These Savory Brown Rice Veggie Burgers are satisfying and absolutely delicious, a simple and healthy recipe made with whole food ingredients that actually holds together!
These veggie burgers are made with pre-cooked brown rice, sautéed mushrooms and onions, black beans, and flavorful herbs and spices, then baked for 22 minutes. These veggie burgers take a little bit of time to make but are perfect for meal prep, freezer-friendly, and great for large gatherings. Whether you’re looking for a healthy weeknight dinner or a delicious vegan option for the summertime BBQ, these homemade veggie burgers are sure to impress!
Tips for success
- Use a food processor if you have one! It saves quite a bit of time finely chopping mushrooms, onions, and garlic.
- Bread crumbs are key in order for these burgers to hold their shape. Start with ½ cup and slowly add more if needed. Too much will dry the mixture, so go slow and moisten your hands if it starts crumbling.
- Mix everything with your hands! It’s the easiest way to evenly combine ingredients and form patties with the right consistency.
- Taste before you cook. The beauty of plant-based burgers is that you can adjust the seasoning before they hit the pan. Taste mixture before cooking and add anything more you think it needs.
- Spice it up! Add more cayenne if spice is your jam. For a spicy spread, mix sriracha and vegan mayo for a simple chipotle aioli.
Variations
Gluten free
These Savory Brown Rice Veggie Burgers can easily be made gluten free! Opt for gluten free breadcrumbs and use liquid aminos instead of soy sauce. Tamari can be used if it’s certified gluten free. I prefer using breadcrumbs over oats as I find the burgers hold together better and oats tend to leave the burgers with a “dusty” flavor.
Oil-free
Simply skip brushing the patties with oil before baking and these veggie burgers are oil-free.
Skip the bun
These veggie burgers are fabulous over a bed of lettuce or as a lettuce wrap. Make your salad with the same toppings as you would a burger (minus the ketuchup and mustard) and you’ll have all the same savory, zingy flavors without the bun.
BBQ
Chill the patties for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the grill to 350–400°F. I prefer to cook veggie burgers on a flat top just in case they crumble.
How to make Savory Brown Rice Veggie Burgers
Day before prep
Cook brown rice according to package directions, preferably the day before and refrigerated overnight. I usually cook 1 cup dry brown rice and use leftover rice for other meal prep.
Burger prep
Use a food processor to finely chop ½ of a white onion and 8 oz of mushrooms. Then use food processor to mince 6 cloves of garlic. Drain and rinse a 15.5 oz can of black beans using a colander in the sink.
Sauté
Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Once hot, add onions and mushrooms, sautéing until mushrooms brown and just begin to stick. Add garlic and cook for a few moments until aromatic, stirring frequently. Then pour in 3 Tbsp of tamari or soy sauce to deglaze the pan, stirring to lift the browned bits. Cook until moisture has cooked off once more, then turn off heat and set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Measure ingredients
Meanwhile, while mushroom and onion mixture cooks, add the remaining ingredients to a large bowl: 1 ¼ cups of cooked brown rice along with all the ingredients under “veggie burger mixture”. For the breadcrumbs, start with ½ cup. Once everything is measured out, add the cooked mushroom and onion mixture as well.
Mix
Use your hands to knead and mash everything together until desired consistency, adding more breadcrumbs as needed until the mixture is slightly tacky but not sticky. Use your hands to form patties and place on the parchment lined baking sheet.
I bake what I’m going to use at the time and then refrigerate the other patties (separating each one with parchment paper so they don’t stick together) and cook those when I’m ready to eat them. You can also freeze uncooked patties and then cook from frozen, adding about 10 minutes or so extra baking time.
Bake
Lightly brush patties with olive oil. Bake patties on middle rack for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and carefully flip with a spatula, then cook another 7 minutes until lightly browned. Don’t overcook or they will be dry. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before handling in order to firm up.
Serve
Build your burgers on lightly toasted buns with all your favorite toppings: lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles or cucumber, avocado, mustard, and/or vegan mayo (add sriracha for chipotle mayo!). Enjoy!
Storage and Re-heating
Store uncooked burger patties in the fridge with parchment paper in between each one so they don’t stick together. You can cook them all ahead of time and reheat, but they don’t hold together as well.
