Veggie Burgers

Veggie burgers might seem like the obligatory vegetarian alternative at a grill-out, but that doesn’t mean they can’t taste glorious in their own right. Whether charred on the grill or cooked to caramelized perfection in a cast-iron pan, these veggie burgers will make even meat lovers decide to go meatless for a meal.

There are tons of really bad veggie burgers out there. But as Delish’s plant-based expert and someone who believes that meatless dishes can (and should!) be just as delicious as their meaty counterparts, I was determined to create a veggie burger that was truly delicious: full of deep rich flavor and interesting texture, and—just as importantly—one that held together in the pan. After a lot of research (and tons of failed burgers!), I nailed it. And now you can too.

Ground beef is a complete package: It naturally contains richness, umami, juiciness, and tenderness—all while crisping up beautifully in its own fat AND holding itself together in the pan. A veggie burger, on the other hand, relies on an entire ensemble of ingredients to accomplish these things. Here are the major players you’ll need to make this ultimate veggie burger:

How To Make Veggie Burgers

INGREDIENTS

• Black Beans: Canned black beans make up the bulk of the burgers. I chose them because they’re easy to find and affordable, and also because the starchiness of the beans helps hold the burger together. Don’t forget to rinse and drain them before using!
• Almonds: Toasted, finely chopped almonds add bits of texture as well as richness to the burgers. For best flavor, buy whole raw almonds so you can toast and chop them yourself.
• Neutral Oil: Use any neutral oil to cook the onion and garlic. I typically opt for vegetable oil.
• White Onion: You can use white or yellow onion for this recipe. Make sure you take the time to cook it until it’s translucent and sweet to the taste; it might take a few extra minutes, but it’s worth it for the depth of flavor it adds.
• Garlic: Finely chopped garlic cooked down with the onion adds more depth to the flavor of this burger.
• Kosher Salt: I prefer to use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, since the size of the granules make it easier to season evenly without overseasoning. If you have Morton, I recommend using about the half the amount called for in the recipe.
• Baby Bella Mushrooms: This is the umami in this burger. Make sure to clean thoroughly before finely chopping in the food processor.
• Feta: The crumbles of this soft cheese distributed throughout the burger mix mimic the pockets of juicy tenderness you get from beef burgers. You can buy pre-crumbled feta or block feta and crumble it yourself; just make sure the pieces are all fairly small. You don’t actually want to bite into a hunk of feta in the middle of your burger. If you can’t find feta, cotija cheese would also work.
• Panko: A secondary filler, panko bread crumbs lighten up the black beans and prevent the mixture from becoming overly heavy. Make sure to use unseasoned, so you don’t throw off the salt balance.
• Smoked Paprika: While it doesn’t make the burgers spicy, a little smoked paprika enhances the flavor of the black beans and mimics the smoky char you get on the grill.
• Egg: Whole egg functions as the binder to hold the patties together. I tested this recipe with large eggs, but medium should work as well.
• Mayonnaise: A bit of mayo helps hold the patty together and adds richness. You’ll also be using it as the base for the three-ingredient burger sauce.
• Chipotle Chiles In Adobo: The one-can key to the best burger sauce you’ll ever taste. Chop the chipotle chile as fine as possible before mixing it into the sauce; you want a smooth sauce, and you also want its flavor dispersed as much as possible.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

The first step to making this veggie burger is to roast the black beans on a foil-lined sheet pan in a 350° oven until they dry out and their skins start to crack. This should take about 25 minutes. Roasting the black beans draws out some of their moisture and crisps their skins, reducing the chances of a mushy burger interior and adding textural variation. At this point, you’ll also toast the almonds just until they’re golden brown in the center: about 8 minutes should be fine. Once the beans and the almonds are roasted, you’ll let them cool completely before blitzing them (one at a time!) in a food processor. The black beans should be blitzed until they’re mostly broken down—the largest bits should be about one-third of the size of a full bean—but the almonds should be more finely chopped. You don’t want to make nut butter, but you also don’t want full-on chunks of almond in your veggie burger!

The next step is to cook down the onion and garlic in a little neutral oil on the stove until the onion is translucent and sweet to the taste. Don’t be tempted to stop early: If the onions are still crunchy, you’ll taste that crunch in the finished burger, and you also won’t get the full benefit of their flavor.

At this point, you will blitz the mushrooms in the food processor and cook them down in the same pan you used to for the onion and garlic. Cooking the mushrooms down removes excess moisture (preventing a mushy burger!) and also concentrates their flavor. Use a medium heat and stir frequently until the mushrooms begin sticking to the bottom of the pan; that’s how you know they’re done.

Once all the cooked components—beans, almonds, onion, mushrooms—are ready, it’s time to make the veggie burger mix. Add everything to a big bowl along with the feta, panko, and smoked paprika, and mix until well combined. Then add the egg and mayonnaise and mix until the mixture begins to stick together. I like to use a rubber spatula so I can really press the mixture together as I stir and encourage it to pack together.

Time to make the patties. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and divide the burger mix into 8 equal portions about 4 1/2 ounces each. Using clean hands, form each portion into a patty that’s about 3 1/2" wide and between 1/4" and 1/3" thick. (Yes, these measurements really do matter.) Once all the patties are formed, refrigerate the baking sheet until the patties are cold, at least 2 hours.

You can grill or cook these burgers in a pan. To be honest, I prefer the pan method. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large heavy pan over medium heat and 2 two veggie patties. Cook the burgers, undisturbed, until a deep crust forms on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip the patties and cook them on the second side for 4 minutes more. At this point, the burgers should be crisp on the outside and, if you temp them, 160° in the middle. If you’re grilling, preheat the grill over medium heat and make sure to clean and oil the grates before adding the burgers.

You can serve the cooked burger patties in the traditional way—on a toasted bun with the special burger sauce, lettuce, tomato, and red onion—but I happen to know they’re also excellent on a salad or just as they are!

Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Make sure to chill! For best results, form the patties and let them chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before cooking. Chilling allows the panko in the burger patties to hydrate and the starches in the beans to cool and solidify, so the patties will hold together better as they cook.
• Nail the crust to interior ratio. Patty thickness may be considered a matter of personal preference, but in testing, I found that forming them 1/3" thick resulted in the perfect ratio of crust to interior.
• Don’t skimp on the oil. If your goal is health alone, these burgers will cook up just fine in a nonstick pan with a minuscule amount of oil, but if you want to taste them at their prime, I highly recommend using a cast-iron pan and at least 3 tablespoons of oil for 3 burgers. More oil and a heavier pan both conduct and retain the heat more effectively, which will result in a better caramelized crust.
• Beware of high heat. Whatever pan you choose, make sure to keep the heat to medium-low. Unlike a regular beef patty, this is not a moment for hot and fast cooking. Gentle heat will ensure that the patty cooks through and forms a crust without becoming dried out or charred in the process.

Storage

Uncooked patties can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen in a sealed bag or airtight container for up to 1 month. After cooking, they can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.