From day one of this blog, I had the idea to make "fuss-free" vegan recipes, but it took me awhile before I really nailed down what that meant. In the beginning, I thought the best approach was to use no specific measurements and vague instructions for my recipes... Unsurprisingly, recipe testers had varied results. Yep, not the smartest idea I've ever had.
Luckily, it wasn't long before I re-thought "fuss-free" and made it all about simple ingredients, and quick and easy recipes. That doesn't mean that my original fuss-free recipes (if you can call them that), were bad, it just means there was a dreadful lack of guidance and poor food photography to boot.
So every now and then I like to go back in time and revise one of the original fuss-free recipes. I've done it before with my 6 Ingredient Pulled Jackfruit, and Lentil Tacos with Avocado Cilantro Sauce, and today I am doing it with these Vegan Beet Burgers.
Because omnomnom!! My first version for vegan beet burgers required too many ingredients, a couple of flavours were competing, and of course, some measurements would be helpful. I've taken it from 14 ingredients to just 10, made it simpler and quicker, and got those flavour notes on point.
The intense colour of these burgers is so neat, but what's really rocking my socks is how the beets provide this deep rich earthiness to the burgers. So much flavour depth. The oats and lentils make a great base, and the sneaky trick is adding a bit of peanut butter which adds some richness and good fat balancing everything out perfectly.
When you make these, the dough is really sticky, but once cooked, they firm up and have a nice texture bite (no mushy burger here)!
To make Vegan Beet Burgers: peel the beets. I have a grater attachment for my Breville food processor so I used it to grate the beets directly into the processor. If you don't have that, just grate beets with the grater you have.
Then just add the beets, along with all of the remaining ingredients to the food processor.
Pulse, stopping to scrape the sides, until the mixture comes together.
Form into 4 patties. The patty mixture will be very sticky, so wet your hands in between forming each patty, to help stop the sticking.
Then you can either fry or bake the burgers, until brown on the outside and tender on the inside.
Leftover burgers get quite firm in the fridge overnight, so I prefer mine freshly made. However, if you like a nice firm bite, you might enjoy them even more!
(click stars to vote)
Vegan Beet Burgers
Servings: Burgers
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Ingredients
- 2 cups grated raw peeled beets, (about 2 medium beets)
- ¾ cup large flake rolled oats
- ½ cup cooked lentils, (I used canned)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ yellow onion, , finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, , finely minced
- 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- If you have a grater attachment for your food processor you can use it to grate the beets directly into the processor. If not grate beets with the grater you have, then add the beets, along with all of the remaining ingredients to the food processor. Pulse, stopping to scrape the sides, until the mixture comes together.
- Form into 4 patties. The patty mixture will be very sticky, so wet your hands in between forming each patty, to help stop the sticking.
To fry the patties (my fave):
- Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the patties. Cooking them low and slow is the key for good texture. Cook about 3 to 5 minutes per side, until they are nicely browned on both sides and hold together well. Serve hot on a bun with your favourite burger toppings.
To bake the patties:
- Preheat your oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.
- Lay the patties out in a single layer with room around them for air to circulate. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, flipping halfway through until firmed up and lightly brown on both sides. Serve hot on a bun with your favourite burger toppings.
To air fry the patties:
- Preheat your air fryer to 325F (170C). Lightly grease the air fryer basket.
- Lay the patties out in a single layer with room around them for air to circulate. You may need to work in batches. Bake 15 - 25 minutes, flipping halfway through until firmed up and lightly brown on both sides. Serve hot on a bun with your favourite burger toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Bon appetegan!
Sam.
Chan says
Great recipe thanks! I had my delightful beetroot burger while my family had beef burgers. Wet hands tip was a lifesaver. I halved the recipe and made 2 normal size and 1 mini for others to try. Had them with a brioche bun, melted cheddar, sliced tomatos, fried onions and a mix of peri peri mayo and dash of ketchup. A winner!
Jade says
Hi there. What could you substitute the peanut butter for ? Is it used as a binding agent? If you are only veggie would an egg work the same? Thank you in advance
Sam Turnbull says
Peanut butter is for fat and flavour, I list substitutions in the notes. I would never recommend using egg. 🙂
Madelyn Morris says
I made these burgers this weekend and my hubby and I both loved them! I used whole peeled cooked beets from Costco, and just thinly sliced them to make 2 cups worth (about 5 small beets). I thought the mixture was too wet (likely because the beets were not raw), so added about 1 1/4 cup of cooked cooled quinoa to thicken it up (I used this previously to make black bean/quinoa baked falafel). I guess I could have added more oats/flour instead of the quinoa, but went for the added protein! I also used Bob's gluten-free flour. I baked them and they turned out great! It made 8 burgers! Refrigerated the leftovers and my husband grilled them the next day and melted vegan smoked gouda cheese slices on top! Sooooooo yummy!! Will make these again for sure.
Tina says
Question: can you prep all the ingredients ahead of time, freeze the patties and then cook them at a later day?
Sara Pasterski says
I love the convenience of freezing them! i put parchment between each patty, though, or it'll be a difficult mess all stuck together.
Swati says
Hi Sam!
