Vegan Big Mac Recipe with Lentil Burgers and Special Sauce

This Vegan Big Mac recipe features flavorful homemade lentil burgers with vegan special sauce, cheese, pickles, onion, and lettuce on seeded buns – all the components of the McDonald’s classic!

I first came up with this Vegan Big Mac recipe for a friend of mine who had just gone vegan years ago (circa late 2008/early 2009). At that time I was living in my hometown (shout-out to Buffalo!). Since then I’ve lived across the world twice, spent a few years in Washington DC, and then finally settled in Florida. I’m sad to say, at some point along the way she and I lost touch!

But every so often I’ll think of her and these burgers will cross my mind. Vegan or not, you’re going to love them! Serve them with a side salad, fries, or apple wedges for a full meal.

For this recipe, we start with a homemade lentil burger. I wanted to keep these gluten free as well as vegan, so we use golden flaxseed meal and cornstarch as the binders. (Don’t forget to use your favorite gluten free buns to keep them GF!) They’re mostly flavored with onion and garlic, but a little bit of vegan Worcestershire sauce adds great depth. Flavor-packed with a crispy exterior, you will want these vegan burgers in your regular dinner rotation. 

And of course we had to go all out with the Big Mac fixings! We whip up a quick vegan special sauce, but you can use store-bought Thousand Island dressing if you prefer. Vegan American cheese, minced onion, shredded lettuce, pickles, and seeded burger buns complete the ensemble.

Even if you’re not vegan, give these a try for a Meatless Monday dinner. And if you’re trying to stick to a budget for food expenses, this is a budget-friendly meal! Make a double batch of the burgers because they freeze well and are great for a quick supper on a busy night.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Economical! A bag of lentils is budget-friendly and we only use 1/2 cup of lentils for this recipe, so you’ll have plenty left to make other things with.
• Freezer-friendly. Make a double batch of the burgers because they freeze well!
• Special diet-friendly. These plant based burgers are vegan, and also gluten free because we use golden flaxseed meal and cornstarch as binders.
• It’s a good replication of the classic. With all the flavors of a Big Mac, this vegan lentil burger version is satisfying and delicious.

The Best Vegan Big Mac Recipe with Lentil Burgers and Vegan Special Sauce

Ingredients

Vegan Special Sauce:

• Vegan mayo
• Ketchup
• Yellow mustard
• Sweet pickle relish
• White wine vinegar
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Paprika

Lentil Burgers:

• Dry brown lentils
• Water
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Onion
• Garlic
• Vegan Worcestershire sauce
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Golden flaxseed meal
• Cornstarch

Big Mac Fixings:

• Seeded burger buns
• Vegan American cheese
• White onion
• Dill pickle slices
• Lettuce

Step-by-Step Instructions

How to Make Vegan Special Sauce:

Mix together all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until using.

How to Make Lentil Burgers:

1. Add the lentils and water to a saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil, and then turn the heat down so it doesn’t boil over, cover the saucepan, and cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well.
3. Prep the onion and garlic.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet. Once hot, add the onion and garlic and cook until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the lentils, onion/garlic mix, Worcestershire, salt, black pepper, golden flaxseed meal, and cornstarch to a food processor.
6. Pulse a few times, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary, and then process until the mixture comes together but isn’t completely pureed.
7. Shape the lentil mixture into 4 equal patties, place them on a plate lined with plastic wrap, and freeze for 10 minutes.
8. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the lentil burgers, turn the heat down to medium, and cook until browned on both sides, about 4 to 5 minutes per side, flipping once.

Storage and Reheating

You can make the vegan special sauce and the lentil burgers up to 5 days in advance. Store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge. (You can store the burgers in the freezer for up to 3 months.)

When you want to assemble the Vegan Big Macs, you can reheat the lentil burgers in a skillet on the stovetop, in a 350F oven, or in the air fryer at 350F until warm.

Cooks Tips

• To save time, you can use 1 1/4 cups of canned lentils (drained well) instead of dry lentils. There’s no need to cook the canned lentils, they are ready to go once you drain them.
• For even more flavorful lentil burgers, use 2 cups of vegetable stock instead of water to cook the lentils.
• If you don’t want to make special sauce, you can use vegan Thousand Island or Russian Dressing for a similar flavor.

Vegan Big Mac FAQs

What’s in McDonald’s Special Sauce (aka Big Mac Sauce)?

Big Mac Sauce (also called Special Sauce) tastes similar to Thousand Island dressing with a sweet, tangy, and savory flavor. But the exact recipe and ingredients for Big Mac Sauce is speculation if you’re making it at home (you can read about the history of this sauce on the McDonald’s website).

A lot of copycats include the following in Big Mac Sauce recipes: mayo, French dressing or ketchup, yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish, minced white onion, white vinegar, sugar, salt, and sometimes other seasonings like paprika, black pepper, and/or garlic powder.

What is a Good Binder for Veggie Burgers and Lentil Burgers?

To make vegan burgers stick together, you can use breadcrumbs, flour, cornstarch, oats, or other similar ingredients.

