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    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian Burger Recipes

    Sep 2, 2020 · Modified: Jul 14, 2021 by Becca Heyes · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

    Vegan 'Chicken' Burgers

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    Total time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 6 burgers
    5 from 1 vote
    Jump to Recipe Rate this Recipe

    These vegan 'chicken' burgers are made with TVP for the perfect 'meaty' texture! They're so easy to make, and perfect with your favourite burger sauce.

    A hand holding a vegan chicken burger in a bun with salad.

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    I make veggie burgers quite often, but they're usually bean burgers or lentil burgers, rather than 'meaty' ones. So this time I tried something a bit different, and made these vegan 'chicken' burgers using TVP! Pile them high with sauces and salad for a tasty vegan burger.

    An open-topped vegan chicken burger on a board, topped with sliced tomato.

    Vegetarian 'chicken' burgers

    It's hard to beat a good veggie burger - there's something super satisfying about picking up a big bun stuffed with a tasty burger and plenty of salad, and taking a huge bite. My usual cheesy lentil burgers are insanely good, but this time I fancied something a bit meatier, and decided to try making a meat-style veggie burger instead.

    To make these vegan 'chicken' burgers, I used TVP! I'd actually never used TVP before, so this was a first for me, but I found it really easy to cook with.

    A packet of TVP chunks spilling out onto a table.

    What is TVP?

    TVP stands for 'textured vegetable protein', and it's essentially a dried meat substitute made from soybeans. I know, the name doesn't exactly make it sound irresistible, but it's actually a really versatile product! It has a chewier, 'meatier' texture than a lot of other meat substitutes.

    TVP doesn't have much flavour on its own, so it's perfect for soaking up whatever flavours you add to it.

    Some TVP comes minced, but to make these 'chicken' burgers, I actually used these TVP chunks from Indigo Herbs, which is an online whole foods shop based in Glastonbury. They stock all sorts of incredible products, including lots of things you might struggle to find elsewhere.

    My favourite section on the Indigo Herbs site is the wholefoods section, where you can buy big bags of dried beans and grains, seeds, dried fruit, and loads of other things.

    TVP chunks soaking in vegetable stock in a jug.

    How to cook with TVP

    Since TVP comes dried, you need to start by rehydrating it. To get some flavour into it straight off the bat, I soaked my TVP in vegetable stock.

    Just soak the TVP chunks for around 10-15 minutes, until they're soft. They have a tendency to float on top of the stock, so just dunk them under again every now and then to ensure they all rehydrate nicely!

    Minced TVP chunks in a mixing bowl.

    Make the 'chicken' burger mixture

    When the TVP is ready to use, add it to a food processor. You don't want it to be completely blended up, as you still want your burgers to have some texture, so just pulse it a few times to break down the chunks of TVP.

    Add some flour to bind it all together, and plenty of seasoning - some of my favourite smoked paprika, salt and pepper, garlic, and some dried herbs.

    Then shape the mixture into burgers, and fry on both sides in a dash of oil. They get so perfectly crispy!

    Vegan chicken burgers cooking in a frying pan.

    Load them up!

    Finally - serve them in buns with plenty of salad and sauce! It will really elevate the burgers and make them truly irresistible.

    I kept things simple - mayo (use vegan mayo to keep these 'chicken' burgers vegan!), ketchup, and some lettuce and sliced tomatoes.

    My homemade burger sauce is also insanely good, if you fancy something a bit different. You'll never guess what the secret ingredient is!

    A vegan chicken burger made from TVP, in a bun with salad.

    So have I inspired you to try TVP? It's such a handy product to keep in the kitchen, as it's shelf-stable (just reseal the bag and it can be stored in the cupboard), and so easy to use.

    If you're making a vegetarian stew or something, you don't even need to soak it before use - just throw it straight in, and it can rehydrate in the pan. I'll definitely be using it again and again!

    Don't forget to grab a bag of TVP chunks from Indigo Herbs!

