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.
These were so good! The whole family enjoyed them even the toddler :)
That’s great! Thank you for your review.
I really enjoyed the veggie burgers. I put them in a protein wrap with salsa verde and alvacado. Yummy!
Absolutely love these burgers – followed the recipe exactly. So happy with the tasty result.
I baked them and they were perfectly crunchy on the edges and delicious served with yummy lime and coriander slaw.
Thank you for your recipes – they are always well written and accurate.
Cooking in Australia
Wonderful, Sheryll! Thank you for sharing.
Really tasty! The only thing I did differently is I sauteed the onion and garlic for a few minutes. I pan-fried the burgers and they were delish! A total keeper.
That’s great, Kathy! Thank you for your review.
What can you use if you don’t have adobo sauce?
Hi Toni, as noted in the ingredients you can use smoked paprika. I hope you enjoy them!
The best veggie burger ever!!!
Thank you!
My BFF recommended these. They’ve become a regular in my household. My partner and I love them. Freezes perfectly – making it the easiest meal to heat up and eat! Thanks for such a delicious, healthy, filling recipe!
I’m glad you enjoy them, Aviva! Thank you for your review.
I’ve made these for two nights in a row now! So delicious and family approved, even the kids loved them. I ate my fair share of frozen veg burgers back in my college days, and I gotta say I wish I knew how to make them back then. So tasty and healthy, the texture is amazing (I baked them).
Hooray! I’m glad you love it, Sharon.
I have made other versions of black bean burgers, but non were as good as these. A few steps and bit of time to prepare, so worth it. Made without changes from your recipe. Ate two with chipotle Mayo on whole wheat buns and will vacuum seal and freeze the rest. Thanks for sharing a great recipe.
Can the adobo sauce be replaced with Cholula hot sauce?
Hi Cathy, see the recommendation for smoked paprika. I hope you love them!
We only need 2 at a time
Is it better to cook or freeze first the remaining burgers?
Hi Marilyn! Cooked burgers do work well to freeze. Just pull them out as you need.
Amazing. Never been a huge fan of veggie burgers til now. Added an egg to make it stick better though, and replaced the bun with a lettuce wrap (two flaps of romaine worked beautifully). I put apple wood smoked cheddar on top and vegan Mayo, delicious.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, James! Thank you for your review.
Tried this out and did not initially love the taste so much.
But then I hybridized it recipe with another that used roasted mushrooms and cashews and the final result was quite good!
Highly recommend these two ingredients. The cashew adds some extra grittiness and fat (veggie burgers are too low on fat), and the mushroom adds some meaty hints.
I’m glad you love them, Derek! Thank you for your review.
Those were Amazing! I just ate one and it wash delish!!!!
I mixed some adobe sauce in with veganaise for a sauce. So so yummy! I made sliders. Will absolutely make these again!!!!
Now to make up a name for them so my teen boys will eat them.
Hmmm…. Mexican Sweet Adobe sliders! Lol
Thank you for this recipe! Always so yummy!
Wonderful to hear, Lora! I hope your sons love it.
This was my second time attempting homemade veggie burgers and they are great! I made a double batch and froze them after cooking. Since I made too many sweet potatoes, I also made the sweet potato and black bean enchiladas, which were also amazing! Highly recommended both… we are vegetarian and are always looking for new high-protein meals
Thanks for sharing, Rachel! I love having these on hand, too.
I enjoyed these veggie patties a lot! Easy to make. I had one with melted cheese and ranch dressing. My husband enjoyed as well. I’ve been a vegetarian for 46 years and this is the first time I’ve made my own. Kate your recipes never disappoint
That’s great, Lisa! I appreciate your confidence in my recipes. Thank you for your review!
These are very nice veggie burgers. I had some trouble keeping them from not being too soft, probably a proportions issue. (I “cheated” and added an egg white to help hold them together, just in case.) I left them to dry out in the oven after they were done.
I used smoked paprika; after looking at the adobo sauce label, it didn’t seem to be worth buying.
The taste was very good, even if meat-eating partner didn’t wish to exchange his steak for them! My friend liked the one I brought her too. I froze the rest, let’s see how they are after freezing!
As a bun was going to be too many carbs and calories, I ate mine with a thin pita, leftover coleslaw, pickle and lettuce. It was excellent.
My oven isn’t working well. Can I steam the sweet potatoes instead of roasting them?
Hi Lindsey, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. Let me know what you think if you do!
Hi! I’m excited to make these veggie burgers, but I don’t want to mess them up. You mention TWICE in your comments that 1 1/2 cups of quinoa is needed, but under the ingredients it says 1/2 cup. Which is accurate???
Hi Denise, 1/2 dried, 1.5 cups cooked. I hope that helps clarify!
One of the best veggie burger recipes i have tried. My husband (not vegetarian) loves the flavor in them. Its juicy and, packs flavor. Sometimes we add in additional veggies if anything is leftovers in the fridge. Don’t forget the oats, gives good crunch and helps hold burger shape.
