Veggie Burger – Chelsea’s Messy Apron

This is the best Veggie Burger recipe ever! With loads of veggies, beans, and cashews you’ll be amazed how “meaty” these burgers taste — sure to thrill the vegetarians AND even the biggest carnivores! No need to ask Siri for “veggie burgers near me” because nothing beats this homemade version.

Love vegetarian meals? We share tons of unique and creative vegetarian recipes. We’ve also shared two other delicious veggie burger variations over the years — this Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger or this Black Bean Burger recipe.

Our Favorite Veggie Burger Recipe

For the past few years, we’ve hosted a 4th of July party — it’s become one of my favorite days of the year! This Burger Recipe is expected, I always whip together this Black Bean Corn Avocado Salad and Cowboy Caviar, and of course these Muddy Buddies and 4th of July Bark Recipe makes an appearance as treats for the kiddos. Apple Pie is generally the other dessert I make, complete with cut-out Pie Crust stars on top.

I’ve worked on perfecting an all-purpose veggie burger since there are so many vegetarians in my family. In fact, last year, more veggie patties were eaten than beef! While my veggie burgers recipe was okay to share with family, it wasn’t perfect enough to share here. But, finally, it’s ready! This year, I’ll have this perfected Veggie Burger to serve and I can’t wait to whip it up for everyone.

This burger is incredible! It’s surprisingly meaty-tasting (thank you mushrooms!), ridiculously flavorful, and has the perfect crisp edges with the best tender interior.

What’s Really In A Veggie Burger?

A veggie burger is a patty that doesn’t contain meat. Instead, it’s made from ingredients like beans, nuts, grains, seeds, and veggies. This particular recipe uses white beans, cashews, and a myriad of veggies. 

A few ingredients in these Veggie Burgers worth going into detail over:

• Use panko breadcrumbs. Panko is similar to regular bread crumbs, but it creates a much crunchier, crispier, lighter, and more delicate result. Using panko ensures a more nuanced texture than regular bread crumbs deliver.
• Parmesan cheese. Parmesan from a can will be too salty and overpowering in these patties. Use the freshly grated — sandy-like consistency from the store. Here’s exactly what we use.

What Holds a Veggie Burger Together?

It’s essential to have a binder (think of it as the glue that makes the ingredients stick) in the patty mixture. We use an egg and mayo to help bind the ingredients. 

Veggie Burger Toppings

• Lettuce: Butter, romaine, Boston, green leaf lettuce — they all work for this vegetarian delight. We typically use green leaf lettuce.
• Avocado: A good, ripe avocado is unbeatable! The combination of the veggie patty with a ripe, creamy avocado is the best! See “quick tip” below.
• Tomatoes: A good thick-sliced tomato is a great topping.
• Red onion: Thinly sliced red onion or pickled red onions make a flavor statement. We use half the red onion for the patty filling, so you’re left with half to add to the burgers!
• Mayo. We love Hellman’s/Best Foods® on these burgers — the better the mayonnaise, the better the flavor. Don’t skimp here — the mayo pulls everything together beautifully!

QUICK TIP

You can tell if an avocado is ripe when it yields to gentle pressure (think: touching the tip of your nose). Can’t find a ripe avocado? We love having these perfectly ripe avocado minis on hand. Grab the pack that lists “Hass Avocados” only in the ingredients instead of getting the guacamole blends! A packet (or half of one) works great instead of avocado on these burgers.

The Best Buns: Brioche Buns!

In my opinion, there is nothing better than a Veggie Burger on a brioche bun. And once you’ve got those buns, you’ve got to toast them with some melted butter — trust me–they’re the best! Rub softened butter generously on the insides of the bun. Place them (butter side facing down) on a large pan or grill over medium heat. Toast buns for about 30 seconds to a minute or until golden brown. Remove from heat (subsequent batches will be quicker as the pan continues to get hotter!)

How To Make A Veggie Burger

• Sauté the veggies: To get a really great flavor, we sauté onion, beans, carrot, and mushrooms. It’s important to thoroughly dry out this mixture while cooking so the patties aren’t too wet.
• Pulse in a large food processor: I use a 12-cup food processor (here’s the exact food processor I use.) Using a large food processor, the patties will be ready in a jiffy!
• Chill: These patties get wet in the fridge, but firm up perfectly when we freeze them for 20 minutes. Once the patties are chilled thoroughly, they’re ready to cook!

Is Veggie Burger Healthy?

A lot of store-bought veggie burgers are packed with questionable ingredients and/or a whole lot of sodium, but these homemade veggie burgers are loaded with nutritious good-for-you ingredients.

Between the plant-based protein in the beans, the nutrients in the veggies, and all the fiber — these burgers are a great healthful option. 

Are Veggie Burgers Healthier Than Meat?

Again, it depends on the burgers used. Some plant-based burgers are more nutritious than others which is why it’s important to read labels or prepare the veggie burgers from scratch!

More Vegetarian Favorites

Veggie Burger

This is the best Veggie Burger recipe ever! With loads of veggies, beans, and cashews you’ll be amazed how “meaty” these burgers taste — sure to thrill the vegetarians AND even the biggest carnivores! No need to ask Siri for a “veggie burger near me” because nothing beats this homemade version.

