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Vegan Buffalo Burger

This Vegan Buffalo Burger is made from kidney beans, tempeh, dates, and more. Distinct smoky and sweet note that is mouth-watering.

View from above on an open Vegan Buffalo Burger.

You guys know that I’m working hard for coming up with new recipes for you (well and me, too, because I just love eating my food). This weekend, I had prepared two new stunning recipes but could not make up my mind which one to put here first.

So I did something I hadn’t done before and let you guys decide on Facebook. Here is the Burger vs. Pizza Post – it was quite a close call but it’s burger time today. Thanks to all who helped out! 🙂

Of course, I didn’t tell anyone in advance what kind of burger it was going to be. Just be sure it will be amazing. This will be something you haven’t seen before.

Closeup of a patty of the Vegan Buffalo Burger on a bun, with topping on the side.

So it’s time to lift the surprise. Say hello to my Vegan Buffalo Burger. I guess that it might seem a bit strange at first because it has “vegan” and “buffalo” in the name.

I’ll say I was inspired by the fact that buffalo burgers supposedly have a sweet note to their taste. And somehow, when I hear the name, I associate something rustic with it. I can see open flame grills on a hot summer evening outdoors.

This is the spirit I to capture with this recipe. Sure, that’s a challenge to do it only with plant-based ingredients. But I love those challenges and want to give you the best without being complicated. Win-win on taste and simplicty.

Side view on the fully assembled Vegan Buffalo Burger.

How to make a Vegan Buffalo Burger

Here come the tricks I did: First, the burger is made from a mix of mashed kidney beans and tempeh, and I added finely diced onion to it. This already give a nice rustic and robust flavor that is the base for everything,

For the sweet component, the special trick here is to give really thin bits of Medjool dates to the mixture. Yes, you guys heard right. Believe me, that is the way to go here.

A couple of tablespoons of BBQ sauce (you can use your favorite one, or take a look at my own recipe for it here) and a splash of tamari is all that is missing. Then you are good to go to make this Vegan Buffalo Burger.

One Vegan Buffalo Burger with a lot of sauce dripping out of it.

We are now good to go. Ready to roll, in the true sense of the word. I rolled balls from the mixture I made, then flattened them into nice patties.

I decided to fry them in a pan for about 3-4 minutes on each side. It’s also possible to bake them in the oven –  it will take about 25 minutes at 390°F (200°C).

My burger was finally assembled with lettuce, tomato slices, roasted onion rings, and more BBQ sauce. The taste came out exactly as I wanted it: hearty with a slight sweet note. A taste explosion in my mouth. Excuse me now, I think I’ll make myself another one…

Collage of two pictures of the Vegan Buffalo Burger with recipe title text.

If you give this a try, tag me on Facebook and Instagram, get a picture and show me your excitement. Happy cooking and have a blast, Florian.

Vegan Buffalo Burger

Vegan Buffalo Burger

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

So this is my Vegan Buffalo Burger. That might seem a bit strange at first because it has “vegan” and “buffalo” in the name. I’ll say I was inspired by the fact that buffalo burgers supposedly have a sweet note to their taste. And somehow, when I hear the name, I associate something rustic with it. I can see open flame grills on a hot summer evening outdoors.

Ingredients

For the patties:

  • 15 oz (400 g) can kidney beans
  • 10 oz (300 g) Tempeh
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 medjool dates, chopped and seeded
  • 1-2 Tbs Tamari
  • 1-2 Tbs BBQ Sauce
  • salt, peper to taste

For the burger

  • lettuce
  • tomato
  • onion rings
  • bbq sauce

Instructions

For the patties:

  1. In a bowl, mash the kidney beans until you have a coarse mass. Dice the tempeh and add to the bowl.
  2. Finely dice the small onion as well as the medjool dates. Transfer to the bowl.
  3. Add tamari, BBQ sauce, and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Use your hands to knead the batter until all is well mixed and it holds together well.
  5. Form patties and heat oil in a saucepan. Fry the patties on each side for 3-4 minutes.

To assemble the burger:

  1. Spread some BBQ sauce on the bottom bun. Start with lettuce, then put a patty, tomato, and what else you like. Add more BBQ sauce. Ready to enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 burger
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 470Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9.9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9.8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 984mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 3.3gSugar: 6.3gProtein: 35g

Katerina Bernleithner

Sunday 20th of September 2015

Holy vegan ham sandwich! These were A-M-A-ZING. I didn't have kidney beans so I used black beans but they were still phenomenal! My belly thanks you :)

Florian @ContentednessCooking

Wednesday 7th of October 2015

Oh, wow, Katerina. I'm so sorry I missed your comment until now. Thank you for the great feedback! I'm happy that your belly was happy :D

Isadora @ she likes food

Wednesday 9th of September 2015

I LOVE homemade veggie burgers! These ones look so flavorful and I love that you added dates! So many delicious flavors going on in these :)

Florian @ContentednessCooking

Friday 11th of September 2015

Thank you for this kind comment, Isadora. So happy that you like the burger! :)

Kathy

Saturday 5th of September 2015

Ok thanks!

Florian @ContentednessCooking

Sunday 6th of September 2015

You're welcome, Kathy!

Kathy

Saturday 5th of September 2015

How many does it make?

Florian @ContentednessCooking

Saturday 5th of September 2015

Hi Kathy, it makes 4 servings!

Sarah | Well and Full

Wednesday 2nd of September 2015

Some days nothing but a vegan burger will hit the spot :) This looks fantastic!

Florian @ContentednessCooking

Wednesday 2nd of September 2015

That's exactly what I think as well, Sarah! Thanks! :)

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