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!
Servings 4 servings
Calories 453kcal
Ingredients
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.
Notes
- 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
Serving: 0.5Big Mac | Calories: 453kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 811mg | Potassium: 442mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 610IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 4mg