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.
PrintFavorite Veggie Burgers
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 burger patties 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
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 sids 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.
Carolyn
What an amazing story about the stem cell transplant. I work for the Puget Sound Blood Center (out of Seattle) so I’m betting Bill had his transplant at our facility : ) Your story reminded me to update my info in the Be the Match program. I signed up years ago and have definitely moved a time or two since and gone through several phone numbers. I’m definitely trying these burgers : )
Kate
Thanks, Carolyn! I want to say he received the transplant at Seattle Children’s, but I could be wrong. Thanks for commenting (and updating your registry information!). Hope you love the burgers.
Monroe H.
I subbed curry powder for the chipotle powder, and these were incredible! Better even than my go-to favorite vegan burger made from green lentils, from Scott Jurek’s book /Eat and Run/ (check it out though it’s an awesome recipe and he’s pretty groovy himself). I froze all but one of them (cooking for one), but I can’t wait to eat every single one! Thank you!
Kate
Hooray! So glad you’re enjoying the burgers, Monroe. I just looked up Scott’s recipe and saved it for the next time I’m craving a veggie burger. Thank you for sharing!
Erin
These burgers were WONDERFUL. Swapped out the millet and used quinoa. Since they were a bit sticky and we were using a regular grill, we put them in the freezer for about 45 minutes before grilling. They held together beautifully – both on the grill and on the bun. Will definitely make these again.
Kate
Thank you, Erin! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the veggie burgers. Thank you for the freezer/grill tip, that’s very helpful!
Kenia
Thanks for this delicious post. I have been searching for an easy vegan recipe that wasn’t full of bread crumbs. I added some red pepper flakes to the oil before cooking and that gave them an extra spicy crunch. Next time I will try using quinoa. I am so glad I came across your page, I’ve been registered with Be The Match for a while and it was so nice to hear about Bill’s recovery. I look forward to trying other recipes.
Kate
Thank you, Kenia! I’m so glad you enjoyed the burgers, and thank you for being on the registry!
Jim
I made this tonight for my wife and 5-year-old. The kid ate it up with almost no questions. She asked what the green parts were and I told her avocado :). My wife thought it was good and I thought it was great. I would eat this any day of the week. We both agreed that more crunch on the outside would have been nice. I am tentative with the oil because I don’t like the idea of vegetarian food being oil-based and therefore heavy (aka falafel in my opinion – gives me a gut ache every time). Next time I’ll think I’ll go ahead and use a bit more oil and a bit hotter at maybe stir fry temperatures and really make them crispy. Like I said though, I loved it as they were. I made the buns super crunchy which helped a lot. They were served with the food52.com recipe for jalapeño-apple slaw with honey vinaigrette and caramelized bananas with vanilla ice cream for desert. The whole deal took about and hour and a half. I really appreciate this web site since it is bringing in so many new, tasty and family-compatible dinners which I am desperate for since I’m the cook. Thanks!
Kate
Jim, thank you so much for your feedback! I’m so glad your family enjoyed the burgers. I think that a little oil goes a long way here. I just got another comment that said the burgers were great broiled, too, so you might be able to crisp them up a little more that way.
Dina
Those look fantastic, and much better than the recipe for sweet potato burgers from Runner’s World this month. Also thanks for linking the cookbook source, would never have heard of it otherwise.
Made them tonight with quinoa instead of millet (I prefer millet but it was all I had in the pantry) and they were fabulous. Definitely putting these into my regular rotation!
Dina
Oh! Also I broiled these and did not use the oil, still were great!
Kate
Thank you very much for your feedback, Dina! I’m delighted to hear that you enjoyed the burgers.
Suzy Smith
Made these tonight and they were delicious! I’m a new fan of your blog. Can’t wait to try all of your recipes!
Sanjay Thoppil
I made these a few weeks back and they were AWESOME! Best veg burgers my wife and I have had! Making these again today in a larger batch to freeze. YUMMY!
Rebecca
I just wanted to tell you how much we loved these burgers! I did make a couple of changes based on what I had on hand: used bulgur instead of millet, and regular paprika. Omitted the onions (I can’t eat them), and cayenne (10-year-old won’t eat spicy). I’m always looking for new veg recipes that spouse and kid will eat, and this was a hit. I served them with arugula and honey/lime vinaigrette. Terrific!!
Kate
That’s great to hear! Thank you for commenting and sharing your substitutions, Rebecca.