    More Vegetarian Burger Recipes

    • Easy Cheesy Chickpea Burgers
    • Five Guys Cheese Veggie Sandwich
    • Cheesy Lentil Burgers
    • Vegan Pulled Pork Sandwiches
    A hand holding up a vegan chicken burger in a bun with lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mayo.

    Vegan 'chicken' burgers

    These vegan 'chicken' burgers are made with TVP for the perfect 'meaty' texture! They're so easy to make, and perfect with your favourite burger sauce.

    If you've cooked this recipe, don't forget to leave a star rating!

    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Comment
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Soaking time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 6 burgers
    Calories: 178kcal
    Author: Becca Heyes

    Ingredients

    • 750 ml (~ 3 cups) hot vegetable stock
    • 200 g (~ 3 cups) dried TVP chunks
    • 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon garlic granules
    • 1 teaspoon dried Italian mixed herbs
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 45 g (~ ⅓ cup) plain flour
    • 2 tablespoon oil, for frying
    • To serve: 6 burger buns, salad, sauces

    Instructions

    • Pour the hot vegetable stock into a large bowl, and add the dried TVP chunks. You can add a little more water if needed, to ensure they're fully covered in liquid. Soak for at least 15 minutes, until soft - you may need to give them a stir every few minutes to ensure all the chunks are soaking properly, as they tend to float to the surface of the liquid.
    • Drain the liquid from the TVP chunks, collecting a small amount of it in a bowl.
    • Place the soaked TVP chunks in a food processor, and pulse a few times to chop the TVP into a mince-like texture.
    • Transfer the TVP to another mixing bowl, and add the remaining ingredients (not including the oil). Add about a tablespoon of the soaking liquid, and mix thoroughly.
    • Heat a dash of oil in a frying pan. Take a handful of the TVP mixture, and form it into a burger shape. I found I needed to squeeze it together quite firmly. Place in the pan, and repeat with some more of the mixture - I cooked 3 burgers at a time, making 6 in total. Cook the burgers for a few minutes each side, over a medium heat, until crispy and golden brown.
    • Serve in buns with salad and sauce.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 burger patty - Calories: 178 kcal - Carbohydrates: 15.9 g - Protein: 17 g - Fat: 4.7 g - Saturated Fat: 0.6 g - Cholesterol: 0 mg - Sodium: 391 mg - Potassium: 823 mg - Fiber: 5.9 g - Sugar: 4.1 g - Calcium: 112 mg - Iron: 4 mg

    Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @EasyCheesyVeg or tag #EasyCheesyVegetarian!

    More Vegetarian Burger Recipes

    • 60 Vegetarian Black Bean Recipes
    • Vegetarian nacho burgers with nacho cheese sauce
    • Halloumi and Portobello Burgers with Homemade Peri Peri Sauce
    • Nutty pumpkin seed baked veggie burgers
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    Comments

    1. Jeremy says

      May 11, 2022 at 4:28 am

      Hi there. In your introduction you mentioned that "Some TVP comes minced, but to make these ‘chicken’ burgers, I actually used these TVP chunks".

      But you then basically blended the chunks into mince in the final product. Why not then buy the soya mince to avoid the unnecessary step of pulverizing the chunks into mince?
      Is there a reason you didn't do this?

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        May 11, 2022 at 9:55 am

        Nope, you could totally use mince instead :)

        Reply
    2. Alice Humphrey says

      May 11, 2021 at 3:19 am

      Thank you I would love to try some of your recipes

      Reply
    3. Sarahd says

      September 07, 2020 at 7:01 pm

      If you were guessing, about how many ounces or cups of tvp did you end up with after the soaking and processing? What I have is more of a “ground beef” style, frozen tvp. 

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        September 09, 2020 at 1:56 pm

        I'd guess about 3 cups!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Becca! I've been a vegetarian for 20+ years, and unlike most of my other childhood pursuits, I actually stuck with it! I love cooking vegetarian food that's full of flavour, but doesn't take a lot of effort to make.

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