Not so long ago, veggie burgers seemed unusual. Now we know they can be delicious and provide plenty of nutrients.
Whether you are vegetarian or vegan, want fewer animal products or simply fancy a change, an online nutritionist can help plan food around your goals and circumstances.
There are countless ways to make veggie burgers to your taste. Bases include pulses (chickpeas, beans, lentils), grains (millet, rice), starchy vegetables (sweet potato, potato) and vegetables such as carrot, cauliflower or aubergine. Add spices and the possibilities grow.
Here are our 10 veggie burger ideas! Some include egg or dairy, so check ingredients if you eat vegan.
Chickpea, carrot, egg and cumin burger
Ingredients
- Cooked chickpeas 100 g
- Carrot 50 g
- Onion 50 g
- Raw egg 60 g
- Breadcrumbs 20 g
- Cumin 5 g
- Table salt 1 g
Method:
- Peel and chop the onion and carrot.
- Sauté the vegetables in olive oil.
- Rinse the cooked chickpeas, mash with a fork and add cumin.
- Combine the mashed chickpeas, carrot, onion, egg and salt in a bowl.
- Mix all the ingredients well.
- Add breadcrumbs to help bind the mixture.
- Roll into balls with your hands, then flatten into burgers.
- Cook on a hot griddle until golden and cooked through. Ready to eat!
Kcal: 390kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 21% of calories
Carbohydrates: 56% of calories
Fat: 23% of calories
These veggie burgers provide carbohydrates and compounds such as beta-carotene and vitamin C with antioxidant roles.
Textured soya and broccoli burger with homemade vegan mayonnaise
Ingredients
- Fine textured soya protein 40 g
- Broccoli 50 g
- Carrot 40 g
- Onion 40 g
- Black pepper 2 g
- Cumin 2 g
- Paprika 5 g
- Garlic powder 2 g
- Breadcrumbs 10 g
- Lemon juice 10 g
- Table salt 2 g
- Soya drink 15 g
- Sunflower oil 30 g
- Raw egg 30 g
Method:
- Soak the textured soya in plenty of water.
- Sauté the finely chopped onion and diced carrot in a frying pan.
- Separate the broccoli florets, reserving the stalks for another use, and steam or microwave until cooked.
- Drain the soya thoroughly, pressing it in a sieve to remove excess liquid.
- Mix the soya, vegetables, cumin, ground pepper, paprika, garlic powder, breadcrumbs and egg. The mayonnaise is vegan, but the burger as written contains egg.
- For the vegan mayonnaise, put sunflower oil, plant drink (ideally at the same temperature), ground black pepper, lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a tall jug.
- Start the hand blender at the bottom on medium speed until emulsified, then move it gently up and down.
- Refrigerate any extra vegan mayonnaise promptly in a clean airtight jar and use within a few days. The original 4–7-day estimate is not a guaranteed safe storage period; follow ingredient guidance and handling conditions.
- Shape the burger mixture into balls and flatten into patties.
- Cook thoroughly in a hot pan with olive oil.
- Serve with the vegan mayonnaise and enjoy!
Kcal: 603kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 21% of calories
Carbohydrates: 27% of calories
Fat: 52% of calories
Textured soya is versatile and can help meet protein needs. Just 100 g of the dry product can supply more than 50 g of protein; hydrated values are lower per equal weight.
Black bean, sweet potato and rice burger
Ingredients
- Cooked black beans 60 g
- Orange-fleshed sweet potato 50 g
- Cooked rice 30 g
- Nutritional yeast 8 g
- Garlic powder 2 g
- Cumin 2 g
- Paprika 2 g
- Table salt 1 g
- Wheat flour 10 g
- Olive oil 5 g
Method:
- Peel the sweet potato, cut into large pieces and microwave, steam or boil until tender.
- Mash the cooked beans in a bowl with a fork.
- Add the cooked rice and mix.
- For a finer texture, pulse in a food processor.
- Mash the cooked sweet potato and add to the mixture.
- Mix well, then add cumin, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, paprika and salt to taste.
