Learn how to use the ingredients you already have on hand to make the best ever veggie burgers. Our Vegetarian Burger Topic is brought to you by Produce for Kids. Your healthy family resource for nutritious meals.
There’s nothing more frustrating than wanting to make a veggie burger and realizing you’re missing half the ingredients. With this easy formula, you can create your own awesome veggie burger recipe with whatever you have lying around! Feel free to use fresh or frozen vegetables and leftover grains from a previous dinner (or last night’s takeout!) to make these burgers even easier.
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Video: How To Make Vegetarian Burgers
The Formula For Vegetarian Burgers
What you’re going to do is build your burger mixture using the lists and amounts below. The formula is…
The Best Veggie Burger = Standard Ingredients + 2 Cups Chopped Soft Veggies + 1 Cup Cooked Grains + 1 and 1/2 Cups Cooked Legumes + 1/2 Cup Flavor/Texture Booster + 3 Tsp. Spices + 1/2 Cup Dry Base
Choose your ingredients from the lists below based on what you have and then follow the instructions to build your best veggie burger. Yay!
Can You Freeze Homemade Veggie Burgers?
Yes! These veggie burgers can be frozen for up to three months. I think it’s best to cook them first, then freeze them so they can just be heated through from the freezer. Wrap them individually and then store in a zip-top freezer bag. The recipe as written makes 8 patties, so it’s great to enjoy some right away and store the extras for an easy and delicious meal later on.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you cooked them before freezing, you can simply microwave the frozen patties for 30 seconds at a time until heated through.
You could also bake them in the oven straight from frozen. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, until heated through, flipping them halfway through. Or they can be cooked in a skillet on the stove over medium heat for 12-14 minutes, flipping every few minutes.
I have found that they don’t need it to hold together. If you’d prefer to use egg, use it in place of the reserved liquid from the legumes.
Podcast Episode On Making Veggie Burgers
Listen to our editor, Christine Pittman, explain briefly how this veggie burger formula comes together, with great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
PrintThe Perfect Veggie Burger Formula
Learn how to use the ingredients you already have on hand to make the best ever veggie burgers.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Refrigerate: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 burger patties 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
STANDARD INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1–2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- oil for cooking (e.g. olive oil, coconut oil, peanut oil)
2 CUPS COOKED VEGETABLES, FINELY DICED OR CHOPPED (PICK 1-3)
- sweet potatoes
- beets (golden or red)
- carrots
- mushrooms
- spinach
- kale
- corn
- squash
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- artichokes
- zucchini
- bell peppers
1 CUP COOKED GRAINS (PICK 1)
- millet
- quinoa
- bulgur
- rice
- buckwheat
1½ CUPS COOKED LEGUMES, LIQUID RESERVED (PICK 1-2)
- canned beans (e.g. black, pinto, cannellini, kidney)
- lentils (red or green)
- chickpeas
- soybeans
- mung beans
- adzuki beans
- black eyed peas
½ CUP FLAVOR/TEXTURE BUILDERS (PICK 2)
- fresh herbs, finely chopped (e.g. cilantro, basil, dill, parsley, thyme, sage, chives)
- scallions, thinly sliced
- chopped nuts (e.g. walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews)
- chopped sundried tomatoes
- chopped olives
- flax seeds
- chia seeds
- sesame seeds
- mashed avocado
- unsweetened nut butter (e.g. peanut, almond, cashew)
- tahini
3 TEASPOONS SPICES (PICK 2-4)
- cumin
- chili powder
- smoked paprika
- cayenne powder
- Italian seasoning
- black pepper
- fennel
- oregano
- curry powder
- coriander
- cinnamon
- turmeric
- citrus zest
½ CUP DRY BASE (PICK 1)
- ground oats
- cornmeal
- bread crumbs
- panko
- almond meal*
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and salt and cook until the onion is translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add vegetables and cook until soft, 5-10 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked vegetables to a food processor**. Add all remaining ingredients except the reserved bean liquid and frying oil. Pulse 5-10 times to combine. Don’t overdo it; you don’t want a paste!
- Press the mixture between your fingers. If you can form a patty with it, you’re good to go. If it’s too crumbly, add the reserved bean liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it sticks together. If the mixture is too wet, add more of the dry base ingredient, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach the right consistency. Taste the mixture and add salt to your taste.