I haven’t finished making these, yet. I’ll be forming the patties and baking them tonight! I mixed by hand with a wooden spoon because that seemed “easier” than cleaning my hand mixer, lol.
Note for people that buy pre-chopped ingredients: I used frozen cilantro cubes. I put them in a metal mixing bowl and used that mixing bowl to cover the quinoa so that they’d thaw out by mixing time. I figured the warm ingredients would finish the job if that didn’t work. Everything mixed great, though I think using frozen cilantro changed the overall color.
I licked said spoon after putting the mixture in the fridge. 10/10, it has fancy vegetarian restaurant flavor.
Thank you for sharing, Sara!
This was fine, just somewhat bland. Given the number of dishes I dirtied in the process I don’t think I’d make it again. I cooked the patties in an oiled cast iron on med-low and had no problems with the patties breaking apart. However they’re very soft, so they didn’t retain their shape at all once I started eating. I served on lettuce wraps with pickled veggies, avocado, and a chipotle cream sauce.
I’m sorry you didn’t love this recipe, Liane. I appreciate your review.
I made these basically as written but did add 1T ground flaxseed and made my own adobo cuz I was out of it (tom. paste, chipotle powder, vinegar). I first fried one using minimal oil on the stovetop but thought it needed some crunch on the outside. Then I air fried one after dipping it in a mixture of grated romano, ground flax seed and ground brown rice cakes. Leave out the Romano for vegan…I think this breading will still work out. Then I sprayed both sides with avo. oil and air fried til done and crunchy, flipping once. The flax in the patties did firm them up and made them easy to handle without crumbling. Really tasty!
These were delicious. I followed your recipe as written. I haven’t had the best of luck making veggie burgers until I found your recipe. I love your page, and use many of your recipes. They are always incredible. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome, Brittany! Thank you for your review.
These are delicious and actually held up on the grill! Could they be frozen before cooking to be ready to grill?
Hi Amy, I don’t think they would work well frozen on the grill. Sorry! I’m glad they held up when you made them and enjoyed them.
Wasn’t trying to change your recipe, but I only had a can of spicy refried beans on hand, so I used in place of the black beans. Actually they held together beautifully and were so yummy. I’ll try with the black beans next time and compare. Thanks!!
Your recipes are some of the best veggie recipes I’ve ever tried.
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Barbie!
Hi Kate, just finished my second attempt at this recipe. First one was too soft, so with a bit of tweaking, this second batch turned out perfect.
Also thanks for your tips on how to properly cook quinoa…no more mush.
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Corrie! I appreciate your review.
I’ve just made these but replaced a few ingredients with whatever I had: Quinoa replaced with cooked Pearl Barley; instead of chilli powder – about 1 teaspoon of Sriracha sauce; coriander replaced with flat leaf parsley + a tsp of ground coriander root powder. They were lovely with cheese in a burger bun.
Love, love, love these veggie burgers! Had a delicious veggie burger on vacation and decided to make this. I’ve been telling everyone about how wonderful it is. Didn’t change a thing!
Great to hear, Barbara! I appreciate you taking the time to share.
Hi Kate, I’m trying to eat less red meat and found your amazing veggie burger recipe. Problem is that I’m an an Australian coeliac and I can’t eat oats. Can you suggest an alternative please?
Belinda
Hi Belinda, Oats in the US can be certified gluten-free. I haven’t tried this recipe without oats. Sorry!
I make these using gluten free bread crumbs and they come out perfect!
Thank you for sharing, Debbie!
Hello: Thank you for posting this recipe. I am trying this tonight (1/2 quantity since just hubby & I).
My question is about the quantity of cooked sweet potatoes. Weighed before roasting I have either too much or too little. I’m roasting a bit more than specified weight. Could you “guess-timate” the amount of cooked sweet potatoes after baking – weight or cups. So I can measure out for recipe.
Thanks again.
Hi Pat, If you are measuring the weight before roasting, you should be fine. Are you baking them too long that they are loosing some moisture perhaps?
Another fabulous dinner from your cookbook! I have never made a veggie burger – nor had eaten one – but have shifted to more vegetarian with my daughter. Made the Sweet Potato, black bean and quinoa veggie burgers with the peppitas slaw. Another terrific recipe – full of flavor at every bite! Thank you Kate!
Thank you, Rhonda! I’m delighted you love these burgers. I appreciate your review.
I made the oven baked version and found the taste fabulous but the consistency was too soft for me. I froze the leftover patties and today, I thawed them and cooked them in the pan with a little neutral oil. IT WAS DELICIOUS!
So I guess my tip is make a huge batch, cook them in the oven first, let them cool or freeze them, then pop them in the pan at medium high until each side is brown. They get crispy on the exterior, still soft in the interior, and really great.
Wonderful to hear, Fannie! I’m glad you loved it.
