Burgers are quite easily one of my favourite foods. Be it a meaty burger served with a melting vegan cheese slice and onion rings, or a breaded vegan chicken burger sandwiched in-between lettuce and lashings of vegan garlic mayo. I absolutely love them.
In the last few years, major improvements have been made to the vegan burgers that you find in supermarkets. You can now buy many different types of patties and a lot of them are actually pretty similar to their animal-based counterparts. This has definitely helped to bridge the gap between eating plant-based and eating animals.
We are quite literally saving animals one delicious vegan burger patty at a time.
But there are many other reasons we should be opting to eat vegan burgers, most notably the positive effect that choosing plant-based meats has on the environment. Recent studies have shown that plant-based meat alternatives use up to 99% less land than animal meats and they emit up to 90% fewer greenhouse gases (see scientific source).
Those are some pretty staggering figures and when you consider just how tasty these burger alternatives are, there really is no reason to opt for animals anymore!
So, on that note, let me take you through all of the tastiest vegan burger patties that you can buy in the UK. There is truly an alternative out there for everybody so I have included a few different types of burgers to tantalise your tastebuds.
1. Beyond Meat Burger
The Beyond Meat burger really needs no introduction. It is absolutely everywhere, including plenty of burger restaurants, and is loved by vegans and non-vegans alike. It fully deserves its popularity since it is one of the meatiest meat-free burgers out there.
It is quite a substantial and chunky burger that has a really good bite to it. Therefore, I would suggest this plant-based burger to anyone who likes/liked eating meat-based burgers. To top it all off, the protein content is considerably high in this burger, great for anyone who works out and wants to keep their protein levels high.
With all that considered, it is no surprised that this is one of the more expensive burgers here but it is definitely worth the occasional purchase for a weekend barbeque or fakeaway.
- Type of burger: Beef burger
- Cooking method: Shallow fry or barbeque
- Protein content: 17g per 100g
- Calories: 252kcal per 100g
- Allergens: Legumes (pea)
2. Biffs Jackfruit Burger
Topping the list of incredibly tasty yet wonderfully natural vegan burgers is Biff’s with their breaded jackfruit burger. It is supposed to imitate a chicken burger and I’d say they’ve got it spot on. You’d never guess it was made using fruit!
The jackfruit is blitzed into fine strips which gives the burger patty a really lovely chicken-like texture. The flavouring is similar to that of an animal-based chicken burger, but you can still definitely tell it is made from plants. So I would definitely recommend this for both vegans and non-vegans.
For the most delicious jackfruit burger toppings I would recommend loading it up with vegan mayonnaise or bbq sauce and sandwiching it in between a brioche bun with gherkins and slaw. Now you’ve got absolute burger heaven on your plate.
- Type of burger: Chicken burger
- Cooking method: Oven cook or air fry
- Protein content: 3.5g per 100g
- Calories: 187kcal per 100g
- Allergens: Gluten
3. Heura Chorizo Burger
A vegan chorizo burger is the thing you never knew you needed until it came into existence. For me, it was love after the first bite. The vegan chorizo patty is juicy with a good chew and it is flavoured really well with great chorizo-like spices.
Their burgers are made using soya, which means they aren’t suitable for anyone intolerant to soy-based foods, but they are free from gluten. Moreover, these patties are also pretty high in protein thanks to the soya.
You can easily swap this patty with your favourite plant-based beef burger and use the same burger toppings, but you can also get a little inventive. I personally love to serve it with spicy ketchup or garlic mayonnaise, slices of tomato, smoked vegan cheese and a toasted ciabatta roll.
- Type of burger: Chorizo burger
- Cooking method: Shallow fry or barbeque
- Protein content: 15g per 100G
- Calories: 162kcal per 100g
- Allergens: Soya
4. Moving Mountains Sausage Burger
If you love a good breakfast muffin, McMuffin style, then you’ll want to get your hands on this vegan pork burger from Moving Mountains. It looks just like a sausage patty from McDonalds and tastes pretty realistic too!
I particularly love the fact that they package this inside cardboard with no plastic. Yay! You can also get their beef-style burgers in the same packaging.
