Best Veggie Burger

If you make one veggie burger recipe, it has to be this one. These burgers have a wonderful savory flavor and hearty texture. They’re grillable, too!

Say hello to the BEST veggie burger recipe! Of course, that’s just my opinion, but once you try it, I think you’ll agree. For one, these patties are grill-able! And if you’d rather be spending time in the sun than in the kitchen, you can even make them a day or two in advance.

But that’s not all. This veggie burger has an amazing meaty texture and savory, smoky flavor. It’ll keep its shape when it’s stuffed inside a bun, and it’s delicious with fancy fixings or with good old ketchup and mustard. Unlike many packaged veggie burgers, its incredible texture and flavor come from simple, plant-based ingredients, so it doesn’t just taste good – it’s good for you, too!

So many readers have made and loved this veggie burger recipe over the last few years. If it’s not already obvious, we’re also pretty obsessed with it. Jack and I are making it this weekend to celebrate the unofficial start of summer, and I hope you will too. Hearty, flavorful, and really darn fun, it’s not a recipe you want to miss!

Veggie Burger Recipe Ingredients

Instead of making a bean-based burger, I make this recipe with shiitake and portobello mushrooms! They give these meatless burgers a wonderful hearty texture and umami-rich flavor. Then, I round them out with these key ingredients:

• Tamari, balsamic vinegar, and mirin bring out the savory flavor of the mushrooms.
• Smoked paprika and sriracha make these burgers smoky and spicy.
• Finely chopped garlic and shallots add depth of flavor.
• Crushed walnuts give them a meaty bite.
• Short grain brown rice, panko bread crumbs, and ground flaxseed help these burgers hold together. DON’T use long-grain brown rice here. It’s not as sticky as short grain rice, so it doesn’t yield cohesive patties.

Even if you’re not a mushroom person, I think you’ll love this recipe. Smoky, savory, and meaty, it makes a darn good veggie burger.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
• 2 shallots, chopped (⅔ cup)
• 16 ounces mushrooms, mix of shiitake + portobello, de-stemmed and diced
• 2 tablespoons tamari
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon mirin, or ½ teaspoon maple syrup
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons sriracha, more if desired
• ½ cup crushed walnuts
• ¼ cup ground flaxseed
• 2 cups cooked short-grain brown rice, freshly cooked so that it’s sticky*
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs, divided
• Vegan Worcestershire sauce, for brushing
• Nonstick cooking spray, for grilling
• Hamburger buns & desired burger fixings
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté until soft, 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, a generous pinch of salt, and sauté until soft and browned, 6 to 9 minutes, turning down the heat slightly, as needed.
• Stir in the tamari, vinegar, and mirin. Stir, reduce the heat, then add the garlic, and smoked paprika, and sriracha. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool slightly.
• In a food processor, combine the sautéed mushrooms, walnuts, flaxseed, brown rice, and ½ cup of the panko. Pulse until well combined.
• Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the remaining panko.
• Form into 8 slider-sized patties or 6 burger-sized patties.
• Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Spray the grill with nonstick cooking spray and drizzle or brush the patties with olive oil. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until char marks form. Remove from the grill, brush with Worcestershire sauce, and serve with desired fixings.