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    Veggie Burgers

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    Instead of using bread or buns (which are overly processed), I eat these veggie burger patties as seen below, or halved, in romaine lettuce leaves (making a "burger boat"). They also make great leftovers, crumbled onto a green salad or baked potato, or hearty traveling or hiking snacks.

    Preparation note: While it’s not necessary, cooking the rice the night before and refrigerating it will make the burger mix firmer and easier to shape. Or make the entire recipe and refrigerate it the day before cooking, which allows the flavors to blend thoroughly.

    Print
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    Veggie Burgers


    • Total Time: 1 hour 25 mins
    • Yield: 10 (makes 10 patties) 1x
    Print Recipe
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    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1 cup water
    • ½ cup dry/uncooked short-grain brown rice
    • 1 can cooked kidney beans (15 ounces; about 1½ cups), drained and rinsed
    • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
    • ½ large yellow or white onion, chopped (about 1½ cups)
    • 6 medium white or cremini mushrooms, chopped (about 2½ cups)
    • ¼ cup tomato paste or ketchup
    • 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
    • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
    • 1½ teaspoons chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon granulated onion
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon dried basil
    • Optional extras: sliced tomato, avocado, onion, lettuce, ketchup, and/or mustard

    Instructions

    1. Bring the water and rice to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, uncovered. Reduce the heat to low, then cover and simmer for 50 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes with the lid still on.
    2. Add to a large bowl: the cooked rice, beans, oats, onion, mushrooms, tomato paste or ketchup, garlic, oregano, chili powder, granulated onion, cumin, and basil. Stir until the ingredients are evenly mixed.
    3. So as not to overload the food processor, transfer only half of the burger mix into it and pulse a few times, just until everything sticks together. (If you do not have a food processor, see Notes.) Place this processed mixture into another bowl. Process the remaining half of ingredients in the same way, and then add to the first batch.
    4. Shape the mixture into patties 3 to 4 inches wide and about ½-inch thick. Preheat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. (If you do not want to use a nonstick pan, see Notes.) Depending on the size of your pan, cook 2 to 4 patties at a time, cooking each side for 5 to 8 minutes or until browned. Serve on romaine lettuce leaves with traditional burger toppings, such as tomato, avocado, onion, ketchup, and/or mustard.

    Notes

    No food processor? No problem. Just mash your beans first with a handheld bean masher or fork, use quick-cooking rolled oats, and finely chop the onion and mushrooms.

    If you do not own a nonstick pan (or don’t want to use one), bake the patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper at 400°F for 10 minutes each side. They will not brown in the same way as in a frying pan, but they will still taste great!

    Serving suggestion: I love making these burgers with Potato Salad, 4-Bean Salad, and Baked French Fries and Ketchup.

    • Prep Time: 20 mins
    • Cook Time: 65 mins

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 patty
    • Calories: 131
    • Sugar: 3.7g
    • Sodium: 18mg
    • Fat: 1.6g
    • Saturated Fat: 0.2g
    • Carbohydrates: 25.3g
    • Fiber: 4.7g
    • Protein: 6.2g
    • Cholesterol: 0

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @straightupfood and hashtag it #straightupfood - we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. rnesel

      May 14, 2011 at 5:29 pm

      These burgers taste "normal"! A friend of mine didn't know it wasn't just hamburger with "stuff" added to make it taste good. (I used Trader Joe's organic ketchup, which has a little sodium.)

      They seem to taste best after being refrigerated overnight or frozen and re-heated ... flavors blend, I guess. I like them as a quick, cold snack, too.

      Made a double batch but the volume of ingredients required me to blend them first in a big bowl, then do two separate batches in the food processor. Then I mixed the batches together in the big bowl before making the patties.

      Got 12 good sized patties out of it.

      Later, made the salt-free ketchup to use on the burgers. Surprised me ...tasted good!

      This recipe is now an official "favorite" in my collection. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Cathy

        May 14, 2011 at 5:45 pm

        Thanks for the feedback and tips here! Yes, that salt-free ketchup is always a surprise to people. And it's so easy to make. Thanks for your comments, as always 😉

        Reply
      • Bonnie

        October 07, 2013 at 1:38 pm

        I'm so thrilled I found your blog! Your recipes look and sound so wonderful, I cannot wait to try them all. I'm on a fast right now for spiritual reasons and also to cleanse myself, as I'm wanting to go sugar, salt, and oil free, I'm already vegan. Can't wait to try them, yum!

