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This Vegan Quesadilla Smash Burger is everything you love about a crispy vegan smash burger and a cheesy quesadilla, all wrapped up in one ridiculously delicious recipe. Filled with juicy plant-based burger patties, vegan cheese, caramelised onions, lettuce, tomato, pickled gherkins, and a tangy gherkin mayo mustard sauce, then served with extra sauce for dipping, it’s the ultimate vegan burger recipe for weeknight dinners, BBQs, or whenever you’re craving next-level vegan comfort food. One bite and you’ll wonder why you’ve ever settled for an ordinary burger.

Why you’ll love this vegan Quesadilla Burger recipe…

• The best of both worlds: A crispy vegan smash burger meets a golden, cheesy quesadilla for the ultimate comfort food mash-up.
• Loaded with flavour: Juicy plant-based burger patties, caramelised onions, vegan cheese, crisp lettuce, fresh tomato, pickled gherkins, and a tangy gherkin mayo mustard sauce in every bite.
• Perfectly crispy: Toasted tortillas replace the bun, giving you an irresistible golden crunch.
• Easy to make: Simple ingredients and ready in around 30 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights or weekend treats.
• Extra sauce for dipping: Because every great burger deserves a creamy, tangy dipping sauce.
• A guaranteed crowd-please: Whether you’re vegan or not, this burger is packed with flavour and sure to impress.

Ingredeints for this delicious Quesadilla Smash Burger

• Tortillas: Use large flour tortillas so they’re big enough to fold around the burger and fillings.
• Vegan beef patty: Choose your favourite plant-based burger patties or homemade vegan smash burger mix.
• Cheese: A good melting vegan cheese works best—I like cheddar-style slices.
• Lettuce: Crisp iceberg or romaine adds the perfect fresh crunch.
• Caramelised onions: Sweet, jammy onions balance the savoury burger beautifully.
• Oil: A little neutral oil for frying and getting those tortillas perfectly golden and crispy.
• Mustard: Adds a sharp, tangy kick to the burger sauce.
• Mayo: Use your favourite vegan mayo for a rich, creamy sauce.
• Ketchup: Brings a touch of sweetness and classic burger flavour.
• Gherkins: Finely chop some for the quesadilla filling and use a splash of the pickle brine to make the sauce extra tangy.
• Garlic: Freshly grated or minced garlic gives the sauce an extra punch of flavour.

Homemade Gherkin Mayo Mustard Sauce

This homemade gherkin mayo mustard sauce is creamy, tangy, slightly sweet and packed with that classic burger-shop flavour. Simply mix together vegan mayo, ketchup, yellow mustard, a splash of tangy gherkin pickle juice, finely grated garlic, paprika, salt and freshly cracked black pepper until smooth and creamy. The pickle brine gives the sauce that delicious zing, while the yellow mustard adds the perfect sharp kick. Drizzle it generously over your vegan quesadilla smash burger or serve it on the side for dipping because there’s no such thing as too much sauce!

All about the smashed burger patty…

Traditionally, a quesadilla smash burger is made with ground beef or beef mince, but finding a vegan alternative that smashes well and still gives you those delicious crispy, browned edges can be tricky. After testing a few options, I found that Beyond Meat and THIS! vegan beef-style hamburger patties worked really well for this recipe. They’re easy to smash, packed with flavour, and give you that satisfying vegan burger texture.

Start by heating a little oil in a large frying pan over low-medium heat. Place a vegan burger patty directly onto the centre of a tortilla. Using a sturdy spatula, firmly smash the patty down and spread it across most of the tortilla, pushing it right towards the edges. The key here is to really press the vegan patty into the tortilla so the two stick together as they cook—this is what gives you those delicious crispy, caramelised edges. Sprinkle with a little salt and black pepper.

Carefully place the tortilla into the hot pan patty-side down. Cook for around 2–5 minutes, or until the vegan burger is nicely browned and crispy. Flip the quesadilla smash burger and cook the tortilla side for another couple of minutes, until the tortilla is golden, crisp and crunchy. Top with two slices of vegan cheese, and cove with a lid, this will allow the vegan cheese to melt a bit easier, and ensure the hamburger patties are cooked through. You want the vegan beef to be cooked through and the tortilla beautifully toasted before adding all those delicious toppings.

Final touches…

Now for the fun part! Top your crispy vegan quesadilla smash burger with sweet and sticky caramelised onions, juicy fresh tomato, crunchy lettuce, and plenty of tangy pickled gherkins. Drizzle over that creamy gherkin mayo mustard sauce, or go all in and serve extra sauce on the side for dipping.

Fold it up, slice it in half, and get ready for the ultimate combination of crispy tortilla, melty vegan cheese, juicy vegan burger, and seriously delicious burger toppings. Messy? Absolutely. Worth it? Every single bite.

Top Tips for the Best Vegan Quesadilla Smash Burger

• Use large flour tortillas: They give you plenty of space to spread the vegan patty and fold everything together without losing any delicious fillings.
• Really smash the patty: Press the vegan burger firmly into the tortilla so it spreads thinly and sticks to it. This helps create those crispy, caramelised edges.
• Don’t rush the cooking: Keep the pan on low-medium heat so the vegan beef gets beautifully browned while the tortilla turns golden and crisp without burning.
• Don’t skip the gherkin brine: A splash of pickle juice in the homemade sauce adds the perfect tangy, salty kick and really brings all the flavours together.
• Get those onions nice and caramelised: Cook them low and slow until soft, golden and sweet—they add so much flavour to the burger.

If you make these Vegan Quesadilla Smash Burgers, please tag me on Instagram @cookingwithparita so I can see your creations! Nothing makes me happier than seeing you guys recreate my recipes, and this one is definitely too good not to show off. Don’t forget to leave a ⭐️ rating and a comment below to let me know what you thought. Your reviews help other readers find the recipe too, so every rating, comment and share means the world!

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