Danielle
Just wanted to thank you for sharing this creation! My partner and I love eating these!
Kate
Glad to hear it! Thanks for commenting, Danielle!
Ellie
Hi Kate! That story is wonderful to hear … I work on a pediatric oncology/transplant floor and these kids literally could not survive without donors like yourself!!!
My veggie burger question is- could I freeze these for later? And if so, would I pan fry them first or just freeze after shaping them and pan fry them later? Thanks!! -Ellie
Kate
Ellie, I’m so sorry for my super slow response. Yes, I believe you could freeze them for later. I would probably cook them first and then freeze them. Or, you could probably freeze the patties and let them defrost partially before cooking them. They might fall apart if they were totally defrosted. Apologies again for not getting back to you sooner.
Kelly
Thank you for this recipe! It was so delicious and not that time consuming. And mine came out looking like yours so that is good too :) I added a little cinnamon to mine and it added a yummy flair!
Kate
Kelly, I’m so glad you enjoyed the veggie burgers!
Anna
Love your and Bills story! Thank you for sharing both the recipe and the story!
Janice
Sadly, they don’t take people over 44 years old. I’m 54 and would love to do something like this.
Kate
Thank you so much for both this inspiring story and recipe. My friends and I live and work in Haiti and we made these tonight. We were so excited to use local, and in season, sweet potatoes–the recipe came out great. But more than anything, it was great to be able to share your story as we ate the meal and reflect on the meaning behind our food! Thanks for a relaxing, meaningful, and tasty evening!
Kate
Thank you for commenting, Kate. I’m so glad you all enjoyed a meal together and flattered that my story influenced your discussion.
Karey
I just came across your blog while searching for a good cashew milk recipe and then stumbled on this delicious dish! I can’t wait to try it. Random side note – a few months ago while I was visiting Seattle I ended up having dinner at Cafe Flora and it was the very best vegetarian restaurant I’ve ever been to. I had the Whistling Train Spring Fettuccini and it blew my mind! I came home and tried to recreate it, and I have to say it turned out pretty well. I should check out their cookbook to see if it includes the actual recipe. Thank you for the great stories and delicious recipes! I’ll definitely be back!
Karey
Kate
Hey Karey! Glad you found my blog! I’ve yet to make it to Cafe Flora, but I bet that fettuccini is amazing. I just checked the cookbook’s index and couldn’t find any recipes by that name under the pasta section. :( There are lots of other great recipes to choose from, though! Happy cooking.
Lauren
What a great story! I was a stem cell donor last year and while I haven’t had any communication with the recipient I’m told that she’s doing well. It’s wonderful that you’ve been able to develop a relationship with Bill and find out such interesting facts about what transfers with one’s stem cells!
Bill’s lucky to have inherited great taste in food!!
Kate
Thank you for donating, Lauren! I’m so glad she’s doing well.
RachelC
Delicious!! A new family favorite! Thank you!
MIK
I really enjoy veggie burgers and I love all the good whole ingredients in these. They were very tasty too. Thanks for the yummy recipe.
Katie
Thanks for the recipe! It was delicious! Made it tonight for my family (we’re vegetarian). The kids loved it, the husband loved it, I loved it. Grateful for leftovers. Thanks!
Kate
You’re welcome, Katie! Glad your family enjoyed the burgers. Thank you for commenting!
Melissa @ A Room for
Hi Kate,
My husband and I have been making changes to our meat consumption for about 6 months now, just eating it 2-3x a week. We’ve just made the decision to go completely Vegetarian, and I’m testing the Vegan waters.
I made this recipe last night with baked sweet potato fries and was absolutely amazed at how delicious it was! My husband took a bite and immediately said “Oh, yeah! You can make this one again!”. lol
Thank you so much for posting all of these wonderful recipes. It’s going to help make our transition so much smoother!
Best,
Melissa
Kate
Melissa, thank you so much for your comment. I’m delighted that you are enjoying the recipes. All my best!
Lidiya
I made these but without sweet potatoes and with quinoa instead. they tasted sooooooo amazing, but the patties didnt hold and fell apart. :o whoops.
Kate
Uh oh! I’m sorry your burgers fell apart. I think they need sweet potato or something similarly mushy to hold them together.
