Favorite Veggie Burgers
Truly the best veggie burger recipe! These veggie burgers are absolutely delicious and easy to make. Gluten-free, vegan and nut free.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
Have you met my favorite veggie burgers? If not, it’s about time! I have high standards for veggie burgers, and these put all the rest to shame. I have a feeling they’ll become your favorite veggie burgers, too.
These veggie burgers are hearty and satisfying, and feature an irresistible combination of flavors. They start with a base of quinoa, black beans and oats. Then we amp up the volume with sweet potatoes, fresh herbs, and some carefully chosen seasonings. They’re a little sweet and a little spicy, in the best of ways.
You may recognize this recipe as the “Sweet Potato and Black Bean Veggie Burgers” that have been hidden in the archives for quite some time. There’s a chance you’ve enjoyed these burgers in my cookbook, Love Real Food, sandwiched between buns with a crisp lime-cilantro cabbage slaw and guacamole (page 177).
Or maybe you’re seeing these burgers for the first time right now! If so, I’ll share why this veggie burger recipe is my favorite:
- These burgers are absolutely delicious. In fact, these are the best veggie burgers I’ve ever had. They’re better than any restaurant’s, and far better than store-bought frozen veggie burgers.
- These burgers retain their shape before, during and after cooking. Many veggie burgers are a chore to make or to eat, but these are totally fuss-free.
- You can cook these burgers in the oven, on the stove, or yes, even on the grill. They also freeze well, so you can make a full batch and enjoy them over time.
- These veggie burgers are perfect for serving to friends who follow special diets. These burgers are vegetarian, of course. They’re also conveniently vegan, gluten free, nut free, egg free and soy free.
Watch How to Make Veggie Burgers
Veggie Burger Cooking Options
You have three cooking options for these veggie burgers, and we’ll start with my favorite one.
1) Oven-Baked
I love baking these veggie burgers in the oven. It’s the easiest way to cook a bunch at once, and they turn out beautifully cooked through and golden on each side.
2) Grilled
These burgers grill well, too! I’ve successfully grilled them on the grates without the burgers falling apart. (If you do run into any trouble, just chill the burgers for a bit before trying again.)
3) Stovetop
Lastly, you can cook these veggie burgers in a skillet on the stovetop. The stovetop isn’t my favorite method because it requires more babysitting than the oven, but it’s totally doable. These burgers are extra moist inside. Check the recipe notes for details.
Veggie Burger Ingredients
These veggie burgers are made with easy-to-find, healthy ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Sweet potatoes: For the best results, weigh your sweet potatoes at the store to ensure you’re starting with the right amount. Ideally, choose smaller sweet potatoes because they’ll cook a little quicker. We’re going to slice them down the middle and roast them until tender.
- Quinoa: We’ll start with raw (uncooked) quinoa, and you’ll find instructions on how to cook it within the recipe. Or, if you happen to have 1 1/2 cups leftover cooked quinoa, you can use that instead. Millet will work in place of quinoa, too (check the recipe notes for details).
- Black beans: Canned or home-cooked will work, as long as they are rinsed and well-drained. Though I have’t tried, I bet you could substitute an equal amount of pinto beans, chickpeas or white beans in a pinch.
- Red onion, cilantro, and garlic: If you’re sensitive to any of these flavors, don’t worry, they mellow during cooking and produce a delicious end result.
- Spices: Adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo) or smoked paprika lend some smoky grilled flavor. We’ll also add cumin, chili powder, and salt.
- Quick-cooking oats: Oats absorb excess moisture and offer a dose of whole grains. You can also use old-fashioned oats, pulsed briefly in a food processor or blender to break them up.