        Reply
        • Cathy

          October 08, 2013 at 12:21 am

          Welcome Bonnie! 😉

          Reply
    2. sandi1

      April 07, 2012 at 7:15 pm

      Cathy, I finally made these...they are so good! Thanks!!!

      Reply
    3. Bob

      May 16, 2012 at 4:12 pm

      These were awesome veggie burgers....no aftertaste of grease! Big slab of tomato and red onion on top. Tomorrow, I will crumble leftovers on a big salad.

      Reply
    4. Cathy

      May 18, 2012 at 2:29 pm

      Yay Bob! I made these again on Tues for my class and used sweet brown rice instead of barley (I added this option to the above recipe) since many people are avoiding gluten, and they were great! 🙂

      Reply
    5. Pam

      September 14, 2012 at 9:14 pm

      These are the BEST veggie burgers that I have made, and are now in my standard rotation. We also use them crumbled up on baked potatoes and my husband tucks them into tortillas with lettuce, tomatoes and jalapenos.

      I have been making double batches and freezing them. They reheat in the microwave from frozen really well, and I think the flavor actually improves on freezing; maybe the flavors blend together more.

      Today I tried baking them instead of pan-cooking (I wanted to make them quicker and without standing over a hot stove). Worked great! Baked in a 375 degree convection oven for 18 minutes. I used a Sil-Pat on my cookie sheet, but one could probably use parchment paper. I made them a little thicker because I was afraid them might dry out too much in the oven, so I got 18 out of the double batch rather than 24.

      Reply
      • Cathy

        September 15, 2012 at 11:58 am

        Wow, thanks for the great comment, Pam! Good to know about the baking method, too; thanks! 😉

        Reply
    6. Sarah

      January 19, 2013 at 4:41 pm

      These really are the best veggie burger and I have tried many! They stick together well and look like a real hamburger. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Cathy

        January 19, 2013 at 4:50 pm

        You're welcome Sarah! 😉 Yay! Thanks for the comment!

        Reply
    7. Sara

      February 10, 2013 at 2:15 am

      Hi,

      I've just discovered your site through the Healthy Cooking Blog contest, and am so glad that I did because I'm here to stay. 🙂 Quick question--in your photos you always have the most delicious-looking tomatoes, so I was wondering what type you use.

      Thanks

      Reply
      • Cathy

        February 10, 2013 at 2:23 am

        Hi Sara, welcome! 🙂 I think that photo with the tomatoes was taken in summer, which means that they are in season and the best. I buy them at the local organic farm and usually get a variety. Store-bought tomatoes are often not very good. Sometimes the cherry/grape tomatoes are ok though. Take care and thanks again for checking out the blog! 😉

        Reply
    8. Jane Casasanta

      May 24, 2013 at 1:03 pm

      Hello, have you ever broken down the nutritional info per serving? I like to track my food in my fitness pal. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Cathy

        May 25, 2013 at 2:52 pm

        Hi Jane, no but am considering it for the future, as I know people like that. 🙂

        Reply
    9. Carol

      June 20, 2013 at 12:28 am

      Cathy, I'd like to try this recipe! If I already have a batch of cooked brown rice in the refrigerator, how much should I use? Thanks.

      Reply
      • Cathy

        June 20, 2013 at 1:51 pm

        Hi Carol, you would use 1 cup cooked. 🙂 Rice usually cooks up 1/2 cup dry to 1 cup cooked.

        Reply
    10. Kathy Shelley

      August 30, 2013 at 2:23 pm

      These look great! I am new to this, having started the first Monday of June following Dr. Esselsyn's plan. I was initially going to give it a 90 trial as he claims that fat cravings go away after that much time. But I am so happy with the results that I think it will be my life plan from now on.
      ** I am heading to two non-vegan family picnics and was searching for an easy burger I could bring and maybe share. Thing is I don't have a food processor. Will a blender work. Thanks

      Reply
      • Cathy

        August 30, 2013 at 3:19 pm

        Hi Kathy, welcome! 🙂 Yay for your new life plan! Instead of using the food processor, I would just be sure to chop the onions and mushrooms very small to begin with, maybe even mash the beans on their own, and give the oats the slightest pulse or two in your blender (you don't want oat flour); then use your hands or a bean masher to process it until it's like meatloaf consistency. It's too thick to put it all in a blender, though. Good luck! 😉

        Reply
    11. LEH

      October 14, 2013 at 4:59 pm

      Okay, these are the best veggie burgers I have ever had!! I just finished three of them for my lunch with sliced tomatoes and sprouts. I used lentils instead of beans and oat bran instead of rolled oats as those are what I had on hand. Otherwise just delicious. I just discovered this site through a link on Dr. Michael Klaper's blog site. I think you have some of the best recipes on the planet and I can actually eat them. I follow Dr. Klaper and Dr. Fuhrman and all of your recipes meet their strict guidelines and so far taste great! Keep up the good work. I am very impressed.

