Best Veggie Burger We've Ever Made
- PREP 40min
- COOK 45min
- TOTAL 1hrs 25min
These are the best veggie burgers we’ve made. There’s no getting around the fact that veggie burgers take longer to make than regular hamburgers, but these vegetable-packed burgers are well worth it (trust me). The steps are easy, so stick with me. You can do this!
I use a food processor to make veggie burgers and highly recommend that you use one, too. If you only have a blender, you can use it to chop the veggies and other ingredients, but you will need to scrape the sides down a few more times (the food processor really is the better tool for this recipe).
You Will Need
1 (15-ounce) can black beans or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
8 ounces (225g) mushrooms
1 medium carrot
1 ½ cups (85g) broccoli florets
1/4 medium onion
2 medium garlic cloves
2 tablespoons (30g) olive oil or avocado oil, plus more for cooking
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder, try homemade chili powder
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup (35g) walnuts
2 cups packed (85g) spinach leaves
1/4 cup fresh parsley, or other fresh herbs
1/2 cup (35g) panko or homemade breadcrumbs
2 large eggs or use 2 homemade flax eggs
1 tablespoon (15g) tomato paste
3/4 cup (115g) cooked brown rice
Directions
Prepare Veggies and Beans
Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Position two racks so you can fit both baking sheets in at once. Then, line two baking sheets with foil, parchment, or a silicone mat.
Drain the beans and spread them on one of the prepared baking sheets.
Wipe the mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Remove tough stems, then roughly chop.
Roughly chop up the carrot, broccoli, and onion into 1/2-inch pieces.
Add the mushrooms, chopped vegetables, garlic, olive oil, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper to the food processor. Pulse until coarsely ground (10 to 20 times). Put the ground vegetable mixture on the second baking sheet and pat it into a thin, even layer.
Slide both baking sheets (beans and veggies) into the preheated oven.
Roast the beans until dry with slightly split skins, about 15 minutes.
Roast the vegetables until they look dry and toasted, about 30 minutes. Stir them a few times and press them back into a thin layer to prevent the outer edges from over-browning.
Let both the roasted vegetables and beans cool on the counter.
Make Burger Mix
While the beans and vegetables roast, rinse the food processor bowl and pat it dry.
Place the walnuts, spinach, and fresh parsley into the clean food processor bowl. Pulse briefly until roughly chopped, resembling the size of breadcrumbs.
Add cooled beans and pulse 5 to 10 times until the beans look crumbly with large crumbs.
Add the roasted vegetables, breadcrumbs, eggs, and tomato paste. Pulse until everything is just combined. You want to keep some texture and avoid over-processing it into a smooth paste.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and gently fold in the cooked rice.
Cook Burgers
Divide the veggie burger mixture into 8 equal portions (each portion should be about 3 ¼ ounces or 90 grams). Form each portion into a patty that’s about 1/2-inch thick.
Place a skillet over medium-low heat and add oil (about 1 tablespoon for 4 burgers). Carefully place the patties in the skillet and cook on each side for 4 to 6 minutes until heated through, firm, and browned. As you flip them, a few bits might fall. Gently press any loose bits back into the sides of the patties.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- How to cook brown rice: Forget the package directions and cook it like you would pasta. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water, add the brown rice, and then let it cook, uncovered, at a simmer for 30 minutes. Drain and add it back to the pot off the heat with a lid covering it so it steams for an additional 10 minutes (this method is from Saveur, making perfect brown rice.)
- Vegan/egg-free veggie burgers: Use 2 homemade flax eggs. See this recipe for how to make flax eggs.
- Make ahead: You can keep the burger mixture or formed patties in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Alternatively, you can form, cook, and freeze the patties for up to 3 months.
- Baking the burgers: Lightly brush with oil, then bake at 400°F for about until the patties are golden on the outside, about 30 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Grilling the burgers: Cooking them directly on BBQ grates can cause them to crumble. Use a cast-iron skillet with some oil to cook the burgers on the grill (indirect, medium heat is best).
- Nutrition Facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.