Easy Vegan Beet Burger

What to expect?

Whenever we have a guest over for lunch or dinner, who is willing to try something plant-based, we usually choose to make them these easy vegan beet burgers to impress them. And so far everyone loved it.

Beet can be tricky for some as raw beet has a dirt-like taste that can overpower any additional flavors in a dish. So what did we do? We tried to balance all ingredients and spices in a way that you can enjoy beets without a strong earthy flavor.

We added Worcestershire sauce to give these burger patties a bit of smoky, charcoal taste. We tried it with soy sauce and liquid smoke as well, but there is something umami in Worcestershire sauce that we just prefer.

Ingredients

So what do you need to make smoky vegan beet burgers?

• Beets → They are the star of the show.
• Cannellini or white beans → They have a quite neutral taste. You can add them to any recipe for extra protein. Still, they remain fairly hidden and will not make the whole dish taste like beans.
• Oats → We recommend using fine oats or quick-cooking oats. If you use rolled oats, you should definitely chill the mix before frying to soften the rolled oats.
• Red onion
• Garlic
• Worcestershire sauce → We like to use this vegan and gluten-free brand. You can also use soy sauce or tamari.
• Thyme → fresh or dried
• Salt, and black pepper

🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Instructions

Preparing the ingredients

1. Wash beets thoroughly. Pay attention to wash off any dirt around the stem. Cut off the stem. If there is any dirt left, wash them again. Peel, then grate them.
2. Drain canned cannellini beans or cook dry beans from scratch.
3. Peel and chop onion and garlic.
4. Measure all other ingredients.

Making beet burger patties

1. Take a large mixing bowl, and add HALF of the grated beets, the canned or cooked white beans, and the chopped onion and garlic.

2. Use an immersion blender to puree it. Or do these first two steps in a food processor.

3. When you have a mixture of a purée consistency, add the other HALF of the shredded beet, the oats, and the seasoning (Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt, and pepper).

4. Mix them with a spoon and chill it in a fridge for 30 minutes, while the oats can absorb any excess liquid.

5. After chilling, the beet burger mixture should still feel soft, but not too wet. You should be able to form the burger patties without a problem. If not, add 1-2 tablespoons of corn starch.

Frying

1. Preheat a frying pan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat with some oil and cook each side for 3-5 minutes until the patties are getting brown.

2. Flip and cook the other side as well. Adjust the time you need to cook them thoroughly based on the size of your patties.

Cooking tips

• Grated, not pureed – To make the burger just right, use half of the grated beet for the puree. You can adjust the amount if you want. If you use more grated beet, the burger will be more like a hash brown. If you use more puree, the texture will be too soft and mushy.
• Don’t skip the chilling time – Oats are tougher than breadcrumbs. You need to leave some time for them to absorb the excess moisture. Otherwise, the mix will be too crumbly.
• Size matters – If you make thick burgers, you need to reduce heat to low/medium and cook them longer. The middle might not get well done. If you make thin burgers, you need a shorter cooking time for sure. Don’t serve them while hot as the burgers will firm up after cooling.

Building an epic vegan beet burger

The best part of the whole recipe is building your yummy burger. We know that the more layers you add, the harder it is to eat. However, we really recommend all these layers for you to try. They are absolutely amazing and delicious together!

1. Start off with a toasted bun.
2. Add green leaf lettuce because the ruffles look so pretty.
3. Then comes the star of this recipe, the vegan beet burger patty.
4. Next up, a vegan BBQ sauce and vegan mayo mix (mixed 1:1 previously in a small bowl).
5. Then, some fresh tomato slices.
6. Now, I added a super easy minty pea puree (details are in the recipe card).
7. Finish it off with some arugula.

What else can you add? It goes great with caramelized onions, vegan goat cheese, garlic aioli, avocado slices or guacamole.

Variations

Use other beans – We chose white beans due to their neutral taste, but other legumes may also work like chickpeas, black beans, or red kidney beans. Beets have a powerful color, so whatever you choose, the burger will be purple.

Baking vs frying – If you want to make them oil-free, preheat the oven to 395 Fahrenheit (ca. 202 °C). Place the burger patties on a silicone baking mat or use a parchment paper in a sheet pan and bake them for 10-15 minutes. Flip halfway and adjust the baking time depending on the size of your patties.

Serving ideas

If you add many layers to your burger, they will be rich and filling on their own. However, if you need some inspiration for burger side dishes, here are our usual choices:

• roasted potato or sweet potato wedges
• French fries from potatoes or other root veggies like carrots, parsnip…
• brown rice, quinoa, or other cooked grains or even riced sweet potatoes.
• light salad on the side like an easy vegan coleslaw, or a tomato-corn salsa fresca (which we make as part of our copycat Chipotle veggie bowl recipe)
• grilled vegetable kabobs of all variety
• roasted cauliflower

Equipment

Use a food processor to make the burger mixture even quicker. Most food processors have a grater attachment, so you can grate the beet directly into the processor. Then don’t forget to take HALF of them out before adding the other ingredients. Pulse, stop, scrape, and pulse again until you reach the right texture.

Storing tips

In the fridge: To keep your fried or baked burger patties fresh, simply store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. But if you’re working with uncooked mixture, make sure to use it within a day to prevent it from becoming too moist or spoilt.

