Every now and again you lovely readers send me emails with recipe requests.
One such request came recently from a mother hoping to recreate the veggie beet burger a local restaurant serves that her daughter just happens to love. All other searches for “beet black bean burger” left her a little overwhelmed at the extensive ingredient lists and time commitments.
Minimalist Baker to the rescue.
This recipe is easy to master, nutritious, flavorful, and most importantly, simple. Just 10 ingredients and roughly 1 hour required (less depending on cooking method). Plus, it’s loaded with nutrient-rich foods like raw walnuts, black beans, quinoa, and raw beets.
These burgers are loosely inspired by the beet-quinoa burgers served seasonally at LT Burger in Sag Harbor, New York. Of course, I haven’t tried them myself, but the reader who emailed just raved about it. And if her daughter who thinks most veggie burgers are “weird” loved this one, there must be something special about it.
After scanning their menu I seriously wanted to visit the area just to sample LT’s menu. But for now, recreating their recipes from afar will have to do.
I was quite pleased with how these little guys turned out. They’re
Hearty
Smoky
Flavorful
Tender and moist on the inside
Perfectly crisp on the outside
Not at all mushy
Simple
Savory
& Perfect for satisfying killer burger cravings
Another thing I love about them is that the raw beets give them a deep magenta hue that makes them irresistibly beautiful. Even veggie burger skeptics are sure to fall in love.
If you give these burgers a try, let us know! Leave a comment below, or tag a picture #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see how yours turned out. We love seeing your photos – it always makes our day. Cheers!
Smoky Black Bean Beet Burgers
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/2 large red onion (finely diced // 1/2 onion yields ~3/4 cup)
- 1 cup finely chopped mushrooms (shitake, baby bella, or white button)
- 1 pinch each salt & pepper
- 1 15-ounce can black beans (well rinsed and drained)
- 1 cup finely grated raw beet
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder (or sub extra cumin)
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- ~1/2 cup raw walnuts (crushed or ground into a loose meal)
Instructions
- If you do not already have cooked quinoa, prepare it at this time. 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa will yield ~3/4 cup cooked.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add some nonstick spray or a bit of olive oil. Once hot add the onion and sauté, seasoning with a pinch each salt and pepper.
- When the onions are soft – about 5 minutes – turn up the heat to medium and add the mushrooms. Season with another pinch of salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms and onions are slightly browned and fragrant – about 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add black beans and mash. You’re looking for a rough mash, so you can leave a bit of texture if you want.
- Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and add the quinoa, beets, spices and stir. For even more flavor, add a shake of vegan worcestershire or A-1 sauce (optional). Taste and adjust, adding more salt for overall flavor (we added another 1/4 tsp).
- Lastly, add the walnut meal a little at a time until the mixture is able enough to form into patties. Set in the fridge to chill while your oven preheats to 375 degrees F (190 C) (skip this step if cooking on the stovetop – see notes).
- Coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray or olive oil. Form mixture into roughly 1/3-cup sized patties (8-9 patties // adjust if altering batch size). I use a peanut butter jar lid lined with plastic wrap to get the perfect shape (a tip I learned from Iowa Girl Eats). You can also just take handfuls and mash them into loose patties.
- Arrange burgers on a baking sheet and brush or spray the tops with olive oil. Bake at 375 F (190 C) for a total of 30-45 minutes, gently flipping after 25-30 minutes. Cook longer to dry them out even more and achieve more crisp, but it’s not necessary.
- Serve on small buns or atop mixed greens with desired toppings. See notes for freezing instructions.
Notes
*Prep time does not include cooking quinoa. You can use leftover quinoa.
*For a quicker cook time, form into slightly thinner patties and brown in a skillet over medium heat lightly coated with olive, avocado or coconut oil. Cook until brown on both sides – 3-4 minutes each. NOTE: This method doesn’t get them as well done in the middle, but the crust is more pronounced.
* FREEZING: If you don’t want to cook the whole batch at once, form into 10 patties, par-bake them at 375 degrees F (190 C) for 15-20 minutes. Then cool and stack between layers of parchment paper and cover. Freeze for up to a few weeks. To cook, place on baking sheet still frozen and bake at 375 degrees F (190 C) until desired texture/color is reached – roughly 25-35 minutes.