Rachel
Just made these today for dinner and they came out great! I’ve only had 1 veggie burger long ago and I have to admit I did not care for it. When I saw your recipe I decided to give veggie burgers another try and I’m so glad I did! Even my kids were willing to try them (1 liked and the other didn’t). Things I did differently: I used quinoa instead of the millet and none of the chipotle powder since I did not have any. Also I only had GF quick-cooking oats so I decided not to process them at all and just stir them in whole. The patties held up PERFECTLY – there was not even a hint of them falling apart; I feel pretty confident I could have put them on the grill. I pan fried them in coconut oil. We topped them with swiss cheese which took them from good to great.
Thanks so much for the recipe. I love when I find a new one to add to my rotation.
Kate
Thank you, Rachel! I’m so glad you loved the veggie burgers. A lot of veggie burgers tend to fall apart while cooking, but these don’t! I hope to publish another variation with different flavors soon.
Thom T
These are fantastic! Thank you! Can’t wait to share…
Kate
Thanks, Thom!
Shabana
I tried this recipe last night and I wasn’t too sure how it would taste, because I have never tasted millet. Let me tell you one thing… IT WAS SOO GOOD!
I used to live in London with my husband and they have a famous vegan restaurant called Mildreds and I have been trying to re create certain recipes… I have to say this is as close to i’ll get to perfecting a delicious vegan burger ! It was so good, my husband asked while gobbling his burger if I’ve written the recipe down ! lol
Kate
Shabana, that’s awesome! Thank you for commenting!
Kelly
I made these tonight. We loved them. I don’t know what millet is (?) and only had dried cilantro. So I just skipped the millet. And they still turned out great! I was so proud of myself- even though it was your recipe. Thank you. I will make these again and may even buy millet.
Kate
Kelly, I’m so glad the burgers turned out well, even without the millet! I’m sorry I didn’t provide a clearer description of millet—that’s something I’m working on. Millet is the small, round, yellow seed that you see often in bird seed. It’s actually one of the most consumed grains on the other side of the world, but we don’t come across it very often in American food. If the burgers turned out great without, though, maybe it’s totally unnecessary!
Leigh
The burgers look fantastic, I’m thinking about adding diced cooked (so no more added water) portobella mushrooms to this, has anyone tried this?
Kate
Leigh, I’m not sure if anyone has tried that (couldn’t find any comments to that effect), but I’d be glad to hear how the burgers turn out if you try it! I’m wondering if you could replace some or all of the millet with mushrooms.
Terri
Kate could you include the temperature for cooking the potatoes? I am making them right now and will let you know how they turn out. And my girls father donated his cells and 5 years later stays in touch with the family. It’s an amazing thing knowing you saved a life by your generosity
Kate
Oh my goodness, Terri, I can’t believe my recipe has been missing the temperature for the sweet potatoes all this time. I just fixed it (400 degrees Fahrenheit). Stem cell donation creates such a special and unique bond!
Rhonda
I made these for the second time yesterday. They are fabulous burgers; they are incredibly tasty and hold together extremely well. I used millet the first time but couldn’t find any at the grocery store yesterday so I used quinoa(same amount -1\3cup); they turned out the same.
Thank you for posting this recipe. I will try some of the other ones you have posted.
Take care.
Rhonda
Kate
Rhonda, I’m delighted that you enjoyed the burgers so much. I hope you enjoy my other recipes, too! Thank you for commenting.
Krystal
What a fantastic story, Kate. Amazing!
And these burgers? Yum yum yum! I made them tonight and they are so delicious! Thank you! I am a sucker for sweet + spicy, but holy cow this was particularly delicious. I wasn’t able to get the millet and agree with others that quinoa works great! I know what I’m bringing for lunch tomorrow – very excited for these leftovers. Thank you!
Kate
Thank you, Krystal!
christina
The mixture almost didn’t make it to the pan. These are amazing!!
Kate
Hooray! Thanks, Christina!
Alex
I made these tonight for dinner but swapped the millet for quinoa like another commenter did (I did’t have any) and they were really really good, Thank you! :)
Kate
Awesome! Thanks, Alex!
Becky
Kate-
Just stumbled onto your site looking for vegan recipes. Wanted to say thank you for mentioning the registry and being a donor!
Becky
Kate
Thank you, Becky!
Ana
I made these babies and they were delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipe and your person!!!
Kate
Awesome! Thanks, Ana!
Michelle
Do think boiling the sweet potatoes rather than roasting them would work?
