This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
Easy, DIY, vegan ground beef! It is easy to prepare, high in protein (12.4 g per 1/4 pound!), and free of grains, gluten, soy and nuts. One batch makes about 3 pounds.
This post began life as a simple idea for a great summer burger recipe. But as I tested and tasted, I soon realized that what I was making had potential for more. So much more!
Specifically, a versatile, vegan substitute for ground beef.
How Can I Use this Plant-Based Ground Beef Recipe?
My DIY vegan ground beef can be used in just about all of your favorite dishes that call for ground beef.
(1) Brown It
Brown it in a skillet for use in casseroles, tacos, or spaghetti sauce.
(2) Make meatballs
Shape and bake it into meatballs.
(3) Make a meatloaf
Channel the 1950s and make a loaf. Don’t forget the mashed potatoes on the side!
(4) Go big with burgers
And, of course, you can make some burgers!
The seasonings the vegan ground beef are largely up to you: herbs, spices, hot sauce, add whatever suits your fancy.
Nutritional Highlights of the Vegan Ground Beef
In addition to being frugal and simple to make, this simple mix boasts all of the following attributes:
- Vegan
- Soy-Free
- Grain-free
- Nut-free
- Gluten-free
- High in protein (12.4 g per 1/4 pound)
- Very high in fiber (12.7 g per 1/4 pound)
The Ingredients for DIY Vegan Ground Beef
The ingredients are familiar and frugal: uncooked lentils, canned beets, onion, flaxseed meal, coconut flour, mushrooms, and seasonings (garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper}.
I add nutritional yeast, too. It adds tremendous umami flavor, as well as protein and B vitamins. If you cannot eat yeast, not to worry; leave it out (see the recipe notes for adjustments).
How to Make Vegan Ground Beef
Making this vegan ground beef is a straightforward affair. First, cook the lentils in a saucepan with enough water to cover the lentils by at least 1 inch (2.5 cm). Bring to a boil over high heat and then simmer for 10 minutes.
Prepare the Lentils
The lentils should be plumped and mostly, but not entirely, soft. They will still have some bite. Rinse and drain the lentils.
Place the lentils in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped with only a few irregular pieces. Scrape the lentils into a large bowl (no need to clean the food processor).
Prepare the Vegetables
Place the mushrooms and onion in the food processor bowl. Before adding the beets, first press them between layers of paper towels to remove as much excess moisture as you can (it will look like you’ve cleaned up a crime scene).
Add the blotted beets to the processor and pulse all of the vegetables until you have a very finely chopped, uniform mixture, but not a puree. Stop to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl several times. Add to the bowl of lentils, along with the remaining ingredients.
Taste the mixture and adjust the seasonings to suit your tastes.
I chose a combination of flavors and spices (nutritional yeast, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper) that boost the umami flavor profile of the “meat” while still keeping the overall flavor fairly neutral. Take the flavors in whichever flavor direction you like, depending on your tastes/needs, as well as the recipe you are planning for its use.
The moisture in vegetables can vary, so adjust the flax and coconut flour as needed, too. The meat should be moist, but not wet, and should hold together easily when gathered together into a small ball or patty.
This is the end result, in “raw” form:
Keep it Fat-Free or Add Some Fat
But wait, there is no fat in the recipe!
It’s true, and it is not an accident. You can keep the meat oil-free, or add the amount of fat you would like for any given recipe. For example, I like to brown the meat (1 pound/454 g) in 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil, or add the same amount for burgers, meatballs or meatloaf. It’s entirely up to you!
Use the vegan beef right away, refrigerate for several days, or freeze for future use!. I like to separate the mixture into 1 pound or half pound packages.
Oh, one more note: The meat will darken slightly (it will look even more meat-y) after a few days of refrigeration, or after freezing and thawing. Here is the same mixture after 1 day:
Enjoy your weekend, everyone!