Freeze extra patties on a parchment-lined tray, then transfer to a bag or container and keep in the freezer for up to 1 month. When ready to cook, bake frozen patties at 375° F for 25-28 minutes, flipping after 20 minutes. Allow burger to rest for 10 minutes before handling.
More Veggie Burger Recipes
Love trying different veggie burger varieties? Check out some of my other recipes!
- The Best Veggie Beet Burgers – These juicy, savory, and vibrant veggie burgers are easy to prepare and are made primarily with shredded beets, protein-rich lentils, and flavored with warm and savory spices.
- Lentil and Green Pea Veggie Burgers – These Lentil and Green Pea Veggie Burgers are full of garden fresh flavors from the green peas and cilantro, hearty and savory from the lentils and tamari, full of warm flavors from the spices, with the option for a little spicy kick!
- Black Bean and Mushroom Veggie Burgers – Simple and savory, these veggie burgers are packed with flavor, hold together, and have great texture!
Savory Brown Rice Veggie Burgers
Equipment
- 1 Food processor (optional, but saves a lot of time!)
- 1 Oven
- 1 Baking sheet lined with parchment paper
Ingredients
Brown rice (preferably cooked the day before and refrigerated overnight)
- 1 ¼ cups cooked brown rice
Sauté
- ½ of a white onion, finely chopped
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce (sub liquid aminos for gluten free)
Veggie burger mixture
- 15.5 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 ½ cups freshly cooked beans)
- ¾ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup almond butter or peanut butter)
- 3 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp cayenne powder (for hint of spice) or paprika (no spice)
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½-1 cup breadcrumbs as needed
Optional Veggie Burger Makings
- burger buns
- lettuce
- tomato
- sliced onions
- pickles
- avocado
- condiments of choice
Instructions
- Day before prep: Cook brown rice according to package directions, preferably the day before and refrigerated overnight. I usually cook 1 cup dry brown rice and use leftover rice for other meal prep.
- Prep: Use a food processor to finely chop ½ of a white onion and 8 oz of mushrooms. Then use food processor to mince 6 cloves of garlic. Drain and rinse a 15.5 oz can of black beans using a colander in the sink.
- Sauté: Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Once hot, add onions and mushrooms, sautéing until mushrooms brown and just begin to stick. Add garlic and cook for a few moments until aromatic, stirring frequently. Then pour in 3 Tbsp of tamari or soy sauce to deglaze the pan, stirring to lift the browned bits. Cook until moisture has cooked off once more, then turn off heat and set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add 1 ¼ cups of cooked brown rice and all the ingredients under "veggie burger mixture". For the breadcrumbs, start with ½ cup.
- Mix: Add the onion/mushroom mixture to the large bowl. Use your hands to knead and mash everything together until desired consistency, adding more breadcrumbs as needed until the mixture is slightly tacky but not sticky. Use your hands to form patties and place on the parchment lined baking sheet. I bake what I'm going to use at the time and then refrigerate the other patties (separating each one with parchment paper so they don't stick together) and cook those when I'm ready to eat them. You can also freeze uncooked patties and then cook from frozen, adding about 10 minutes or so extra baking time.
- Bake: Lightly brush patties with olive oil. Bake patties on middle rack for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and carefully flip with a spatula, then cook another 7 minutes until lightly browned. Don't overcook or they will be dry. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before handling in order to firm up.
- Serve: Build your burgers on lightly toasted buns with all your favorite toppings: lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles or cucumber, avocado, mustard, and/or vegan mayo (add sriracha for chipotle mayo!). Enjoy!
Notes
I hope you enjoyed these Savory Brown Rice Veggie Burgers as much as I do! If you made them, I’d be so grateful if you left a comment and star rating below. Your feedback helps other readers and supports my blog!
This burger was really tasty ! It was just a bit of spicy , but mild . Yummy !
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it! It’s fun having that hint of spice, isn’t it?!
I made these burgers today and they are amazing! They came together easily and it’s a great way to use up some leftover rice. The flavors are superb…great combination of ingredients. I will definitely be making these again!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed!! Tis the season for veggie burgers!