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.
If freezing, should i freeze the baked burger or the uncooked version?
Looks awesome. My quinoa has cooked and waiting for it to cool, then im away!!
I would recommend the cooked version, that way you can reheat as desired. Let me know what you think!
Thank you so much for such an amazing recipe! This is now my go to black bean burger recipe that the whole family can enjoy. I was just wondering for how long these burgers can freeze for? I was hoping to make them using the cooked quinoa version and then freeze them. Thanks:)
Have you ever premade them and left them uncooked in the fridge overnight?
I haven’t, but I would check other reader comments to see if they have been successful!
I have I made them and put them in an airtight Pyrex for two days then cooked them. Perfect..
Added pumpkin seeds and capers. The crunch and flavor depth worked really well for us
Mildred, whole pumpkin seeds or crushed? I’m intruiged.
Made the sweet potato black bean burgers for first time they are definitely a winner!!! Thank you!
Linda
You’re welcome, Linda!
Enjoyed this tonight for dinner for the first time! Trying to open up my husband, who needs a substantial amount of protein in every meal, to more plant-based meals. He took a bite and his eyes lit up and he said, “YUM!” I agree! It’s definitely joining the rotation. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Could anyone please tell me how many cups=1 1/2 pounds of sweet potato? I don’t have a scale at home but would like to make these tomorrow. Thank you!
I lost my recipe for bean burgers a while ago, and couldn’t find a recipe that compared until this one. In fact, it’s actually better and now my go to recipe.
Love searing a pineapple ring to go on top!
I’m happy this is now a go-to!
Any advice on grilling these? Should I sear them first?
Hi!
I am allergic to oats but this looks so good, is there anything that I could sub for the oats?
Thanks!
Hi Kaitlin! You could try replacing it with quinoa. Let me know how it goes!
Is your intent for us to chill the mixture prior to forming the patties or chill the unformed mixture?
Once you shape the patties, if you can! Thanks for the question, Diane.
My husband and I really like these burgers. My husband said, “that’s is a maker again”. I just decided to try some vegan recipes. I came across your website. I really like your site. Just wanted you to know that the burgers were wonderful. I baked the sweet potatoes and cooked the quinoa the day before. The precooked items were cold from the fridge. The burgers stayed together pretty good.
Thank you for trying this recipe and letting me know what you thought, Laurie! I’m happy to hear you loved it.
Thank you…I am 65 and my husband and I who all of our lives have been huge meat eaters have embarked on this new lifestyle about 4 weeks ago. We have a freezer full of meat which we give a lot to our kids and we do not miss it in our diet. Thank you for your wonderful recipes I intend to try the burgers tonight.
I’m really happy this recipe has helped you on your new journey!
These turned out so great!!! I used the white sweet potatoes and they worked just fine. I definitely recommend baking them, the shape held better for me. I can’t wait to freeze them and enjoy them again and again. I knew I had a winner when my daughter ate them, even though they were a tad spicy for her.
I made these last night for dinner for my husband and I and we LOVE it <3 Adding it to our recipe box. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you both loved it.
THese burgers sound so delicious, i’d like to try them for my mum, but she doesn’t like coriander. Do you think they’ll be ok without, or could you please suggest a substitute? Thanks!
If you don’t love it, you could leave it out and add more of your favorite spice included.
I made this tonight. We are three days into our plant-based lifestyle adventure. My son, who does NOT love vegetables ate these with no complaint and said that they were “actually pretty good.” I think they are delicious. Thanks for sharing your lovely recipes.
I saw the two star review and got nervous you didn’t like them! But, I’m really glad you liked them. :)
So sorry! I meant to give you a 4-star review!
Made your burgers today and my husband and I are both seriously impressed! Great flavor, texture and they pan seared nicely. I cooked in 1/2 t. Coconut Oil to give one of the patties a test run and it cooked perfectly. I only had 1lb of sweet potatoes on hand but it still turned out great! Will definitely make these a staple! Thanks for a great recipe!
Great to hear, Kristie! Thank you for sharing you liked it!
This recipe is the best! I make this all the time and freeze what I wont use and days when I dont feel like cooking I bake or fry them. Love your blog, have probably made almost all of your recipes and they’re all amazing.
Thank you!
My daughter is on a severely strict diet thru doctors for her pancreas and IBM she lives on veggies and sweet potatoes but it gets boring, love the look of this recipe! Do u think I could leave the black beans out? ( she can’t have them) Will the patties still hold together? They don’t have tons of flavour ( the beans ) so I would like to try it…what do you think?