      Reply
      • Cathy

        October 14, 2013 at 6:29 pm

        Thank you so much Lorie! Yay! 😉

        Reply
    12. Holly

      November 08, 2013 at 6:39 pm

      new to plant based recipes. I am starting with 3 meals a week for hubby and step-daughter and hopefully within a couple of months we will be totally plant base eating!!! have a quick question, again I am new to some of these ingredients, can I use quick cooking barley or instant brown rice? probably a stupid question but i wasn't sure if it mattered!!thanks

      Reply
      • Cathy

        November 10, 2013 at 6:58 pm

        Hi Holly, I say use what makes it easier for you regarding whole grains like these. 🙂 Congratulations to you and your family!

        Reply
    13. deborah

      February 27, 2014 at 8:32 pm

      I'm enjoying one of these burgers right now and it is delish.. I changed it up a bit by adding crumbled tofu with some nutritional yeast and they have the best texture. The best and easiest veggie burger recipe i've found. Thank You so much for all your wonderful recipes. I've been plant based for a cpl years now and your everyday approach is so appreciated.. I love mustard on these burgers!!!!

      Reply
      • Cathy

        February 27, 2014 at 10:11 pm

        Thanks Deborah! 😉

        Reply
    14. Norma

      May 05, 2014 at 7:01 pm

      Hi Cathy, I'm new to this way of eating. I have been doing it for the past 4 months. I follow Dr. McDougall and Dr. Fuhrman. I have been looking for a good Veggie Burger for some time now. This looks really promising.. Can you add some seeds to this mix. I love sunflower and pumpkins seeds.. What do you think?

      Reply
      • Cathy

        May 07, 2014 at 11:53 am

        Welcome Norma! 🙂 Sure, add whatever you like. It's a pretty flexible recipe. A few seeds would be yummy.

        Reply
    15. Missy

      May 22, 2014 at 5:03 pm

      Another delish dish from Cathy- Thanks!! Eating them now with water sautéed veggies and a big salad. heaven:)

      Reply
      • Mark

        January 30, 2021 at 2:48 am

        Hi Cathy,
        I plan on making this recipe today but have a question. 6 chopped medium white mushrooms equals approx 2.5 cups? Seems like it should be more, am I missing something?

        Thanks,

        Mark

        Reply
        • Cathy

          January 30, 2021 at 8:14 am

          Hi Mark, I would go by the cups measurement rather than the # of mushrooms, since they comes in different sizes. 🙂

          Reply
      • Jill Willrich

        January 19, 2022 at 2:11 pm

        Was wondering if I could use my Kitchen aid mixer for these.

        Reply
    16. Marisa

      May 25, 2014 at 1:25 pm

      can i bake the burgers?

      Reply
      • Cathy

        May 25, 2014 at 4:00 pm

        Sure, maybe at 375 for 10 to 15 minutes each side(?) 🙂

        Reply
    17. Abi

      October 22, 2014 at 3:18 pm

      Hi Cathy,

      firstly, you're blog is a great resource! I've been plant-based for a while but my husband is pretty new to the idea and your recipes are providing some very tasty ideas!

      I was curious to know if you've ever tried replacing the barley/rice with quinoa?

      Reply
      • Cathy

        October 22, 2014 at 5:02 pm

        Hi Abi, I have not but I'd love to know if it works. Barley and rice are sticky and quinoa is not, so the burgers may be a bit more fragile. If you try it, let me know. 🙂 Thanks!

        Reply
    18. mariegray75

      September 16, 2015 at 2:52 pm

      This is perhaps the simplest veggie burger recipe I have EVER seen, I can't wait to try it. One thing, I'm allergic to mushrooms, any tips on what to replace them with? Marie

      Reply
      • Cathy

        September 16, 2015 at 11:32 pm

        I would just leave them out. You could use eggplant or zucchini, but I think those would be too wet (but the eggplant would be more flavorful).

        Reply
        • mariegray75Marie

          September 19, 2015 at 9:01 am

          Thanks!

