To Die For Veggie Burgers with Garlic Herb Mayo.
I HAVE FOUND IT. The best veggie burger is here.
A veggie burger that I’m losing my mind over. It’s so fantastic that I have no idea how I’ve waited to tell you about this.
I’m not exaggerating. This is the best best best veggie burger I have ever tried.
Trust me!
It checks all the boxes.
Major flavor.
Lots of texture.
Super satisfying.
Stays together. !!!!!!!
That last one is a biggie, I know.
But first! We’re nearing the 4th of July and I’m going to share my two favorite burgers with you: a veggie version and a beef version. The extent to which I love both is pretty much unreal. I mean, they are SO good. I’m going to start here because I figure that you might also want this for dinner tonight. I know that I do.
The other burger will make an appearance next week! I’ve made it six times recently… uh huh.
So! I’ve been eyeing bon appetit’s veg burgers for a long time now and knew I had to make it happen. With just a few small changes – I am absolutely enamored.
There is even a possibility that I would choose this burger over the other burger I’m going to tell you about, and that involves tons of cheese.
Sure, this one involves cheese too (the cheese I used in the photos is a chipotle Havarti and it’s INSANE) but my reasons for loving it have nothing to do with cheese. Fabulous taste, chew and versatility are what I’ all about here. Plus, some extras that I really like: quinoa! beans! mushrooms! cashews!
It’s allllll in there.
Some notes though. Important ones!
These are high maintenance. I know. They are! I have a few other veggie burger recipes that aren’t as crazy, but when I tell you these are worth it? THESE ARE WORTH IT.
You have to do all the little steps. You have to roast the beans and the mushrooms. The mushrooms have to be chopped into small pieces. Some of the mixture must be thrown in the food processor. You really have to follow the important instructions below so they come out great! Again, worth it.
You cannot grill these. I really don’t know of any actual veggie burger that you can make from scratch and instantly grill. You can, however, put a cast iron skillet on the grill and cook them like that!
Since there are a bunch of steps, you can make them ahead of time, wrap them singly in plastic wrap and store them in the fridge or freezer. Winnnning.
These are INCREDIBLE on salads. In wraps. On so many things! Love them so much. Leftovers are a must.
Oh! And.
Here’s the other thing. I served these on buns but truly, they are SO good in/on a lettuce wrap. While I like a GOOD burger – veggie burgers never have quite the chew or texture as beef burgers. And while these ones are far superior to others that I have tried, and while they have loads of texture and taste like heaven, I still like them best when wrapped in lettuce! Crazy right?
Luckily you can serve them however the heck you want. Woohoo!
Of course, I added a garlic herb mayo because my millennial brain can never get enough. And all the other toppings, because… BURGERS.
Now you have to try them so they can become your favorites too and we can be BFF’s over burgers.
Watch the video of me making the best veggie burgers!
Best Ever Veggie Burgers
Ingredients
- ½ cup cooked pearl barley cooled
- ½ cup cooked quinoa cooled
- 1 14 ounce can of black beans, drained
- 1 pound shiitake mushrooms stems removed and chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 sweet onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup chopped unsalted cashews
- 1 tablespoon old fashioned oats
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- canola grapeseed or coconut oil for serving
- sliced sharp cheddar or your favorite cheese for serving
- 4 to 6 buns for serving
- lettuce tomato, red onion - whatever you love on your burger!
garlic herb mayo
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil
- 2 tablespoons chopped oregano
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray. Spread the black beans on one sheet in a single layer.
- Spread the chopped mushrooms on the other sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the mushrooms with salt and pepper.
- Roast the beans and mushrooms for 12 to 15 minutes, until the beans split open and the mushrooms cook down.
- While the beans and mushrooms are roasting, heat a skillet over medium low heat. Add the olive oil, diced onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- At this time, you can also pulse the cashews and oats in the food processor until they are finely chopped. Don’t wash the food processor because we will be using it again!
- In a large bowl, stir together the mayo, egg yolk, chili powder, honey and smoked paprika. Stir in the sautéed onion mixture, cooked barley and quinoa, the beans and the mushrooms. Add in the oats and the cashews. Use a potato masher or fork to smash the mixture together until it is somewhat combined. Take 1/3 of the mixture and place it back in the food processor. Pulse it a few times until it’s all very finely chopped and combined, then transfer it back to the large bowl. Stir in the cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Mix everything together (I suggest using your hands – it will be sticky!) until combined.