Hi Beth, that’s a good question and I wish I knew for sure! It might be worth a shot, but might require some tinkering. The sweet potato does most of the binding work, so that’s promising. You might not need as much oat flour without the beans, not sure.
I just made sweet potato and black bean burger today. My family REALLY loved it! I decided to make skinny patties and use 2 instead of one fat patty. My family likes the burger a little ‘well cooked’ this way it wasnt that soft and mushy. I put mine in chard leaves instead of a bun and it was soooo good! Thank you so much for posting the recipe! I wish I could post a picture! I have my lentils soaking for the lentil burger as Im writing this…
You’re welcome! I’m so glad it was a hit with your family, Hajni.
The recipe looks good but I’m slightly confused. The recipe says sweet potatoes but the pictures look like yams. It seems like everyone calls the orange yams sweet potatoes these days, but sweet potatoes are more of a light yellow color.
Hi Kenny! They are sweet potatoes and can find these in your grocery store labeled that too.
Thank you for trying it!
How spicy are these? would like to make them for my 1 year old bc she loves veggie burgers. she is used to different spices such as cajun seasoning, garlic powder, tumeric, ect. what should i do to make this more mild?
I don’t find these too spicy, but you can always cut down on the spices as you need to.
These came out delicious! Thanks for another great recipe!!
Great to hear!
Just started making plant-based recipes and I loved this!
I’m happy to hear that, Sarah! Thanks for sharing.
Hi, I came across your recipe after a google search. My friend is following a vegan lifestyle at the moment.
Very easy recipe to follow and make. I only had to purchase the sweet potatoes. I added chickpeas and used white beans the first time.
I made them again, in bite size burgers, for my SlimmingWorld taster session. I used kidney beans & chickpeas. They lot got eaten! Very good comments from everyone that tried them
I will be making them again..
Thank you xxx
Nikki :)
I’m happy to hear that, Nikki! Thanks for your review.
Hi there,
Would I be able to substitute white or brown rice for the millet/quinoa?
Thanks in advance! These looks delish!❤
Thank you for this recipe. These burgers were delicious. Has anyone tried to make it in a loaf pan?
Liza
I think it would be too dense and you wouldn’t likely get the same result. However, I would love to hear if it works. That would be interesting!
So incredibly good. I used tricolored quinoa because I couldn’t find millet. Baked in the oven and it is simply divine. Topped with sprouts, pickles and vegan mayo. I can’t wait to share with my non vegan friends!! I froze the patties after cooking two. Yum
I’m glad you loved it, Shirley! Thanks for commenting.
I have finally found my go to black bean burger recipe and I just could stop munching on them. My toddlers are picky eaters but they just gobbled these down! I was just wondering if I can freeze these burgers and if so for how long? Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Great to hear! These should freeze ok for a few months!
Making this veggie burger for my 1962 class reunion at our house August 17 th, 2019…along with best hamburgers by my husband…our chef.thank you.
Made these tonight for dinner and they were so good. Thank you for this great recipe. I will have to check out more of your recipes.
You’re welcome, Diane!
I thought it was very east to make and I loves the taste. Would definitely make again. May try a non spicy version so kids would like better.
Thanks for sharing!
HI KATE:
I MADE THIS TODAY FOR MY CO WORKERS THEY LOVED THEM. THE FLAVOR IS VERY GOOD. I WILL MAKE THEM AGAIN. THANK YOU.
Wonderful to hear, Penney!
Mixed these up and stuck them on the grill! I added a little bit of olive oil to the mixture as it was looking quite dry, and would probably brush a bit on the patty’s sides next time. So tasty though, looking forward to eating the ones chillin in the freezer. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Tierney!
Wow, Thank you, Kate! I made these tonight, as written with quinoa and they were delicious, held together well, and I look forward to these on regular rotation!!!. Brioche buns, avocado, sliced onions, greens and mustard on mine…everyone sampled different hot sauces with theirs and we agreed that this base holds its own but can invite customization so well. Oh, and we’re not vegetarians. It doesn’t matter! These are so flavorful. I only wish I took a picture, they even looked good too. Thanks again.
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you really liked them. Thanks for the feedback and review, Kate.
Hi Cookie and Kate,
These are the BEST veggie burgers I have ever had, and the first time I have ever made them myself. I topped theme with the quick and easy guacamole from your cookbook sh shared them with friend and who were all amazed at how they turned out! Thanks for making this a new staple of my weekly meals! I’m going to try the cauliflower one next!
