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.
Just made these for lunch/supper. What a nice burger patty! The sweet potato adds such a nice flavor mixed with the blend of spices, beans, grain.
I had assumed we’d sub in the quinoa, but used millet because I actually found some leftover in my cabinet. I’m sure quinoa would be nice as well.
Liked the texture of the patty — pretty sure it would hold up to being grilled.
Thank you, Cindy for your feedback and review! Happy to hear both texture and flavor were great for you!
I live in overseas and I don’t have access to quinoa or millet. I do have lentils and couscous. Would anything work as a replacement for the quinoa?
Hi Tilly, cooked brown rice might be the best substitute. Veggie burgers can be finicky, though, so I’m really not sure how well that will work.
i have made these several times and they are delicious…but i wanted to take out some of the sweet flavor. I added apple cider vinegar and my family all thought they were even better. more savory. thanks.
Thank you, Jody for sharing! Happy this is a go-to for you and you were able to adjust to your family’s taste. I appreciate your review.
Amazing! Texture was perfect. We kept the onions out because we have IBS in our family and it was still delicious. My son has autism and has a lot of anxiety over new food. Watching him open wide for your burger made this a new fanily favorite!!!!
Hooray! Thank you, Yanic for sharing. That’s great to hear. I am happy this was such a hit for all in your family :) If you would want to leave a star review, I would appreciate it!
Done!
5 stars all the way!!!
Question about your spicy veggie burger.. do you have to use all of those SPICY spices??? Because i cannot handle spicy food AT ALL!! I was wondering if it will mess with the recipe at all.. And if so what can i use to substitute for all 4or5 SPICY spices?? Thanks soo much, I Guess I’ll Check back on her soon because IDK how i get answers back on this blog. :-)
Hi Marisa – You can adjust the spices to your liking. Possibly start by halving them and omitting the cayenne pepper. Hope this helps!
I stumbled across your site when I decided to go vegetarian (on top of being gluten-free). This was one of the first recipes I made, and I immediately started trying your others. These burgers are absolutely delicious! Even my omnivore friends agree ;) I love putting these on the side of a fresh salad, or topping them with spiralized zucchini, fresh tomato, and avocado-cilantro dressing. And the fact that I can make a big batch and freeze them for later is so handy. Thanks, Kate!
I’m happy you did :) Thanks so much for the review and for your comment!
I am not a vegetarian nor a vegan but my daughter is. Tonight I decided to make her this recipe and O MY GOODNESS was this AMAZING. I have purchased your recipe book and looking forward to a healthier and tastier 2018 :-)
Thank you, Danielle for your support!
As a mom of a vegetarian family, I want to say thanks for this awesome veggie burger recipe. My kids gobble these burgers up! I love how the recipe makes extra so I can throw them in the freezer for a quick meal for another busy weeknight. Thanks again!
That’s great!! This can be a tricky recipe for kids, but sounds like your kids have great tastebuds. :) You’re welcome! Thanks for sharing you freeze them with a lot of luck and for your review.
I am doing veganuary and these burgers are to die for! awesome amazing delicious I have them in a whole meal wrap with lettuce and tomato and spicy tomato sauce – another great recipe from Cookie and Kate. thank you
Thank you!
I tried this recipe and my family really enjoyrd it. Thankyou.
That’s a win! Thank you, Ray.
I made these today for a barbecue. They held together quite well actually, but my partner had the idea of coating each side with some breadcrumbs. That made them stay together completely. My two year old son and the guests loved them. So did I! Thank you!
Wonderful! Thank you, Clare for sharing.
These were delicious! They were our first attempt at veggie burgers and they’ll be hard to beat. Even my meat-eating hubby loved them! Thanks Kate!
I just prepped these for tonight! Super excited about trying them. I have way too many for me to eat though. When you say they freeze well, they freeze well already cooked or raw? TIA!
You can freeze them cooked! Thanks for your review, Summer.
Made these last night and they were absolutely amazing! Didn’t think anything could top your Lentil-Chickpea burgers but these proved me wrong ;) Keep the veggie burger recipes coming!
I’m glad they proved you wrong! Now you have two recipe favorites. I appreciate it, Malka.
Even my picky daughter liked these. Had to cook a little longer on each side but will definitely be making again!!
Wonderful, Denise!
Good lord these are delicious! I used quinoa since I had it on hand, and topped with pepper jack cheese, which I think contrasted the sweet potatoes nicely. Even my meat-eating husband said he liked them better than “real” burgers. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you!
Hooray! Winning over the meat-eater. Thanks for sharing, Julia! I’m glad you liked it so much.
