator for about a week or in the freezer in a sealed air-tight container for about a month. They tend to dry up a bit in the refrigerator so they are best eaten fresh. However, the best way to reheat them to retain the moisture is to heat them on about 400° in the toaster oven for about 10-15 minutes. You can also re-heat them in a skillet on low heat covered for about 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Close up of hand holding a lentil burger with lettuce, tomato, onion and a bun with a red and white striped dish towel in the background

How to make these sprouted lentil burgers

Make sure you’ve sprouted lentils prior to making this recipe. It takes about 2-3 days to sprout lentils at home. You’ll need to double this sprouted lentils recipe to have enough lentils for these burgers. Gather all of your ingredients together including the sprouted lentils, spices, tomato paste and flour.

Four dishes on a white marble surface with various lentil burger ingredients

Place all of the recipe ingredients into a food processor.

Clear food processor filled with sprouted lentils, tomato paste, flour and spices on a white marble surface

Blend ingredients together, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary, until it’s fully blended.

Blended red lentil mixture in a clear food processor on a white marble surface

Heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat with a small amount of oil or cooking spray for about 1-2 minutes.While you’re heating up the skillet take out a little smaller than palm sized bit of the lentil mixture and form into a palm-sized patty and place it on the heated skillet.

Uncooked lentil patty in an orange skillet

Let it cook on one side until the cooked side has some charring color on it (about 2-3 minutes), then flip the burger and cook for another few minutes until that side also has a little charring on it.

Lentil patty with some black charring on top in an orange skillet

Repeat this process, adding more cooking spray or oil as needed, until all of the burgers are cooked. There should be about 5-6 patties total.

Three stacked cooked sprouted lentil patties on a white plate

Serve with your favorite toppings and burger buns or lettuce wrap and enjoy!

Dark haired woman with green shirt smiling and holding sprouted lentil burger with bun

Close up of open faced sprouted lentil burger on green lettuce on a bun on a white plate with tomato and onion in the background

Sprouted Lentil Burgers (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

Hannah Healy
These sprouted lentil burgers are slightly crispy on the outside and moist on the inside with a slightly smokey and earthy flavor. If you have lentil sprouts on hand, they are quick and easy to make.
4.19 from 16 votes
Print Pin Share Rate
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Sprouting Lentils 2 days
Total Time 2 days 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Gluten Free
Servings 6 servings
Calories 102 kcal

EQUIPMENT

  • Food processor or Vitamix

Ingredients
  

  • 5 cups sprouted green lentils
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup all purpose gluten free flour
  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder or chipotle powder

Instructions
 

  • Make sure you've sprouted lentils prior to making this recipe. It takes about 2-3 days to sprout lentils at home. You'll need to double this sprouted lentils recipe to have enough lentils for these burgers.
  • Gather all of your ingredients together including the sprouted lentils, spices, tomato paste and flour. Place all of the recipe ingredients into a food processor.
  • Blend ingredients together, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary, until it's fully blended.
  • Heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat with a small amount of oil or cooking spray for about 1-2 minutes.While you're heating up the skillet take out a little smaller than palm sized bit of the lentil mixture and form into a palm-sized patty and place it on the heated skillet.
  • Let it cook on one side until the cooked side has some charring color on it (about 2-3 minutes), then flip the burger and cook for another few minutes until that side also has a little charring on it. Repeat this process, adding more cooking spray or oil as needed, until all of the burgers are cooked. There should be about 5-6 patties total.
  • Serve with your favorite toppings and burger buns or lettuce wrap and enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • Sprouting lentils takes about 2-3 days, so make sure you've done that before you make this recipe. You can find directions on how to sprout lentils here (this recipe should be doubled).
  • You'll need a food processor or a strong blender like a vitamix to process and grind the lentils in this recipe.
  • I use all purpose gluten-free flour in this recipe, but you can also substitute that with regular all-purpose flour.
  • The spice mixture is what really makes the flavor shine in this recipe, so don't skip out on any of the spices or it may result in a less than stellar flavor.
  • Sprouted lentils can be eaten raw and have a very different texture than regularly cooked lentils, so it's not possible to replace the sprouted lentils for regular ones in this recipe.
  • You can store these lentil patties in the refrigerator for about a week or in the freezer in a sealed air-tight container for about a month. They tend to dry up a bit in the refrigerator so they are best eaten fresh. However, the best way to reheat them to retain the moisture is to heat them on about 400° in the toaster oven for about 10-15 minutes. You can also re-heat them in a skillet on low heat covered for about 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Nutrition

Calories: 102 kcalCarbohydrates: 20 gProtein: 6 gFat: 1 g
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This post was originally posted in September of 2013, but has been republished in May of 2021 to include improved recipe tips, photos and video. 

Sprouted Lentil Burgers (Vegan & Gluten-Free)Sprouted Lentil Burgers (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
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Hannah Healy

Hannah Healy is the founder of Healy Eats Real, a health and wellness website that provides healthy recipes and helpful information on wellness. Hannah is the published author of The Ultimate Paleo Cookbook. Her work has been featured on Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Redbook, fitness and MSN.