*If they are falling apart when flipping, that likely means they were formed too large or flipped too early. If that happens with one burger, cook longer before flipping the rest.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Anita Kishore says
Delicious and beautiful recipe. I found that my burgers needed *much* more salt than a pinch after adding in the beans, beets, and quinoa. I probably used 1/2-3/4 tsp – would be helpful to add that to recipe since I didn’t taste until the first batch had baked. I also substituted a tiny bit of days-old nut bread I had on hand for the walnita as I was out.
Sintija, the Latvian foodie says
We tried it and absolutely loved it! Me and my boyfriend aren’t vegan but wanted to spice up the regular burger recipe, and we made these together. He was absolutely astonished as to how the patties really looked like bloody beef patties due to the beets, and he really enjoyed the taste as well! He was happy :)
We used flaxseed powder instead of walnut meal, as I forgot to buy them at the store. I didn’t use paprika as I’m trying to avoid it (skin condition, and paprika is among the possible irritants) – but spiced it up with black pepper and some other herbs and spices.
Perhaps we didn’t cook the quinoa well enough, as it turned hard when cooking the patties in the oven. Also, I’d add an egg to the patty mixture, so that it all would stick together better – bigger patties like we made were pretty fragile (smaller ones as mentioned on the recipe would do better).
But overall – super awesome recipe! We’ll definitely make this again in our house!
Yolanda says
I’d like to prep this recipe, but unsure if the beets should be boiled first. A quick response would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Yolanda! No need to boil them first!
Priya says
I just made this recipe, and it tastes amazing! I did have the problem of it being crumbley, but I didn’t mash up the beans thoroughly and will do next time! Great job!
Tanvi says
Amazing burgers! Thanks, Dana.
I’ve made them twice already. The first time, I followed the recipe but omitted mushrooms and onions. The second time, I felt it needed some zing, so I added 1-2 tsps of curry powder and some cheese. Really outstanding.
My son who doesn’t like quinoa or beets [and wasn’t told of the ingredients in this burger] said as an exception, he’ll eat quinoa and beets in THIS burger, but not for ANYTHING ELSE, OK?!
Junkyard says
Can I deep fry it..after taking it out of the deep freezer?
That should work – I haven’t tried it but report back on how it goes!
JW says
Hi, I’m just wondering how you grate the beets and if you can use a food processor to mince them for the same effect. Also, would you possibly have any suggested substitutions for the mushrooms or are those necessary for texture purposes? Thanks!
Hi! A food processor should work! I would omit the mushrooms and add more beans or walnuts!
Jenlinder says
I made these tonight – unfortunately it turned out that I only had 1/2 cup of beet but I followed the rest of the recipe and it turned out great! I loved using a lid to form the patties it worked out really great. I use daily a bigger lid and only ended up with 4 burgers but they stayed together, were crispy on the outside and tasted amazing :). Double the recipe if you need more burgers unless you are making sliders.
Victoria says
Hey! I have some extra beets laying around so I’ve been searching for some recipes using them. However, I don’t have any quinoa at the moment since they are rather expensive and I find them rather unneccesary to add to my diet. Can I sub the quinoa for oats instead?
Hi Victoria! We haven’t tried oats, if you try it let us know how it goes!
Vicky says
I actually found some quinoa in a nearby local health store! It’s a bit expensive, but I’ve been wanting to try new things so I bought it anyways. The flavour was not that strong, so I added lots of smoked paprika and subbed the chili powder for cayenne. The mix was very crumbly, it didn’t hold itself together that well. Next time, I’ll add a flax egg to help bind it together, but this is a good base recipe! Thanks, Dana!
Nan Bröchner says
I’m sorry but this recipe simply doesn’t work. The burgers fall apart and behave like granola. There is no way you could fry them on a skillet, I couldn’t even turn them around on the oven plate. Trying to and move them to the bun with a spatula resulted in a little pile of granolalike shreds. Wasted work :-(
Natalia says
I tried making these and they fell apart. I tried adding a number of binders but it was a dud. Went into the garbage.
Leanne says
Currently making these for the second time this week, with a little Billie Holiday playing in the background. It’s quite a good combination:) Thank you for such a delicious recipe!