More Easy, Plant-Based Meat Recipes to Try:
- Vegan Oat Mushroom Ground Beef
- 3-Ingredient Almond Flour Vegetable Nuggets
- Mushroom Almond Flour Ground Beef (2 ingredients)
- Vegan Lentil Taco Meat
- Lentil & Mushroom Meatballs
- Lentil & Vegetable Kefta
- Grain-Free Lentil Loaf
Vegan Ground Beef {Grain-Free, High-Protein, Soy-Free}
Vegan "ground beef!" Use it to make burgers, meatballs, and meatloaf, or brown it to use in any recipe that calls for ground beef. It is easy to prepare, high in protein, and free of grains, gluten, soy and nuts. One batch makes about 3 pounds.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400 g) brown lentils, rinsed
- water
- 1 (15 oz/425) can whole or sliced beets, drained (see note for using fresh)
- 6 oz (170 g) white mushrooms, quartered
- 1 small (about 5 oz/142 g) or 1/2 of a medium-large onion, trimmed, cut into large chunks
- 1/2 cup (40 g) nutritional yeast
- 1/3 cup (37 g) coconut flour
- 1/4 cup (26 g) flaxseed meal
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt (more or less to taste)
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper (more or less to taste)
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils and enough water to cover by at least 1 inch (2.5 cm). Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes (the lentils will be slightly undercooked). Drain and rinse under cool water.
- Place lentils in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped with only a few irregular pieces. Scrape the lentils into a large bowl (no need to clean the food processor).
- Place the mushrooms and onions in food processor bowl. Firmly press beets between layers of paper towel to remove excess liquid; add to food processor. Process until very finely chopped, but not a puree. Add to lentils in bowl.
- Add remaining ingredient to bowl. Stir everything together until blended. Taste; adjust the seasonings to suit your tastes. Use immediately or see storage options for future use!
Notes
Storage: Divide the vegan beef into smaller portions (e.g., half pound or pound). Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days or the freezer for up to 6 months. Once thawed, you may need to add a few more teaspoons of coconut flour.
Lentils: I used common brown lentils, but you can use any variety of lentils in this recipe. If using split lentils (e.g., red), you may only need to reduce the cooking time by 1-2 minutes.
Fresh Beets Option: If using homemade cooked beets instead of canned, you will need to use the equivalent of the DRAINED canned beets. This is approximate 7.5 ounces (213 grams).
Leaving out the Nutritional Yeast: If you cannot eat yeast, leave It out. Add more coconut flour and/or flaxseed meal (2 to 3 tablespoons) to make up for its absence.
For Browning: Cook 1/2 or 1 pound in a large nonstick skillet (optional: add oil to skillet) over medium/medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes until browned.
For Meatballs: Shape 1 pound of meat into 1-1/4 inch (3 cm) balls (about 20 total). Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake in preheated 375F(190C) oven for 25 to 30 minutes until browned.
For Burgers: If desired, add fat (e.g., oil of choice) to meat (no more than 2 tablespoons max per pound; add a small amount more coconut flour, as needed). Shape 1 pound of meat into 4 patties. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake in preheated 375F(190C) oven for 18 to 23 minutes until browned. The tops will look plain, but the bottom side will look browned and grilled when flipped!
For Meatloaf: Shape 2 pounds of meat into a loaf. Place in a parchment paper lined 9x5-inch (22.5 x 12.5 cm) loaf pan. Bake in preheated 375F(190C) oven for 50 to 55 minutes until browned (If desired, brush top of loaf with barbecue sauce or ketchup during last 15 minutes of baking.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size 1/4 lb (114 g)Amount Per Serving Calories 180Total Fat 1.8gSaturated Fat 0.2gCholesterol 0mgSodium 335.1mgCarbohydrates 28.8gFiber 12.7gSugar 3.2gProtein 12.8g
KayramBaya
Wednesday 26th of April 2023
Q1: Let's say I'm gonna use fresh beet roots. I understand that I have to cook/boil them. If so, up to what texture/temper should I boil beets? I.e. Texture for eating as an appetizer with yogurt, or for preparing pickles, or almost raw? Q2: Can I use wholegrain (/w germ) wheat-flour instead of coconut flour. As I understand from comments, the reason for coconut flour is for better absorbency. Q3: Off-topic. Have you tried your recipe with a) completely, b) in addition to brown lentil as partially: with other dry/fresh beans, i.e. white beans, chickpeas, fava, pea? Wanna hear. Q4: Off-topic. Are there true DIY guides to prepare coconut flour and almond flour at home? Thank you.