Veggie Burger Serving Suggestions
Burger Accompaniments
Serve these burgers as, well, burgers! Find some great buns, or use butter lettuce leaves for a low-carb, gluten free options. Add any of the following:
- Ripe, juicy sliced tomato
- Crisp lettuce or fresh sprouts
- Pickles
- Sliced cheese
- Onion, very thinly sliced
- Avocado or guacamole
- Ketchup and mustard
- Maybe even fried eggs
Side Dish Suggestions
These burgers would go nicely with my Simple Healthy Slaw or Gaby’s Cucumber Salad.
You could make extra quinoa while you’re at it (you’ll need a total of 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa for the burgers), and make my Sun-Dried Tomato, Spinach and Quinoa Salad or Favorite Quinoa Salad.
Ideas for Leftovers
Keep these burgers on hand for quick, healthy meals. Leftover cooked patties store well in the freezer for several months.
Warm one up and serve it with a simple green salad, or a quesadilla, or any hodge-podge of ingredients you may have. However you serve them, these burgers will add some additional veggies, fiber and protein to your meal.
Please let me know how your veggie burgers turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Favorite Veggie Burgers
These sweet and spicy veggie burgers are both vegan and gluten free. You can bake them, grill them, or cook them on the stovetop! For best results when choosing the grill or stovetop method, prepare the burger mixture in advance and let it chill in the refrigerator (you can let it chill overnight or longer if you’d like). Recipe yields 8 patties.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes (2 medium or 3 small)
- ½ cup quinoa, rinsed in a fine-mesh colander
- 1 cup water
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained (or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans)
- ½ cup chopped red onion (about ½ small red onion)
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce* or 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups quick-cooking oats** (use certified gluten-free oats if necessary)
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing (or avocado oil, if using stovetop method)
- 8 whole wheat hamburger buns (optional)
- Your favorite burger fixings: Avocado or guacamole, tomato, onion, lettuce, pickles, cheese, sprouts, ketchup, hot sauce, mustard, fried eggs…
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
- Roast the sweet potatoes: Slice the sweet potatoes down the center lengthwise. Place the sweet potatoes, cut side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Roast until they yield to a gentle squeeze, 30 to 40 minutes or longer. Set aside for now. (If you’ll be baking the burgers, reserve the parchment-lined pan and leave the oven on.)
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the quinoa and water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer, uncovered, until all of the water is absorbed, 11 to 14 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let the quinoa steam for 10 minutes.
- Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin (it should pull off easily) and roughly chop the insides. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your electric mixer, combine the cooled sweet potatoes and quinoa, black beans, onion, cilantro, garlic, adobo sauce, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Use a potato masher, pastry cutter, large spoon or the paddle attachment of your mixer to mix really well. It’s ok if the black beans get smashed in the process.
- Sprinkle the oats over the mixture and mix well with a large spoon until the mixture holds together when you shape a portion into a patty. If you won’t be making the burgers immediately, cover the mixture and refrigerate for later.
- When you’re ready to cook, shape the burgers: Use a measuring cup to measure out ½ cup of the mixture. Gently shape it into a patty about 3 ½ to 4 inches in diameter. Use your hands to gently flatten the burgers and smooth out any jagged edges. Repeat the process for each patty; you should end up with 8.
- If you’re baking the burgers (see recipe notes for alternate options), brush both sides of each patty generously with olive oil and place them on the lined baking sheet, leaving a few inches of space around each one. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until the patties are deeply golden on the outside, about 35 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Serve burgers as desired. Leftover burgers keep well, refrigerated, for 4 days. Or, freeze them in a freezer bag for up to 3 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
Recipe adapted from the Cafe Flora Cookbook. Cafe Flora is a wonderful vegetarian restaurant in Seattle with an ever-changing seasonal menu—check it out if you’re nearby.
*Adobo sauce note: Buy canned or jarred chipotle peppers in adobo and use the sauce. You’ll usually find this ingredient in the international or Hispanic aisle of the grocery store. You can transfer leftover peppers and their sauce to a freezer bag, squeeze out any remaining air, and freeze for later use.
**Oats note: You can use old-fashioned oats instead, if you briefly blend them in a food processor or blender until broken into smaller pieces (not as fine as flour).
