Vegan Burger Bowls

These Vegan Burger Bowls have everything you love about a classic burger - vegan tofu beef, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, burger sauce. Served bowl-style! With homemade fries and multiple options for vegan beef.

I'm obsessed with these burger bowls! They are going on my regular meal rotation.

There are so many 'bowl' varieties out there - I've made everything from teriyaki bowls to noodle bowls, fajita bowls to poke bowls. But there's something about a classic American burger that jsut needs to become it's own bowl!

It's way easier than making vegan burgers, but you get all the deliciousness of a fabulous burger - especially with homemade fries and vegan burger sauce! So good.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love These Vegan Burger Bowls
• Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
• Step-By-Step Instructions
• Elizabeth's Kitchen Notes
• FAQ & Expert Tips
• Recipe Prayer
• Related Recipes
• Tried this recipe?
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why You'll Love These Vegan Burger Bowls

• ‍Dietary needs - these burger bowls are dairy-free, plant-based, and sugar-free. With oil-free and gluten-free options.
• Easy to customize - add your favorite burger toppings
• Naturally gluten-free - no bun in sight!
• Quick and easy - this dish comes together in about 45 minutes, perfect for a weeknight dinner
• Great for meal prep - any bowl-style dish like this makes a great meal-prep option. Prep all the ingredients ahead of time and assemble your bowl each day for lunch
• Hearty, healthy dinner - with protein from the tofu and tons of veggies, this dish will keep you full and satisfied

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Fries

• Russet Potatoes: russets make the most classic fries. Feel free to use yukon gold potatoes - head over to my greek fries post for expert tips on making fries with yukons
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Vegetable Stock: for oil free, use a splash of vegetable stock instead of oil
• Spices: smoked paprika (or regular), rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper
• Cornstarch: to help absorb moisture

Burger 'Meat'

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: optional, to brown the tofu. Feel free to cook in a non-stick pan without oil
• Super Firm Tofu: I used crumbled super firm tofu to make a vegan burger meat. It's my preference for an easy weeknight protein. But feel free to use my seitan ground beef crumbles. Or a store-bought option like Abbot's ground beef or impossible beef.
• Soy Sauce, Tamari, or Liquid Aminos: this adds salty flavor. For gluten-free, use tamari or liquid aminos
• Seasonings: the real magic of the tofu beef. The flavors of the liquid smoke, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika are those that we associate with beef, especially burger/taco meat, so the tofu takes on a more beef-like vibe

Burger Sauce

• Vegan Mayonnaise: you can use my WFPB mayo or a store bought vegan mayo
• Ketchup
• Relish or Finely Chopped Pickles
• Dijon Mustard: I prefer the flavor of Dijon, but yellow mustard works well too
• Agave or Maple Syrup: for sweetness. I typically use agave, but maple syrup works just the same.
• Spices: salt, paprika, garlic powder, pepper

Salad

• Romaine Lettuce: or green leaf lettuce
• Cherry Tomatoes: or a larger beefsteak or a few roma tomatoes
• Pickle Chips or Spears: I love sweet pickle chips, but pick your fav pickles
• Red Onion: or a yellow onion

Pro Tip: I love these bowls salad-style, but feel free to add rice for a heartier dish

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1. Make the fries. Preheat the oven or air fryer to 400. Slice the potatoes into ½" sticks. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with the oil/broth, spices, and cornstarch. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet or in the air fryer and bake for 30 minutes or air fry 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Step 2. Prepare the tofu meat. Meanwhile, heat the oil, if using, in a large skillet. Crumble the tofu into the pan and cook, stirring occasionally for 5-8 minutes, until golden brown. Add the soy sauce, liquid smoke, and spices, and stir to combine. Cook another 5-7 minutes until the liquid is totally absorbed. Remove from the heat.

Step 3. Mix the burger sauce. In a small bowl whisk together all the burger sauce ingredients.

Step 4. Assemble the bowls. Place a bed of lettuce in each bowl. Then top with the fries and tofu meat, tomatoes, pickles, and onion. Serve with a drizzle of the burger sauce.

Elizabeth's Kitchen Notes

• Proteins: my go-to is always crumbled tofu - it's the most economical and just as quick as a store bought version. That said, sometimes I'll splurge on a store-bought protein, like Abbot's beef
• Veggies: even if you aren't a big 'veggies on burgers' person, you definitely need the veggies to make these bowls feel like burger bowls over 'tofu with lettuce'. Don't be shy with the pickles, tomatoes, and onions!

FAQ & Expert Tips

Recipe Prayer

Thank you God for these bowls. Thank you for the nourishing dinner we have to eat. Amen.

Related Recipes

Tried this recipe?

Please leave a review in the comments section below and post on Instagram tagging me @elizabeths_table. You can also stay in touch with me on social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok or by subscribing to my newsletter.

📖 Recipe