Crispy Lentil Veggie Patties Sandwich
If you’re looking for the perfect meatless alternative for burgers, sandwiches, or healthy meal-prep lunches, these Crispy Lentil Veggie Patties are it. They’re made from simple ingredients like lentils, carrots, onion, and potato, then seasoned and pan-fried so they’re crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
These patties are protein-rich, budget-friendly, freezer-friendly, egg-free, dairy-free, and can easily be made gluten-free. Whether you serve them inside a cozy sandwich, with salad, or as finger food with dipping sauce, they will surprise you with how flavorful and satisfying they are.
Why You’ll Love These Lentil Patties
✔ Protein-packed — A full serving of lentils gives plant-based protein, fiber, and minerals.
✔ Crispy outside, tender inside — Perfect texture every time.
✔ Budget-friendly — Made from pantry staples.
✔ Vegan & allergy-friendly — No eggs or dairy required.
✔ Family-approved — Easy to season mild or spicy.
✔ Meal prep friendly — Freeze before or after cooking.
They’re perfect for:
- Veggie burgers
- Healthy school lunches
- Savory sandwiches
- Snack platters
- High-protein vegan meals
How To Make This Crispy Lentil Veggie Patties
(full recipe below)
🍽️ How to Serve
You can eat these patties in so many ways:
- Inside a sandwich with tomatoes, onions, and grilled peppers
- As a burger with pickles, vegan mayo, lettuce, tomato
- With a salad as a protein boost
- As a snack with garlic yogurt sauce or tahini
- In a wrap with hummus and greens
They’re satisfying, filling, and the texture is amazing.
How to Make These Patties Gluten-Free
To make this recipe gluten-free:
- Replace regular breadcrumbs with gluten-free breadcrumbs, chickpea flour or oat flour.
- Double-check your spices for gluten contamination.
The patties will hold together perfectly and taste amazing.
Q&A (Troubleshooting + Tips) for this Crispy Lentil Veggie Patties
Yes! Bake at 390°F (200°C) for 20–25 minutes, flipping halfway. Add 3-4 Tablespoons of olive oil to the mixture to make sure they don’t come out dry.
Absolutely, freeze uncooked patties between parchment sheets. Fry or bake directly from frozen.
Yes! Store in the fridge 4–5 days. Reheat in a pan or toaster oven.
You can, but texture will be softer. Green or brown hold their shape best.
No, the starch from the potato binds everything naturally.
Pair These Crispy Lentil Veggie Patties With:
If you enjoyed this recipe, make sure to head over to my Homepage for more quick, high-protein, insanely flavorful recipes that you can cook on busy days. You’ll find dozens of simple, budget-friendly vegan dishes to try next!
Crispy Lentil Veggie Patties Sandwich (Vegan, High Protein)
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the lentils and vegetables:Add the lentils to a large pot. Place the whole potato, onion, and carrots on top. Cover with water, season lightly with salt, and cook until everything is soft (about 25–30 minutes).
- Mash everything:Drain excess water if there is any. Mash the lentils, carrots, onion, and potato together in the pot until mostly smooth but still a little chunky.
- Make the mixture:Transfer the mash to a bowl. Add breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, and chili flakes (optional). Mix until the mixture holds together. Add more breadcrumbs if needed.
- Shape patties:Form oval or square patties by pressing the mixture firmly with your hands.
- Fry:Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry patties on both sides until golden brown and crispy.
- Assemble sandwiches:Slice the bread, add the sauce, tomato slices, onion-parsley mix, 3–4 lentil patties, and grilled green pepper. Press lightly and enjoy warm!
Wonderful meals
Thank you so much, Virginia! Glad you’re enjoying the recipes 😊
I wouldn’t consider 6 grams of protein to be a “high protein” meal.
Counting all of the extras that can be added in to this, it definitely makes a great high protein snack!
I added Tzatziki with Greek Yoghurt, my own wholemeal sourdough bread for the crumbs, cheese, gherkins/pickles wrapped in large lebanese flat breads. It turned out absolutely fantastic!
Thank you Ahmad for this great recipe, I will definitely be using this in weekly rotation!