- Form the mixture into 8 patties (about ⅓ cup of the mixture each) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate the patties uncovered for 30 minutes. (Don’t skip this step! Resting will help the patties stay together.)
- When ready to cook, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook 3-4 patties at a time until brown on one side, then flip and brown the other side. It should take about 3-4 minutes per side. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan before cooking each batch of burgers.
- Serve immediately or cool and then wrap each burger in foil, place them in a freezer bag, and freeze for later. Reheat in a dry pan on the stove, in the oven or in the microwave.
Love this recipe? I’d appreciate it if you could scroll down and add a *5 star rating* to help others know they’ll love it as well!
Notes
*We’ve heard from a reader that almond flour doesn’t work in place of almond meal. We’re doing testing now and once we know for sure, we will revise the recipe to reflect this issue. Until then, be sure you’re using almond meal and not almond flour.
**You can also do this in a large bowl with a potato masher. Just make sure your veggies are cooked so they are soft enough to mash! Use a potato masher or large mixing spoon to mix and mash the ingredients together.
This post originally appeared in July 2016 and was revised and republished in October 2022.
Anna says
A very practical guide to keep as a reference.
Christine Pittman says
So happy to hear it, Anna!
Cathy Spencer says
Great recipe! I love all the choices!
Christine Pittman says
Thank you, Cathy! It’s so fun to see what you have available and make something delicious.
Renee Rolfe says
This is a fantastic recipe builder. I love being able to come up with different combinations each time I make them. It’s great for making large batches and freezing them. Baking them in the oven instead of pan frying works out well too.
Christine Pittman says
Thank you so much, Renee! Freezing them as meal prep is fantastic. Do you have a favorite combination for these yet?
KR says
Feeling sick of boxed frozen veggie burgers. Love this formula! Love the flexibility! Tasted so fresh. Did it with sweet potato, bell pepper, cabbage, quinoa, lentils, sage, green onions, cumin, paprika, mushroom powder umami, ground oats. Only blended about 2/3 of the mixture for more texture. Turned out awesome.
Christine Pittman says
Thank you for sharing your combination, KR! The use of the mushroom powder is a great idea. I love to hear about all the different veggie burgers that get created with this formula!
Donna says
Always wanted to figure out how to use all the extra veggies and this is my fave thing ever!
Christine Pittman says
Thank you, Donna! Isn’t it so great and adaptable?
Terra says
Amazingly great recipe – and so versatile! I’ve tried many Recipes previously and they’ve lacked either texture or flavour. Thank you for sharing.
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome, Terra! I’m sure you’ll have lots of fun discovering new combinations.
S says
Hi I love this formula! Are these freeze-able? If so, what do you recommend for defrosting, etc? Are they bakeable in the oven as well? Thanks!
Christine Pittman says
Thank you! Yes, these are freezable. Freeze them after cooking them, not before. You can then microwave the frozen patties for 30 seconds at a time until heated through.
Alternatively, bake them in the oven straight from frozen at 350F for 15-20 minutes, until heated through, flip them halfway through baking. Or, you can cook them in a skillet on the stove over medium heat for about 12-14 minutes, flipping them over every 2-3 minutes.
Enjoy, S!
Mike says
Fantastic recipe builder, thank you!!!
I made a beet/black bean burger just before these from minimalist baker; they were very good. MB had a fantastic tip: use parchment paper and a peanut butter jar lid to form the patties; patties did not fall apart but needed more care than a meat burger.
Using this formula I made something similar with some vegetable variation and the results were improved across the board.
Things I changed:
-I did not add salt aside from a small amount for sautéing.
-Only sautéed veg I thought needed it (so beets were raw)
-I air fried / convection oven on a grate for 25-30 minutes. No oil.
Can’t wait to try the many variations for beans and in season vegetables!
Christine Pittman says
You’re so welcome, Mike! Thank you for sharing all that info with us. I hope you discover many more great combinations!
Rochelle says
So these are amazing. I’ve made two variations on these so far. The reason I’m posting is because I’m grain free. So, I thought I’d share for those in a similar situation. I replace the grains with nuts. And then the texture section I will use chia seeds. As, the nuts aren’t as binding as grains, the chia seeds help. I think you could also use ground flax seed, but I haven’t tried it yet.
