How to Make the Best Veggie Burger

Whether you’re a vegetarian or you’re trying to cut down on your meat consumption, meat-eaters and vegetarians alike praise veggie burger recipes. And to be honest, I’ve hopped on the trend, too. I’d be lying if I said that veggie burgers haven’t become my latest obsession. But as much as I love them, I kept running into the same issues; their texture was too mushy or the taste was just a little too bland.

That was before I tried this recipe. Let’s just say there’s a reason why this recipe is called the best veggie burger.

Taste of Home’s Associate Culinary Producer, Sarah Tramonte, has created a delicious new take on the classic veggie burger recipe to minimize mushiness while still dishing out smoky-savory flavor complete with cumin, smoked paprika, fennel seed and hints of sun-dried tomato. Drooling yet?

Tools You’ll Need

Don’t let the price intimidate you, the benefits of this Cuisinart food processor ($205) are worth the extra cash. Our Test Kitchen recommends named this the best food processor as it has simple, easy-to-use controls. They were also impressed with how quickly and finely it chops of food of all sizes.

Our non-stick metal baking sheet ($21) evenly cooks your favorite dishes. Its embossed design increases airflow to foods for all-over browning. Plus, it looks beautiful.

This durable and versatile skillet can be used for just about anything. From these tasty veggie burgers to whipping up quesadillas, your stove-top recipes are cooked to perfection in our skillet. The best part? Our 12.5″ skillet ($35) is non-stick so no need to use up too much oil while cooking.

The Best Veggie Burger Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped walnuts
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground fennel seed
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoons oil from sun-dried tomatoes
¼ cup shredded carrot
1 large shallot, minced
2 tablespoons oil-packed sundried-tomatoes, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup old-fashioned oats
1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 teapsoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
½ teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Optional: bbq sauce, toasted hamburger buns, sriracha mayo, lettuce, red onion and tomato

Directions

Step 1: Bake the Beans

Start off by preheating the oven to 325°. Spread the black beans evenly on a parchment-lined rimmed baking pan and bake just until beans start to split open, about 6-8 minutes.

Pro tip: Sarah urges you to not skip this step. This step gives the burgers more bite and is what makes her veggie burger simply the best.

Step 2: Toast the Nuts and Spices

While the beans are cooking, set your skillet over medium heat and add walnuts, cumin, fennel and smoked paprika, stirring frequently until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool.

Pro tip: Keep an eye on the walnuts, they can go from browned to burnt in the blink of an eye!

Step 3: Bring on the Veggies

In the same skillet, heat up the oil from your sun-dried tomatoes over medium heat. Add the carrot, shallot and sun-dried tomatoes; and cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes or when the carrots become tender. Add the minced garlic and cook for about a minute longer. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Step 4: Break Out the Food Processor

Your patty mix is almost ready. Transfer the carrot mixture to a food processor and add the cooked beans and walnut mixture, plus the oats, chia seeds, soy sauce and garlic salt. Pulse until combined. Ta-da! Here’s the ‘meat’ of your best-ever veggie burger.

Shape into four 4-inch patties.

Step 5: Cook!

In the same skillet over medium heat, cook the patties in olive oil until browned, 3-4 minutes on each side. If desired, baste with barbecue sauce and serve on buns with toppings of your choice. Yum.

Nutrition Tips

Vegans rejoice! This burger is vegetarian AND vegan. No dairy or egg products are used to make this savory veggie burger.

Meal Prep Instructions

If you’re looking to make these burgers ahead of time, simply assemble the uncooked veggie patties and store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. We like to use a piece of parchment paper to keep the patties from sticking together.

These veggie burgers typically last about a week in the fridge. When you’re craving a veggie burger, remove one from your fridge and into a hot pan.

Psst! You can also freeze this recipe for later, too.

Veggie Burger Topping Ideas

Now, here’s the fun part! You can customize your veggie burger with all sorts of fun toppings. Spread some homemade guacamole for a Tex-Mex veggie burger or spinach-basil pesto for an Italian twist to your burger. Check out our extensive burger toppings list for inspiration (there are plenty of vegetarian options in there!).

Pro tip: Sarah recommends topping this burger with a flavored aioli like garlic peppercorn. Or try slathering on a little mayo with melted gouda cheese and chopped red onion on a pretzel bun.

What to Make with Veggie Burgers

You can pair your veggie burgers with anything your heart desires. From homemade air-fryer potato chips to a tasty side salad to herbed grilled corn on the cob, you’ve got endless sides to try out. Sarah recommends sweet potato fries with chipotle mayo, corn salad, grilled veggies, watermelon with feta and mint, or homemade sweet potato chips. Mmm!

Try These Vegetarian Sides

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