So glad you enjoyed it, Sianmarieh! Lovely to hear it’s joining your weekly rotation, and thanks for sharing your version 😊
Hi, take in mind that each one have 6 grams and if you eat 3-4 you will have 18-24 grams of protein.
Thanks Lesly! Yes, the nutrition estimate is per patty, so 3–4 patties would be about 18–24 g of protein before the bread and toppings😊
Thanks for pointing that out! The 6 g figure is an estimate for one patty, not a whole sandwich. The recipe makes about 22 patties, and the total for a meal depends on how many you use and the bread and toppings. The serving information could be clearer.
This “sandwich looks so yummy. I have no background for this style of cooking but I am definitly going to try this sandwich recipe. Thank you for sharing! I am looking forward to learning about your recipes. I am from the Midwest/Southern part of the US and am an experienced cook so I think I could learn your recipes. I am not a big fan of vegetables so your recipes show me a chance to fix them “out of the box” and encourage me to like them. Thank you so much. I am eager to learn.
Thank you for such a lovely message, Sheila! You already have plenty of cooking experience to bring to these recipes, and I hope the patties give you a fun new way to enjoy vegetables. Start with the step-by-step instructions and adjust the seasoning to your taste. Happy cooking 😊
So delicious! I didn’t have two cups of lentils so I used one cup red lentils and one cup sprouted mung beans and it turned out perfectly. Even my wife loved them and she’s a tough critic of plant based food.
So happy you both enjoyed the patties, Nicole! Thanks for sharing your lentil and mung bean combination 😊
dude you need to put the video in the recipe
Thanks for the suggestion! Having the video right beside the recipe steps would definitely make it easier to follow.
Great recipe! For a single guy though, 1 cup of lentils is enough. The 2 cups makes a lot! Still…great recipe! It’s on my Go-To List now.
So glad it’s on your go-to list, Jay! It does make a generous batch. Halving all the ingredients is a good option when you want less 😊
Can you make this with ww panko bread crumbs? How long to cook in instant pot?
Yes, of course you can, it’s gluten free for the ones that have allergies, but if you don’t have, of course that you can
Thanks for helping out Lesly! Just a small clarification: regular and whole-wheat panko contain gluten. Anyone who needs the patties gluten-free should use specifically labelled gluten-free breadcrumbs😊
Hi Robert! Whole-wheat panko should work; add it gradually until the mixture holds together. If you mean cooking the finished patties under pressure, I wouldn’t recommend it because they won’t develop a crisp crust. Pan-fry as directed. If you mean cooking the lentils first, follow your Instant Pot’s guidance for the type of lentil, then drain them well before making the patties 😊
Very nice! Tried in once and today again. One of the best veggi meals i Had in my life! Greetings from Germany
Thank you, Dominic! So happy you’re making them again and enjoying them so much. Greetings back to Germany 😊
Followed the recipe to the T. Patties just crumbled when cooked – tried adding more bread crumbs and made no difference. Tried cooking with less oil or more oil – also no difference.
IF THE PATTIES ARE CRUMBLING APART FOR YOU, you probably just need to press them tighter together/make them smaller! the first couple of patties i made were too big and so they fell apart, so i reshaped the rest to be more compact and they fried up perfectly 🙂
i followed the recipe as is except i used panko bread crumbs and smoked paprika instead of regular since thats what i had lol. they turned out great, very filling but also refreshing paired with the tzatziki sauce and tomato!
if anything i would probably add more spice next time, but thats just my personal preference. will definitely try them with the grilled peppers next time!
Thanks for such helpful feedback, Mariah! So glad smaller, firmly shaped patties worked well for you. Love that you enjoyed them with the tzatziki and tomato 😊
i had this happen to the first couple patties i made too, but it turns out i made the patties too big! pressing them tighter together/reshaping them smaller fixed it and the rest turned out perfectly 🙂 so i would recommend trying that if anyone else is having trouble!
Thanks for sharing what helped, Mariah! Smaller, firmly pressed patties can definitely be easier to turn. Glad the rest of your batch worked out 😊
I’m sorry they fell apart. More breadcrumbs can make crumbling worse if the mixture is already dry. Mash the cooked lentils well so they bind, then check whether the mixture feels dry and crumbly or wet and loose. For a dry batch, add a little water or mashed lentils; for a wet one, add breadcrumbs sparingly. Chill the shaped patties and let a crust form before flipping gently.