I’m so happy you loved them, Brittany! Guacamole on top, delicious! Thanks for your review.
Thank you for sharing. Can these be grilled?
I believe that would work and others have tried it with success!
Hi,
Thank you for your recipe!
About freezer storage, I suppose you are talking about freezing them after cooking but do you know if they resist being frozen uncooked? And for how long, eventually?
Thank you in advance for your reply.
Hi! Yes, frozen after already being cooked. I’m not sure how they hold up otherwise if frozen uncooked.
Thank you for your prompt reply.
I’ll try to freeze uncooked and cook later and I’ll let you know how it is.
You’re welcome, Olv!
Would love to try this recipe, but when I click on Nutrition, nothing comes up. Could you please tell me the calorie count for one of these?
Thanks,
Colleen
Hi Colleen, I’m sorry you are having issues. Make sure you allow cookies in your browser as this is a plug-in on my site. I hope this helps!
Soooo good!! Made a few night ago. Ate one & froze the rest of the cooked ones. Just popped a frozen one in the oven for about 15 min. Ate on a cabbage “bun” topped with avacado, thinnly sliced radish & cucumber & dizzled with ranch dressing. Super yummy!!!
I’m happy you loved it, Karen!
It was good overall. But it came out mushy. I even added egg to the second batch and still came out mushy. How to prevent that?
I’m sorry they didn’t work great for you! Did you drain any excess liquid prior to mixing(millet/quinoa and/or beans?) Did you refrigerate before making?
Yes I even made more the next day with the leftovers that were refrigerated and still came out mushy and would hold. I don’t know why ♀️
Hi! I’m in Italy and sweet potatoes are no longer in season…can I substitute regular potatoes?!?
Thank you!
Delicious!!!
So much better than store bought veggie burgers! No comparison.
Followed the recipe exactly as written, only decreasing hot spice to taste and they turned out perfect.
I baked all of them and froze what I didn’t use for later.
To reheat, I just popped them in the microwave and they were great.
Thank you for sharing, Debra!
I make these. They are delicious. I fry the onions before combining with the other ingredients. I then bake the burgers. Thank you
You’re welcome, CDS!
I still make these burgers. I skip the cilantro, since I do not like it. I just made them again, and I fried onion and garlic to add to the rest of the ingredients. I bake them. I use more of the spices. Delicious as usual.
Thanks again
Just made the black bean sweet potato burgers. They are chillin’ out right now. Recipe was easy, even with the baking of the potato. I’ll let you know how they are after we have dinner!
What did you think, Diane?
Delicious!! Glad I’ll have some in the freezer for future meals. I grilled a thick slice of tomato to have with it. No condiments necessary. This is a winner. I’ll be sharing this with my vegetarian daughter. ❤
I’ve made these twice now. They are my new favorite burgers! Even my husband, who is not vegan, loves them and told me to make them at least once a week.
Wonderful to hear, Melissa!
Came out great! Best recipe I found yet!! Sure I tweaked the ingredients a little but not so that it would make a difference. Thanks!!
You’re welcome, Susan!
Can these be grilled?
Sure! Let me know what you think, Angela.
Love these! I loaded up on cilantro and skipped the red onion (they don’t like me). SO good. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Amy!
Is it possible to substitute yams for the sweet potatoes?
Sure!
I have been a vegetarian for 50 years and I have been on a lifelong hunt for a veggie burger I really, really enjoyed. This is the best recipe I have ever tried! I love it. I made the full recipe but only used about half for a dinner with 2 friends. I live alone so that meant the rest was in the fridge for 2 days. I had it again the two subsequent nights and then the final burger I put in the freezer for the last 3 weeks. I did not cook it first (given that everything is basically already cooked I didn’t see why it should matter), defrosted it in the microwave for a minute and then fried it with a little olive oil and some BBQ sauce. It was delicious. I will try cooking it before freezing next time to see if it makes a difference. But this recipe is a WINNER! Thank you!
Best ever in 50 years, I love to hear that!
Wowee, thanks Kate, this was delicious. I was worried it’ll take too much time to prep but it was not. I’ve been a vegetarian for about 2 months now and I’m glad this came up in my search. I didn’t realize I had to fry the patties before freezing, but I’m glad to hear it worked out from one of the reviewers to thaw then sear. I’ll be sharing this recipe!!!
Can I substitute rice for the quinoa/millet?
That may work, although I haven’t tried it.
Made this for my first vegetarian burger and my meat loving mom (and I) LOVED IT. Definitely going to be top in my books
Wonderful, Becca!