Can I make these burgers ahead of time?

Yes. Form the patties, refrigerate up to 2 days before cooking, or freeze cooked burgers up to 3 months and reheat in a skillet or oven.

What's the best way to pan-fry these without them falling apart?

Use a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with olive oil, and resist moving the patties for the first 4–5 minutes per side to allow a crust to form.

Can I use fresh bread crumbs instead of dried?

Fresh bread crumbs absorb more moisture; use about 1.5 cups fresh crumbs and reduce the reserved chickpea liquid if the mixture feels too wet.

Are these gluten-free?

Use gluten-free bread crumbs and verify your marinara sauce and Italian seasoning are certified gluten-free for a fully GF recipe.

How do I know when the burgers are cooked through?

Cook 4–5 minutes per side until golden brown and firm to the touch; they should hold together when flipped and have a slight crust.

Easy Plant-Based Pizza Burgers (30 Minutes)

Name: Easy Plant-Based Pizza Burgers (30 Minutes)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Ingredients: 4 Tbsp olive oil or avocado, divided; 2 medium shallots, minced ((~4 Tbsp or 40 g as recipe is written)); 3 cloves garlic, minced ((~1 ½ Tbsp or 9 g as recipe is written)); 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained (reserve liquid) and rinsed; 1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese (, plus more for serving); 2 tsp Italian seasoning ((or 1 tsp each dried basil and oregano)); 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped; 1 cup vegan-friendly bread crumbs, plus more for cooking ((gluten-free for GF eaters)); 3 Tbsp marinara sauce ((or pizza sauce*), plus more for topping); 1/4 tsp each sea salt and black pepper; 1 cup marinara ( or pizza sauce); 4 ciabatta buns, toasted ((GF as needed // or serve as lettuce wraps)); Vegan parmesan cheese; Fresh parsley; Red onion

CookOSBeta

Easy Plant-Based Pizza Burgers (30 Minutes) | CookOS

Ingredients

4 Tbsp olive oil or avocado, divided
2 medium shallots, minced ((~4 Tbsp or 40 g as recipe is written))
3 cloves garlic, minced ((~1 ½ Tbsp or 9 g as recipe is written))
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained (reserve liquid) and rinsed
1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese (, plus more for serving)
2 tsp Italian seasoning ((or 1 tsp each dried basil and oregano))
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 cup vegan-friendly bread crumbs, plus more for cooking ((gluten-free for GF eaters))
3 Tbsp marinara sauce ((or pizza sauce*), plus more for topping)
1/4 tsp each sea salt and black pepper
1 cup marinara ( or pizza sauce)
4 ciabatta buns, toasted ((GF as needed // or serve as lettuce wraps))
Vegan parmesan cheese
Fresh parsley
Red onion

15 Ingredients

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Instructions

1
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, sauté shallot and garlic in 1 Tbsp oil (15 ml // amount as original recipe is written) over medium heat until soft and translucent — about 3-4 minutes — stirring frequently.
2
To a medium mixing bowl, add cooked garlic and shallot. Add rinsed and drained chickpeas (reserve their liquid for later use) and use a fork or pastry cutter to mash/mix. The mixture should be dough-like with only a few whole beans remaining.
3
Add remaining ingredients, starting with 2 Tbsp oil (30 ml // amount as original recipe is written). Stir to combine. A moldable “dough” should form. Add more olive oil or some of the reserved canned liquid if too dry, or more breadcrumbs or vegan parmesan if too wet. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt to taste, Italian seasoning for herbal flavor, or minced garlic for zing.
4
Heat the same skillet used earlier over medium heat.
5
In the meantime, divide mixture into 4 even 1-inch thick patties. Gently coat the burgers with additional bread crumbs and vegan parmesan cheese on both sides for more flavor and texture (optional). Handle gently as they can be fragile.
6
TO FREEZE: At this point, you can package the uncooked burger patties in a well-sealed container and store in the freezer up to 1 month (often longer). Just be sure to thaw slightly before cooking as instructed in following steps.
7
Add enough oil to form a thin layer on the bottom of hot skillet (~1 Tbsp / 30 ml), then add coated burgers. Brown for about 5 minutes on each side, reducing heat if burgers get too brown.
8
Serve burgers as is, or pop them on a baking sheet and bake in a 375-degree F oven for an additional 10-20 minutes to dry/crisp them up.
9
In the meantime, (optionally) warm up 1 cup marinara sauce (250 g // amount as original recipe is written), toast ciabatta buns, and prep parsley and onion.
10
To serve, lay down parsley (or other greens of choice) on bottom half of bun and top with burger, red onion, marinara sauce, and additional vegan parmesan cheese.
11
Leftover burgers will keep stored separate from toppings in refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month, though they’re best when fresh. Reheat in a 350-degree F oven for 20 minutes or until warmed through.