I HAVE FOUND IT. The best veggie burger is here.

This is the best ever veggie burger and that is not an exaggeration! It's delicious, full of texture and chew, super satisfying and actually sticks together in the pan. You can serve it on buns, make a patty melt, a salad or lettuce wraps - perfection! I howsweeteats.com #best #veggie #burger #vegetarian #beans #quinoa

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!

This is the best ever veggie burger and that is not an exaggeration! It's delicious, full of texture and chew, super satisfying and actually sticks together in the pan. You can serve it on buns, make a patty melt, a salad or lettuce wraps - perfection! I howsweeteats.com #best #veggie #burger #vegetarian #beans #quinoa

It checks all the boxes.

Major flavor.

Lots of texture.

Super satisfying.

Stays together. !!!!!!!

This is the best ever veggie burger and that is not an exaggeration! It's delicious, full of texture and chew, super satisfying and actually sticks together in the pan. You can serve it on buns, make a patty melt, a salad or lettuce wraps - perfection! I howsweeteats.com #best #veggie #burger #vegetarian #beans #quinoa

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.

This is the best ever veggie burger and that is not an exaggeration! It's delicious, full of texture and chew, super satisfying and actually sticks together in the pan. You can serve it on buns, make a patty melt, a salad or lettuce wraps - perfection! I howsweeteats.com #best #veggie #burger #vegetarian #beans #quinoa

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.

This is the best ever veggie burger and that is not an exaggeration! It's delicious, full of texture and chew, super satisfying and actually sticks together in the pan. You can serve it on buns, make a patty melt, a salad or lettuce wraps - perfection! I howsweeteats.com #best #veggie #burger #vegetarian #beans #quinoa

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.

This is the best ever veggie burger and that is not an exaggeration! It's delicious, full of texture and chew, super satisfying and actually sticks together in the pan. You can serve it on buns, make a patty melt, a salad or lettuce wraps - perfection! I howsweeteats.com #best #veggie #burger #vegetarian #beans #quinoa

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.

This is the best ever veggie burger and that is not an exaggeration! It's delicious, full of texture and chew, super satisfying and actually sticks together in the pan. You can serve it on buns, make a patty melt, a salad or lettuce wraps - perfection! I howsweeteats.com #best #veggie #burger #vegetarian #beans #quinoa

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.

This is the best ever veggie burger and that is not an exaggeration! It's delicious, full of texture and chew, super satisfying and actually sticks together in the pan. You can serve it on buns, make a patty melt, a salad or lettuce wraps - perfection! I howsweeteats.com #best #veggie #burger #vegetarian #beans #quinoa

Watch the video of me making the best veggie burgers!

Best Ever Veggie Burgers

  • 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

  • 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!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

This is the best ever veggie burger and that is not an exaggeration! It's delicious, full of texture and chew, super satisfying and actually sticks together in the pan. You can serve it on buns, make a patty melt, a salad or lettuce wraps - perfection! I howsweeteats.com #best #veggie #burger #vegetarian #beans #quinoa

Juuuust look at that.