          Reply
    19. Jennifer

      October 22, 2015 at 9:26 am

      Hey Cathy! Please in this picture/post (https://www.straightupfood.com/blog/my-meals/) where you have a green salad with the cut up veggie burger, what do you have in it? I see the tomato, onion and lettuce. But more importantly what sauce mix did you use please to have as a sauce with it? Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Cathy

        October 22, 2015 at 12:36 pm

        I probably just did my usual, apple cider vinegar and mustard. 🙂

        Reply
    20. Jennifer

      October 22, 2015 at 11:28 pm

      Hey Cathy!! thanks so much for the reply. Oh yeah? Haven't ever tried the combo for a dressing. I'll do that. I went on your amazon store and see the mustard you use, so im guess that's what you combine with any organic apple cider vinegar (what ratio do you use?). & sigh wish i could buy straight from your store but Im in Canada so shipping fees will be a lot. Hopefully I can find the Westbrae mustard in a local store here too.

      Reply
      • Cathy

        October 22, 2015 at 11:49 pm

        Hi Jennifer, 🙂 I don't ever measure this dressing combo since I put it right on my salad w/o mixing first.

        Reply
    21. Jennifer

      October 23, 2015 at 7:32 am

      Hi Cathy. Okay gotcha! Will just try doing the same and see how that works. Thanks a lot!! 🙂

      Reply
    22. LuLu

      January 15, 2016 at 1:22 pm

      I just made these and they are fabulous, I love the texture. I used brown rice and I added some mesquite powder and some nutritional yeast. I left out the cumin (personal preference) and didn't have tomato paste so I used tomato powder. They hold together so well and don't break apart in the pan like so many veggie burger recipes. My favorite all time veggie burger ever. This recipe is a lifelong keeper, thank you!!

      Reply
      • Cathy

        January 15, 2016 at 2:03 pm

        Yay! Thanks LuLu! 😉

        Reply
    23. Roy

      February 27, 2016 at 12:29 pm

      I add 2 or 3 tablespoons of ground flax seed soaked in 5 or 6 tablespoons of water for 5 minutes. The flax adds omega 3's and lignans and helps the burgers hold together well.

      Reply
    24. Estella

      April 03, 2016 at 5:58 pm

      Can I use chickpeas instead of kidney beans?

      Reply
      • Cathy

        April 03, 2016 at 8:13 pm

        Sure 🙂

        Reply
    25. Joelle

      May 25, 2016 at 5:29 am

      Love your recipes!

      I have quinoa on hand and I wanted to make the burgers, could I use that in place of brown rice?

      Reply
      • Cathy

        May 25, 2016 at 7:30 am

        You can try it; short-grain brown rice is better because it's sticky and helps keep the burger together. 🙂

        Reply
    26. Joelle

      May 25, 2016 at 5:39 am

      And do you have to use the ketchup in it or can i replace the ketchup with something else? Don't think I have salt free tomato paste

      Reply
      • Cathy

        May 25, 2016 at 7:31 am

        Hmm, not sure. Ketchup or tomato paste helps bind and provide flavor. You could leave it off and see what happens. BBQ sauce could be a substitute.

        Reply
        • Joelle

          May 25, 2016 at 8:03 am

          Thank you!

          Reply
    27. Brenda

      January 02, 2017 at 11:52 am

      I just found your website yesterday. Made these burgers with black beans since they were already soaked and cooked. Blooming lovely! Making your tomato and rice soup for dinner tonight. I am so glad to have found you!

      Reply
      • Cathy

        January 02, 2017 at 4:19 pm

        Hi Brenda, welcome and thank you for the comment! 😉

        Reply
    28. Harvey Soon

      August 18, 2017 at 10:18 am

      How does 6 mushrooms make 2 1/2 cups?

      Reply
      • Harvey Soon

        August 18, 2017 at 4:56 pm

        I see now. Coarsely chopped mushrooms= about 2 1/2 cups!

        Reply
    29. Gloria

      January 02, 2018 at 9:43 pm

      What can I use instead of mushrooms?

      Reply
      • Cathy

        January 03, 2018 at 10:38 am

        Maybe grated zucchini or beets, and/or more beans; look at other vegan veg burger recipes and see what they use. These are pretty versatile. 🙂

        Reply
    30. Kris

      July 30, 2018 at 3:29 pm

      Just made these yesterday and had one this evening.....SOOOOO good. How long can they stay in the refrigerator?

      Reply
      • Cathy

        July 31, 2018 at 5:28 pm

        Hi Kris, I'd say eat them in 4-5 days. 🙂 They freeze well too.