Kate
I’m not sure. Maybe! The roasted sides of the sweet potatoes lend some delicious extra flavor to the burgers, I know that much.
Debbie T.
These are the best veggie burgers I have ever made. I have made them twice. My whole family loves them, even my carnivore husband. Absolutely delicious. I haven’t had much luck with any other veggie burger recipes. I didn’t have millet so I used a cup of cooked plain quinoa. I also sauteed the red onion, with some minced garlic and diced jalapenos before smushing everything together. Thank you for the fantastic recipe.
Kate
Awesome! Really glad to hear that your family is enjoying these burgers, Debbie. Thanks for commenting!
Rachel
I was looking for a sweet potato black bean burger to cook my family for dinner tonight and stumbled on your recipe. It was Delicious! I served it with pineapple salsa and used lettuce wraps instead of buns. Everyone devoured it. Definitely going to look at your website for future meals! Thanks! :)
Kate
Rachel, your burgers sound delicious! Glad you all enjoyed my recipe!
Natasha
Has anyone tried baking these? What temp/time do you think would be appropriate? I was thinking 350 F for about 10 minutes per side.
Kate
Hey Natasha, I have not, and I can’t find any comments from others who have baked them. I think your plan will work, please let me know if you try! I thought the oil imparted quite a bit of flavor, so I’d suggest oiling your baking sheet.
Natasha
Thanks! I baked them last night at 350 F for about 10-15 minutes per side. Turned out well.
Kate
Glad to hear it! Thanks for reporting back, Natasha.
kendra
Veggie burgers are a staple in my diet. I make them in bulk and freeze them on wax paper in freezer bags. These were AMAZING. I only had them for about 10 days because even my boyfriend wanted to eat them! I am about to make these again with bagged black beans. I’ve never cooked beans before so this should be fun! Thanks for the recipe!
Kate
Thank you, Kendra! Good luck with the bagged beans!
Kendra
Using dry beans is just as delicious and much more inexpensive. I always have these burgers on deck in my freezer. Excellent recipe! I’ve also ground up the patties and made taco “meat” several times.
Shelby
Great recipe-tried it and love it! Freezes well too.
Just one thing: can you add a calorie/nutrition breakdown per serving, or post it here? Thanks!
Kate
Thanks, Shelby! I’m sorry, I don’t post nutrition facts because they can vary quite a bit based on actual ingredients used, but feel free to share the nutrition facts in a comment if you look them up.
Sarah
I cannot wait to try these! I make and freeze different veggie burgers (some similar to this recipe) all the time. I line baking trays with parchment paper, form the patties, and freeze -before frying- until firm or solid (jelly roll pans can be angled and stacked without smushing the lower layer) Then cut the parchment between the patties and stack in freezer bags, sucking out extra air before sealing completely. To cook I go straight from the freezer to an oiled pan over medium heat to create a crust, then reduce heat to cook through and continue browning. I love to make double batches since it’s only a little more chopping, the same amount of clean up, and many healthy hassle free meals to fall back on :) Looking forward to trying this recipe and exploring your blog!
Kate
Well that is just brilliant! Thanks, Sarah! I’ll have to try out your method, sounds so easy!
Ailla
These are delicious! I prepared the burgers but instead of sautéing them I froze them for an easy weeknight meal. It worked! I let them defrost and then sautéed as directed – wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Kate
Perfect! Thanks, Ailla, I’m glad to know that method works.
Cristina Lowry
These look amazing! Is it possible to bake the patties after they are made. I like to multitask while I am cooking :)
Kate
Yes, I think so!
Anne McCarthy
I absolutely LOVE these veggie burgers! They are so easy (I admit that I did cheat on the sweet potatoes by buying individuals that go in the microwave) and just taste great! I am definitely going to start looking through more of your recipes now!
Kate
So glad you’re enjoying the veggie burgers, Anne! I hope you enjoy my other recipes just as much. :)
Kelly G
Made these last night, AMAZING. We didn’t have millet though, so I subbed for the old quinoa in my fridge. Luckily did the trick! Thanks Kate, another stellar recipe.
Kate
Thank you, Kelly! I’m so glad you enjoyed these burgers!
Tina
These are so delicious I keep a stock in my freezer at all times. Thanks Kate!
Kate
Happy to hear that, Tina! Thank you!