I make a quick version; one can of drained rinsed cut sweet potatoes instead of fresh. Dried cilantro if don’t have fresh. Cuts prep time down to about 15 min. Also, I cook them at 400 in the pellet smoker 15 min each side. They don’t need any oil and come out nice and crispy. Best burger recipe ever.
Thank you for sharing your changes, Don! I appreciate your review.
Can I use quick cooking steel cut oats? They’re from Trader Joe’s and normally cook in 5-8 mins. It’s not clear if the recipe uses rolled or steel cut oats.
Hi! This uses quick cooking oats. I don’t know if the steel cut would work well here, even though they are quick cooking.
This recipe never gives approximate amount of burgers it yields. This would be very helpful..The recipe sounds great!!
Hi Densie! It is in the recipe card. It yields 8 burgers.
Absolutely amazing! I’ve made three other veggie burger recipes and have been underwhelmed. Not anymore. These were flavorful, they held together and I’ve got them in my freezer now. Didn’t have any cilantro but had lots of parsley and basil. Great taste with those too. Happy girl.
Wonderful to hear, Dianne!
Delicious burger. Mine only got a little too wet to form them into patties. But adding more fine oats did the trick. I think maybe the quinoa was too wet. I made the whole batch, used four and the rest waits now in the freezer. Thank you Kate for this yummy recipe.
So good!!
I’m glad you loved it, Ann!
These are now my favorite too!
I have made at least a dozen different veggie burgers over the years and nothing is close to this.
I followed the recommendation of going simple and just putting pico de gallo sauce on it and it really lets the veggie burger be the star.
I did the recipe as-is and did not change a thing.
Thanks Kate!
Hooray! I’m glad they are your favorite too, Larry. I appreciate your review.
Hello Kate,
Well it’s been one year since I first made these burgers and I agree 100% these are THE BEST veggie burgers I have ever made and eaten. I was hankering to make them again and popped on to your blog to find the recipe front and center. Thank you for sharing! I do prefer them baked, then I freeze them. My fav way to eat them is in a tortilla as the filling for a quesadilla.
I love that! Thank you for reporting back after a year.
It is an awesome recipe. Thx
You need to add additional oats until the mixture forms well, and easily….These are always in my freezer. Perfect for a quick wrap with ketchup vegenaise or avacado, pickle, and a touch of mustard! Any kind of cheese works great!!! Love these!
Great to hear, Jill! Thank you for your review.
You are so right, it was about time I made this!
I used the book, but for sure leaving a 5* review here.
Again, a foolproof recipe. A bit of time is needed but it is easy to prep the sweet potatoes and quinoa a day ahead, which I did.
Simple healthy ingredients and just the right amount of spices. I substituted the Adobe sauce as suggested and had to grind my old fashioned oats. I thought the amount would be too much… but no.
Everything is perfect, including the cooking time, they came out of the oven golden brown and they don’t fall apart, yay!
It even made exactly 8 burgers… never doubt a Cookie and Kate recipe…lol. Served on a potato bun, topped with avocado and red cabbage.
Made a few friends very happy by sharing them plus the recipe.
Yes Kate, it was certainly a Love Real Food cooking weekend
Thank you for coming here and leaving a review, Saskia! I appreciate your review.
Hi
Every dish has been delicious
When is the next book??
I can’t wait
Best wishes
Valerie
This is the first time that I’m going to remake a veggie burger recipe as most that I’ve tried haven’t held together or had great flavor. Every recipe that I’ve tried of yours has been amazing so I took a chance and made them for friends coming over. They were delicious and held together perfectly on the grill! About to make them again!!
I love to hear that, Nicola! Thank you for your review.
These are the best veggie burgers ever!! Taste amazing and actually keep their shape on the grill. About to make them again. I follow the recipe exactly except this time I’m doubling the recipe as we loved them so much.
That’s great to hear, Nicola! I appreciate your review.
Could I make with rice instead of quinoa, for my friend who has sensitivity to quinoa? Thanks.
Hi, You can see the note below the instructions of when this used millet. Maybe that will help.
Totally missed that. Thank you!!
Delicious! My family members have weird hang ups about food – one doesn’t like beans, one won’t eat sweet potatoes, and so on. I was craving a burger and so I made the oven version of these veggie burgers. I froze them once they had cooled down and proceeded to eat one every day for lunch. Lucky me! I made my second batch tonight.
I’m glad this was a hit, Karen! I appreciate your review.
So darn yummy! Making for a second time. Was so disappointed I halved the recipe first try (personal policy when trying new recipes). They hold up well without oil in a nonstick pan even, and froze nicely for single servings whenever I run out of fresh stuff for breakfast, lunch, or dinner; so versatile! I like a little extra kick, so added a dash of hot paprika and cayenne, and hefty dose of freshly cracked black pepper. Great recipe, thanks!!
You’re welcome, Danielle! Thank you for your review.