In the freezer: Fry or bake the vegan beet burger patties if you plan to freeze them. Store them in an airtight container or ziplock bag with parchment paper in between. We don’t recommend freezing the rough batter. When you’re ready to use them, thaw them in the fridge before frying or baking as per instructions.

FAQs

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Easy Vegan Beet Burger

Nandor Barta

With just 7 simple and easy-to-find ingredients, this vegan beet burger recipe is perfect for those who want to experience the juicy, flavorful, and downright irresistible taste of this crowd-pleaser. Get your hands on some beets, cannellini beans, and oats, and trust us, this vegan burger will leave you feeling happy, satisfied, and wanting more! 

5 from 18 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Chilling time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Servings 8 burger patties

Calories 151kcal

Equipment

• Grill pan
• Non-stick frying pan (10.5 inch / 26 cm)
• Food processor

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Vegan beet burger

• ▢ ½ Onion (medium)
• ▢ 2 clove Garlic
• ▢ 2 Beet (medium) 3-4 oz is 1 beet
• ▢ 18 oz Cannellini or White beans
• ▢ 1 cup Fine or quick oats
• ▢ 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 2 Tbsp Thyme (dried)
• ▢ 2 tsp Salt
• ▢ ½ tsp Black pepper
• ▢ 2 Tbsp Corn starch optional

Minty Pea Puree

• ▢ 2 cup Green peas (frozen or canned)
• ▢ 12-15 Mint leaves
• ▢ ½ cup Veggie broth / Reserved cooking water add until you have a creamy puree consistency
• ▢ Salt and Pepper to taste start with a couple of pinches

Other Add-ins

• ▢ Burger bun
• ▢ Lettuce
• ▢ BBQ mayo sauce (1:1)
• ▢ Tomatoes
• ▢ Arugula

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Instructions

 

Preparing the ingredients

• Wash the beets thoroughly. Pay attention to washing off any dirt around the stem. Cut off the stem and peel them. If there is any dirt left around the stem, I wash them again. Finally, grate them with a large hole cheese grater.
• Peel and chop onion and garlic. Precook them with a bit of oil in a pan over medium heat. However, if you prefer a more distinctive onion/garlic taste, you can add them chopped and raw. 

Making the burger patties

• Take half of the grated beet, all canned cannellini beans (without water) and the cooked or the raw onions/garlic (as preferred) and puree them thoroughly with an immersion blender or food processor. 
• When ready, add the other half of the grated beets, the oats, and all seasoning (Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, sea salt, and black pepper) and mix them with a spatula. 
• Chill the mixture in a fridge for 30 minutes while the oats can absorb any excess liquid from the beet and the beans.
• After chilling, the mixture should still feel soft but not too wet. You should be able to form the patties without a problem. If not, add 2 Tbsp corn starch.

Frying

• Preheat the non-stick frying pan to medium heat and fry the beet burgers on both sides for 3-5 minutes or until light brown. Adjust the time you need to cook them thoroughly based on the size of your patties.
• Wait a bit until the burger is chilled before serving. As it cools down, it will harden and gets in a real burger shape. 

Minty pea puree

• Cook the peas in boiling water for 10 minutes or until soft. Reserve cooking water.
• Take a thin but tall container and add all ingredients (cooked or canned peas, mint leaves, salt, and black pepper). Puree until creamy consistency. Add a bit of cooking water if it is too thick.

BBQ mayo mix

• For 1 burger, we mix 2 Tbsp vegan BBQ sauce and 2 Tbsp vegan mayo in a small bowl.

Assemble

• Take a burger bun. First, I added green leaf lettuce, then one smoky beet burger patty. Next up, some BBQ and mayo mix (mixed 1:1 previously in a small bowl). Then, some fresh tomato slices. Now, I added a super easy Minty Pea Puree and finish it off, we some arugula. Enjoy!

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Notes

Top tips

• Use a food processor to make the burgers even quicker. Don’t forget to take HALF of them out before adding the other ingredients. Pulse, stop, scrape, and pulse again until you reach the right texture.
• I use fine oats / quick oats. If you prefer to use rolled oats, you might need more time for the oats to absorb the moisture, or you should add more starch. 
• Depending on the size of your beets, you might need to add more or fewer oats. 
• If you make thick burgers, you need to reduce the heat to low/medium and cook them longer. The middle might not get well done. If you make thin burgers, you need a shorter cooking time.
• Don’t serve them while hot, as the burgers will firm up after cooling. 

Bake them in the oven

Yes, you can bake them in the oven. Preheat the oven to 390 Fahrenheit (ca. 199 °C). Use a silicone baking sheet to bake the burgers. Bake them for 10-15 minutes while flipping them halfway.

Video

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Easy Vegan Beet Burger

Amount Per Serving (1 burger patty)

Calories 151 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Sodium 854mg37%

Potassium 495mg14%

Carbohydrates 28g9%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 9g18%

Vitamin A 91IU2%

Vitamin C 5mg6%

Calcium 77mg8%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

UPDATED: This recipe was originally posted in Aug 2018, but was rewritten and republished with new photos and tips in June 2022 and in Mar 2023.