Diane says
This looks good! In terms of cup measures (like 1/2 cup) how much should go In each patty to yield 8-9?
Hi Diane! Hmm, I’m not sure as I used a peanut butter jar lid lined with plastic wrap to get the perfect shape which yields 8-9 burgers! I would say maybe 1/4 cup. Hope this helps!
Karen says
I made these burgers about a month ago as have two family members who are vegan . They were so delicious will be making them again on weekend for another family get together. I did mash my beans fairly well and they held together just fine which i was surprised as have made vegan burgers before which were not as tasty and fell apart.
Sarah says
I’d love to make these but onions cause me terrible heartburn. Can I make these without onions or try to substitute with shallots which are milder?
You can leave them out, Sarah!
Jeanette says
Hi I have whole cooked beetroot can I use this instead of raw beetroot.
Hi! We haven’t tried, but I think could work. Report back on how it goes!
Mike says
I tried these and although they tasted really nice, they did not hold together and were extremely messy to eat. They need something else to help bind them together better.
mary says
made this tonight and really loved it. used brown rice in place of quinoa and almond flour in place of walnut meal. a little crumbly after they were baked but i don’t really mind that. i served with without a bun with sliced avocado and hot sauce.
Emely says
This recipe was what convinced the rest of my family that they could be vegetarians too! Awesome recipe. We make it multiple times every summer.
Stephanie says
Hi! I love these burgers and made a ton to freeze! Will they still be good after a couple months?
Karen Thomas says
Best veggie burger yet. I added a little Island Teriyaki by Kona company. Smoky and meaty and looks like a real burger. Yum!
Gina says
I did all the tricks; added eggs, smashed the beans, refrigerated the mix, and still end up with crumbly burgers! They taste great, but need help holding their shape. Any suggestions?
Jennifer says
Loos amazing! Is there a substitute for the mushrooms? I’d like to make for a family BBQ and my sister is allergic. Thank you!
Hi Jennifer! I would sub additional walnuts, onions and beets! Have a great BBQ!
Jennifer says
Thank you so much! Our family loves your cookbook – there is not one day that we do not use it! Have a great day!
Susan Holl says
AWESOME recipe and I’ve made this recipe twice. First time as written. Was good but kind of were looking for a little more flavor. Second time subbed leftover brown rice because I was out of quinoa and it worked out fine, plus we quadrupled the cumin and chili powder and used 1T instead of 1/4 top of smoked paprika (I love this stuff!). Topped it with tomato, avocado, horseradish and vegan mayo. Food of the gods…
Kelly Davis says
Just made these tonight and they were excellent! Hearty, filling, not too beet-y (I think beets taste like dirt). My husband was quite impressed too! We added Worcestershire to the mix and some mayo and A1 on top of the cooked burger (we’re not vegan but we are dairy free). We actually grilled these in an air fryer at 380 degrees for 20 minutes and they turned out perfectly. Very VERY delicious! Can’t wait to try your Mexican chili burger!
Ian Vanin says
Gong to try these today using some of your quinoa taco meat in place of cooked plain quinoa and adobo sauce instead of paprika for a smoky Mexican inspired burger ??
Rachael says
I had trouble getting these burgers to stay together. They did “ok” in the pan, a few bits and pieces fell off the edges, but if I’d tried to grill them, I would’ve had no luck. But no, fear! Almost anything can be fixed with tortilla! I broke them up like “ground meat” in warmed corn tortilla (for there is no other kind) with mixed baby lettuce and the avocado, lime, cilantro dressing from the MB Mexican lettuce cups recipe (YUM) and they were fabulous. With the leftovers, I did cheat and added an egg (I suppose one could use a flax egg? Haven’t tried it, so I can’t speak to how well it binds) and reformulated the patties, pan fried them again just long enough to cook the egg through and it worked like a charm. I must not have mashed up the beans, or chopped up the nuts or missed some step somewhere down the line, but next time I’d save myself the head and heart ache and use the egg and call it a day. These were a hit with my carnivorous boyfriend!
Hi Rachael! Next time, be sure to mash your beans up quite a bit and that should help your patties form (and stick together) much better. Hope this helps!