- Add breadcrumbs to bind the mixture.
- Shape into balls, then flatten into burgers.
- Heat a little olive oil in a pan and cook the vegan burgers thoroughly.
Kcal: 311 calories (with these quantities)
Protein: 17% of calories
Carbohydrates: 63% of calories
Fat: 20% of calories
Combining a pulse (black beans), a tuber (sweet potato) and a grain (rice) creates a varied recipe supplying complex carbohydrates, protein and fibre.
Millet, broccoli and mushroom burger
Ingredients
- Millet 40 g
- Mushrooms 60 g
- Broccoli 60 g
- Garlic 3 g
- Breadcrumbs 20 g
- Olive oil 5 g
- Table salt 1 g
- Black pepper 1 g
Method:
- Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the millet for about 20 minutes.
- Sauté crushed garlic, chopped broccoli and sliced mushrooms in olive oil with salt and black pepper.
- Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and pulse briefly, leaving some texture.
- Add the drained millet and half the breadcrumbs, then mix well.
- Shape into burgers by hand.
- Coat with the remaining breadcrumbs.
- Cook in a non-stick pan or on a griddle for about a minute on each side, until hot and golden.
Kcal: 311kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 13% of calories
Carbohydrates: 67% of calories
Fat: 20% of calories
Millet is naturally gluten-free and supplies iron and magnesium. For coeliac disease, also check other ingredients and cross-contact risks.
Lentil and rice burger with tomato in a sandwich thin
Ingredients
- Rice 30 g
- Parsley 1 g
- Cumin 1 g
- Dried thyme 1 g
- Black pepper 1 g
- Olive oil 3 g
- Chives 20 g
- Sandwich thins 40 g
- Red tomato 40 g
- Romaine lettuce 15 g
- Cooked lentils 60 g
Method:
- Boil the rice in plenty of water for 20 minutes, then drain and set aside.
- Use cooked lentils, either canned or cooked beforehand and stored safely.
- Combine the rice and lentils with chopped parsley, chives and your preferred spices.
- Mash with a fork into a compact mixture.
- Shape into one or more burgers.
- Heat a pan and use a pastry brush to spread a few drops of oil.
- Cook the burgers on both sides until hot throughout.
- Split the sandwich thin, add the burger, tomato slices and lettuce, then close and enjoy!
Kcal: 325kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 17% of calories
Carbohydrates: 69% of calories
Fat: 14% of calories
Pulses and grains provide complementary plant proteins. To learn more, read Protein-rich vegetarian menu.
Quinoa, chickpea, aubergine and spinach burger
Ingredients
- Cooked chickpeas 80 g
- Quinoa 20 g
- Onion 30 g
- Aubergine 40 g
- Spinach 30 g
- Table salt 1 g
- Olive oil 5 g
- Cumin 1 g
- Garlic 5 g
Method:
- Rinse canned chickpeas thoroughly and leave to drain.
- Cook quinoa in boiling salted water for about 15 minutes, then drain.
- Blend the chickpeas into a smooth paste.
- Sauté chopped onion, finely chopped aubergine, garlic and washed, dried spinach in olive oil with salt and ground cumin.
- Mix the chickpea paste, drained quinoa and seasoned vegetables.
- Combine into an even mixture and adjust the spices.
- Shape into burgers and cook on a hot oiled griddle until golden and hot throughout.
Kcal: 301kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 16% of calories
Carbohydrates: 57% of calories
Fat: 27% of calories
Cumin is commonly used in veggie burgers for flavour. It is traditionally associated with digestive comfort, but it does not reliably prevent gas for everyone.
Cauliflower burger
Ingredients
- Cauliflower 150 g
- Olive oil 10 g
- Breadcrumbs 10 g
- Table salt 3 g
- Onion 20 g
- Oat flour 20 g
- Parsley 3 g
- Black pepper 2 g
- Egg white 30 g
Method:
- Chop the cauliflower and steam or microwave for 15 minutes, until tender.
- Mash, then add oat flour, very finely chopped onion (sauté first if you prefer), egg white, parsley, salt and black pepper.