Christine Pittman says
Thank you so much for those tips for a grain-free version, Rochelle! That will definitely help others out. 🙂
Laura says
So, if I’m adding 1/2 cup of flavour gesture builders, and to
Pick 2, would I add 1/2 each or 1/4 each, for a total of 1/2 cup? Same for beans. 1 1/2 cup each beans or total of 1 1/2 cups of 1-2 kinds of beans?
Christine Pittman says
You want a total of 1/2 cup of texture builders and a total of 1 and 1/2 cups of beans. Sorry for the confusion, Laura!
Yanira says
I’ve been looking for a burger chart. Thank you!
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome, Yanira! It’s nice to be able to switch up the ingredients and still have it work.
LK says
I love this formula for making veggie burgers! Ty ty! I’ve been looking for something like this. And like another commenter said it’s great for using up those leftovers too. I used sweet potato,black beans, some leftovers brown rice quinoa, chia seeds and oats. I also added a little leftover tofu I had. And pea flour. Awesome! Thanks!
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome, LK! Love hearing all about the different combinations everyone uses.
Pamela Biragbara says
I love the flexibility this recipe provides. Providing options like this is an excellent idea. Once I know the basics of the process, I like to vary things to my liking. This recipe is perfect for that. Thank you!
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome, Pamela. Enjoy!
Joyce says
This is an incredible recipe. I love the many options. I found that using a hand electric mixer is much easier than using a food processor. But they are so delicious. Thanks
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome, Joyce! It’s fun to switch it up and try different combinations.
Duke says
Love your recipe chart!
I would also recommend that when making them, it’s also an ideal time to empty out your fridge of left overs, such as old mashed potatoes, leftover mc n cheese, chili, noodle salad , old corn bread, or whatever you want to get rid of before it’s too late.
😊 have a nice day
Deb says
Great recipe, I love having the formula and then adapting it to what I have or like.
Do you think they can be cooked on the barbeque?
Christine Pittman says
If cooking them on the grill, I would probably use a grill pan instead of putting them directly on, Deb. I love veggie burgers but they aren’t as firm as regular burgers so there’s more risk of them breaking apart. Either way, brush some oil on your grilling surface before putting the burgers on.
Rachel S says
This has become a regular in our house and I love when there are extra burgers left over — I crumble them into salads or egg scrambles. YUM!
Christine Pittman says
That’s awesome, Rachel! Thanks for sharing how you reimagine the leftovers. 🙂
Lynne Macinnis says
Very fortunate to come across this formula. Was looking for a less expensive alternative to buying store-bought veggie burgers. This recipe or formula makes a firm Burger. But tastes way better than store-bought I’ve only tried one combination so far and it came out really good. I can’t even say that it tastes like a store-bought veggie burger but that’s actually a good thing. It is a huge cost saver and way more healthy. The taste is a 100 percent positive difference. We look forward to experimenting with different combinations.
Christine Pittman says
That’s wonderful to hear, Lynne. Have fun experimenting!
Greg says
This turned out great.I liked the flexible combination of ingredients.I made vegetarian onion gravy and had it all with mashed potatoes and peas.
Christine Pittman says
Greg, that sounds really wonderful. I’m so happy you liked it!
Grace Bird says
What an amazing recipe! Thank you so much. It worked beautifully. I can’t wait to make it again with different spices and herbs.
Christine Pittman says
Thank you, Grace! There’s so many yummy variations you can make with this!
S says
Great recipe (formula!) can these be baked in oven rather than frying in skillet? Can you use chickpea flour?
Thanks,
S
Christine Pittman says
So, I don’t know if chickpea flour would work. All of the bases listed are coarser in texture than chickpea flour is, but if you try it, please let us know!
As to baking, yes, you can probably bake them. 8-10 per side at 350 should be good. However, if I was going to use an oven, I would probably try broiling them instead of baking them. Put them on a pan about 8 inches from the heat source and broil until browned a bit, flip and do the other side.
Ritu Bajaj says
I loved the ingredients as soon I read the recipe….immediately dived into making it and loved the texture of the patty. This is my goto burger patty now
Christine Pittman says
Thanks, Ritu! Which combination did you go with?