This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
If you’ve ever had a vegan burger patty fall apart on the grill, this recipe is about to change everything. Made with mushrooms, brown rice, and a handful of pantry staples, these are the best veggie burgers! They’re hearty, flavorful, and sturdy enough to actually grill. Twenty-five minutes and one food processor is all you need.
Love a summer grilling recipe? You need to try our Grilled Corn Salad as well as our easy Grilled Tofu AND our Simple Grilled Veggie Wraps!
Why this is the BEST vegetarian burger recipe!
I tested these burgers for YEARS before finally publishing the recipe and I LOVE how they turned out! Even the meat eaters in my life love them and comment what a great texture these burgers have.
It’s overall a super easy recipe and I’m excited for you to try them!
Why You’ll Love This recipe:
- Only 10 simple, whole food ingredients
- Works as a grilled veggie burger, baked, OR pan-fried on the stovetop
- Holds together beautifully with no crumbling or falling apart
- Easy to make ahead and refrigerate or freeze!
- Naturally vegan and easily made gluten-free
In this post…
Ingredients needed
The ingredients for this homemade veggie burgers recipe are listed fully down in the recipe card but let’s briefly go over the pantry staples needed including a few substitutions you can make as desired!
- Olive oil – used to sauté the veggies; avocado oil works too.
- White onions – adds savory depth; yellow onion is a fine swap.
- Carrot – gives the burgers structure and a touch of sweetness; no real sub needed here.
- Cremini mushrooms – the MVP of this veggie burger recipe, lending rich, meaty flavor and a darker color; baby bellas work great too.
- Garlic – because obviously; jarred minced garlic works in a pinch.
- Cooked brown rice – the key to burgers that actually hold together; white rice can work but brown is starchier and binds better.
- All-purpose flour – helps bind everything; use a 1-1 gluten-free flour if needed.
- Breadcrumbs – adds structure and a little texture; gluten-free bread crumbs swap in seamlessly.
- Italian seasoning – easy all-in-one seasoning that keeps things simple.
- Salt + black pepper – to taste; don’t skip the salt, it really brings everything together.
- Burger buns – and other toppings of choice! Bonus points for serving your burger on a toasted bun!
How to make veggie burgers
Just a reminder that you can find the FULL written vegan burgers recipe down in the recipe card, but I want to quickly go over how to make them with visuals for you :)
- In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the onion, carrot, and mushrooms for about 8 minutes until softened. Add in the garlic and cook 2 more minutes.
- Add the veggies to a food processor along with the remaining ingredients.
- Pulse the mixture gently until fully combined and very few veggie chunks remain visible.
- Using clean hands, form the burger mixture into either 4 or 6 equal portions. 4 large burgers (my preference) or 6 smaller burgers. Cook by either grilling, pan searing, or baking (see directions below). Top your vegan burger patty with your favorite burger toppings and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container.
To bake the burgers: place the patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 400 degrees for 16 minutes, flipping halfway.
To pan fry the burgers: Heat a skillet over medium high heat with a bit of oil. I love using a grill pan but a cast-iron skillet or a non-stick skillet also work well. Cook the vegan burger patties for about 7 minutes per side.
To grill the burgers: heat your grill to 400 degrees F and lightly grease the grates. Once hot, grill the burgers for 5-7 minutes per side.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t over-process the mixture! You want it to come together but still have a little texture. Pulse, don’t blend.
- Make sure your rice is fully cooked and not too wet; excess moisture is the #1 reason patties won’t hold their shape.
- Chill the formed patties for 15-20 minutes before grilling for extra stability.
- If making grilled veggie burgers, grease the grates well and don’t rush the flip – wait until you see clear grill marks before moving them.
- These are great for meal prep; form the patties and refrigerate for up to 3 days before cooking.
Topping Suggestions
- Classic burger toppings: lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles
- Avocado or guacamole
- Grilled pineapple
- Vegan mayo, spicy sriracha sauce, or ketchup
- Onion rings for a little extra fun
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! These veggie burgers are amazing grilled! Grease the grates well, let the patties develop a solid sear before flipping, and they won’t let you down.
Brown rice is the secret weapon because it’s starchier than white and helps everything bind. Don’t over-process the mixture, and chill the patties before grilling.
Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1-1 gluten-free flour and use gluten-free breadcrumbs – that’s it!
4 large burgers (~256 cal each) or 6 medium burgers (~171 cal each), patty only.
What to serve with your veggie burgers
The BEST Veggie Burger Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small white onion, roughly chopped*
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced*
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced or roughly chopped*
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 ½ cups cooked brown rice, other rices will also work but brown rice is best and results in a burger that really sticks together well
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour, use a 1-1 gluten free flour as needed
- ½ cup bread crumbs, use gluten free as needed
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- optional burger toppings: buns, onion, avocado, tomato, etc
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the onion, carrot, and mushrooms until soft, about 8 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add the sauteed veggie mixture to a food processor along with the rice, flour, bread crumbs, italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Pulse until everything is combined and comes together. There will still be visible (very small) chunks of carrot and that’s okay!
- Form the mixture into 4-6 burger patties. It makes 4 larger burgers or 6 medium sized burgers.
- TO PAN FRY: In a non- stick skillet, add in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add in the burgers (working in batches if needed), and saute for about 7 minutes per side. You want them to be nicely browned on each side.
- TO BAKE: Place the burger patties on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 8 minutes, flip, and bake an additional 8 minutes.
- TO GRILL: Heat your grill to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease the grates- I usually do this by dipping a double folded paper towel in a high heat oil (avocado oil or vegetable oil) and then carefully brushing that on the grates. Place the burgers on the grill and grill for 5-7 minutes. Once you have some nice browning and grill marks on one side, flip and grill an additional 5-7 minutes.
- Serve the veggie burgers with you favorite buns and toppings and ENJOY!!
Notes
- The veggies get blended later, so rough chopping is totally fine – size doesn’t really matter.
- Brown rice is strongly recommended over white; it’s starchier and helps the patties hold together much better, especially for grilled veggie burgers.
- To make gluten-free: use a 1-1 gluten-free all-purpose flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Makes 4 large burgers (~256 cal each) or 6 medium burgers (~171 cal each), patty only, no bun or toppings.
- Uncooked patties can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have black rice at home. Do you think that would work?
Hi,
Have you ever froze left over patties? Wondering how they hold up after being frozen and recooked.
Thanks!
I have actually and it works well!
Love, love love it and I,ll make it tomorrow! Thanks!
this looks like a solid veggie burger that will hold well together and I must try it be sure I’ll post photos. thank you for your recipe and site :)
I made these tonight! They tasted fantastic and fried up nice but mine ended up very loose and sticky when I was trying to form the patties – I didn’t attempt to grill because I feared they would fall through the grates. Any suggestions? Add more of something to firm them up?
hmm so strange! I’ve made these so many times and they are always pretty firm. what kind of rice did you use?
Long grain brown rice ??♀️
So so delicious! Super easy to make. I didn’t have mushrooms so I used an eggplant instead. It came out great! I made about 9 small patties. I’m pretty sure you can even freeze them and keep them for later if it’s too much.