Karen
We love this recipe here in Devon, England. The spicier the better or serve with homemade chilli jam!
I like to roast red peppers with the sweet potato and whizz that in the mix too. I add extra oats to compensate. Yum
Keep up the inspiration Kate!
Kate
Thank you, Karen! So glad you are enjoying the burgers across the pond. Your homemade chili jam sounds amazing!
Winnie
I’m a big fan Kate. I made these last night and my husband really liked them (he was very skeptical when he saw the big mixing bowl full of orange stuff).
You also are the provider of my go-to pancake recipe and when I’m planning my weekly menus yours is the first site I check for recipes.
Kate
Winnie, that’s so nice to hear! Thank you! Glad you both enjoyed the veggie burgers!
Carol
Wow! This recipe is terrific! I loved the flavors! I opted to bake them and they turned out perfectly. Thank you so much! :D
Kate
Thank you, Carol! Glad you enjoyed the burgers!
Troy
Hey there,
These and the Lentil burgers look amazing, bookmarking them both :)
I was wondering, for step 4 [mixing the burgers] do you think a few pulses on the food processor would work? I recently nabbed a free heavy duty Breville processor for free with banked air miles and have been looking for any and all excuses to use it. I don’t have a mixer either, so I could either do it by hand and mash it up or I was thinking the processor would probably work, any thoughts? I’d appreciate the insight if you see this before I get to these, I think I’ll make them next week :)
Thanks so much for the recipes, looking forward to digging in.
Kate
Hey Troy! Congrats on your new food processor! It might work here, but I think you’d have better luck with the other options provided. The mixture is very thick, so I am doubtful that a food processor will be able to churn through it very well. I use my food processor all the time, so if you’re looking for fun food processor recipes, try searching for “food processor” in my search box!
Hema
This recipe was perfect, especially because I actually had all the ingredients on hand. I’m a huge fan of all your recipes, and I was so impressed with this one, I even copied the staging of your photos almost exactly. :) (I send pictures of my recipes and cooking experiments to friends, along with a link to the site I found the info).
By the way, do you know what the nutritional breakdown of this recipe might be?
Kate
Thank you, Hema! So glad you enjoyed these burgers. :) I’m sorry, I don’t know the breakdown for this one, but feel free to run it through myfitnesspal.com. That’s the easiest nutrition calculator I have found.
Isabelle
I LOVE this!! I had to half the recipe because im the only one in my house who will eat these but it was so good! I didnt add in the cilantro, Ive never been a fan of it, but everything else made this sooo delicious. I will make this again, great recipe!
Kate
Thank you, Isabelle! So glad you like these!
Marika
Will these still turn out good if I bake them in the oven instead of frying? For how long/what temperature do y’all think
Kate
Hi Marika! Another commenter says they turned out well for her at 350 F for about 10-15 minutes per side.
Megan
HI Kate! Thanks for this recipe! I made it last night and it was really tasty. I also baked the burgers at 375 for 10 min on each side and they were great! I used Bulgar wheat because that’s all I had in the house and they still came out great and my family loved them! Thanks again!
Kate
Thanks, Megan! Really glad to hear it!
Megan
Could you use another flour, such as almond meal, almond flour or ground almonds? Any other flour suggestions? Looking to increase protein.
Amy Andrews
There’s a kitchen at our local cancer support community and I teach cooking classes there now and then. Up for September: beans and lentils – time to explore veggie burgers again, after several crumbly recipe development attempts. Your sweet potato and black bean ones seem like the answer! Thank you!! I found your blog last year w/your peanut sesame slaw recipe (which was very tasty!). Thanks for sharing your story about Bill and the stem cell transplant process – beautiful story from a kind and generous soul.
Kate
Thank you so much, Amy! I hope these burgers do the trick for you. xo.
Aimee Jones
I absolutely love these and so does my non-vegetarian boyfriend. He insists I make extra so he can have them cold for lunch the next day. (He had them at work today actually!)
Ever since I found your blog about a month a go we have at least three of your recipes every week and my boyfriend can’t get through the day without his banana and almond smoothie for breakfast.
So thank you, Kate!!
Kate
That is so great to hear! Thank you, Aimee! :)
Michelle R
These burgers are delicious! They’re becoming a staple in our house. We had them tonight with lettuce, tomato, avocado and sour cream with wild rice pilaf and corn on the side. The best! Such a great story about you and Bill. I had no idea about transferring of the allergies either but then he’s always reminded of you :)
Kate
Thanks, Michelle! Your dinner sounds great. Hehe, I hope he still thinks of me fondly when he sneezes!