Stovetop cooking method: Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or other high heat oil) in a large skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, place several burgers in the pan, leaving enough room to flip them. Cook each patty until browned and heated through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet for each pan of burgers you fry, and dial down the heat as necessary to prevent burning.
Grilling method: Ideally, let the mixture chill in the fridge for a couple of hours before shaping the burgers and grilling. No need to coat the burgers in oil, which might burn on the grill. Shape the burgers as instructed in step 6, and cook on a grill over medium heat, turning once the undersides have turned golden and developed some grill marks. Repeat on the other side.
Make it gluten free: Use certified gluten-free oats and choose your accompaniments carefully. As an alternative to buns, try butter lettuce leaves!
Prepare in advance: Prepare the burger mixture and let it chill in the refrigerator (you can let it chill overnight or up to a couple of days if you’d like). Then assemble the burgers and cook as directed.
Serving suggestions: These veggie burgers don’t have to be served as traditional burgers. The patties are good on their own with toppings like guacamole and pico de gallo, or in a salad with Southwestern flavors. Try serving them with corn on the cob in the summer.
Recipe notes 8/18/20: The original version of this recipe called for ⅓ cup millet cooked with 1 cup water (yielding 1 cup cooked millet) and 1 cup old-fashioned oats, lightly ground in a food processor or blender until the flakes are broken up, but not as fine as flour.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I loved these. I froze a few to have on hand for quick, easy lunches. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome, Kate!
I loved the taste! Thank you for this recipe. But they were really dry. Do you know if it’s due to overcooking? I used your timing for cooking and the size of each burger. Should I cook for fewer minutes next time?
Also, i used your measurements but ended up with 12 patties. Maybe I had too much sweet potatoes? Only thing that wasn’t weighed. Would too much sweet potato make it too dry?
Hi! I’m sorry to hear that. You could have overcooked or your oven may have been hotter. Too much sweet potato wouldn’t necessarily make it dry, but the balance of the right mixture may have played a role.
Thank you for your response. I love these burgers! Wanna make sure that came across ;)
Good burgers. I used rice instead of quinoa (had none) and pinto beans (had no black beans). Made them kinda thin. Came out crunchy and good flavor.
I’m happy it worked for you, Susan! Thanks for sharing.
Amazing! I plan to use them with bowls and salads(like falafel), so I made 16 instead of 8. I rolled them up into balls and then smushed them into flat rounds with my measuring cup brushed with EVOO. The problem now is that I might mistake them for snacks and gobble them all up. Thanks!
We make a batch of these burgers once or twice a month. They are phenomenal and such a fun way to indulge while keeping it healthy. I love topping with melted blue cheese, lemony kale, and tomato, while my partner rocks guacamole and cheddar. We’ve found they hold together best if you refrigerate for about an hour and then bake them. They also freeze great. Thank you, Kate, for yet another wonderful recipe!!
You’re welcome! I’m delighted you enjoyed it.
I made the Best Veggie Burgers for the Super Bowl last night and they were delicious! I was a little nervous because my husband loves football and his super bowl experience is important to him, not to mention unlike me he is not a vegetarian, but he loved them and told me several times I “hit it out of the park”! Thank you for this amazing recipe ❤.
Thank you for sharing, Carolyn! I’m happy to hear that.
Really liked this, as did my meat-loving husband and 8YO son. All looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow!
Is it 1.5 pounds of sweet potatoes pre-cook with skins on or after roasting with skins off?
Thanks! Flavor was delicious but mine seemed a little soft, so just want to check about the amount of sweet potatoes.
Hi! It’s precooked whole. I hope that helps!
Recipe sounds great. What purpose does the quinoa/millet serve? Can I omit this entirely or use a Quinoa flour or alternate flour instead?
Hi! It helps with texture and holds it together. Quinoa and millet are what I found work with this reipe.
