Delicious Veggie Burgers Recipe

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ByMartin Alvarez
Updated on 11/19/2024

Have you met my fave veggie burgers? If not, it's high time that it did! These completely blew beyond any other vegetarian burgers I've had, and my expectations were already very high. I have a sneaking suspicion that they will quickly become your go-to vegetable patties as well.

The combination of flavors in these vegetarian burgers is so delicious that you won't be able to resist eating them. They are hearty and satisfying. They begin with the foundation of quinoa, black beans, and oats. Then, we turn it up to eleven by adding sweet potatoes, fresh herbs, and a variety of seasonings we've selected with great care. They have a touch of sweetness and a hint of spiciness in the best possible ways.

You may be familiar with this dish as "Sweet Potato and Black Bean Veggie Burgers," which have been tucked away in the archives for a considerable time. There's a good possibility you've already devoured these burgers, as found in my Love Real Food cookbook. They're served on buns with a lime-cilantro cabbage slaw that's nice and crunchy, as well as guacamole (page 177).

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Or perhaps you are witnessing these burgers for the very first time at this very moment! If that's the case, let me explain why this recipe for vegetarian burgers is my favorite:

  • These burgers are truly mouthwatering in every way. In point of fact, I can honestly say that these veggie burgers are the greatest I've ever tasted, and they are superior to those served by any restaurant and frozen veggie burgers purchased from a grocery shop.
  • The shape of these burgers is maintained before, throughout, and after the cooking process. In contrast to many others, these vegetarian burgers do not require any special preparation or effort on the eater's part.
  • These burgers can be cooked in the oven, on the stovetop, or even on the grill if you want. They are also capable of being frozen, which means that you may prepare a large quantity of them and savor them at your leisure.
  • These veggie burgers are the perfect dish to prepare for those who adhere to particular dietary restrictions. These burgers, of course, do not contain any meat products, and they are also helpfully devoid of gluten, nuts, eggs, and soy, in addition to being vegan and eggless.

Veggie Burger Cooking Options

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There are three different ways you may prepare these vegetable burgers, but I'm going to start with my favorite.

1) Oven-Baked

I find that roasting these vegetarian burgers in the oven adds their full flavor. They come out perfectly cooked through and golden on each side when cooked in this manner, and it is the simplest way to cook a large number of them at once.

2) Grilled

These burgers are great for grilling, too! I could grill them on the grates without the burgers falling apart at any point in the process. (Just put the burgers in the refrigerator for a while before giving it another shot if you have any problems.)

3) Stovetop

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One final option for cooking these veggie burgers is to do it in a pan over a burner. The stovetop is not my preferred method because it requires more monitoring than the oven does, but it is not impossible to use either one. The interior of these burgers is particularly juicy. Check the recipe notes for any additional information.

Veggie Burger Ingredients

These vegetable burgers use ingredients that are not difficult to locate and are suitable for you. It is everything you will need to get started:

Sweet Potatoes:

When purchasing sweet potatoes, it is important to weigh them at the store to know you are purchasing the appropriate quantity to get the most excellent results. If you can, choose sweet potatoes on the smaller side because they will cook more quickly. After cutting them in half lengthwise, we're going to roast them until they're nice and soft.

Quinoa

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We will begin with raw (uncooked) quinoa, and the recipe will include instructions on how to cook it for you. Alternately, if you have 1 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa left over from a previous recipe, you could use it instead. Millet is another grain that can be used in place of quinoa (check the recipe notes for details).

Black Beans

Either canned or home-cooked black beans will do, as long as they have been thoroughly rinsed and drained before use. Even though I haven't tested it, I'm willing to guess that you could use an equivalent quantity of chickpeas, pinto beans, or white beans as a substitution in an emergency.

Red Onion, Cilantro, Or Garlic

Suppose you are sensitive to any of these flavors, such as red onion, cilantro, or garlic. In that case, you don't need to worry about ruining the dish because the flavors become more subtle after being cooked.

Spices

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To give the dish a smokey, grilled flavor, add some smoked paprika or adobo sauce, which comes from a can of chipotle chilies packed in adobo sauce. Cumin, chili powder, and salt can also be added to the dish.

