Pizza Burgers

Ready to enjoy the best of pizza and burgers in one bite? Our pizza burger recipe combines savory bean-based patties with homemade marinara sauce, melty vegan cheese, and your favorite toppings for a delicious, easy-to-make meal. You'll love it!
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A vegan pizza burger.
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Who says you have to choose between pizza and burgers? With vegan pizza burgers, you get the best of both worlds in one delicious meal. These burgers are packed with all the classic pizza flavors, like marinara sauce, melty vegan cheese, and your favorite toppings. Plus, they’re easy to make and perfect for a fun dinner or a casual get-together with friends.

Keep your pizza appetite paused while we guide you step-by-step to create your own vegan pizza burgers that are sure to impress. We’ll start by selecting the perfect vegan patty, whether it’s a hearty black bean burger or a savory mushroom patty. Next, we’ll show you how to add a simple, delicious marinara sauce and pick the best vegan cheese that melts beautifully. Finally, you’ll find the best tips on adding classic pizza toppings and also the most appetizing herbs.

When you’re done, you’ll have a vegan pizza burger that’s bursting with maximum flavor and ultimate enjoyment. Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or just spicing up a weeknight meal, these plant-based pizza burgers will be a hit!

Pizza burgers on ciabatta buns.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

While a typical burger features toppings such as tomatoes, onions, pickles, lettuce, and a slice of vegan cheese, pizza burgers require a different set of core elements. Here’s what they are!

Key ingredients for vegan pizza burgers with labels.
  • Italian Seasoning – Flavoring your burger the right way is essential to making an authentic and delicious vegan pizza burger! Classic Italian herbs include marjoram, thyme, oregano, basil, and parsley. If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, dried will work just fine!
  • Tomato Sauce – Move aside, ketchup! This burger calls for ketchup’s chunkier cousin, the Mighty Marinara. Filled with spices and herbs, marinara will take your burger from tasty to tantalizing in about five seconds. For a homemade version, check out this delicious pasta sauce recipe from our very own Gina House!
  • (Vegan) Cheese – So sure, you can have a vegan pizza burger with just those first two components but I think we can mostly agree that some vegan cheese will only make your burger better. Like a little kick in your parm? Then you’ll love our chipotle vegan parmesan seasoning!

How To Make Pizza Burgers

Creating vegan pizza burgers is a delicious way to combine two of your favorite foods. With ingredients like chickpeas, bread crumbs, marinara sauce, and Italian spices, you’ll have a really fabulous and flavorful base. Add some vegan parmesan and your favorite toppings for a tasty, satisfying meal. Here’s how to get started:

Seasonings being aded to a bowl of mashed chickpeas.

Step 1: Prepare the Chickpea Mixture. Mash the chickpeas (this Instant Pot bean cooking guide is invaluable!) in a large bowl until mostly smooth with some chunks.

Minced shallots in a non-stick skillet.

Sauté the shallots and garlic in a skillet until soft and translucent. Mix the sautéed shallots and garlic with the mashed chickpeas.

A pizza burger mixture being mashed with a fork.

Step 2: Form the Patties. Add vegan parmesan, Italian seasonings, fresh parsley, bread crumbs, marinara, salt, and pepper to the chickpea mixture. Stir well to form a moldable dough, adjusting with oil or more bread crumbs as needed.

A hand-formed pizza burger.

Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and shape into patties.

A formed pizza burger being coated in breadcrumbs.

Then, Step 3: Cook the Patties. Coat the patties with additional bread crumbs and vegan parmesan if desired.

A fried vegan pizza burger patty.

Heat oil in the skillet and cook the patties for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown and heated through.

A pizza burger with marinara sauce.

Finally, Step 4: Assemble the Burgers. Toast the ciabatta buns until lightly golden. Lay parsley on the bottom half of each bun, top with a patty, red onion, warm marinara sauce, and additional vegan parmesan if desired.

How to Serve Up Your Vegan Pizza Burgers

The wonderful thing about these pizza burgers (aside from how delicious and cute they are) is how creative you can get with creating a meal with them. Below are just a few suggestions on how to best enjoy your brilliant burgers:

  • Switch Out the Sauce – If tomatoes just aren’t your thing but you refuse to miss out on this delightful burger, put on some vegan pesto instead! Presto!
  • Pasta, Please! – Fresh pasta will pair perfectly with your vegan pizza burger and you can even toss some beneath the bun for the ultimate Italian experience. Vegan fettuccine alfredo, easy lentil bolognese, or vegan one-pot pasta are all excellent choices!
  • A Side of Polenta Fries – If you want to stay true to the Italian roots of this recipe, then these herbed vegan polenta fries are a must-make! They’re crunchy, herby, and an absolute delight to enjoy alongside your vegan pizza burger.
  • Plenty of Potatoes – Sometimes the answer to your burger dreams is simple and starts with the letter “p.” Potatoes are a burger’s best friend, whether in the form of a Hasselbackpotato saladwedges, or even loaded potato skins.
  • Gimme Greens – Looking to add some color to your plate? Go for some asparagus with tahini drizzleroasted peas, or just a simple salad!