Just made these for the second time they are delicious!! I’ve been trying to integrate more plant based meals into our diet and my husband had been pretty resistant, except for these burgers!!! Love!!!
Wonderful! Thank you, Lauren for the review.
Delicious! I had to tone down the heat so my husband could handle them but so tasty. I used quinoa. Will definitely make agin. Thanks!
You can for sure adjust the heat level by adjusting spice to your need. Thanks for sharing! I appreciate the review.
I’ve made these several times as a meal prep. I typically double the recipe. Then after cooking them I layer them with tinfoil and freeze some and refrigerate the rest. They’re truly excellent and I love this recipe.
Great recipe to double, Phillip! Thank you for your review.
another perfect recipe, looked perfect and everyone was thrilled with flavour, thanks
Thank you!!
Thank you for the recipe! I am going more plant based with my diet, so am looking for a hamburger substitute. Also wanted to mention that taking some local raw honey (from within a 25 mile radius is best) on a daily basis is an excellent antidote for allergies, as it helps your body adjust to the local pollens :) –Michelle C.
You’re welcome! Thanks for sharing.
Delicious! I forgot the cilantro and substituted 1/2 cup walnuts for the quinoa. I will make these again!! For sure!
Thanks, Andrea for the review.
Hi
I can’t eat oats so what would you use to replace them?
Hi Allison – You could try cooked quinoa. But, I didn’t try it. So let me know how it turns out!
OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! I was never a burger-eater before adopting a ‘vegan’ diet before but this recipe is LIFE!!! I am always having trouble trying to figure out what to cook next with my busy schedule and these burgers are FABULOUS! Thank you so much!
Ha, I’m glad you are so excited about it and that you like it so much! Thanks, Bridget for your review.
I made some veggie burgers yesterday and they were scrumptious!!!
Wonderful, Marcela! Thank you for sharing.
I never comment on recipes I make but this was sooo good! A little time intensive but so worth it! This recipe is a keeper for sure! :)
I’m glad you did, Heather! Thanks so much. I appreciate the review.
These were very VERY good. It’s actually pretty hard to make something work with Sweet Potatoes because they’re so sweet that you overpowering them with salt or seasoning just ruins the flavor. That was not the case here. The only tiny tiny gripe I have is I wish they held together a bit better so you don’t squish them when biting into them (In fairness the texture is fine and is the same and every other veggie burger I’ve eaten unless it had eggs in there)
Thanks for the recipe!
I’m happy to hear you liked it! You’re welcome. I appreciate the review.
These burghers are absolutely amazing! My son is visiting from Toronto and loved these. Thanks for posting. I just goggled “gluten free and vegetarian” and this recipe popped up. So glad!
You’re welcome! Thanks for commenting and providing a review, Zelma.
delicious!! they came out so good I could have eaten the entire batch !
Great! Thank you, Julie.
What could I use in place of the millet or quinoa in these burgers?
I had luck with millet and quinoa. The texture really helps the flavor and act to hold it together. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
You can use brown or white rice.
I really liked the flavor, but I am not sure I would call them burgers. I managed to get a nice crust on the outside, but the patty is just mush. I’d sooner eat this as a side dish.
I made these and love them…I used quinoa but did also make a few changes.
I used an extra sweet potato, I added 1/4 C of finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, I used 1 red onion instead of 1/2, I added 1 C of cooked leftover basmati rice.
Also, I used a lid to a narrow mouth mason jar to serve as mold for making slider-sized burgers. I was able to get 24 sliders out of this recipe. I froze all of the uncooked burgers placed in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Once frozen solid, I transferred to a ziploc bag. I just remove the number I need and either cook them on the stovetop or oven without any defrost needed.
They are great inside 1/2 pita, smothered with hummus, spinach and a piece of avocado. My go to meal! Thank-you!!!
Thanks for sharing!
Great idea of freezing them on sheets and then transfering to another container to store them. I do this quite often with fruit, squash, beans, you get the picture…
I also love any beans and sweet potatoes but would use the brown rice as I think it would produce a chewier burger.
I made these for the whole family as we had a vegetarian and a vegan staying.. Everybody loved them and they were so easy to make. I added a couple of chillies to the mix and cooked them in our Aga. Great recipe. Thank you.
Fantastic to hear, Andrew! Thanks for your review.
I was lucky enough to have one of these the other day – they were so delicious! I love trying vegan recipes and sharing what I eat, including this, on my Instagram page – katiesplatess
Thank you for your review, Katie!