Erica
I made these last week and my husband and I loved them. I will definitely make these again soon!
Kate
Awesome! Thanks, Erica!
Tova
Best. Veggie. Burgers. Ever. Thank you!
Kate
Hooray!
Ben
I really like the flavour of these burgers, but am I the only one who finds them a little too soft and mushy? Maybe I did something wrong?
Kate
Sorry to hear that, Ben. Did you overprocess the mixture? Maybe if you flatten them out a bit more and cook them a little longer, they’ll have crispier outsides to contract with the insides. I always like to assemble burgers with a couple of crisp/crunchy components like pickles and lettuce.
Ruth
I of course changed the Sweet Potatoe and Black Bean burgers around a bit and they came out great and held together! I don’t like spicy so I used Spinach instead of cilantro, I put mushrooms in it, and I used zesty no salt seasoning along with a dash of Tanjin. Not only were they seasoned perfectly but they held together. Thanks Kate for another great recipe! Say Hi to Cookie!
Kate
Hi Ruth! Glad these turned out well for you!
Ruth
I forgot to mention I froze them and they cooked up fine.
Tiffany
Made these for dinner yesterday and they were a hit with my boys. They topped them with barbecue sauce among other things and really enjoyed them. I was quite nervous because this was our first vegan burger to replace our usual salmon or turkey burger. I used quinoa instead of millet…next time I will let them stay over night instead of 4 hours to increase the cohesiveness??
Kate
I’m glad you all enjoyed them, Tiffany! I think overnight will help, yes.
Emalee
Made these for dinner last night – used quinoa instead of millet, steel cut oats instead of old fashioned, and a diced jalapeno instead of the spicy seasonings. They were amazing! The steel cut oats gave them a hearty whole grain texture. They were served over a mixture of corn, black beans, tomato, avocado, orange pepper, onion, cilantro and lime juice. My only complaint was that it took longer to make than most dinners (I’m pretty low maintenance in the kitchen!), but it was worth it. And we have plenty of leftovers for lunches this week. Thanks Kate!
Kate
Thanks for letting me know, Emalee! I’m glad these were worth the effort. Have a great week!
Shweta
Fabulous Blog!!Im Shweta from Mumbai and like most Indians my diet is primarily vegetarian.I was getting bored of Indian food and always assumes other cuisines were meat based and neve bothered looking for ideas for vegetarian food outside Indian cuisine. But this changes everything. These Burgers will be tonights dinner. Thank you Kate!!
Cat
Thanks for the recipe and the amazing story you shared. I just came across you by a Google search for veggie burgers. I made these on Friday during a kitchen marathon of beef burgers for the rest of my household, my own badass guacamole, your fabulous bean burgers followed by chocolate chip cookies…phew! I now have a good stock of each in the freezer. I wouldn’t have thought of cooking them before freezing until I read it in the comments, so thanks for that.
I had too many sweet potatoes but I used them all anyway. I also used quinoa and instead of the oats used millet flakes. I devoured one in a burger bun with cheese, red onion, tomato, gherkins and guacamole. I too love spice so I add a few birds eye chillies to my ‘mole. My carnivore husband also was amazed at the flavour from them and was asking for more!
This recipe will be one I’ll use for a long time to come. Thank you so so much for sharing!
Kate
Thank you, Cat! So glad you enjoyed these!!!
Kara
You are a badass too!:-) You are so amazing for donating and for saving Bill’s life :-)..and congratulations to Bill! I happened upon your recipe today..I love veggie burgers and will give it a try. My husband is about to go in on Feb .1st for a stem cell transplant for Leukemia.His brother is his match. The world need more donors!! :-)
Kate
Kara, somehow I missed your comment. I hope your husband’s stem cell transplant went well. Sending happy thoughts from Kansas City.
Yani
I made these today and OMG ate them in a tomato basil wrap with spinach, and sour cream. We did add only 1/8 of cayenne and chilli only because of personal choise. I also didn’t have any millet so I use 1/3 of a cup of seasoned panko. These are by far the best veggie Berger I have ever tasted. Thank you sharing recipe will post picture in Instagram …….:)Yani
Kate
Thank you, Yani!
