We’ve shared many veggie burgers over the years, but this one takes the burger, or the cake, or the burger cake! (Burger cake recipe idea, noted).
We examined all of our past recipes, tried to dissect the flavor of beef, and got very scientific about this burger. We considered the texture, the flavor, the aroma, and the complexity of every ingredient added. If it wasn’t adding something special or amazing, we tossed it. And we think this combo truly mocks the flavors of a real burger.
This burger is not only vegan, it’s also gluten-free, soy-free, and magically bean-free (if that’s your sort of thing)! And it requires just 10 wholesome ingredients and simple methods to create the ultimate plant-based patty.
We can’t wait for you to try it and hear what you think! Let us show you how it’s done.
How to Make a Vegan Burger Patty
While store-bought vegan burgers are typically made with extracts of this and scientific combinations of that, we wanted to do something different — something better for you with wholesome, recognizable ingredients.
We start by caramelizing onions for a sweet-savory component. Then add shiitake mushrooms for their meaty texture and natural supply of vitamins B2, B3, B5, B6, selenium, zinc, and more!
Next, we pulse the sautéed veggies in a food processor with cooked brown rice to create the perfect burger texture. This neutral-flavored whole grain also provides additional B vitamins and minerals.
We add cashews for richness and a subtle crunch, oat flour to help with binding, and salt and pepper for added flavor. All that’s remaining is miso paste and coconut aminos for umami-packed goodness and a little smoked paprika for a subtle smokiness.
Once the burger patty dough is formed, the burgers are ready for cooking until golden brown. They can also be transferred to the fridge or freezer for quick preparation whenever a burger craving strikes!
We hope you LOVE this vegan burger! It’s:
Savory
Smoky
Satisfying
Rich
Versatile
& Umami-filled!
Serve it on a bun or as a lettuce wrap with all your favorite burger toppings.
For the ultimate comfort meal, pair these burgers with our Crispy Baked Garlic Matchstick Fries, Gluten-Free Onion Rings, or Easy Roasted Potato Salad with Garlic Dill Dressing. Or for a more veggie-centric meal, serve with our Easy Massaged Kale Salad (15 Minutes!).
More Veggie Burger Recipes
- Easy Grillable Veggie Burgers
- Smoky BBQ Black Bean Burger
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger
- Easy Pizza Burgers
- Curried Quinoa Chickpea Burgers
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
The BEST Vegan Burger (GF, Soy-Free)
Ingredients
VEGAN BURGERS
- 1 cup cooked and cooled brown rice (measured after cooking)
- 4 Tbsp avocado oil, divided
- 1 ½ cups thinly sliced yellow onion (~1 small onion as recipe is written)
- 5 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms (or sub cremini, but you will need more oat flour)
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 – 1 cup oat flour (ground from rolled oats — certified GF as needed)
- 1/2 tsp each sea salt and black pepper
- 2 tsp miso paste (we like chickpea miso by Miso Master, or yellow or white soy miso)
- 1 Tbsp coconut aminos (or sub tamari)
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
FOR SERVING optional
- Hamburger buns
Ketchup (try our homemade!) - Vegan mayo
- Tomato
- Lettuce
- Pickles
- Mustard
- Caramelized Onions
Instructions
- If your brown rice isn’t cooked yet, start there by following this method or using an Instant Pot for the best results. Otherwise, move on to the next step.
- Start by caramelizing the onions. Place 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of avocado oil and the sliced yellow onion in a large heavy-bottomed skillet (like a large cast iron pan or Dutch oven) and turn it to medium-low heat. Stir constantly and sauté until the onions begin to turn translucent, then turn the heat down to low. Add 2 tablespoons of water and cover, removing the lid every few minutes and stirring to prevent burning. Cook the onions for at least 25 minutes, until they’ve taken on some color and have reduced by about half (see photo).
- Add another 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of avocado oil to the onions along with the sliced mushrooms. Spread the mushrooms out so they are in as thin a layer as possible and turn the heat up to medium-low. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the mushrooms are fragrant and soft. Turn the heat off and set aside.
- Place the cashews in a food processor and pulse until cashews are a small, even crumb texture — about 10 pulses. Place the cashew crumbs in a bowl and set aside.
- Add the cooled rice to the now-empty food processor and pulse until slightly crumbled, about 5 pulses. Add the cooked mushrooms and onions and pulse until well combined with no obvious or large pieces of mushrooms remaining — about another 5 pulses.
- Add the oat flour (starting with the lesser amount), salt and pepper, miso paste, coconut aminos, and smoked paprika, and pulse a few times to combine. Add the cashew crumble and pulse once or twice to distribute the cashews without overmixing. The mixture should be thick and sticky, but easy to form into patties. If too wet, add more oat flour and stir by hand. Taste and adjust, as needed, adding more salt to taste.