Camilla
Thursday 27th of April 2023
Hi Kayram! I'll go through your questions one by one: (1) For freshly cooked beets, you want them fork tender (tender enough that your fork can go through the beet with relative ease). (2) I would not recommend wheat flour as a sub for the coconut flour. You can eat coconut flour raw, but you cannot eat wheat flour raw. You get a paste when you mix wheat flour and water; that's not the case with coconut flour. They are very different ingredients, used in different ways and in different proportions, even though both are dubbed "flour." A nut or seed flour would work as a sub, but you will need to use 2 to 3 times the amount as coconut flour. (3) I have not, but that could work! (4) I don't think there is a diy guide for coconut flour since it is a bi-product of coconut milk manufacturing (it is the fiber left behind after all of the liquids have been removed. The fiber is then dried and ground into a fine powder). Almond flour, however, is very simple to make in a high speed blender (not possible in most regular blenders or food processors, though). You can google DIY almond flour and find many resources. I hope this helps!
monica
Wednesday 19th of April 2023
Can vital wheat gluten be used instead of coconut flour( the type I'm refering to is the kind that I add to my homemade bread dough to ensure fluffy bread loaves)? also is thier some kind of common pantry item i can substitute for the nutritional yeast flakes?
Camilla
Thursday 20th of April 2023
Hi Monica! I think vital wheat protein could work. I am not sure how its absorbency compares with coconut flour--you may need to add a little bit more if the mixture is too wet. That will add some really good texture to the "meat." I do not use it here since my site is gluten-free, but that's a good idea (it is used to make tempeh).
Nutritional yeast gives an umami flavor to the beef. You could add some soy sauce or miso paste for umami flavor, it it's place. But you will need to add a little bit more dry ingredients (like the wheat gluten above) to make up for the dry yeast flakes. Nutritional yeast is high in protein, but you will get that back if you use the wheat gluten, since it is high in protein, too :)
monica
Wednesday 19th of April 2023
Could japanese panko breadcrumbs substitute for the coconut flour; but as you replied to other commenters use 3x more bread crumbs then the original amount of the coconut flour?
Camilla
Thursday 20th of April 2023
Sure, I think that could work. Yes, about 3x as much as the coconut flour (coconut flour is used in small amounts because it expands dramatically when it absorbs liquids).
A
Tuesday 18th of April 2023
This does have nuts in it. Coconuts are classified as nuts by the FDA.
Camilla
Wednesday 19th of April 2023
The FDA classication has caused a lot of confusion for people by lumping coconuts into the classification of tree nut. Coconuts are not tree nuts. Botanically, a coconut is a fibrous one-seeded drupe, also known as a dry drupe. A drupe is not a nut. Notably, the two major U.S. allergen advocacy groups, the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) and Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) do not recognize coconut as a nut. Also, a 2010 U.S. study conducted by Children’s Hospital Boston researchers found there was “no significant risk of allergy to coconut in peanut and tree nut allergic children” (Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2010;21(8):1114-8). As found in the scientific journal Children, “Despite concerns voiced often by food-allergic patients, allergy to coconut is rare, not directly associated with nut allergy and few cases are reported so far in the literature” (2017; 4:85). I hope this clarifies why I do not list coconut products as nuts in my recipes.Cheers.
Krystal
Monday 27th of February 2023
What can I add to replace lentils? I don't want add beans , I was thinking quinoa or some other grain.
Camilla
Tuesday 28th of February 2023
Hi Krystal, You are welcome to experiment with grains in place of beans. but I am not sure how or whether that will work with this particular recipe (since beans and grains are quite different). If you do try grains, I think you could make it work by processing the cooked grains (about 1.5 cups cooked grains) in a food process. Do not break them down entirely, but to the point where they are somewhat broken down and sticking together. I have done that with brown rice.