This is by far the the best plant based burger recipe I have seen online! I have prepared these MANY times (in the oven) and they are always delicious
That’s great to hear, Denise! I appreciate your review.
Theses veggie burgers taste great. Love this recipe.
I’m glad you love them, Shelley! Thank you for your review.
What a great recipe! It was a big hit and my kids loved it! I didn’t have any adobo sauce, so added some green chili sauce and a teaspoon of garam masala to get some Indian flavor :) DD asked if we can have these again for lunch tomorrow!! Thanks!
Kate – I am not a cook, in fact, I really do NOT enjoy it but a colleague introduced me to your website through a spinach salad recipe that I’ve really enjoyed. Last weekend I explored some of your soup recipes. Dairy free butternut squash? I had to try it but it’s these veggie burgers that are out of this world. Did I actually cook this? YES! It was so easy to make AND… they turned out great! I’m happy to find a veggie burger that isn’t bean-baed. THANK YOU for sharing! I will continue to explore more of your recipes. :)
Hooray! That’s wonderful to hear. Thank you for sharing, Denise.
My very first Cookie & Kate recipe! FIVE STARS. I made these tonight and my whole family of regular meat-eaters (myself and 3 kids under ten-yo included) wolfed them down. Hubs went back for seconds. I didn’t refrigerate because I needed to get them in the oven, and the patties stayed together, but full disclosure I did add one egg to the mix – mostly because I got scared they’d fall apart. Next time I’ll leave it out. I do suggest that you toast your buns so they’re a bit more sturdy as the patties want to break while eating. These were delicious and we will absolutely have regularly.
That’s wonderful, ACater! Thank you for your review.
My family has different tastes. Could you please suggest alternatives for the chilli, cumin, and cilantro (preferably dry herb substitute for cilantro)? Thank you!
Hi Dee, I’m sorry to disappoint but changing all of those ingredients would be a different flavor outcome altogether and different recipe. This one just may not be for you.
I just made a batch of these and they turned out perfectly. We topped ours with Sriracha mayo. I measured/weighed all ingredients and mixed with my hands. I refrigerated them for about 15 minutes before baking. I’m happy there will be some leftovers in the freezer. Will definitely make again.
Loved the recipe! It was full of flavour and nutrition! Thank you, Kate!
I made these for my husband. He loved them!
That’s great! Thank you for sharing.
I love these burgers! We’re veggie, not vegan, so I usually crack an egg into them for structure (and sometimes improvise with more spices, breadcrumbs, etc). I use pinto beans instead of black and it works great, and add a good amount of pureed chipotle in adobe rather than just the sauce (we love spice!).
I usually double this recipe and freeze the extras in patty form — then when I’m not in the mood to cook, I can just pop a few patties in the oven for a delicious and easy dinner! They’re also great for lunch on a bed of greens with a fried egg on top.
I’ve been a vegetarian for nigh on 40 years or so and this is absolutely one of the best veggie burger recipes ever! I baked them in the oven and we found this made a perfect burger. And we have at least several more meals as I will put the rest in the freezer. Thanks so much for this great recipe!!
You’re welcome, Pamela! I’m excited you love it.
I am in a family of three vegetarians plus my husband who has committed to 2 pure vege meals a week. My test of a good recipe is when I ask ‘does anyone want me to make this again?’. Sadly in this case that was a resounding no. As one daughter put it . a mushy cumin burger. They held together well and cooked crunchy on the outside but the texture and taste? not for this family.
I’m sorry this recipe wasn’t for your family, Virginia. I appreciate your feedback.
Hi Kate – my husband and I made these with purple sweet potatos and they were fantastic! I could totally much on one a a snack.
I’m happy you loved them, Katie!
Made these. Subbed a home canned jar of garbanzo beans for the black beans. Pan cooked in a little bison tallow
(We aren’t vegetarian). Everyone loved them! Including the kids. Great recipe!