- Using a 1/2-cup measuring cup, scoop your burger mixture and form into 4 even patties. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) avocado oil in your heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, and place the patties in the oil. Cover and let cook for about 3 minutes, uncover and flip, then cover and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Continue cooking if the patties aren’t as crispy as you’d like.
- Enjoy! Serve on buns with homemade ketchup, vegan mayo, tomatoes, lettuce, and your other favorite burger toppings! Vegan burger patties can be saved before or after cooking, and will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat cooked burgers on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through and fragrant.
Colleen says
This is great! Even my picky 4yo loves this, finally excited to have a burger that tastes great and looks similar to burgers his friends eat. Part of our regular rotation. We like to pair with sweet potatoes and broccoli.
I have a question, could I sub the brown rice for farro? I often have leftover farro and this would be a great place to use it.
Amazing! We’re so glad your kiddo enjoys these burgers. Thank you for sharing, Colleen! We haven’t tested with farro, but we think it’s worth a try!
N Kay says
These are so delicious and definitely worth the effort! The combination of the mushrooms and rice gives such a rich texture and flavor. The patties rarely make it onto a bun because they are just so good. My only modification has been to bake them in the toaster oven; pan frying resulted in too much crumbling and sticking to the pan. This is now a regular in the protein rotation.
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy these burgers. Thank you for sharing! xo
Mariana says
Wow! This was so good, honestly the best veggie burger (not the fake meat stuff) that I have ever had. I would like to find some way to up the protein in these. Do you think using quinoa instead of rice might work?
We’re so glad you love this veggie burger, Mariana! Thank you for sharing! We think quinoa could work, though it may be a little crumbly. Let us know if you try it!
Lorinda Pasanisi says
Can I substitute oat flour with a grain free option? Cassava, tapioca starch, flax flour?
Hi Lorinda, that could work! It’s hard to say without testing it ourselves. Our only hesitation is that cassava and tapioca could make the burgers gummy and flax may have too strong of a flavor. One idea would be to increase the amount of rice slightly so you don’t have to add as much of the flour. Cassava would probably be the best option! Let us know if you try it!
Lisa says
I made this recipe exactly as written with shiitake mushrooms, white miso, and tamari, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I have made many different vegan burger recipes, but none can top the flavor of this burger. Delicious!
Whoop! We’re honored this one is your favorite, Lisa. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Michelle says
Definitely the best vegan burger I have had. I substituted white rice for brown rice, and baby Bella mushrooms for shiitake. I did not have miso paste, so that was omitted. I added about a tablespoon of grated raw beet. My husband thought they were delicious. Next time I want to make them with the correct ingredients, just did not have them available. I will definitely be making these again.
Whoop! We’re so glad you loved these burgers, Michelle. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Emma Baird says
Made this last night – absolutely delicious! I added garlic to the mushrooms and onions, and made the oat ‘flour’ by whizzing up porridge oats in my mini food processor.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Emma! Thank you for sharing! xo
Lori Strusis says
Is it best to freeze uncooked or cooked and just warm. I wanted to take on a camping trip
Hi Lori, either way works! We prefer freezing before cooking. Enjoy!
Lori Strusis says
Oh well, made last night and cooked first so now I can try both ways. Got to say, they were the best vegan burgers I have ever tasted so the name is correct!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed these burgers, Lori. Thank you for sharing! xo
Lindsey says
Absolutely delicious. Some of the reviewers had an issue with everything being too wet. This can be avoided by cooking all of the moisture out of the mushrooms. 10/10 will make again.
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Lindsey. Thank you for sharing! xo
Joseph M Papp says
I bit of a sticky mess to make but the texture and flavor is nice.
It’s a lot and I made 8 patties from this recipe rather than 4. They’re about a 1/4 patty size.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Joseph!
Cherie says
I made these today and they were absolutely delicious! my new fave vegan burger that very closely resembles beef patties. the texture was so easy to work with and cook, no bits breaking off. I might try a porcini broth instead of the coconut aminos next time, just for something different. I might also use this recipe as my ‘veggie ball’ go to. thank you for your amazing recipes you make going vegan a cinch.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Cherie! Thanks so much for sharing. xo
Sahara says
Can these be baked in the oven? Looking at feeding a crowd, easier to deal with…
Hi Sahara, We haven’t tried baking these, but it could work. You may want to use parchment paper because the patties are on the sticky side. Let us know how it goes!
LearnWhatIsInYourFood says
Miso is made from fermented SOYBEANS. How is this SOY FREE if you are using SOY.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miso
https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/what-is-miso-paste/
Hi, we used chickpea miso, which is soy-free (Miso Master brand). Hope that clears up the confusion!
Joey says
Yikes… calm down 😂
Katy says
Made these tonight. Delicious, satisfying and filling!! Will be making again. Thanks!
Woohoo! Thanks for the great review, Katy!
