Author: I'm excited to introduce you to Vegan Beet Burgers! Bursting with vibrant colors and packed with goodness, their rich earthy flavor and juicy texture make them a true delight for the senses. Whether you're a beet aficionado or simply looking to add more plant-based goodness to your diet, these vegan burgers are sure to become a favorite in your recipe repertoire and a regular on your grill this summer 🍔🌱
These Vegan Beet Burgers have a firm and spring-y texture like beef that holds up when cooking on either your grill or in a pan. A welcome addition to my growing collection of vegan burgers on this blog, they are every bit as good as my Jerk Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burgers, Smoked Apple Veggie Burger, or my Vegan Seitan Burgers!
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 in this vegan burger recipe. 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:
First, 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 (no bowl needed). 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!
This Vegan Beet Burger is...
- Meaty and Juicy
- Can be grilled or pan fried
- Is perfect for BBQs, Picnics, Parties, or long weekend get-togethers!
- Goes perfectly with classic toppings like ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, lettuce, onions, pickles, and vegan cheese!
More Vegan Burger Recipes You Might Enjoy:
Jerk Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burgers
Smoked Apple Veggie Burger
Vegan Seitan Burgers
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(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
For the best texture, freeze the patties uncooked. After shaping, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid (about 1 - 2 hours). Then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag with parchment between layers. Freeze for up to 2 months. Cook straight from frozen using your preferred method (pan-fry, bake, or air fry), adding a few extra minutes to the cook time. You can freeze cooked patties too, but just note they’ll be quite firm once reheated—some people love that heartier texture! To reheat, warm in a skillet, oven, or air fryer until heated through.
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕Bon appetegan!
Sam.
Bill says
l like the look of these burgers, do they freeze well prior to cooking, I'm only cooking for two?
Bill says
Hi Sam
I made these today, the recipe for the burgers came together very well and it was easy to shape and cook them.
But I found them quite bland and the mild taste was lost in the burger bun.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Yes they should freeze fine! We recommend baking them and then freeze them. Enjoy!
Christina Gross says
My family absolutely LOVES these. we've been making them on the regular for about a year now or more?! They are SO good, highly recommend adding them to your regular routine if you don't already! We use almond butter sometimes and regular PB. Use GF all purpose Bob's Red Mill flour and they turn out great. Both subs turn out great.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Amazing! Thanks for sharing your substitutions!
Blu says
Okay sooo these were amazing!!! I was so surprised!! I did have to go away from your full on recipe because I didn’t have oats or canned lentils…. I used beets, PB, Kidney beans, a tsp of tapioca starch, spelt flour, and your seasonings. Fried then baked em! Listen whatever the case these were amazing and quick!!! Kids LOVED these like LOVED!!!!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
That's wonderful news! Thanks for sharing your substitutions.
Susan says
Oh My Gosh, Sam, these beet burgers are so delicious! They have such a wonderful almost indescribable flavor. As you said in the video, maybe it’s the peanut butter! I haven’t had much luck with veggie burgers in the past as they fall apart and are mushy but these aren’t like that I plan to try more of your burger recipes in the future both from the blog and your books. Thanks for giving me burger hope!!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed them, Susan!!
Silvia says
can gluten free flour be a substitute? If so, what would be the ratio?
Blitzo says
Wow! vegan beet burger really tasty and love this recipe easy and delicious.
Jenni says
What a delicious recipe! Made this on a whim to use some fresh beets from the farmers market - we didn’t have hamburger buns so we made “beetball” subs on hot dog buns. (Used recipe up until forming them, and cooked for slightly less time since they were smaller.) The picky-eater-kids LOVED it with just ketchup and mustard, and the adults had it with the beet greens (+garlic and salt sautéed in olive oil) and vegan mayo on top. So good! They looked beautiful, too. Definitely making this recipe again! Thank you!
Karaokegirl says
Can I use Tahini or almond butter in place of the peanut butter?