I wanted to make these lentil burgers gluten free as well as vegan, so for this recipe we use golden flaxseed meal and cornstarch as the binders.

Can I Make These Lentil Burgers Vegetarian Instead of Vegan?

Yes! I frequently make vegetarian lentil burgers; they’re one of my favorite meatless meals. Vegetarian lentil burgers are delicious, and they’re a great way to use up just one egg white!

This is my recipe for 4 vegetarian lentil burgers:

• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 cup cooked lentils, drained
• 1 large egg white
• 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs (any type you like)

1. Add 1 teaspoon oil to a small saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is softened but not browned, about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the onion/garlic mix and lentils to a food processor and pulse 5 to 10 times (there will still be some whole lentils).
3. Transfer the lentil mixture to a bowl, add the egg white, Worcestershire, salt, black pepper, and breadcrumbs. Stir to combine. Shape the lentil mixture into 4 equal patties.
4. Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 3 teaspoons olive oil. Once hot, add the lentil patties and cook until golden on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.

More Vegan Dinner Recipes to Make

• Chickpea Pumpkin Curry – delicious with jasmine rice
• Black Beans – for a real treat, make Mango Salsa to serve with it!
• Spaghetti Marinara – a classic pasta dish

Let’s Connect

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xoxo, Faith

Vegan Big Mac Recipe with Lentil Burgers and Special Sauce

By: Faith Gorsky

This Vegan Big Mac recipe features flavorful homemade lentil burgers with vegan special sauce, cheese, pickles, onion, and lettuce on seeded buns – all the components of the McDonald’s classic!

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Chill Time 10 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Sandwiches

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 453 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Vegan Special Sauce:

• ▢ 1/4 cup vegan mayo
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ketchup
• ▢ 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish
• ▢ 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon paprika

Lentil Burgers:

• ▢ 1/2 cup dry brown lentils
• ▢ 2 cups water
• ▢ 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided into 1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 tablespoons
• ▢ 1 small onion diced small
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic crushed
• ▢ 1/2 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 4 tablespoons golden flaxseed meal
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Big Mac Fixings:

• ▢ 3 seeded burger buns 2 tops and 4 bottoms (gluten free if desired)
• ▢ 2 slices vegan American cheese
• ▢ 2 tablespoons minced white onion
• ▢ 6 dill pickle slices
• ▢ 1/2 cup thinly sliced lettuce iceberg or Romaine

Instructions

 

Make the Vegan Special Sauce:

• Mix together all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until using.

Make the Lentil Burgers:

• Add the lentils and water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and then turn the heat down so it doesn’t boil over, cover the saucepan, and cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well.
• While the lentils cook, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet. Once hot, add the onion and garlic and cook until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the lentils, onion/garlic mix, Worcestershire, salt, black pepper, golden flaxseed meal, and cornstarch to a food processor. Pulse a few times, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary, and then process until the mixture comes together but isn't completely pureed.
• Shape the lentil mixture into 4 equal patties, place them on a plate lined with plastic wrap, and freeze for 10 minutes.
• Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the lentil burgers, turn the heat down to medium, and cook until browned on both sides, about 4 to 5 minutes per side, flipping once.

Assemble the Big Macs:

• Place 2 of the bottom burger buns (facing up) on your work surface. Top each with 1 1/2 tablespoons special sauce, 2 tablespoons shredded lettuce, 1 slice of cheese, 1 lentil burger, another bottom burger bun, 1 1/2 tablespoons special sauce, 2 tablespoons shredded lettuce, 1 tablespoon minced onion, 3 dill pickle slices, 1 lentil burger, and a top burger bun.

Faith’s Tips

• Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes enough for 2 Big Macs. They are massive! Each serving is 1/2 Big Mac.
• Storage: You can make the vegan special sauce and the lentil burgers up to 5 days in advance. Store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge. (You can store the burgers in the freezer for up to 3 months.)
• Reheating: When you want to assemble the Vegan Big Macs, you can reheat the lentil burgers in a skillet on the stovetop, in a 350F oven, or in the air fryer at 350F until warm.
• Canned Lentils: To save time, you can use 1 1/4 cups of canned lentils (drained well) instead of dry lentils. There’s no need to cook the canned lentils, they are ready to go once you drain them.
• Special Sauce Substitute: If you don’t want to make special sauce, you can use vegan Thousand Island or Russian Dressing for a similar flavor.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Big Mac Recipe with Lentil Burgers and Special Sauce

Amount Per Serving (0.5 Big Mac)

Calories 453 Calories from Fat 225

% Daily Value*

Fat 25g38%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Polyunsaturated Fat 4g

Monounsaturated Fat 7g

Sodium 811mg35%

Potassium 442mg13%

Carbohydrates 46g15%

Fiber 11g46%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 12g24%

Vitamin A 610IU12%

Vitamin C 5mg6%

Calcium 111mg11%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword Lentil Burger Recipe, Lentil Burgers, Vegan Big Mac, Vegan Big Mac Recipe, Vegan Big Mac Sauce

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on July 4, 2009. I updated it with more information on September 1, 2022.