Bonnie says
We made these for the first time last night. They were very yummy and deceptively filling! The mixture was quite wet and more like a paste though even with 1 cup of oat flour, so shaping them was a bit difficult (we found a way using our burger press). Is it possible we overmixed – or is it normal these are very wet when forming the burgers?
Hi Bonnie, we’re so glad you enjoyed these! The mixture is quite wet depending on the type of mushrooms you use, but more rice and/or oat flour can help firm it up. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Stacey says
I’ve made these a few times now, and while they are more work than I would like them to be lol, they are REALLY good. I’ve made with shiitake and cremini’s and both work great, I just cooked down the cremini more. Honestly the cremini are so much cheaper that I will probably just go with them next time. I add all the flavor/seasonings with the mushrooms and onions to get everything to evenly distributed. I get 6 patties out of the 4 patty recipe because they are quite hearty (the mixture is sticky- wet hands help with this) and I make them a little smaller. I keep the extra in the freezer and that has worked great. Great recipe!
Whoop! We’re so glad you’re enjoying them, Stacey. Thank you for sharing! xo
Bev Bayley-Smith says
Can I forego the oil and get results from baking the BEST Vegan Burger in the oven?
Hi Bev! We haven’t tried baking these, but it could work. You may want to use parchment paper because the patties are on the sticky side. Let us know how it goes!
Lauren says
Okay, I dont usually comment on recipes but I had to comment on this one. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BURGER. Im never disappointed with any of your recipes. Please don’t ever stop. Thank you for helping to make plant based recipes not boring. This was AMAZING. Highly recommend
Awh! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Lauren. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Caroline Medd says
I made this recipe and added in a can of mushed black beans from your grillable recipe, with finely chopped up sprouted wheat and collard greens (because I had both left over and wanted to use them up). I had walnuts on hand and so cooked them with the onions (yummy) and brown mushrooms (again it was what I had). I was very surprised at how tasty it was and held fairly well together if I wasn’t too rough! Finally after years I have found a tasty vegan burger I can serve to my church! (Not sure about my mom and dad – I will try it out on them if they are open…..)I cooked them a bit longer than you said to because the time is always what I struggle with when dealing with black beans. So happy I found this site and recipe! Thank you Caroline
Thank you so much for sharing, Caroline! We’re so glad they turned out well! xo
Erin says
I do not understand why all of the MB recipes always taste SO good!!! These were unbelievable and I was missing the miso because I couldn’t find any! They are probably even better with it! Anyone know if we can maybe freeze these? Cooked or uncooked? Thanks MB!
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the great review, Erin. You can definitely freeze these burgers, we prefer freezing them as patties before cooking, and they thaw well when you place them directly in a hot, oiled skillet. Hope this helps!
Steph says
I’m allergic to cashews and coconut, and pretty much every nut except for almonds and peanuts at this point. Can the nuts be left out or would almond work as a sub for the cashews? Regular soy sauce would work in place of the coconut aminos I’m guessing.
Hi Steph, coconut aminos adds sweetness and is less salty, so if using soy sauce, we’d suggest using less of it and adding a sweetener like maple syrup. For the nuts, almonds might work. Another idea would be to use some whole oats (blitzed partway & mixed in at the end, like the cashews) and increase the mushrooms and rice slightly. We can’t guarantee that the texture will be the same, though! Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Yvonne says
Hello,
Would portabella mushrooms be suitable for this recipe.
Thank you for your advice.
Hi Yvonne, shiitakes are a bit less watery compared to portabella mushrooms, and they have somewhat of a deeper flavor, but we think any mushroom should work. We’d suggest adding a bit more oat flour, as needed, to compensate. Let us know how it goes!
Johnny says
Wondering if you can put old-fashioned oats into a food processor and mix to make your own oat-flour.
If it’s possible, I’m wondering if you could enlighten us on the best way to do it.
Hi Johnny, we do usually make our own oat flour with old fashioned rolled oats. We use a vitamix to achieve a very smooth and powdery texture. Hope this helps!
Reineres Susbilla says
I followed the instructions to a T. Flavor is great, but it was soft which I did not care for. Could I add more oat flour and make smaller size patties?
Hi Reineres, sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the texture! Yes, adding more oat flour will help.
karen says
Hi there,
I cannot eat oats. Is there a good alternative to oat flour? Thanks
Hi Karen, we haven’t tried a substitute for oats in this recipe yet, but it’s possible you could have success by increasing the rice slightly and adding some flour, chickpea might work, or coconut? Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Iwona says
Can you make these without mushrooms? I’m allergic :(
Hi Iwona, Unfortunately mushrooms are the main flavor and textural substance of this particular burger, but our easy grillable veggie burgers are a great alternative that’s mushroom free!
Sunny says
Okay I made this today / simple ingredients/ a-bit time consuming, but super delicious !!
YES I will make this again . Cheers , enjoy 😻
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Sunny! Thank you for sharing! xo