Margaret cachia says
I’d like to try these burgers, would it I get the same results if I used quinoa as I’m unable to eat pulses or beans. Thanks
Sam Turnbull says
Yes that will work fine 🙂
Paul says
Awesome recipe. I squeezed the moisture out of the beet into some kitchen towel and they were perfect. Thank you
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed, Paul!
Lila says
Great recipe! I tried first with pre-packaged cooked beets from the grocery and although good, it was soft. This time I followed the recipe, adding some Worcestershire sauce and also brushing with soy sauce as I cooked in the pan. This is my favorite veggie burger recipe now. I was worried the beets would be raw tasting but they gave the burger a great texture and you’d never know there are beets in there. Wonderful flavor!
Shawn says
Love, love, love this recipe! I have made them several times now using well drained canned beets as they are less labor intensive for me than fresh. I also use black beans instead of lentils and substitute asafoetida powder for garlic and onion due to dietary restrictions. We cook them low and slow on the stove. Perfection!
I'm interested in chopping the mix up as it cooks for tacos etc. I hope to try that soon.
Karen says
I can't get Jack fruit here what else should I use
Yuli says
Delicious! I didn't have any lentils so used the same amount of tinned chickpeas. Didn't have thyme either so used rosemary, cumin and smoked paprika. The texture and flavour reminded me of Beyond Burger.
The only downside is I don't like using beetroot in my kitchen, it stains so easily and everything looks like a murder scene might try making these with readily shredded beetroots next time!
Sheryl says
Love these burgers. Thank you for posting this recipe! What I particularly like about your recipe is that it isn't complex with lots of different ingredients. as an added note....before forming the patties, I rolled the beet mixture into balls and refrigerated them for about 30 minutes. I found the mixture wasn't as sticky and held together better when making the patties.
Aggy says
We're not vegan but we are trying to eat healthy. We have a healthy seasonal vegatables delivered and i was stuck what to do with beets. I love beetroot soup, kids not so much. I came across your recipe that was simple and didn't require tonnes of strange ingredients they're delicious! Kids absolutely loved it. I added some ground cumin too.
We're no longer buying vegan burgers saving quite a bit of money. We have one of your books and planning more vegan meals
Kumari says
Love this recipe!! Easy and delicious! Everyone in the family loved it including my five year old.
Tip: I used an ice cream scooper to portion out the burgers into my pan so that I didn’t have to get all sticky and it worked like a charm!
Thanks for this recipe!
Emily D. says
This is hands down, my favorite veggie burger recipe out there. A local restaurant used to serve a beet burger but took it off their menu, so I had to find a way to get my beet burger fix! I never have natural peanut butter, so I usually use tahini or almond butter. I've passed this recipe on to many friends, with the caveat that having a food processor with a grater attachment largely cuts down on the time these take to make. I made this for the first time in March, and have since then made it for friends and family, meat eaters and plant based folk alike, EVERYONE LOVES IT!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! That's wonderful, Emily! So thrilled you love it so much 🙂
Robin Gill says
Made these for the first time tonight as I loads of beetroot.
OMG absolutely delicious!
Didn't serve in the traditional burger sense in a bun (although I will for sure) but had with fried plantain and a mixed bean, pepper, avocado salad.
Really quick and simple to made, good texture and delicious. This will.now be only the second vegan burger recipe I make.
Dana says
Dang, these are good. I didn’t have lentils so I substituted black beans. I made them a couple of weeks ago and had 3 burgers left over, which I froze. It was so successful that I’m making them again but I plan to freeze all of them. Impromptu dinners for the future,
Jess says
I'm so curious if you have reheated them from frozen yet? I assume you cooked them and then froze? That's what I'm hoping to do as well.
JESS says
These are delicious! I've been making them for about a year now, and they turn out delicious every time. I make them exactly as written and use the baking method. Oddly they taste even better cold. Thank you for the recipe.