- At this point, form the mixture into patties or burgers – whatever the size of your bun is! You can go with 4 or 6 patties - or even smaller for slider size. You can stick the patties in the fridge until it’s time to use them.
- When you’re ready to cook, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add a high heat oil – like canola, grapeseed or coconut. Once the oil is hot, add the patties and cook them for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Be gentle when flipping to ensure they don’t fall apart! A minute or so before removing them from the skillet, add a slice of cheddar on top so it melts.
- Serve on buns with the garlic mayo, lettuce, tomato and red onion!
- As a note, these cannot be grilled as like most veggie burgers, they will fall apart. You can, however, place a cast iron skillet on the grill and cook them outdoors that way.
garlic herb mayo
- Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Serve!
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
Juuuust look at that.
147 Comments on “To Die For Veggie Burgers with Garlic Herb Mayo.”
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Totally trying this with all quinoa (since barley isn’t GF), These look amazing!
You might need something a little more binding, so maybe try cooked rice or GF oats? I’ve done all quinoa burgers before and they tend to fall apart more easily. Let me know what you try!
Thaaaank you! You will love it!
Please post how it turns out, I was all excited and then saw barley 😊
Pushed post a little too quickly, definitely needed to add a please and thank you 😊
OMG. I’ve been trying to eat less meat lately and these look AMAZING. Can’t wait to try.
While this does look delicious, a true ‘veggie’ burger CANNOT have cheese!
Sure it can! This is not vegan – it’s vegetarian! :)
Try melting some vegan Chao Creamy Original on this burger. It will be delicious! :)
* Note- eggs, mayo, and honey are not vegan, substitutions needed!
I didn’t say they were vegan – they are vegetarian! If you are vegan then you probably have more experience with great substitutions that I do for those ingredients. Try subbing what you would normally use and it might work! The posted burger will only work with vegetarian ingredients though!
Got so excited to make and then saw cheese and eggs…boo. need vegan substitutions!
they are vegetarian, not vegan! Unfortunately I have not been able to recreate a successful vegggie burger that is vegan, stays together, tastes amazing, etc. you probably have better luck with subs than me if you are vegan! So I’d go ahead and sub what you would normally use for those ingredients!
Main reason I eat veggie burgers is to avoid the fat and cholesterol in animal products..or I might as well have a low fat burger burger. I could substitute but this one is too work intense to experiment with. It sounded great up to the yolk and cheese..add in all the Mayo and well too much animal fat. Thank you anyway
ahhh I gotcha holly. I probably also wouldn’t put the work into this burger with subs if I didn’t know it would come out perfectly. it is high maintenance. thanks!!
I dislike mayo immensely but I was going to just sub Greek yogurt.
Just a vegan here commenting to say a) Jessica never said they were vegan and b) all y’all complaining should know your own vegan-friendly substitutions! And I am also quite pumped to make these this weekend!
haha thanks Hannah!
I agree! As I was reading this, I thought, well I’m vegan so what can I sub out that’s not vegan and as a vegan I definitely know what that is, not very hard to do! The only thing I don’t agree with is that you can’t make these vegan, you definitely can! Vegan cheese, vegan mayo, and flax seed egg should work fine.. might have to add to it a bit to get it to stick together but I think it can be done! Thanks Hannah for the recipe!
I think so, too Natasha. I bet cornstarch would work for the egg yolk too! Thank Jessica!
Omg this is amazing guys!! When you try it, please come back and let me know what you did! xo
Ha! You know what’s reeeeeaaally millennial, though? I thought someone please make these for me so I don’t have to cook all the grains…and then I was like wait!! I can just go pick everything up (precooked) at the Whole Foods salad bar! I might even eat pre-chopped mushrooms there too! 🤦🏼♀️😆 #winning
Hahahaha OMG I love you.
❤️
GENIUS
agree, haha!
Any thoughts on whether this would work to substitute sunflower seeds with the cashews (or another nut-free alternative) – we have a nut allergy here in this house :)
Sounds delicious, thank you for the recipe!
I actually think it would!! Because you end up chopping the cashews. I bet the seeds would work!
It should! Angela at Oh She Glows has a veggie burger recipe and uses sunflower seeds!
