Delicious vegan smash burger made simple! Homemade veggie smash burger means that it’s customizable, from the buns to the caramelized onions toppings!

This recipe is dedicated to how far the vegan industry has come, that I was honestly convinced that I was eating a beef burger at a restaurant when I ordered their vegan burger. Only on my way back home did I realize that it must have been made with vegan beef burgers!

Two hands grabbing the middle smash burger, with two other veggie smash burgers on the side.

Why You Will Love This Veggie Smash Burger

🍔 Easy & beginner-friendly. Simply smash your burgers, cook, assemble, and you’re done!
🌱 Vegan with a delicious umami twist thanks to miso paste!
🔥 A crowd pleaser! A classic burger recipe that uses vegan beef for the more familiar flavor that will please non-vegans!
😋 Gourmet flavor. I’m serving these with my caramelized onions and mushrooms, but you can also make Oklahoma-style onion smash burgers!

Close-up of veggie smash burger with caramelized onion.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Vegan Burger Patties: Use any plant-based burger brands or swap it with vegan mince if that’s what you have at hand.
- Opt for Beyond Meat, or try Impossible Burger, This, or even the house brands of your favorite supermarkets.
- For a healthier option, make my mung bean patties, or use any vegan black bean smash burger you love!
Miso Paste + Water: Adds a rich, salty umami punch. It adds an extra rich layer to the flavor, but you can also skip it if you don’t have it at home.
Cooking Oil: For frying and toasting.

Ingredients for smash onion burger with labels on a white marbled background.

And for the veggies/assembly:

Burger Buns: Any burger buns work here, even the gluten-free ones.
Lettuce: Adds freshness and crunch. Use any of your favorite lettuce such as green lettuce, butterhead lettuce, or iceberg lettuce.
Vegan Burger Sauce: Made with just 6 simple ingredients to give that classic burger flavor. You can also substitute this with BBQ mayo, smoked paprika aioli, black pepper mayo, or my garlic burger sauce for a change.
Pickles: Although of course, feel free to skip if you’re not a fan of pickles.
Tomato: A must in any burger!
Caramelized Onions & Mushrooms: For a gourmet topping, similar to the Oklahoma onion burger! I like to make a big batch so I have extra for other meals.
- Sub with red onion slices if you don’t want the hassle!

Step-by-step Instructions

Shape the patties by rolling each vegan patty into 2 burger balls. You should end up with 4 meatballs.

Using a pan lid, smash your patties in between parchment paper.

Four balls of vegan beef patties on its original plastic container.

Smashing the vegan burger with a pot lid.

Pan-fry the patties with a bit of oil until crispy and golden, about 3 minutes on each side. To transfer the smash burgers onto the pan easily, use the help of your spatula (see picture below).

Brush with the miso glaze near the end (in the last 1 minute) on top of the patties. No need to flip the patties to ‘cook’ the miso glaze.

Toast the buns in the same pan for extra flavor.

Peeling off the second parchment paper, using spatula as a help. — After adding the miso glaze

Four vegan smash burger patties being fried on a skillet. — After adding the miso glaze

Layer lettuce and vegan burger sauce on the bottom bun, add two crispy patties (sauce in between), then stack on pickles, tomato, and onions before sealing it with the top bun. Now enjoy your plant-based smash burger!

Vegan smash burger with brioche buns with sesame seeds, served with vegan burger sauce.

Top Tips

Layer lettuce first. Placing lettuce on the bottom bun helps prevent sogginess by creating a barrier between the bun and juicy toppings.
Feel free to add some vegan cheese if that’s what you like.
- Since we’re already using processed vegan burgers in this recipe, I omit the vegan cheese but feel free to add some American-style (vegan) cheese.
Enjoy immediately. Burgers are one of those dishes that are just way better when served fresh.
- If you do want to meal prep for this, you can prepare all the ingredients and cook your burgers beforehand. They will last for up to 5 days when stored in an air-tight container in the fridge.
- However, I highly recommend toasting your buns and assembling your vegan smash burgers just before serving.

Two hands grabbing a veggie smash onion burger.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this smash onion burger with your choice of French fries, like these adobo fries or masala fries. They are also great with saucy fries like these gochujang potatoes or masala chips.

You can also serve them with garlic bread such as this garlic tortilla bread, pita garlic bread, garlic bread with regular sliced bread, or this French/Italian loaf garlic bread!

FAQ

A smashburger is made by pressing a ball of (vegan) meat onto a hot griddle or pan to create thin patties with crispy exterior while keeping the inside juicy.

Yes, you can break up a Beyond Burger into smaller pieces for a crumbly, ground texture, or make smash-style patties like in this vegan smash burger.

Use classic brioche hamburger buns for the best results. You can read more about the different types and brands of burger buns in this Serious Eats article.

Use soft buns like brioche buns for the best choice, which also explains why they are popular in burgers. However, feel free to use whole wheat buns for a healthier alternative.

Two smash onion burgers, with the left side cut off.

Looking for More Comfort Food Recipes?

Try my vegan mac and cheese, avocado bagel, hummus bagel, or these Korean loaded fries!