Veggie Burger

This is the best Veggie Burger recipe ever! With loads of veggies, beans, and cashews you’ll be amazed how “meaty” these burgers taste — sure to thrill the vegetarians AND even the biggest carnivores! No need to ask Siri for a “veggie burger near me” because nothing beats this homemade version.

Instructions

• PREP: Thoroughly drain and rinse white beans. Shake off and set aside to dry. Rinse and dry mushrooms. Coarsely chop mushrooms. Peel carrot(s). Use the large side of a grater to grate carrots and then to grate 1/2 of a large red onion (Note 1). Measure to get 3/4 cup grated carrots and 3/4 cup grated onion (lightly packed) and set aside.

• VEGGIES: Add 1 tbsp oil to a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the beans, mushrooms, carrot, and onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I add 1/4 tsp of each). Sauté veggies, stirring occasionally until very tender. Liquid will seep out at first. Cook until all liquid is evaporated and veggies begin to dry out; this takes about 12-15 minutes. You’ll need to stir more frequently as the veggies dry out so they don’t stick to the pot. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

• FOOD PROCESSOR: Meanwhile, while veggies are being sautéed, prep everything else! Add 1/2 cup cashews to a large (12-cup) food processor and pulse 10 times or until coarsely chopped (no smaller). Add in the cooked and slightly cooled veggies and pulse 15 times or until broken down but still chunky. Add in 3/4 cup panko, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 1 large egg, 2 tbsp mayo, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp paprika, and a touch more salt & pepper to taste (I add another 1/4 tsp of each). Pulse 5 times. Scrape down the sides, stirring the mixture, and pulse another 5 times. Scrape sides and pulse 5 more times. Ingredients should be well incorporated. Finally, add in the cooked rice blend. Pulse 3 times, scrape edges and stirring. Then pulse 3 more times (we’re only pulsing to incorporate the brown rice–we don’t want to break it down or you’ll get gummy burgers!).

• FORM PATTIES: Measure out 1/2-cup portions and plop onto a parchment-paper or foil-lined sheet pan. Repeat to get 6 mounds of the mixture. Divide any remaining mixture among the mounds to evenly disperse. Lightly spritz your hands with cooking oil spray and then shape each mound into a patty by pressing it down on the sheet pan and shaping it with your hands. Each patty should be about 3/4-inch thick and about 4 inches wide. Place shaped patties in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. Cook on stovetop or grill.

• COOK ON STOVETOP: Heat a drizzle of oil (about 2 tbsp) over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add 3 patties straight from the freezer to the pan and cook until browned, golden, and crispy about 4 minutes. Carefully flip then cook the other side for another 4 minutes or until deeply golden. Transfer to plate. Cook the next batch following the same method. Don’t crowd the pan with too many burgers at a time.

• GRILL: Cook cold, straight from the freezer. Clean grill grates, then heat to medium-high (450 degrees). Use a pastry brush to brush olive oil on both sides of the patties. Once grill is heated, grease the grill grates with oil (I drench a paper towel in vegetable oil then hold that paper towel with tongs and rub it along the grill grates). Add patties straight from the freezer to grill and cook 3-4 minutes on each side until nice, golden, and crisp.

• ASSEMBLE: Toast buns (Note 5). Place the bottom of the bun on a plate and add mayo or burger sauce. Layer with lettuce, veggie patty, avocado, tomato, and onion. Add mayo to the top bun. Sandwich together and enjoy promptly.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Grated red onion and carrot: Cut 1 really large red onion in half — save half to thinly slice as a burger topping and then grate the other half on the large holes of a cheese grater. Lightly pack to get 3/4 cup. For carrots, you’ll need 1 large or 2 medium-sized.
Note 2: Parmesan cheese. Parmesan from a can will be too salty and overpowering in these patties. Use the freshly grated — sandy-like consistency from the store. Here’s exactly what we use.
Note 3: Cooked brown and wild rice: Any cooked and leftover grain will work. To keep things as easy as possible, I use this and microwave it for 1 minute. One container is the perfect amount here!
Note 4: Toppings: We love a good ripe avocado on these burgers. Can’t find a ripe avocado? We love having these perfectly ripe avocado minis on hand. Grab the pack that lists “Hass avocados” only in the ingredients instead of getting the guacamole blends. If you’d like to add cheese to your burgers, add a slice of cheese as soon as you flip the patty. Cover the pan with a lid to help the cheese melt. Once the cheese is nicely melted, the patty should be cooked.
Note 5: BEST burger sauce: Combine: 1/2 cup good quality full-fat mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon finely grated onion, 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish, 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles in adobo, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir until combined and smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings to personal preference. Feel free to add a teaspoon or more of the sauce from the chipotles to increase the heat.
Note 6: Toast the buns: This adds tons of flavor and keeps the buns from getting soggy too quickly. Spread softened butter generously on the insides of the bun. Place them (butter side facing down) on a large pan or grill over medium heat. Toast buns about 30 seconds to a minute or until golden brown. Remove from heat (subsequent batches will be quicker as the pan continues to get hotter!)
Nutrition information is for the burger only. Since buns and toppings will vary according to preference, those stats aren’t included.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 13.9g | Fat: 15.2g | Cholesterol: 37.7mg | Sodium: 417mg | Fiber: 4.8g | Sugar: 3.3g

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.