Taylor Van Antwerp says
Made these tonight. Topped with Avocado. Great! Problem: burger entirely crumbled. Which ingredient is supposed to hold the burger together?
Hi Taylor! If the beans are mashed well, they should hold together!
Taylor Van Antwerp says
That explains the crumbles. I took “rough mash” to the extreme. Thank you.
Linda L Sweet says
These were very yummy, not at all bland. They did fall completely apart. I will try bread crumbs next time with a little veggie stock. Will definitely make these again soon. Thanks
Helen says
Hi! How much quinoa am I meant to use? I’m trying to figure out the conversation and get the proportions right but am not sure what 3/4 cup cooked quinoa is in grams of uncooked quinoa? Please help!
Ps. It would be amazing if grams were included in your recipes as the cup isn’t a measure we have in the UK
Hi Helen! 3/4 cup of cooked quinoa is about 1/4 cup of dry quinoa! Good luck!
Thea Sauve says
What kind of slider buns do you recommend? I can’t seem to find any good ones!
Thanks!
Elle says
I’m not really fan of mushrooms, is there anything I could sub this with? Sweet potato?
I would sub additional walnuts, onions and beets!
char says
Flavour is great but they definitely need a binding agent as mine totally fell apart.
Dineen Speer says
Insanely awesome! Make this once, you’ll make it for life! I am grateful! Thanks for giving this to the world!
Julie says
Could I sub almonds for walnuts?
Hi Julie! You sure can!
elly says
there isn’t any mash in ingredients but then in how to make it it suddenly appears. So my question is what mash are you talking about?
Hi! When I say ‘mash’ I refer to mashing the mixture up! You are going to want to mash the black beans up to ensure that the patties hold together. Good luck!
Melissa Clayton says
So I made these and while the taste is good they fell apart when i tried to flip em. I put them back together but they just wouldn’t stay together ? any hints? Did I do somethinget wrong? I followed directions.
Hi! I’d say mash your beans more thoroughly next time for a better hold!
Melissa Clayton says
I’ll definitely try again. For right now I have some yummy sloppy joe type things! But the taste is great!
Kelly Angel says
Made these the other night, they were absolutely divine. I’m not vegan, but always looking for healthier dinner options. Everyone gobbled them up so quickly! Loved, loved, loved them!
Rosa says
So, this looks delicious and while I would probably love the texture of the burger, my husband prefers things to be more…homogeneous.
Do you think that these would hold up if I, uhh, blended it to death in a food processor?
Patricia says
Cheeseburgers are my favorite food but, I made a New Year’s resolution to eat more vegetables. I was skeptical of this recipe as I only recently realized I can at least stomach beets. I’m glad I gave it a try because it is PHENOMENAL. I’m giving it to all my friends and marking it a favorite. Will make many, many more times.
Kate says
The absolute best veggie burger I’ve ever made at home AND bought at the store. Reminds me of the texture and flavor of my favorite burger spot in San Francisco, Roam Burger. Truly tasty even on it’s own, great after being frozen, and easy to make.
We paired ‘tejano style’ like my Roam Burger favorite – avocado, pepper jack, lettuce, tomato, jalapeno red pepper relish, a dash of Ranch sauce and a few tortilla chip strips for crunch. Heaven!!!!
JP says
Very tasty, but same problem as some others with them falling apart. Pan frying seems to keep them together a little better. Had a few with vegan mayo, tomato, etc and they were awesome. Going to make the remaining into sliders and test some toppings like Guac, Sauteed Portobella and maybe Hummus. Very good though.
Kate says
Any suggestions for how to get these tasty burgers to stick together? I made these the other night, and while totally delicious, they were also totally crumbly and impossible to flip or add onto a sandwich in one piece. I think I followed the proportions pretty carefully. What should the consistency of the final mix be before shaping into patties and baking?
Hi! Hmm, seems like they could use a little more moisture. Maybe try mashing your beans a bit more and scaling back on the walnut meal a bit! Let me know how it goes!
Derick says
Tasted great! But fell apart when flipping. Any suggestions? Maybe a vegan binder?