        Reply
    31. shareskittles

      May 10, 2019 at 6:40 pm

      I am so very glad that I found your site. Because of heallth problems, my husband had to go on a completely vegan diet, except for honey. So that he would not feel like he was missing out on the foods he liked, I went on this diet with him. My husband immediately started getting better and I lost the 25 pounds that I had been trying to lose since I was pregnant with my youngest son (He just turned 32.) I came to your site looking for an oil free ketchup recipe. I am thrilled to find so many good recipes.With most sites I have to make substitutions, but so far on your site I can make these recipes the way they are. I will be trying these veggie patties within the next week and was glad that they freeze well, as I llike to snack once in awhile. I am getting an order ready for Amazon and your book is on it. May God bless you.

      Reply
      • Cathy

        May 11, 2019 at 8:57 pm

        Thank you so much! 🙂 What a success story! Thanks for the kind words and getting the book. Let me know if you ever have any questions. Thanks! Cathy

        Reply
    32. Jackie R.

      September 06, 2019 at 4:43 am

      These are wonderful veggie burgers! I do have a prep tip. Moving the mixture back and forth between the food processor in batches was a little messy for me, so this time when I made this I whirled the dry ingredients around until the oats were floury and then put that mixture in a bowl. Then I put all the wet ingredients in the food processor and pulsed those. I mixed the dry and wet together in the bowl. I overprocessed the wet ingredients this time--next time they'll be perfect! Burgers were still excellent though. I found processing wet and dry separately and combining them in a bowl to be a lot easier to deal with and a tad faster. Speed (and limiting cleanup!) is always a major goal of mine when I cook!

      Reply
      • Cathy

        September 06, 2019 at 11:18 am

        Great idea! Thanks Jackie! 🙂

        Reply
    33. Laura

      July 03, 2020 at 9:37 am

      I have pre-cooked rice; what amount would you recommend stand-in for the uncooked...

      Reply
      • Cathy

        July 03, 2020 at 1:19 pm

        1.5 cups 🙂

        Reply
    34. Vicki

      August 13, 2020 at 3:08 pm

      Love love love all your recipes! I’ve made so many of them, numerous times, and they are all so easy and tasty!! Hubby goes crazy over my cooking and these veggie burgers are at the top of our yummy list! I’m a WFPB vegan for 9 years now and HIGHLY recommend this website and cookbook of the same name. I’ve given your cookbook as holiday and housewarming gifts I can’t tell you how many times. Thank you Cathy! Waiting for a second cookbook?!??? Blessings.

      Reply
      • Cathy

        August 13, 2020 at 5:18 pm

        Hi Vicki, Thanks so much for your comment! I love hearing about happy hubbies who love this food! Thank you for recommending my book and site; and since you're a fan, please consider leaving a review on Amazon. 🙂 I am working on a second cookbook, but not sure when it will be published yet. Thanks again! Cathy

        Reply
    35. patricia Evans

      August 26, 2020 at 11:26 pm

      Is there any substitute for the tomato sauce/ketsup. I cannot eat tomatoe. Seems like the whole recipe revolves aroung this for taste.

      Reply
      • Cathy

        August 27, 2020 at 8:44 am

        Tomato paste just adds flavor (since it's concentrated), but feel free to use another sauce that you are fond of instead, like hummus or a favorite salad dressing; or just leave it out. 🙂

        Reply
    36. Linda

      June 23, 2021 at 8:56 pm

      Just made these last night from the cookbook. They were fantastic. And they were easy to make with leftover rice. We served them with homemade salsa and guacamole. I highly recommend this recipe. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Cathy

        June 24, 2021 at 9:06 pm

        Yay! 🙂 Thanks Linda!

        Reply
        • Kim

          May 12, 2022 at 4:16 am

          Hi… I love your burger recipe and think they would also make great meatballs… any suggestion for how long and what temp to bake them at if I make them 1-1.5” thick or should I just cook them on the stove top?

          Reply
          • Cathy

            May 12, 2022 at 5:59 pm

            Hi Kim, you know, I've never made a meatball in my life, but I'd be tempted to bake them so they are crisper on the outside, at least 375F, for maybe 30 minutes??

            Reply
    37. Jill

      October 20, 2022 at 10:20 am

      Hi Cathy. I’m brand new to this way of eating and transitioning…can I use an egg or two to replace the brown rice? Thank you

      Reply
      • Cathy

        October 21, 2022 at 5:30 am

        I wouldn't, since the rice is the bulk of the burger; the egg wouldn't add bulk, just a bit of "glue" to hold it together.

        Reply

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