Also, any good substitute for mushrooms?! 😂
My last attempt at a veggie burger (and I’ve tried LOTS) was so bad that my friends and I had to laugh as they fell apart in our hands. I can’t seem to nail down delicious + not crumbly. It’s always either one or the other! Excited to try these.
Haha I’ve been there! Let me know how you like it. :)
I really want to make this tonight and have everything but pearled barley. Do you think I could sub farro? I saw you commented to not to 100% quinoa.
I think you can!! Let me know how it turns out!
Reporting back after subbing barley for farro – it worked great and more importantly, these were INSANELY DELICIOUS…. like, “can’t wait for leftovers for lunch” delicious said both my husband and I.
Yes, they are a little time consuming, but I appreciate that most of the prep can be done in advance … regardless they are 100% WORTH IT.
Five stars – new fav – will be in our regular rotation. Thanks for sharing.
woohoo!!!
these are completely insanely delicious! worth the effort!
xoxox
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This recipe totally makes me want to try a veggie burger! Will report back! 😍
thanks anita!
My last attempt at a veggie burger ended up with me getting over zealous with the processor and basically turning the mixture into soup…a bright green soup. My husband still laughs about this.
Anyways, definitely want to try this! The recipe looks very easy to halve, but what would you suggest for the egg? Just go ahead and use one egg yolk and halve everything else? Thank you!!
yesss! i would still do one entire yolk and halve everything else. :) thanks sara!
I am just reading through these comments and all I can think is “poor Jessica…” *face palm* But then again, when people don’t have cheese and butter in their lives, what can you expect?! ;)
These sound SO great, Jessica! I am definitely bookmarking this for later so I can whip out something fab next time I have vegetarian guests! :)
I thought the same thing Ashlyn! Butter and cheese are food groups in my house and even though we are meat people this sounds intriguing enough to devote some time on Saturday to whipping these up. We have some vegetarians in our family so I’m always looking for new things to spring on them :D
haha thanks guys! appreciate you!
Holy crap these look good! As a lifelong vegetarian (not vegan ;) I cannot wait to try these!
thanks kirsti!
Where did you find ‘veggie’ egg yolk? Carrot eggs?
this is a vegetarian veggie burger. no place did i say it was vegan. i am not an expert in vegan food, but i do love delicious vegetarian recipes.
Rude
I’m confused as to where you read the word “vegan” in this recipe. which I’m guessing you did, based upon your rude comment.
just to let you know: eggs can be eaten by vegetarians. same with cheese.
since you’re so concerned, I thought I’d also let you know that you can buy VeganEgg, which is an egg susbtitute made with soy.
see, I can be rude too. but at least my comment was educational.
You might be able to try aquafaba for the egg yolk.
excellent suggestion! thanks!
Please do not let people’s comments about the non-vegan ingredients keep you from posting awesome vegetarian (or vegan) meals in the future. As someone who is trying to eat less meat, it is awesome to see a veggie burger recipe that looks meat-burger-cravable!
thanks rachel! xoxo
I second this! I’m so disappointed in some of these comments. Mostly because the people leaving them are wrong but still feel the need to be sassy. “Veggie burger” doesn’t mean vegan. It never did. And it may…one day, but that day is not in the foreseeable future. THANK YOU so much for posting this. I feel very strongly about not eating meat (personally) and I’m grateful that you’re using your reach and accessibility to make veggie burgers more of an acceptable dinner concept for those who maybe stumbled on your site due to the sheer magnitude of BACON mentions lol
I am vegan. These comments are crazy. I find that most burgers called veggie burgers ARE vegetarian! Not vegan! And no where did you ever say that these were vegan. Keep up the good work Jessica! As a vegan, I love your recipes.
haha thanks mary!
Excited to try these. Do you think there is anything I could sub for mushrooms?
Also here is my current go to veg (&vegan) burger.
http://ohsheglows.com/2011/07/13/our-perfect-veggie-burger/
Great texture and flavor
OMG, Lauren!
I just posted the same comment- referencing the burger, but minus the link to the recipe at OSG!
I was thinking the same thing! I’m a vegetarian that hates the taste and texture of mushrooms (and tofu)! Would it be possible to just skip that ingredient?
while i personally haven’t found a great sub for mushrooms, i have heard that shredded tofu might work?!