Fiorya says
Wow! I knew they were going to be amazing when I went to flip them halfway through the bake time, and they were already looking juicy and smelling like heaven. And I was right. They’re amazing! I didn’t have any smoked paprika, but they still proved to taste great regardless. Also subbed the nuts for 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs. Topped my burger with some ketchup and guacamole. Will be making again! (Although I might need to invest in a food processor for next time. So much grating and chopping.)
Anastasia says
AMAZING recipe, thank you so much Dana! Made these yesterday and I was so surprised, I honestly wasn’t expecting much but they delivered in flavor and texture in a huge way! I am eating them again today (for lunch AND diner) and I cant get over how good they are. I am so tempted to make a huge batch of them to freeze in for a quick and super satisfying meal for those days I am feeling lazy.
SUCCESS!!
Anastasia says
Hi Dana!
If I cook the beans myself (I dont like canned products) should I still measure 15-ounce cooked black beans?
Anastasia says
For anyone wondering, I measured 1,5 cups of cooked beans and it came out perfectly!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I love a good homemade burger and I love beetroot. I don’t know why I’ve never put the two together. This is going on my to-do list.
Celina says
That’s it. I’m calling it. Best veggie burgers ever!
I’ve tried a lot (and I mean A LOT) but none are as hearty, smoking and delicious without being greasy or heavy.
Definitely going to become a regular on the menu!
Tina says
I have to add these were not mushy at all, perhaps the commenter who said they were didn’t bake them long enough.
Tina says
These burgers are incredible! The next day I mixed a leftover burger with vegan chili and it made a delicious sloppy joe!
Thank you for sharing your talent with all of us!
Tina
Eva says
I found these very bland, unfortunately! And I followed the recipe exactly as its written on here–usually I veer my own course with these types of things, but this recipe definitely needed more oomph. Also the texture is the stereotypically mushy veggie burger, and they really don’t crisp up very much at all. I think a tastier burger would include more black beans and perhaps bread crumbs and eggs to help hold it together.
Baygo says
I added a little more beans than what was called for and walnuts. Also I cooked mine a little longer but it did fall apart a little but that may have been because I didn’t cool it down as long as I probably should have.
But I did find it tasty. I would give it four stars.
Amal says
Hi there :)
I made these tonight, but for some reason the mixture wasn’t sticking together. It felt it had a lot of juice and no binding agent, what can I do to avoid this??
Hmm, add more dry ingredients next time, especially walnuts! In a pinch, bread crumbs are a good fix as well. Good luck!
Amal says
Thank you!! I’ll definitely try that! The recipe itself was delicious!! When I flipped them over they completely broke. Hopefully more walnuts will avoid that. Thanks for the recipe :)
Gaby says
LOVED these!! I was even tempted to eat all the mixture before cooking the patties! The only thing I want to add is that they made fewer than 8-9 burgers, so I’d say double the recipe if that’s the crew you’re feeding.
Rachael says
Hi there,
I would love to make these (and many of the amazing recipes on your blog!) but I’m living in a small studio apartment with no oven :(. I have been able to make do with lot’s of curry, pasta, eggs etc but would love to figure out some ways to use my stove top to make new meals. Is it possible to pan “fry” these burgers to cook them? Thanks so much!
~Rachael
Shelley says
I made these today and they’re the bomb!!!! So good…who needs beef?! Thank you for sharing. I used to hate veggie burgers and you have made a believer out of me! I can be done and done WELL indeed!
Sarah says
If we can’t eat all of these within a few days, would you recommend freezing the patties before or after cooking them?
Looks so tasty, planning to try tonight! Thanks for the great recipe!
Jessica says
Saw this recipe and cooked the quinoa the night before. Just a random tip, make sure you cook the quinoa using the absorption method to keep in all the nutrients :). Was too lazy to grate beets to I bought Beetroot dip instead, super juicy! I fried them on a hot skillet since the oven broke.
maria says
Ummmm.. WOW!
These are the type of recipes that make me adore vegetarian/vegan meals.
I’m neither of those things but absolutely love playing with these gorgeous recipes. Eating nutritious foods just got absolutely delicious!
Thank you for all of your incredible recipes!
Brooke says
Could I sub panko breadcrumbs for the walnuts? Just made your grillable veggie burgers which were delicious so I’m going to try these next!