Oats

Oats are a great source of whole grains and absorb any excess moisture that they come in contact with. You might also use old-fashioned oats, which, in order to break them up, should be given a few quick pulses in a food processor or blender.

Veggie Burger Serving Suggestions

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Burger Accompaniments

These burgers should be served like, well, burgers! You can use butter lettuce leaves as a low-carb and gluten-free alternative to buns, or you can find some excellent buns. Include something from the list below:

  • Tomato slices that are ripe and juicy.
  • Crisp lettuce or fresh sprouts are used instead.
  • Pickles.
  • Cheese cut into pieces.
  • An onion that has been sliced very thinly.
  • Avocado or guacamole.
  • The condiments are ketchup and mustard.
  • Maybe even fried eggs.

Side Dish Suggestions

These burgers would go well with my Easy Healthy Slaw or Gaby's Cucumber Salad if you wanted to round out your meal.

A sum up of 1 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa for the burgers, so you might as well make a little extra while you're at it and use it to create either my Sun-Dried Tomato, Spinach, and Quinoa Salad or my Favorite Quinoa Salad.

Recipes That Make Use Of Leftovers

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Maintain a supply of these burgers in your freezer for speedy and wholesome meals. Patties cooked but not consumed can be frozen and kept for several months.

Reheat one and serve it alongside a straightforward green salad, a quesadilla, or any mishmash of ingredients you have on hand. However, how you choose to prepare them, these burgers will boost the number of vegetables, fiber, and protein in your meal.

Please use the comments section to report back to me on how your vegetarian burgers come out. It makes my day whenever you write to me.

Favorite Veggie Burgers Recipe

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Preparation Time: 1 hour

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Yield: 8 burger patties

Category: Main

Method: Baked

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Rating: 4.8 out of 5

These vegan and gluten-free veggie burgers have a sweet and spicy flavor profile and are made without any animal products. You can choose to bake them, cook them on the grill, or prepare them on the stovetop! Prepare the burger mixture ahead of time and let it chill in the refrigerator (you may let it sit for at least one night or for a longer period of time if you'd like) for the best possible outcomes regardless of whether you choose to cook the patties on the grill or the stovetop. This recipe makes eight patties in total.

Ingredients

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  • 1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes (two medium or three small)
  • ½ cup quinoa washed in a fine-mesh colander
  • One ounce of water
  • One can of black beans (about 15 ounces), drained and rinsed (or 1 12 cups of cooked black beans).
  • 12 cups of chopped red onion (equivalent to approximately 12 of a small red onion)
  • 13 cups of fresh cilantro that has been chopped
  • Two garlic cloves, crushed or chopped, to taste
  • Two teaspoons of smoked paprika or two tablespoons of adobo sauce
  • Two teaspoons of cumin that has been ground
  • One teaspoon of ground chili peppers
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 and 14 cups of oats that are quick to cook (use certified gluten-free oats if necessary)
  • olive oil with a high level of virginity for use in brushing (or avocado oil, if using the stovetop method)
  • Eight hamburger buns made from whole wheat (optional)
  • You can top your burger with your favorite toppings, such as avocado or guacamole, tomato, onion, lettuce, pickles, cheese, sprouts, ketchup, hot sauce, mustard, fried eggs, etc.

Instructions

roasting sweet potatoes

  • Put the oven on to a temperature of 400 degrees Fahrenheit. To make cleanup a breeze, cover a big baking sheet with parchment paper and give it a rim.
  • Cooking the sweet potatoes by roasting them requires first slicing them down the center of their length. Use the prepared baking sheet, and arrange the sweet potatoes with the sliced side facing down. Roast them until they give in to a light squeeze, which could take anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes or even more. Put away for the time being. (If you're going to bake the burgers, keep the oven on and set aside the pan lined with parchment paper.)
  • While everything is going on, mix the quinoa and water together in a low-key saucepan. Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil; after it has reached a boil, adjust the heat level as needed to keep a gentle simmer going. Keep the lid off and let it simmer for 11 to 14 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed. Take the saucepan off the heat, cover it, and let the quinoa steam for ten minutes in the pan.