- Mix into a compact mixture.
- Shape into a ball and roll in breadcrumbs.
- Flatten into a burger.
- Cook with a few drops of oil over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked on both sides.
TIP: Try your favourite combination of spices.
Kcal: 285kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 14% de calories
Carbohydrates: 45% of calories
Fat: 41% of calories
Cauliflower is a useful vegetable for burgers. The original article estimates a medium serving at 77% of the daily vitamin C reference value, though serving sizes and reference values differ. Vitamin C supports normal immune function.
Brown rice and beetroot burger with tomato, lettuce and onion
Ingredients
- Cooked beetroot 40 g
- Brown rice 40 g
- Rolled oats 25 g
- Onion powder 2 g
- Garlic powder 2 g
- Coriander 5 g
- Flaxseeds 2 g
- Rice flour 10 g
- Mustard 5 g
- Red onion 20 g
- Iceberg lettuce 20 g
- Kumato tomato 20 g
- Burger bun 80 g
Method:
- Soak the rice overnight in the fridge, then drain.
- Grind the oats with the flaxseeds.
- Bring twice the rice volume of water to the boil. Add rinsed, drained rice and simmer until absorbed, about 50 minutes.
- Cool the rice promptly, then blend with the dry ingredients and beetroot mixture.
- With damp hands lightly dusted in rice flour, shape into burgers.
- Cook on a griddle or in a pan with a little olive oil.
- Lightly toast the bun and add mustard if desired.
- Assemble with sliced tomato, lettuce and thinly sliced red onion.
Kcal: 560kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 12% of calories
Carbohydrates: 75% of calories
Fat: 12% of calories
Beetroot supplies dietary nitrate. As explored in this study, nitrate may affect exercise efficiency and muscle oxygen-related responses; effects depend on dose and context.
Lentil, pumpkin and coriander burger with homemade tomato sauce
Ingredients
- Cooked lentils 60 g
- Rolled oats 20 g
- Olive oil 8 g
- Cumin 1 g
- Garlic powder 1 g
- Plum tomatoes 100 g
- Table salt 1 g
- Breadcrumbs 10 g
- Pumpkin 40 g
- Coriander 2 g
Method:
- Roast the pumpkin in the oven or microwave, or buy it ready-roasted.
- Combine drained cooked lentils, oats, roasted pumpkin, breadcrumbs, coriander and the remaining spices.
- Mash with a fork until evenly combined, or use a blender or food processor.
- Shape into one or more burgers.
- Heat a pan and brush with a few drops of oil.
- Cook on both sides until hot throughout.
- Meanwhile, wash and grate the tomatoes into a bowl. Add a little olive oil and a pinch of salt; add pepper or Tabasco for heat if desired.
Kcal: 298kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 15% of calories
Carbohydrates: 55% of calories
Fat: 30% of calories
Tomato and coriander give these burgers a fresh, tangy flavour. Unless coriander tastes soapy to you! Genetic differences can influence perception of its flavour; this is not the same as an allergy.
Homemade tofu burger
Ingredients
- Firm tofu 100 g
- Garlic 10 g
- Onion 50 g
- Red pepper 50 g
- Tamari soya sauce 20 g
- Wheat flour 20 g
- Table salt 1 g
- Black pepper 1 g
- Olive oil 10 g
Method:
- Chop onion, garlic and red pepper and sauté in a little oil.
- Mash the tofu with a fork.
- Add the vegetables and combine.
- Add soya sauce and flour.
- Mix and shape into burgers.
- Cook both sides in a little oil until golden and thoroughly cooked.
Kcal: 337Kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 20% of calories
Carbohydrates: 34% of calories
Fat: 46% of calories
Calcium content depends on the tofu and its coagulant. The original example gives 38% of daily calcium for a 225 g serving; check your product’s label. For more ideas, read Tofu recipes: 8 different ways to cook it.
Whether or not you are vegetarian, we hope you enjoy these burgers. To improve your diet with professional support, explore our online nutritionist service.