Mavourneen says
These are SOOOOOOO good!!!! They’re a pain in the butt to make with all the chopping and mashing (I pull out the food processor), but completely worth it. They freeze really well so when I go through the effort to make them, I make A LOT. Haven’t been able to figure out how to keep them together, but I eat them with a fork and no toppings and there is PLENTY of flavor.
Thank you!!
Yay! Thanks for sharing!
Bridget says
If I don’t really like beets, can I still make these? Beets are really good for you and I would like to find ways to incorporate them into my diet! Are they really beet-y? Thanks!
Irene says
Loved the taste of these burgers. We made them on the grill and although they were very moist they crumbled quite a bit. Next time I’ll follow the directions and cook them in the oven.
Mona H. says
Best Vegan burger we have had and most likely will not eat another one out. My hubby said mine tasted better than the spot we go to that has a Vegan quinoa and black bean burger!! I agree with the comments about them not staying together well but we just stuffed it where we were going to bite next; added Worcestershire to the mix. We topped with sautéed onions with a spicy mustard. This is a keeper!! Don’t like beets but used them, didn’t taste them and think they made a great filler.
Sara says
Silly question, but do you think substituting brown rice would work just as well as using quinoa?
Thanks for your help and ALL of your delicious recipes!
I think that would work here!
Ellen says
Hi Sara, I was wondering if you had tried this with brown rice as sub for quinoa – and if so, how did they turn out?
Emily says
LOVED these burgers. I froze half the recipe and served the rest to my family along with homemade zucchini tater tots from Izzy’s blog. The omnivores and the vegans/vegetarians in the house loved the burgers. I increased the smoked paprika because that stuff is so good and I added tamari to round out the flavor a bit. I will definitely be making these again. Thank you so much!
Sara says
We made these tonight and they tasted great! The burgers fell apart a little when I flipped them halfway through baking (I didn’t measure out how much beetroot I put in, so maybe it was too much), but that didn’t bother us. We plan on making them again. :)
Nasrin says
These are delicious. My husband liked them as well. I will certainly make these again
Carolina says
Loved this! Still cant believe how tasty it was! Best burger ever!
We also had the problem that they fell apart, try to add an egg the next time since we are not vegan or more quinoa?
Anybody more tips?
Thanks so much!
Hi Carolina! They can be a little tender. I haven’t tried adding an egg so let me know if that helps. Otherwise, you could try adding some of the liquid from the beans, which can help bind. Hope that helps!
Kaitie says
Anything I could sub for the walnuts?
A seed, such as sunflower?
Ely says
Don’t grill these. They fall right through and they don’t cook at all only crumble apart and turn black. I’ve even tried putting tinfoil over the grill. I’m baking the rest, but I just wasted four perfectly good patties.
M D says
Wonderful. Holds together quite well and very tasty. I substituted 1tlbs liquid Aminos instead of Worcestershire sauce. All else same as recipe ingredients. Instead of baking or pan frying, I used my George Foreman grill sprayed with a little avocado oil. Filled between two leaves of Boston bib lettuce with vegan mayo, spicy mustard, tomato, jalapenos. Yum yum. Also tried with sauerkraut, mayo, spicy mustard. Wonderful as well. Thank you so much for a great recipe.
Cindy says
Hi Dana! I’ve made this recipe several times, and I love it. I wanted to share a slight alteration that I use. The first time I made these burgers, they came together perfectly and were delicious. The next time, I couldn’t get the patties to stay together. So I got really frustrated and started breaking the patties apart in the pan. With only 20 minutes or so until dinner and no other options, I decided to improvise. I found some long forgotten (but thankfully not expired) BBQ sauce and ketchup in the pantry, and I added them to the mixture along with Dijon mustard and a little apple cider vinegar until it tasted right. Then I served up a pile of this mixture on burger buns for some really fantastic sloppy joes! I’ve made them this way ever since. Thank you so much for providing this great recipe!