ON the nutrition info section, what is a serving size? Like how many pieces?
And is 17g of carbs for the entire recipe ?
I want to calculate how many Weight Watcher points a serving would be .
Would almond flour work? How much?
Many thanks
Hi Judith! The card is set to 22 patties, so the 17 g carbohydrate figure is intended as an estimate for one patty, not the whole recipe or sandwich. Bread, sauce and frying oil can change the total, so calculate your portions from the exact ingredients you use for tracking. Almond flour absorbs and binds differently from breadcrumbs, and I don’t have a tested amount for that swap.
Gee I see they just crumbled and fell apart for one person who tried. I wonder why — maybe I won’t bother unless I see others’ response and suggestions. I appreciate it .. Don’t have money or time to waste. Don’t want to be disappointed.
thank you
I understand, Judith! The texture of the cooked lentils and how firmly the patties are shaped make a difference. Mash well, add breadcrumbs gradually, and make small, firmly pressed patties. Let a crust form before turning. Another reader reported that making them smaller solved the crumbling for her. A half batch and one test patty would help you check the mixture before cooking the rest.
Healthy and yummi, thank you❤️
You’re very welcome, Iulia! So happy you enjoyed them 😊
Sehr lecker! Ich hatte die Linsen allerdings 25 Minuten im Schnellkochtopf weil nach 25 Minuten garen im normalen Topf die Linsen noch viel zu fest waren. Man muss die Patties gefühlvoll zum richtigen Zeitpunkt wenden! sonst easy und sehr lecker! Vielen Dank für das Rezept!
Vielen Dank, Anja! Schön, dass es dir geschmeckt hat. Die Linsen müssen wirklich weich sein; je nach Sorte und Alter kann das länger dauern. Und ja, die Patties erst vorsichtig wenden, wenn sich unten eine feste Kruste gebildet hat 😊
Amazing!
Thank you, Ewa! So happy you enjoyed them 😊
Delicious! Will be adding to the rotation. A couple of notes. I used Panko breadcrumbs instead (turned out great). I used less oil to fry them in than shown in video. I also used almost double the amount of breadcrumbs- this is a must or they fall apart in frying pan. I also salted the cooking water and the mashed mixture well. Definitely needs a good amount of salt. My whole family loved it – thank you!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Carla! So happy your family enjoyed them. The amount of breadcrumbs needed can vary with how much moisture is left in the cooked mixture, so adding them gradually until the patties hold together is helpful 😊
These were incredibly delicious! My kids even like this meatless mixture fried up and served like tacos! This recipe was the breakthrough for me to get my kids to eat vegan dishes! Now they’re excited to try more recipes! ❤️
That’s wonderful to hear, Jamie! Love that the kids enjoyed the mixture in tacos too. Hope you find lots more family favorites 😊
So good!!! I love that I can freeze them, I love that he gave an option to bake them! I have never had a bad experience with any of his recipes! Easy and delish! I got my family hooked too! Thank you so much Dr. Vegan!
Thank you for such a kind message, Leah! So happy you and your family are enjoying the recipes 😊
like it
Thank you, Nasreen! Glad you enjoyed it 😊
This recipe is very delicious and easy to make. Thank you!
You’re very welcome, Geli! So happy you found it easy and delicious 😊
So good! I make them 1-2 times a month. I use panko breadcrumbs and nearly double the amount listed to get them to stick together when I fry them. The whole family loves them. Thank you!
So glad they have become a family favourite CJ! Thanks for sharing how you adjusted the breadcrumbs to help them hold together😊
I love lentils and Dr.Vegan’s Platform on FB. I enjoy watching him prepare the meals and eat them.
Thank you Lisa! So glad you enjoy the videos and the recipes😊
can you freeze these?
Yes Jarvis! Shape the patties from the cooked lentil mixture, let them cool, then freeze them before frying with parchment between them. You can fry or bake from frozen, allowing extra time for them to heat through😊
Excellent! Yummy!
Thank you Maria! So glad you liked the patties😊