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Eggs, cheese, animal fat! The horrors!! Omgosh huge eye roll. Why bother even posting?! Your food issues don’t have to be everyone’s issues. Make substitutions as you see fit and stop complaining about FREE recipes. Ugh!
totally agree…why bother commenting and complaining! They clicked on it, it is FREE and she made no claims to be vegan! :)
xoxoxo
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I’m the least vegetarian person that exists. Just a guess. And I totally want to try these! They look so complex (both in flavor and in a good, “I’m going to take my time in the kitchen” kind of way) and creative. Whether I can get the family on board is another story. More for me? :)
thanks ellen! xo
Great recipe! Don’t be discouraged by the crazy comments by those who can’t recognize that these are vegetarian, not vegan. In my experience they, of all people, should know how to adapt a vegetarian recipe to fit their lifestyle. It’s what we do! Just an editorial note, I think there is a typo…the oil is for frying, not serving, right? ;-)
thanks bonny!! and yes, omg, for cooking! hehe. i’m braindead sometimes.
Do you think you could freeze the patties prior to cooking to keep on hand?
yep, absolutely!!! you probably want to thaw them before cooking. :)
These look so good, thank you for sharing Jessica! Any other gluten free people out there that can suggest a good sub for the barley?
Brown Rice
I actually made this veggie burger. I will be honest. I use the mushrooms at a cheaper grocery store because the ones that were recommended for the recipe were just way too pricey and ridiculous. But at the same time it was awesome. I guess next time when I make it I will try the recommended mushrooms to see if the taste is different but this is literally by far the best veggie burger I have ever homemade. Though it is a little time-consuming it was well worth it. Thank you so much for posting
Hi Greg, I’m going to try these tonight. Did you sub white button for shiitakes?
Thank you,
Kelly
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These look insanely delicious! Any ideas on substitutions for quinoa? I’m allergic!
I do love a black bean burger and this one sounds incredible especially with that garlic herb mayo! Yummy!
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This is what I like. This burger is just so tasty.
Got ingredients to try this! Only change….I cannot use all shitakes because they are too $$$$$$ here for a lb. But as a vegetarian, I so appreciate that you put so much effort into a veggie burger! And for thosr vegans….you can find a way to veganize it! I vegetarianize Jessica’s recipes and there is always a wsy to adapt them to my diet! Hey, we all love to cook and be creative in the kitchen so there is always a way!☺
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These look incredible! I would not have guessed that these were veggie — they look totally steakhouse burger! I’m good with a pan fry, way quicker for us!
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Hi Jessica,
Been following your recipes for a year now – never been interested in your vegetarian dishes UNTIL NOW!
THIS VEGGIE BURGER ROCKS. Period. Dot. Dash. Delicious in everyway possible. I served it to company and my husband and everyone loved loved loved it.
Thanks for sharing :)
These look absolutely deliiish. I’m a vegetarian who loathes mushrooms, so I think I will give this a try with shredded tofu! :)
Also, I want to reiterate the comments above about not letting the negative vegans get you down! Being vegan, they should be used to adapting recipes for their needs. Veggie burgers are rarely vegan. No need for the negativity peoples.
I’ve been reading your blog for over 7 years, and I really appreciate vegetarian recipes! So thank you!!
Shaking my head reading some of these comments.
1) Jessica never said they were vegan
2) This is a FREE recipe, created by someone who loves food, and loves to share her love of food, yes this is a tongue twister but it still stands
3) NOWHERE DOES IT SAY THEY ARE VEGAN
4) Did I mention free?
In other words, make your own substitutions, stop whining, and just appreciate the hell of a lot of work that went into creating this vegetarian burger. Jess, I’ve been reading you since the beginning, own both your books, and just straight-up love this site. Thanks for all that you do!
PS: The fact that you managed to make a controversial veggie burger is actually somewhat impressive?
These look so delicious! I can’t wait to make them. Do you think they would freeze well?? Also what kind of buns are those because those also look SO good haha
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Made them last night…YUM! Made them vegan…flax egg, vegan mayo and vegan cheddar….they were delicious…new favorite..
Many Thanks :-)
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I have tried many versions ou f V ed ggie burgers as my husb as nd doesnt eat meat. I wonder if I can substitute brown rice for quinoa and barley? I notice others also substitute. Plus I would leave out mushrooms. They look amazing though!