Michael Fishman says
I’m not a particularly good cook and by that I mean I generally rely on tasteless frozen veggie burgers (or other frozen meat analogues) or just beans and some combination of veggies to add to rice, grains, pasta. But I miss burgers and I crave a good and tasty veggie burger and this one, with not only just 10 ingredients (really only nine because I don’t count salt and pepper!) but no specialty ingredients, looked like one that even this tenderfoot vegan cook could handle. So I made it and this recipe was not only super easy, but super duper delicious! I baked them in the oven and they crumbled a little when I took them out but I think that’s because I formed them a little too big so next time (and I can’t wait for next time!) I’ll try the peanut butter jar lid thing to form them. I was also thinking that rather than form them into patties, this recipe would also be good heated up loose on the stovetop and then eaten as a substitute for Sloppy Joes. Anyway, sorry for going on so long and thank you for this recipe! Anyone who ever tells me that veggie burgers are boring and tasteless will get a copy of this recipe!
Judy Tauriello says
Do I need to peel the beets?
Only if they’re super dirty.
Megan says
I LOVE these! I used cooked beets which cut down the prep and cook time a little. Love the earthy flavor. Will definitely make them often!
InNumericOrder says
Horrible, like eating cardboard. It’s recipes like this that make people cringe when they hear “veggie” burger.
Lauren says
What can I substitute in the case of a nut allergy?
Erica Bee says
Sunflower seeds. They still turn out delicious!
Rebecca says
Hi Dana,
I just made these burgers for my family today and we all enjoyed them very much. I topped them with pineapple slices, avocado, tomatoes and a greek yogurt sauce and served them with your baked sweet potato fries. The burgers were so flavorful, something which lacks in many veggie burgers (in my opinion) and delicious too. It’s a real winner in my book, thanks for the recipe!
ellie says
Has anyone tried a flax egg?
I tried these last night. They were simply fantastic. Best veggie burger I’ve ever had. Alas, they just barely stayed together.
If you are out there and have never loved veggie burgers before, I implore to try this recipe!!!
THANKS AS ALWAYS MB!
cate says
Wow. made a batch and put 2 patties in the fridge for tomorrow. Tonight we balled up the rest for “meat” balls with pasta and marinara sauce. yum. totally delicious totally worth the minimal effort. Can’t wait for tomorrow’s burger with pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion and vegan mayo. thank you sooooo tasty.
Dawn says
My son has a slight nut allergy that hasn’t gone full blown to date (fingers crossed). Could you suggest a substitute for walnuts? Sunflower seeds?
Erica Bee says
I used sunflower seeds (ground them up like the recipe indicated for walnuts) and they still turned out amazing.
Rhonna says
I used sunflower seeds and mine turned out great– I I creased my quinoa a bit and did 1.5 flax egg too to get more binding… My beans didn’t smooth enough.
Sandra says
I made these for the first time last night. I didn’t have any mushrooms so I left them out. I did grate 1 sweet potato and added that to the mixture as well as a large garlic clove minced. Added extra Smoked Paprika because I have a love affair with it ;) and a few dashes of Worcestershire, I added about 1/4 cup of extra Quinoa to help firm it up a bit. I made 5 BIG burgers out of the mix and stuck in the freezer to chill for about an hour. Baked on a cookie sheet sprayed with coconut/olive oil for around 40 minutes then put in a cast iron pan with coconut oil and finished them off by browning both sides for a min or 2. Served on homemade Italian Beer Buns/Rolls. I had melted Swiss on mine and hubby had melted blue cheese on his. They were absolutely delicious! A keeper! Thanks for sharing!
Tina says
Wanna try but I’m nervous. I hate beets. Does the beet flavor (a.k.a. dirt) come through? :)
Sandra says
Did not taste the beets at all. The only way my hubby guessed there were beets in it was by the color ;)
Emily says
Thank you! I tried these are they are sooooooo good. A little dry though and totally fell apart. Do you think if I crushed the beans more or used less walnuts they wouldn’t be as dry?
Also I snuck in a chopped jalapeno I think I should have cooked it with the mushrooms/onion but I liked it :)
Now I have a bunch of extra beets and after reading these comments maybe I’ll try a beet recipe. Or make more of these!
Ida says
Great taste but unfortunately they completely fell apart! I wonder if this recipe calls for a flax egg or something.
Emily says
Thinking the same thing mine totally crumbled but were delicious
Wendy says
Can you freeze these cooked or raw??
Aurora says
Delish! Made these last night – lots of cutting, but very easy. The taste was full of flavors, you can not even taste the beets, mushrooms, or onions really – the bean and smoky flavor was the primary. We topped it with butter lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, avocados, and spicy mustard. Wonderful! Very filling as well!