Pizza Burger FAQs

Can I prep these pizza burgers ahead of time?

Yes! They will keep well in the fridge or freezer. When kept in an airtight container in the fridge, they’ll last 3-4 days. If freezing, allow to cool completely and stick in a freezer-safe bag for up to three months. When ready to heat up, be sure to defrost beforehand and throw onto your grill or pop into the oven.

Can burgers be healthy?

They can! If you’re using beans as a base for your burgers, you’re not only getting healthy, plant-based protein, but also lots of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Plus, homemade, whole-food burgers made with beans or lentils have no preservatives and are extra satisfying.

What is a pizza burger made of?

A pizza burger is a combination of pizza (like these Valentine’s Day pizza bites!) and a burger, blending flavors and elements of both. Typically, it’s made of a bean or veggie burger patty topped with pizza sauce, vegan mozzarella cheese, and vegan pepperoni. But, you could also add other pizza toppings, such as vegan sausage. It’s usually served on a bun, sometimes toasted with garlic vegan butter for added flavor.

A close-up shot of a pizza burger.

If you make this Pizza Burger recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know what you think in the comments below! I love reading your comments! 

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The Best Pizza Burgers

5 from 7 votes
This plant-based Pizza Burgers recipe is dee-licious and a definite crowd-pleaser!
A vegan pizza burger.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 4 burgers

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons oil, olive or canola oil, divided
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • ¼ cup vegan parmesan, plus more for serving (see recipe linked below)
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasonings, or 1 teaspoon each of dried basil and oregano
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 cup vegan-friendly bread crumbs, plus more for coating
  • 1 cup marinara sauce or pizza sauce, plus more for topping
  • ¼ teaspoon each of sea salt and black pepper, for serving

For Serving:

  • 4 ciabatta buns, toasted
  • Fresh parsley
  • Red onion, sliced
  • marinara or pizza sauce

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, mash the chickpeas with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth with some chunks for texture. Set aside.
  • In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté the shallots and garlic until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes, stirring often.
  • Add the cooked shallots and garlic to the bowl of mashed chickpeas and stir to combine.
  • Add the Vegan Parmesan, Italian seasonings, fresh parsley, bread crumbs, marinara, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine. A moldable “dough” should form. Add up to 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil if it’s too dry, or more bread crumbs or Vegan Parmesan if too wet. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
  • Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and shape each portion into a patty about 1-inch thick. 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.
  • Heat the same skillet used earlier over medium heat, adding enough oil to form a thin layer on the bottom, then add the coated burgers. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown and heated through. Reduce the heat as needed if the burgers brown too quickly.
  • While the patties are cooking, toast the ciabatta buns until they are lightly golden and crispy, warm up extra marinara sauce for serving, and prep the parsley and red onion.
  • To assemble the pizza burgers, lay down parsley on the bottom half of each bun, top with a burger, onion, marinara sauce, and additional Vegan Parmesan if desired.

Notes

  • Burgers not as crispy as you’d like? After frying in the skillet, you can pop them on a baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree F (190 degree C) oven for an additional 10–20 minutes to dry/ crisp them up.
  • Storage: Keep leftover burgers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in a 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes, or until warmed through.
  • This recipe is adapted from the Minimalist Baker’s Every Cooking cookbook by Dana Shultz.

Nutrition

Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 982mg | Potassium: 330mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 599IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 3mg
Course — dinner, Lunch
Cuisine — Italian
Love this Recipe? Leave a Rating!And follow @Vegan on Instagram for more.

This recipe for pizza burgers was adapted from Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking by Dana Shultz © 2016.

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5 from 7 votes

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Recipe Rating




7 comments
  1. 5 stars
    Wow this burger looks so good and I love pizza so I definitely know it tastes good! 🙂

  2. Andrea White says:

    5 stars
    YES! This burger is everything!

  3. 5 stars
    Love this healthy burger ! Very flavorful and satisfies the pizza lover as well!

  4. 5 stars
    Yum! I love pizza and burgers, so this is the perfect combination! Such a great flavor!

  5. Beatriz Buono-Core says:

    5 stars
    This looks so dreamy! I need to try it ASAP!

  6. 5 stars
    What a creative way to make a burger! Yum!

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