I grew up in a small town in rural Missouri. Chorizo Burgers never quite made it to the menu there so that means today I’m publishing a recipe for Veggie Chorizo Burgers that I’ve never had in its original form. It seems odd to be adapting something that I’ve never tried. Can you rehabilitate that which was never habilitated in the first place? It’s deep stuff here, but I think we can get through this. My thought is this, I know great taste when I’m eating it and these spicy, tangy Veggie Chorizo Burgers are plum full of greatness.

My daughter played on a tennis team where the coach had never played tennis before. Yes, we were all a bit surprised by that too. Tennis is one of those sports that looks kind of easy…until you play it. How in the world you could coach a team — yelling out strategy, guiding kids on how to swing, etc, — without ever having played is a mystery to me.
Sometimes I feel this way about vegan recipes. If I haven’t tried a dish before I attempt to veganize it, how will I know I hit the mark? Well, I can rely on my taste testers, many of whom had a better traveled palate before becoming vegan. And then sometimes I just take the leap and say to myself, “If it tastes good to me now…who cares if it tastes like the pre-vegan dish?”
I talk to myself a lot…but mostly when I think no one’s watching. The other day I was deep in self discussion when I turned to see my husband staring right at me. Where are my earbuds when I need them? At least then I could have pretended to be talking to someone else.
Oh well. He was thoroughly amused and you know? Sometimes you just have to laugh with yourself.
The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter. — Mark Twain

As you might be able to tell from the photos, we grilled these veggie burgers. A lot of homemade veggie burgers don’t hold up well on the grill, but these do. And adding a little bit of char to these mildly spicy burgers is just icing on the cake. Hmm, maybe I need to find a different metaphor. Pickles on a burger?
I’ll keep working on it.
I made some hummus to use as the mayo – pick any hummus you like. It’s a perfect, healthy alternative to mayo.
Not only did my handsome hubby grill the burgers, but he also did a pretty good job as the model in these photos too!

Summertime means grilling, so if you’re looking for a good veggie grillin’ burger, these Veggie Chorizo Burgers might just be the thing! You can find veggie chorizo in the refrigerated section of most health food stores. Just look in the section next to the tofu and faux lunch meats. And if you’re having family or friends over, these would be the burgers to serve. Your peeps might be surprised to learn veggie can taste so good!

Vegan Grilled Chorizo Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 package Gimme Lean Vegan Sausage
- 10 oz vegan chorizo such as Yves Veggie Chorizo
- 1 teaspoon smoke sauce
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons dried chopped onions
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves or 1 tablespoon dried, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic roughly minced
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Add all the Burger ingredients into a large bowl and combine. You can use a spoon, but be prepared to break the Gimme Lean Vegan Sausage into smaller bits. It takes a bit of elbow grease, but I have faith in you! You can even wet your hands and just get in there and mix it the old fashioned way. Just make sure you have a plate handy…and a paper towel so you can wipe off your hands when you’re done.
- When the burgers are thoroughly mixed, use your hands to make six patties. Place them on a plate or in a lidded container, cover and place in the fridge to firm up before it’s time to BBQ them.
- When you’re ready to cook the burgers, prepare your grill by firing it up. These are vegan burgers so you can cook at a little lower temperature.
- Spray both sides of the burgers with vegetable spray and place on the grill over direct medium heat. Close the lid to trap some smoky goodness with the burgers. Cook the burgers for about 5 minutes and then flip to cook the other side.
- Serve on a bun with your favorite toppings, including sliced tomatoes, pickles, lettuce, hummus, and a side of coleslaw.
If you have a hankering for veggie sandwiches, you might want to try this Vegan Philly Cheezsteak Sandwich

Or how about this Vegan Bulgogi Steak Sandwich. Looks good, eh?

Whichever sandwich you choose, enjoy!
Vegan never looked so good! Love these. And that quote from Mark Twain. Awesome.
Thanks Amy. Mark Twain seems to be right about so many things!
Whether they taste like the “original” chorizo burger or not, these look delicious. I can just tell by how pretty all the ingredients in the bowl are that these are outstanding. I might even convince my husband to try them. 🙂
Isn’t it amazing how beautiful ingredients can be sometimes!
This look amazing! I may even be able to slip it pass the husband. 😉
Oh, that would be quite an accomplishment. Let me know how it goes!
Looks delicious! And a great take to make it meatless!
Thanks, Elizabeth!
Looks tasty to me!
Thanks, Julie!
Ooooh, now that looks like a nice hearty sandwich!
Thanks, Christine!
Oh chorizo! Gimme a bite!
I’ll be right over!
Hang on! I’ll be right over for dinner!
OK. Let me clean up a little first. 😉
This looks absolutely fantastic!
Thank you, Kim! You’re so sweet!
I never would have thought to put hummus on a burger! So brilliant. I love grilling in the summer too. Thanks for another great idea 🙂
I love to get creative with my veggie burgers. Let me know what you think after you try it!
Oh yeah! That is one fierce looking veggie burger. I’ll take two!
Coming right up!
First, your photos are beautiful! Second, I love this burger! I’ve had a hard time grilling veggie burgers. Always a huge mess, but I’m going to give these a try. Love the hummus as “mayo”. What a great alternative!
Thanks, Angela! I’ve struggled with the same thing! I think it’s the Gimme Lean that really helps. It has a sticky consistency that I think really binds things together. I hope you enjoy it!
Your burgers turned out great and I think after awhile you just start to get a feel for when things are right and taste good. Some great spices going on here too!
Thanks Susan! I completely agree. Cooking is such a combination of art and science!
These burgers look fantastic!!! Great flavor combos!
What a great idea. I love that you veganized a chorizo burger. I would never have thought it possible! A real winner recipe!!
This is so funny, from your husband catching you talking to yourself to the coach teaching tennis! You have definitely made a vegan/veggie burger look more than appealing. Great recipe!
This looks like it came together really nicely!
Thanks! It was a really great burger. I’ve made it several times this summer!