Howat Nadine says
Hello!
I was wondering if the yellow sauce (deliciously spilling out of your burger) was just mustard or some home concoction? I’m a sucker for toppings/sauces especially when it comes to burgers! Not enough vegan ones in the world ..
Thank you!
It’s mustard!
Angela says
I am loving your recipes so thank you so much for the amazing posts!
Just a question, I am really not a fan of mushrooms, do I need these in this recipe? Will I taste them?
I don’t think you taste them, no! I’d leave them in if you can stand it ;D
Jen Pack says
I have never had a veggie burger with beets, but I feel like it would add great flavor to a black bean burger. I will definitely try these out the next time I have a “killer burger craving,” which happens once in a while for me. I’m so glad that it doesn’t have any eggs, either! Thanks for posting this recipe!
Nadia says
Pretty good flavorwise…. I suggest to make them thick… Mine were too thin…
Abby says
Delicious!
I accidentally skipped the step of cooking the onion and mushrooms. But they still turned out amazing! I also fried mine on a cast iron skillet on high heat with olive oil…. I love the crusty, burnt edges. So good!
patsy says
The recipe looks great and I’m going to make them tomorrow….I was wondering if you thought it would work to use the beet pulp after I have juiced my beets…I had been thinking for awhile that I would like to use the pulp for beet burgers, then I saw your recipe…there is still some moisture in them and I wonder what you think?
I think that would work! Let me know if you give it a try!
patsy says
The taste was great but the burgers didnt hold together when I flipped them, I think too dry. I’ll try it again and grate the beets rather than use the juice pulp. Great taste though!
Christine says
I’ve had the same issue with the burgers falling apart slightly when flipping. I’m going to add a flax egg this time and see if that holds them together better.
PTally says
What type of bun did you use for your burger? Also, do you have a recipe to make a gluten free burger bun?
I don’t have a GF bun recipe yet. The buns I used were a basic whole wheat bun from the store. But any bread or roll would work, too.
Sarah says
I figured since I make these somewhat frequently and came to the recipe page to write out my grocery list, that I might as well write you a review! Seriously, these things are amazing. I love the earthiness of the beets and mushrooms combined with the smoky spices and black beans. This recipe takes a lot of ingredients that my picky self had formerly disliked (beets, onions, mushrooms) and convinces me that if done right, I can be a fan of any vegetable. I love to pair these with a quick Greek yogurt sauce, greens, and red bell pepper. Plus, I love any excuse to use beets so that my hands turn hot pink from their juice :) thanks for another great recipe and I can’t wait for the cookbook!
Ah, thanks Sarah!
Munz says
Hi,
Please can someone clarify the amount of beans. 1 15 ounce is how much in cups. It seems to be integral for the proper binding
Thanks
Elizabeth says
I know this is an old comment, but 1 15 ounce can of beans is about 1 1/2 cups.
Hannah says
So delicious! Why do you bake before freezing?
You can freeze uncooked as well!
Sorry for the delayed reply! 1 15-oz can of beans is usually ~ 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cups beans.
Melanie says
Also been trying to find ways to use up the garden beets, excited to give it a go. Any tips for a non-mushroom lover? What else would you try instead of the mushrooms?
You could sub more beets!
Villainesse says
People who don’t like mushrooms usually object to their texture. With these chopped so finely, there is no mushroom texture left to object to. My younger brother hated mushrooms as a kid, but discovered later as a chef that certain dishes that he loved just couldn’t be made without them. These could certainly be made without, but would lose a depth of flavor that nicely balances the composite.
Erin says
I made these tonight and they were SO good! My only issue with them is that it takes quite a few steps to make them, but they were extremely flavorful and easy to form into patties. I will definitely make them again!
Rachel says
i just noticed i don’t have any raw beets, only cooked. will it work too?
Reebi says
Fantastic burgers. Really enjoyed these and so did the pesky husband. Really good texture and held together well. Put the vegan Worcester sauce in with a bit of tamari. Think you could cook these on a griddle, will try next time – these are going to be a big fave in our home. Thanks bundles.
Wonderful! thanks for sharing, Reebi!