I love your recipes and even have your book! For this recipe, can I freeze these burgers and save for a rainy day (which is code for day I don't feel like cooking)?
Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thank you! I haven't tried it myself, but I think they should freeze fine. 🙂
Jessica says
Did you try freezing? How did it turn out?
Teeka says
Hi,
Could I use the beet pulp leftover after juicing beets for this recipe?
Sam Turnbull says
I haven't tried it, but it might work. You might need to add some extra moisture tho. ENjoy!
Linda says
Well, you've done it again! Perfection! This is the last vegan burger recipe I'll ever need. Some have great flavor, some great texture, but only this one has both, and almost no fat! Oh, and super simple! Thank you so much!
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing! So thrilled you loved it, Linda 🙂
Renee says
These are so delicious. I was worried my mixture was too mushy, but the wet hand, cook low and slow suggestion was perfect. Thank you for another delicious addition to the ever growing inventory of yummy meals.
Pia says
I made them a couple of months ago and they were amazing!!!!
I used brown lentils.
Do you think mushrooms would work too instead of lentils?
Sam Turnbull says
Mushrooms have a lot of water so they might not hold up as well, but I'm sure will still taste great 🙂
Richa Shukla says
Hi! Can I make this using my vitamix ? Don’t have a food processor. And if so, do I still need to grate the beets or just peel them and chop them up ? Thanks !
Sam Turnbull says
I don't think this would work in a blender, but you could mix by hand if you like 🙂
Carrie says
Hi Sam! This recipe was so simple to prepare (no odd ingredients, and I had everything on hand...no trip to the market). I did, however, use canned beets, but the end result was delightful! They were not too sticky and the outside crisped beautifully. So happy to have found your blog. I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Carrie 🙂
Harley SXM says
Happy to read this because I was wondering if I could use the cans of beetroots I was given. Now I am looking forward to giving this recipe a go!
Steph says
Would you happen to have the additional nutritional information aside from calories per burger? I'd love to share this recipe with my non-vegan gym buddies, but of course they'll want to know what the macros are. Thanks in advance!
Sam Turnbull says
I added it! Sorry for the slow response 🙂
Cyndi says
Peanut allergy here, can I replace it with almond butter?
Emily Borja says
Hey Sam!
I love your recipes and your cookbook!! There used to be a beet burger recipe on here that had miso paste and like a lot of ingredients that I LOVED. Not that this recipe isn't awesome, but do you still have that posted somewhere that I could access?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Emily, sorry I no longer have the recipe. This one is the same, just slightly tweaked to make it better 🙂
Kim says
I have not tried this recipe yet but it seems delicious. My question is, can I make these into beet balls and bake them? I would love to have it be versatile to use in other dishes.
Sam Turnbull says
Yes I think they would work just fine. ENjoy!
Sanaa Shaikh says
Hi there!
What kind of lentils do you use? Does it make a difference? I have a massive variety (never say 'lentils' to an Indian person - we have hundreds of kinds) - which is appropriate for these burgers?
Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! 🙂 Can you believe the can of lentils I bought didn't say!? I believe they were brown lentils, but I also think any pre-cooked lentil should work well here. Enjoy!
Allyson says
Hi Sam, we don't eat white flour. Can we use a brown rice flour or any other type of healthier flour then white?
Thank you.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Allyson, alternative flours are not my specialty, but you can review this guide which will help you replace flours.
Mike says
Nothing beefs a beet burger!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Ba dum dum tsk!
Kim says
This is an incredible recipe, especially considering it uses pantry staples to transform beets (not a favorite) into absolutely delicious veggie burgers. I got some beets in a CSA box, thought of burgers, and was thrilled to find this recipe to use all of them. I ordered more just to make these again!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! So thrilled you loved them so much, Kim!! Thanks for your great review 🙂
Bella says
Can I make this without using a food processor, but rather work the ingredients together with my hands?
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, that should work fine! Enjoy 🙂
Yulca says
I'm glad I saw this comment, I've had those on my wishlist for a while, but am still sans food processor.
I grated the beets very finely, mashed the lentils with a fork before adding them, and used fine rolled oats. Then I combined it all by hand (wearing rubber gloves). It worked really well & the patties turned out delicious!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! Thrilled it worked for you, Yulca! Another success 🙂
Yvonne says
Hi Sam!
May I know what would you suggest as substitution for beets in this recipe?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Yvonne, since the focus ingredient in this recipe is the beets, I wouldn't recommend substituting them and instead try another burger recipe such as my jerk sweet potato & black bean burgers, smoked apple burgers, or boss bbq burgers from my cookbook.
Carla says
Tried these today and they were lovely. Cooked them in the oven for approx 30 minutes. Putting the rest of the uncooked burgers in the freezer for another day.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you loved them, Carla 🙂
Kirby says
does the prepared mixture freeze well?
Tom Wilkinson says
I made a double batch yesterday and gave half to my daughter, a vegan. I'm not vegan but i try and eliminate meat wherever i can. These burgers were delicious and i much prefer them to meat burgers and even beyond burgers. The recipe was easy to follow and make. I had one for lunch yesterday while it was hot off the press. I'm going to add a little cumin next time and a little more garlic. Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
That's wonderful Tom! I'm thrilled you love them 🙂