Hi there – these look amazing. Quick question – do you think canned sweet potato would work in place of baked sweet potato? If so, can you recommend how much to use? We have a new baby at home so looking to cut all the corners we can :)
Hi! I haven’t tried it. May be more watery. Let me know!
Excellent veggie burgers! Even my husband, who is a meat-lover and not usually fond of veggie burgers, said they were delicious. This recipe will become a staple in our house! Thanks Kate!
I love that, Erinn! Thank you for your review.
These burgers are sooo good! I just finished them and they were delicious! I baked them in the oven for 35 minutes (flipping halfway) and the turned out perfect : )
I’m happy you loved them, Holly! Thank you for your review.
As a vegetarian, I had been sick of veggie burgers, but these are so good that they’ve become a staple in our household!. Not only are the burgers delicious, we really like that this makes such a good size batch so the two of us have easy dinners ready for a few nights. (Side note: we always have extra chipotles from the can so we make a mayo mix to spread on the bun or dip fries in.)
Hooray! I’m so glad you love them. Thank you for your review, Jamie.
Any idea how many cups of cooked sweet potatoes the 1.5 lbs is equal to? Figured that would be easier! Thanks
Hi Amy, sorry to disappoint I don’t have cups for this one. You really need the weight for this one as cups could add too much variance.
Still haven’t found a recipe I don’t like by you. Absolutely love these burgers and how easy they are to make. I didn’t have oats so I substituted for bread crumbs and it tasted still amazing! Thank you for sharing all of your amazing recipes, I am not vegetarian but whenever I have veggie nights you are my go to recipes.
That’s great to hear! Thank you for your review.
Love these burgers (just discovered them). Tasty, not mushy, not dry, perfect texture. In my experience—baking—they stay together very well. Freeze well. What’s not to like! Thank you.
I’m excited you love them, Oriana!
Incredible! Absolutely delicious, and making them in the oven, they came out crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, as others have said. Easy peasy!
Don’t be discouaged by the time they take, because you end up with eight and they freeze well! Didn’t have adobe so used smoked paprika as suggested and they were still delicious and very flavourful, although I still look forward to trying them with the adobe sauce.
Will definitely be a regular for us! Thank you so much for your brilliant recipes!
Hello Cookie and Kate. Did you make some changes to this recipe? It looks different than the last time I made them. :(
Please let me know where I can find “older” version, which I loved!
Thank you.
Hi Laura, I did make some updates, the recipe is in the notes section for the update. I prefer it now as is and I hope you do too!
The patties are a nice change of pace. Honestly, if I liked burgers, I’d eat burgers. So I’ve never missed burgers in my menu. But, here’s the thing – these make no attempt to taste like meat, they are unabashedly their own flavor! There are mostly two for dinner in our household and it takes me considerable longer to make prep. I got 10 patties the two times I’ve prepared these, I form the patty, stack in with waxed paper between and freeze. So I get five meals for one prep. Those nights when you want something quick, this is a great option.
this was the first time I have ever made veggie burgers. I know I prefer sweet potato based ones which is why I was excited to try these. it could not have been easier or more delicious! I added a diced red pepper and some French mustard dry rub that I keep in the pantry just because. we got a good sear on them in the cast iron pan and served them up with some charred broccoli on the side. I saw in other comments people complaining about them falling apart – I used burger paper and that helped a ton! and I really like the texture of a softer veggie burger. I get all the crisp I need from pickles, raw onoion, and anything else that goes on top. we are having leftovers tomorrow on English muffins with avocado, aoili, and poached eggs. THANK YOU for this health forward recipe!
Wonderful, Allie! Thank you for sharing your approach to this recipe. I appreciate your review.
Hi Kate! I’ve made this recipe in the past and love it. Can you use canned sweet potatoes and I’d so how many cups?
Hi Kathy, I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure. Sorry!
I wish I could rate this higher than 5 stars. My husband and I are both vegetarian but previously he’d never liked any homemade veggie burgers either of us had made. Until we made these last night. They really are the best! Going into our regular rotation for sure.