peeling roasted sweet potatoes

  • After the sweet potatoes have cooled enough to be handled, the skin should be peeled off and thrown away (it should come off easily). The insides can be roughly chopped. Mix together the cooked sweet potatoes and quinoa that have been allowed to cool, together with the black beans, onion, cilantro, garlic, adobo sauce, cumin, chili powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer. In order to thoroughly combine the ingredients, you can use a potato masher, a pastry cutter, a large spoon, or the paddle attachment on your mixer. It is not a problem if the black beans end up mashed as a result of the technique.
  • After sprinkling the oats over the mixture, use a large spoon to thoroughly combine the ingredients, continuing to do so until the dough can form into patties without falling apart. If you are not going to make the burgers right away, cover the mixture and place it in the refrigerator for use at a later time.
  • When you are ready to start cooking, form the patties by using a measuring cup to remove half a cup of the mixture from the bowl. Form it into a patty with a diameter of three, one, half, and four inches using your hands. Applying gentle pressure with your hands, carefully flatten the patties, and round off any rough edges. Repeat the steps for each patty, and you should finish up with a total of 8 patties.

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  • Coat the sides of each patty generously with olive oil, and lay them on the lined baking sheet, allowing a few inches of space around each one. This step is only necessary if you plan to bake the burgers (for other cooking methods, see the recipe instructions). Bake the patties in an oven preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 35 minutes, at which time to be flipped halfway during the cooking process.
  • You can serve the burgers as you choose. Leftover burgers store nicely, refrigerated, for four days. Alternatively, you can place them in a freezer bag and store them for up to three months (thaw in the microwave for about 1 minute or in a 400-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until warmed all the way through).

Notes

The recipe is modified slightly from the one found in the Cafe Flora Cookbook. Check out Cafe Flora, a fantastic vegetarian restaurant in Seattle that offers a cuisine that adapts to the seasons and is always worth a visit if you're in the area.

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Adobo Sauce Note

You can use the sauce that comes with canned or jarred chipotle chiles that have been marinated in adobo. In most supermarket stores, you can get this ingredient in the section of the store devoted to international or Hispanic cuisine. You can save any leftover peppers with their sauce by placing them all in a freezer bag, pressing out any left air, and then freezing the bag.

Oats Tip

You can use old-fashioned oats instead of quick oats, but you will need to briefly process them in a food processor or blender until they are broken up into smaller bits (not as fine as flour).

Directions For Cooking On A Stovetop:

In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon of avocado oil (or another high heat oil) over medium heat. When it's heated, throw a few burgers in the pan, making sure there's enough room between each one to flip it. Cook each patty for about three to four minutes per side, or until it is browned and heated all the way through. Fry one pan of burgers at a time in the skillet, adding one tablespoon of oil to the pan for each pan and adjusting the heat as needed to keep the burgers from burning.

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Grilling Method

Before forming the patties and cooking them on the grill, you should ideally let the mixture chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. There is no need to cover the burgers with oil because doing so could cause them to catch fire on the grill. Follow the instructions in step 6 to shape the patties, then cook them on a grill set to medium heat. When the undersides have turned golden and acquired some grill marks, turn them over. On the other side, repeat the process.

To Make It Gluten-Free

Use verified oats to be free of gluten, and be selective about the accompaniments you use. Instead of buns, you might use butter lettuce leaves as a substitute.

Prepare In Advance

Make the burger mixture and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least a couple of hours (or up to a couple of days, if you want). You can let it chill for as long as you like. After that, put the burgers together and cook them according to the instructions.

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Suggestions For Serving

These vegetarian burgers do not need to be served like conventional hamburgers. The patties are delicious when eaten on their own with toppings such as guacamole and pico de gallo and when incorporated into a salad with flavors typical of the Southwestern United States. You may try serving them with corn on the cob during the summer.

Notes On The Recipe

The first version of this recipe called for 13 cups of millet to be cooked with 1 cup of water (yielding 1 cup of cooked millet) and 1 cup of old-fashioned oats to be lightly ground in a food processor or blender until the flakes are broken up, but not as fine as flour. The second version of the recipe called for 1 cup of cooked millet.

▸ NUTRITION INFORMATION

An online nutrition calculator is used to compile the information displayed here as an estimate. It is not meant to replace the recommendation of a trained nutritionist in any way, so please do not use it as such. Check out the whole list of our nutritional information.