These were delicious! I made them with a jalapeno instead of the cayenne. I only had 1 pound of sweet potatoes, so I tired to make them that way with an egg added in. It didn’t work very well. Of course I noticed the part about them holding together when refrigerated after I had already started cooking them. I added in some extra mashed beans, another egg, and some almond meal, and it seemed to work OK. Still not perfect, but at least I could pick them up with a spatula. Mine would up with about 18 thin burgers, so we wound up using 2 patties per bun. All in all, they were very good, despite my not following the instructions completely
Thanks for sharing! Let me know if you make them again and what you think. :)
These burgers are so tasty! Obviously there is quite a bit of prep involved so early in the day I simultaneously roasted the potatoes, cooked the quinoa, and ground the oats. Later in the day I mixed everything up and let it hang out in the fridge for ~1 hr. Then I formed and fried the patties, which was a super simple process, the burgers held together really well! Because I split it up like that the hands on time did not feel very involved. Plus, these are hearty enough that my family of 4 ate half the batch in one sitting and now we have the other half batch for lunches or to freeze for a future meal – worth the prep time! I doubt all 4 will make it to the freezer though, I’m already looking forward to having one for lunch! Not only is the flavor combination great the texture is really good and hearty too. These would be really good topped with some sort of spicy ketchup or chipotle mayo, or even better some sort of chipotle+ketchup+mayo creation :D I ate mine bunless topped with a little bit of ketchup alongside Pinch of Yum’s kale caeser salad, which was a perfect compliment and plenty filling for dinner. Thanks for a(nother) great recipe!
I’m really glad you thought it was worth the prep time! Thank you, Stephanie.
These are great burgers. They are moist, hold together well, and have a southwest flavor that works well with the sweet potato and black bean base. They are a bit soft to put on the grill. I tested one, but brought them back inside to a pan after it kind of ‘melted’ between the grate.
Your Blog is very nice.
Wish to see this much more like this. Thanks for sharing your information!
Thank you!
These taste great and even the raw batter is perfectly delicious! I did not use quinoa or millet. Instead, I used an extra 1/3 cup of oats and ground the extra amount with the rest of the oats. I switched up the spices so I could use what I had (Cajun seasoning and smoke flavor). I used the baking sheet cooking method. These were so good! :)
Thanks for sharing your variation, Krysta!
These are hands down our favorite black bean burgers! I use quinoa but leave everything else the same, and serve them with lettuce, red onion rings, and your simple guac from your cookbook. The Mexican flare is so yummy! Thank you for another fabulous, healthy recipe!
Love to hear that, Rebecca! Yes, oh that guac, great pairing!
I recently read “Food Rules” and I just watched the DVD “Forks Over Knives.” I’m going to take the plunge and see how it goes – eating a whole-food, plant-based diet. I remember years ago, while at the Common Ground Fair in Unity, Maine, I enjoyed a black bean veggie burger and so looked it up on-line and found your recipe for one that also included sweet potatoes – great idea! So, I’m looking something I can click on for a print-friendly version of your recipe. I’m excited to try this – looks scrumptious, and all the more, because it’s healthy! :- )
Thanks for sharing! Good luck with your transition! Be sure to report back, Terry on what you thought of the recipe.
I made these burgers tonight. They were delicious and easy to make. Thank you for the recipe!
Welcome, Shelly!
We grilled these burgersand they turned out amazing& with the Bbq taste we loved
Them!
Simple clean recipe thanks
Thank you, Jenn!
Excellent!!! Do you think this recipe could be adapted to a veggie “meat”loaf? Any ideas for doing so?
Hmm… interesting thought! You know, I’m not sure. Sorry! I’m glad you really like it though, Elle.
This recipe is amazing – my kids love it! My twin toddlers have a lot of food allergies, so it’s always special to find something they can eat and enjoy. What is the best way to freeze the patties, before or after you pan fry them?
Ann, so glad your family is enjoying the burgers! I think you’ll have the best luck freezing after they’ve been cooked through.
These burgers are great. They stick together better if you do mash up the black beans a bit while mixing everything together. I have used the liquid from chipotle chilis instead of powder and that works well. These burgers are delicious with chipotle mayo or aoili.
I’m glad you like this one, too!
U can use raw quinoa?
You will want it cooked.
I absolutely LOVED this burger recipe. My dad told me it’s the best burger he’s had in a long time and he eats meat! I’ve tried a few other recipes and these is the BEST one I’ve ever had so far. I will be making these again and again. Thank you for this recipe. It is so healthy and so good.
That’s a winner! I love it. Thanks for sharing, Natalie.
Best veggie burger recipe, so much better than any store bought or restaurant version, loved it
Thank you, Steve!