I would recommend toasting off some English breakfast muffins and filling them with one of these sausage burgers, a hash brown, a fried off piece of tofu, as well as some tomatoes and mushrooms, and you’ve got the ultimate vegan breakfast!
- Type of burger: Pork burger
- Cooking method: Shallow fry
- Protein content: 11g per 100g
- Calories: 209kcal per 100g
- Allergens: Soya, wheat, nuts, barley, and oats
5. Goodlife Bean Burger
Sometimes you just can’t beat a veggie burger. They are a classic for a reason! Not only are they packed full of healthy wholefoods, but they are also really tasty. No, they won’t fool you into thinking you’re eating an actual burger made from cows, but they will leave you feeling very satisfied!
I probably wouldn’t serve these to any real vegan-haters, but they do make a good break from overly processed fake meats so I would recommend them to vegans and veggies alike.
My favourite bean burger toppings are usually bbq sauce, which I find compliments beans nicely, lettuce, tomato, and fried onions. Keep it simple and let the spicy vegetable burger do the talking.
- Type of burger: Bean burger
- Cooking method: Oven cook
- Protein content: 5.8g per 100g
- Calories: 210kcal per 100g
- Allergens: Wheat
6. Meatless Farm Burger
Most people when they are looking for a good vegan burger alternative are looking for a beef-style patty. Considering how expensive a Beyond Meat burger can be, I want to also recommend a more affordable option. I really enjoy these beef-style burgers from Meatless Farm, they aren’t as substantial or as tasty as Beyond Meat, but they do hold up really well in a burger.
They have a subtle umami taste and a good bite to them. Meatless Farm has also made sure these are high in protein and also on the lower side of the calorie scale. They are made from pea protein which is great for anyone who has an intolerance to soya, but not so great for anyone who is allergic to certain legumes.
I like to eat these vegan burgers with quite classic burger toppings. I melt on a slice of vegan cheese and top it with ketchup. I then sandwich this in between a soft burger bun with lettuce.
- Type of burger: Beef burger
- Cooking method: Grill or shallow fry
- Protein content: 16.8g per 100g
- Calories: 217kcal per 100g
- Allergens: Legumes (pea)
Frequently asked questions
Here are some FAQs regarding plant-based burgers.
What are most vegan burgers made from?
Homemade vegan burgers are usually made from a mix of ingredients like beans, mushrooms and lentils. However, most of the vegan burger patties that you buy from the supermarket are made using high-protein ingredients that bind well together. These are then mixed together with vegetables like beetroots, which add a deep red colour to the burger mix, as well as spices.
Typically, you see most vegan burgers being made with the following ingredients as a base:
– Soya protein
– Pea protein
– Seitan (vital wheat gluten)
– Jackfruit
– Tofu
Are vegan burgers actually healthier?
Heavily processed foods, whether they are vegan or not, tend to not be the healthiest. This is because they are usually manufactured using a lot of fat and sodium. Therefore, whilst a vegan burger may contain much healthier ingredients the burger itself may not actually be that healthy. But this really does depend on the brand of vegan burger.
That being said, there are many more natural vegan burger options out there which are made using vegetables, legumes and fruits. These tend to be much healthier than the vegan burgers made using soya and pea protein, but they will taste a lot less like their animal counterparts.
Moreover, when you do choose to eat the occasional processed vegan burger you will be happy to know that they will likely contain zero cholesterol as well as a load more fibre than any animal-based burger.
You can also make your own vegan burgers very easily at home, these are much healthier because you will be able to control the amount of fat that is introduced into the patty. Plus, many vegan burger recipes use a lot of nutritious whole foods. You can try out my vegan jackfruit burger patty recipe for a healthier alternative!
What do vegan burgers have on them?
Vegan burgers can be topped with loads of different and exciting ingredients. You can include the traditional burger ingredients like lettuce, tomato, gherkins, and onions as well as sauces like ketchup and mustard. Vegan mayonnaise is also a very popular condiment that is used inside burgers.
If you are a fan of cheese in your burger then you can easily replace it with a vegan cheese slice. Check out all of the best vegan cheese brands that you’ll love to eat!
Other garnishes for your vegan burger could include beer-battered onion rings and vegan bacon slices (like the vegan bacon from La Vie).
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