These are some easy veggie burger recipes that don’t take long to make and cost significantly less than the equivalent from a manufacturer like Morningstar Farms (Kellogg’s), Boca (Kraft), etc. If you buy the ingredients at good prices, the burgers can cost $0.25 each, as opposed to $1 each (or more!) from the grocery store. If you make enough of them at once, this can really add up! They can be made in large batches and stored in the freezer for easy reheating in a toaster oven.

I tend to make these at the same time as other recipes. For example, if we have a rice recipe, we might make two cups of rice instead of one, use the extra for these burgers, and then make bread dough in the bread maker so it can bake at the same time as the burgers. With the right timing, you can eat some freshly baked burgers and bread. In fact, bread takes long enough to bake that you can likely do a couple of batches of burgers, one of which will finish partway through the baking time and then be replaced by a second.

The directions are generally the same for each variation, so I’ll start with the ingredients.

Ingredients

Chipotle Black Bean Burger (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

  • 1 cup dry rice (or breadcrumbs if preferred)
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 1 onion
  • Garlic powder (3 cloves worth)
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon chipotle pepper sauce to taste
  • Optional: Egg replacer (1-2 eggs worth)

Makes 8 patties.

Barbecue Burger (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

  • 1 cup dry rice (or breadcrumbs if preferred)
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 onion
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds (ground in food processor)
  • Garlic powder (3 cloves worth)
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon liquid smoke (hickory)
  • Black pepper to taste
  • Optional: Egg replacer (1-2 eggs worth)

Makes 8 patties.

Italian Burger (Vegan)

(This one is a bit more involved if you cook the vegetables.)

  • 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs (plain or Italian)
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 onion
  • 1 medium-large carrot
  • 8 oz mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup walnuts (ground in food processor)
  • Garlic powder (2 or 3 cloves worth)
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (if plain breadcrumbs)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
  • Water as necessary to make the mixture workable (a few tablespoons)
  • Optional: Egg replacer (1-2 eggs worth)

Makes 6-8 patties.

Directions

  • Make the rice.
  • Oil baking sheets and heat the oven to 375° F.
  • Use a food processor to dice the large ingredients (onion, beans, etc).
  • Optional: sauté the vegetables. (Generally only for the Italian burger.)
  • Combine in a container suitable for freezing.
  • Divide into equal sized balls and shape into patties.
  • Bake 15-20 minutes.
  • Serve on a bun or bread with condiments of your choice.

Tips

  • It’s best to process the beans in small batches.
  • Skipping cooking the vegetables saves a lot of time and doesn’t change the result much, except for carrots (maybe).
  • The patties generally break apart if you try to flip them halfway through and the result isn’t that different if you don’t flip them.
  • Optionally add egg replacer to help the mixture stick together.