Callie
AMAZING! I’m a student in nursing school so time is definitely not on my side. This was a wonderful bulk meal for the week. Made exactly 8 good sized burgers. Paired it with the kale salad from your “Kale, Black Bean and Avocado Burrito Bowl” recipe and it was so yummy. thank you for sharing!
Kate
Thank you, Callie! Great pairing idea!
Red
I made these and they were delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe. I was afraid they were going to be too dry, but once it gets dressed up with guacamole or whatever else you serve it with, it is so flavourful! I am becoming a bit obsessed with your recipes now. I did make a few changes – I upped the salt to 1 tsp, I used extra cayenne and I used regular paprika. The good thing about this recipe is that everything is already cooked before frying it, so you can taste it and adjust the seasonings before getting to the final step. P.S. I never comment on recipes I find online but your blog is just that awesome!
Kate
Thank you for taking the time to comment, Red! I really appreciate it. So glad you are enjoying my recipes. Your spicy burgers sound awesome!
Sam S
Sweet potatoes might be my least favorite vegetable; so I wasn’t expecting to love these, and I didn’t, but they were quite good, definitely edible! I liked them better than I expected! Thanks for the recipe!
meggie
We tried these tonight and couldnt understand how to make them hold together in the pan. I followed the instructions but needed more oil then i would have liked. They were still not crunchy … they had the texture of a puree…i guess i might have cooked the sweet potato too long ? I dont know what i could have done to get the right texture. The taste was really good though. We all liked the taste but a big no no for the texture.
Tara
So far these are my favorite veggie burgers and they’re saving grad school! They’re perfect to make ahead and freeze. I just pull a patty at a time for meals throughout the month.
anna
These are fantastic! This recipe is really easy to modify to whatever ingredients you have on hand. I used a multi grain rice blend (red, black, brown rice wth barley) for the millet, half black and half navy beans, and parsley for the cilantro. For spices I went with two chopped chilis in adobo, paprika, salt, and liquid smoke. My mixture was a tad soft and wet so I added more oats and some panko crumbs to firm it up.
Absolutely delicious! Will definitely make them again.
Katie
Thank you for this recipe, these are delicious!
Brandi
This recipe sounds great. Do you think I can use oat flour instead of grinding the oats? Would the measurement still be the same?
Thanks!
Madison
Is quinoa or millet necessary? If so, is there a replacement for either? I’m allergic to quinoa and I don’t have millet, and I wanted to make these tonight!
Thanks!
Haley
I made these over three days, roasting veggies on the first, combining ingredients on the second, and finally cooked them up yesterday. I included the potato skins in the food processor because there’s a ton of vitamins in them. I was out of dry binders so I used about 1 Cup of Panko. I pan fried on a non slick pan that has grill grooves to simulate grilling, but because my patties came straight from the fridge they had to cook almost three times as long. (I’ll let them warm up to room temp for the next batch) I used a spinach tortilla to make a wrap consisting of Sriracha Mayo, Veggie Pepperjack, cherry tomatoes, Spring Mix and Arugula, one whole Avacado sliced, the Sweet Potato and Black Bean patty, and Jalepeno Relish. It was so divine that I’m having it for lunch today, and will be making this very often! Thanks for the recipe and story!
Jen
I don’t know what’s better–the story or the burgers–but thank you for both. These are a great addition for us gluten-free, meat-free folks. Make them with quinoa for the protein boost and freeze them…always sad when I get to the end of the batch. As for the story, it is amazing and I had no idea about the registry. Will definitely look into it. You rock, Kate! Thank you.
Dina
These burgers were very tasty. I like the fact that the recipe uses typical leftovers I might have in the fridge from a previous night’s dinner. The only alterations I made to the recipe was to use sprouted whole grain rice instead of quinoa, and baked the burgers in the oven at 400 degrees for 5 minutes after frying to keep them crisp before serving. I added slices of avocado and tomato along with spinach leaves and chipotle aioli to the bun. Fantastic. The spices in the burger reminded me of a local fast food restaurant’s to-die-for battered and deep-fried onion rings. I would’ve given a 5-star rating but I think that while the flavour is great, the burger could be a little more firm, so I’m going to add some sunflower seeds or other nuts to the recipe next time.
