10 Easy, Basic Veggie Burger Recipes Even Carnivores Will Like
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Veggie burgers don’t have to be flavors, filled with chemicals from the frozen section, or complicated to make. It’s easy to master a few easy recipes to get a healthy produce- and fiber-filled meal on your table fast.
And ones you’ll actually look forward to!
Personally I’m not a big fan of frozen veggie burgers. They taste weird, they have a weird consistency, they’re loaded with chemicals, and they usually don’t have much protein. Veggie burgers (like most things homemade) are healthier (more protein, more fiber, less chemicals) and taste better if you make them yourself.
It’s much better if you make them yourself rather than buy them in the frozen section, plus it’s easier than you think! In this post, we’ll cover 10 easy and basic veggie burger recipes (plus some fun sauces/tapenades/toppings that I like) that you can add to your regular routine!
Before we start, a note about egg substitutions: If you are vegan, you can replace the eggs in these recipes with flaxseed eggs. Just combine 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed (ground, not the seeds!) with 3 tablespoons of hot water! Stir it together – it will get all goopy. This is the equivalent of one egg. Bonus: flaxseed is has lots of heart-healthy fats!
1. Spicy Black Bean Burger
Ingredients:
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
Instructions:
Mash black beans in a bowl until mostly smooth.
Add breadcrumbs, red onion, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and egg. Mix well.
Form mixture into patties.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Cook patties for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown.
2. Quinoa and Chickpea Burger
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and mashed
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
Instructions:
Combine quinoa, mashed chickpeas, grated carrot, parsley, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and egg in a bowl.
Form into patties.
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook patties for 3-4 minutes on each side until crispy.
3. Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burger
Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato, roasted and mashed
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
Instructions:
Combine mashed sweet potato, black beans, breadcrumbs, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, and egg in a bowl.
Form mixture into patties.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Cook patties for 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked through.
4. Mushroom and Lentil Burger
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked lentils
1 cup finely chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
Instructions:
Combine lentils, mushrooms, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and egg in a bowl.
Form into patties.
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook patties for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
5. Beet and Chickpea Burger
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup grated beetroot
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
Instructions:
Combine chickpeas, grated beetroot, cilantro, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, and egg in a bowl.
Form mixture into patties.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Cook patties for 4-5 minutes on each side until crispy.
6. Cauliflower and Chickpea Burger
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 cup finely chopped cauliflower
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
Instructions:
Combine chickpeas, cauliflower, breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and egg in a bowl.
Form into patties.
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook patties for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
7. Spinach and Feta Black Bean Burger
Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup black beans
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 teaspoon oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
Instructions:
Combine spinach, feta cheese, breadcrumbs, red onion, oregano, salt, pepper, and egg in a bowl.
Form mixture into patties.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Cook patties for 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked through.
8. Walnut and Mushroom Burger
Ingredients:
1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
Instructions:
Combine mushrooms, walnuts, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and egg in a bowl.
Form into patties.
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook patties for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
9. Zucchini and Corn Burger
Ingredients:
1 cup grated zucchini
1 can white beans, rinsed
¼ - ½ cup corn kernels
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or basil
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
Instructions:
Combine grated zucchini, corn kernels, breadcrumbs, cilantro, chili powder, salt, pepper, and egg in a bowl.
Form mixture into patties.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Cook patties for 4-5 minutes on each side until crispy.
10. Sweet Potato and Quinoa Burger
Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato, roasted and mashed
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
Instructions:
Combine mashed sweet potato, quinoa, breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and egg in a bowl.
Form into patties.
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook patties for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Veggie burgers (much like regular ones) are a great canvas to try fun new sauces and toppings.
Here aresome options I really like that work on these veggie burgers (some pair better than others, obviously).
Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients:
1/2 cup diced pineapple
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1 tablespoon lime juice
Tahini Dressing
Ingredients:
1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons water
Olive Tapenade
Ingredients:
1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
Blue Cheese Crumble
Ingredients:
.1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon honey
Pomegranate Molasses
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon chopped pistachios
1 teaspoon orange zest
Pine Nut and Sun-Dried Tomato Tapenade
Ingredients:
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Caramelized Onion and Fig Chutney
Ingredients:
1 cup caramelized onions
1/2 cup chopped dried figs
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
Artichoke and Olive Tapenade
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped artichoke hearts
1/4 cup olive tapenade
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Pistachio and Date Chutney
Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped pistachios
1/4 cup chopped dates
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt to taste
Watermelon and Mint Salsa
Ingredients:
1 cup finely chopped watermelon
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons feta cheese
1 teaspoon lime zest
Salt and pepper to taste
Lavender and Blueberry Mash
Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried lavender buds
1/4 cup mashed blueberries
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Salt to taste
I hope this list gets you more comfortable adding veggie burgers into your regular rotation!
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