I love that, Hiba! Thank you for your review.
Sounds amazing!! I am wondering what would you suggest as a good substitute for the gluten free oats for those of us who don’t eat grains?
Hi Julie, these work best as is as they don’t tend to hold together as well without the grains.
I made these last week – so delicious! And easy to pull together, if you’ve cooked the yams ahead of time. I love the cilantro and chipotle flavour – and the baking method was great. Will add these to my other C&K favourites. :)
That’s OK. It only takes a few minutes to bake the sweet potatoes. I made 2 batches and they are fabulous! Love your recipes!
Thank you, Kathy!
I made a half batch (4) of these this morning. I substituted the beans for the same amount in chickpeas which I blitzed 1st very finely in the processor before adding to the rest of the mix. The porridge oats we have are gluten free and pulsed them to a fine texture but not as fine as flour.
Refridgerated the mix for 12 hours, which I believe is key, then made my patties and baked for 35mins.Stacked inside a brioche bun with homemade onion and balsamic relish, Lettuce, tomato, advocado and vegan mayo. Served with mini roasted new potatoes with rosemary and celery salt. No problems at all. GORGEOUS!! Thank you so much
Is it ok to substitute bread crumbs for the oats?
Thank you
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure, sorry!
Here are mine, just baked in the oven this morning:
https://i.imgur.com/o2HalSy.jpg
I followed your recipe exactly as is and what an awesome veggie burger this is! I love the structure, the amount of spice and sweetness, absolutely looking forward tot stashing my freezer with a few batches of these <3 Love from the Netherlands!
Made these burgers last night and they were great! The nice part is that they don’t taste like sweet potatoes which can be too sweet. Next time I’ll spice them up a bit by doubling the spices or adding in some jalapeno or including the peppers from the adobo b/c I like some heat. I made them in the oven and they turned out perfect.
Helpful tip: I used a half cup flat measuring cup with a handle (the kind that comes in a set) to measure out perfect portions. I oiled the cup with olive oil first then put in the burger mix and took off the extra with a spatula then oiled the part showing. They easily popped out of the measuring cup perfectly shaped & completely oiled. I then just flatted them a bit with my spatula. They looked store bought!
Thank you for sharing! Let me know what you think of them with the extra hear, Nikki. I appreciate your review.
Ive tried these as burgers and tonight as….falafels!!!!! :)
I added seasame seeds and baked. Perfect !
Thank you!!!!
Forgot to add…5 stars!! :)
Love your recipes but it’s frustrating since I’m trying to watch weight when you don’t put in the nutrition info. Like you do on other recipes
Hi Nancy, I’m sorry you are frustrated. I provide the nutrition information for all my recipes. It’s below the notes section.
This is my fav veg burger recipe I have ever made, the name does not disappoint.
I’m glad you loved it! Thank you for your review.
LOVED these burgers, esp since I was able to grill them w/o them falling apart. I skip the bun and put them on top of mixed greens and any other burger toppings. They also freeze well. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Christine! Thank you for your review.
My husband cannot tolerate sweet potatoes, is there anything I can use to sub them out for? Extra beans? More Quiona? Help, these sound amazing but would like to make them for everyone..
Hi Catherine, sorry to disappoint but that would be a different recipe since sweet potatoes are a big part of this one.
Best veggie burgers. Amazing flavor and texture. Mine fell apart a bit but it was no problem. Next time I will refrigerate the patties in the fridge as suggested in the comments. Thank you for this recipe!
You’re welcome, Meredith!
Can you air fry these?
I think this works best as written. I don’t personally use an air fryer, sorry!
Katie! I just love your recipes, your cookbook is my preferred one, and those burgers just turned out so well! Thank you! PS, and woof to Cookie of course.
This was delicious! I was meal prepping for dinner and my son was hungry and popped one in the air fryer for about 10mins. I’m going to try baking the remainder in the oven for dinner.