Pauline Brett
I appreciated reading about your connection to your friend Bill and your now ‘shared’ likeness of spicy thai food. The fact that he suggested the Cafe Flora Cookbook (no meat substitutes) is proof in itself. Perhaps you two were destined to meet and help each other in profound ways. As for the recipe, I tried it as stated and they stood up to the test – held together well (which can be difficult with veggie burgers). Delicious!
Mariel
Another great recipe! I made these yesterday for a birthday potluck party, and they were a hit. Many people asked where did I get the recipe? Of course I told them about your site! Thanks for such a good, healthy veggie burger that is very easy to prep ahead of time if taking to a party.
Alex
Love this recipe. Think I can sub butternut squash, any modification ideas ?
curt
Has anyone tried baking these in the oven instead of frying in olive oil?
Kate
I have! Here’s the baked version from my cookbook: (Leave the oven on at 400 degrees.) Use a measuring cup to measure out ½ cup of the mixture. Gently shape it into a patty about 3½ inches in diameter. Use your hands to gently flatten the burgers and smooth out any jagged edges, then repeat for remaining patties. Brush both sides of each patty generously with olive oil and place on your baking sheet, leaving a few inches of space around each one. Bake until the patties are deeply golden on the outside, about 35 minutes, flipping halfway.
curt
Thank you kindly!
Liz
Must say I was a bit “iffy” about making these but my newly vegetarian 17 year old daughter LOVED them.
They have been tried in burgers,wraps,with salad and sweet potato chips.
Many thanks,
Third batch in the making tomorrow.
Jeni
My family is in the process of converting to a completely plant based, veg heavy diet and I’m always searching for family friendly vegan recipes to help them with the conversion :). This is hands down the best veggie burger yet! Even my foster child, who has never had a meal that didnt consist of like 95% meat, said “if vegan food tastes like this, call me a vegan!!!”. Music to my ears! This is going down as a family favorite in our vegan recipe book. Great recipe, thanks for sharing!
Anna-Marie Mars
This may be th best thing I’ve ever made. Followed directions exactly. New vegan, at 50 years old. Thank you so much!!!!
Sara
Made these (without the cilantro and oats) and cooked them on the grill. Sooooo good! Thanks for the recipe. Also, love the story of you and Bill. I, too, am on the BTM registry.
Valerie
Could I use steel cut oats in place of old fashion oats in this recipe?
Jen
I made these with quinoa and they were really tasty! Mine weren’t holding together very well though, even after chilling them for a while. I think they would work better in a wrap so that they don’t fall out of the burger bun. I would definitely make these again!
Natalie
If I could give this 6 stars, I would! Great adaptation of the recipe, Kate! I was somewhat pressed for time and unfortunately had to boil the potatoes rather than roast them. I also added some garlic to the mix, and served it with fresh guacamole on whole grain buns. FANTASTIC. xxx
Jade
I made these yesterday for my family! They were amazing. For my dad, it was his first veggie burger and he loved them (and he is a die-hard meat lover). My mom, who loves the veggie burgers from Burger Lounge (which I believe are full of cheese) said that these are just as good, if not better! She even insisted I put the extra patties in the freezer so they can enjoy them after I leave.
Audra
Started my new vegan life about two weeks ago. I feel so good! Your insight and wonderful recipes give me assurance that I will remain a happy (and well fed) vegan. Thank you for all that you do!
Audra
Erin
Yes! They freeze super well! We just had the last three yesterday (made with quinoa not millet) and they were amazing!
Tim
Thank you for this recipe. I never thought I would ever say this but I love black bean burgers. I’ll give this recipe a try for sure!
Cameron
They turned out pretty good for me. I used a little to much spices but it’s really good. Thank you Kate for the recipe.
Kate
Thanks, Cameron! I’m glad you enjoyed them.
Carol
I tried these and both of us thought they were delicious. We used quinoa. The only problem was that a couple of the burgers fell apart when I flipped them. Would the addition of eggs help hold them together?
Kate
Thanks, Carol! I’m sorry they fell apart. Eggs might help, but will add more moisture to the mix. I’d try adding more oats next time.
Jessica
I made these tonight and used quinoa and added an egg to the batter. I added the egg b/c i didnt have time to chill them first. I also did half processed oats and half whole oats. Mine didn’t fall apart at all and they tasted so delicious. These were super easy to make. Oh I also used 1 tsp dried cilantro, which worked great!
Cynthia
These look and sound wonderful but I have a severe oat allergy. What should/could I substitute?? Any ideas?