The BEST Veggie Burger

These Southwestern Veggie Burgers are made with zucchini and sweet potato and happen to be bean-free, soy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, egg-free, and grain-free--making them the perfect allergy-friendly Veggie Burger.  

If you are looking for more Vegan Recipes, check out Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili, Lentil Tacos, and Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers.

This recipe for Veggie burgers is unlike any veggie burger you have had before.

Instead of being made with oats, beans, breadcrumbs, or soy, they happen to be

• Bean-Free
• Vegan
• Gluten-Free
• Made with ACTUAL vegetables!

And the taste is incredible. Savory, spicy and filling--just perfect. They are made with sweet potatoes, zucchini, green chiles, and Tex Mex seasoning, which makes these veggie burgers incredibly flavorful and filled with nutrients.

How to Prepare Veggie Burgers

While these veggie burgers are much more fragile because they do no have added stabilizers like breadcrumbs or eggs, they will hold together perfectly with a few tips.

Tip #1: Get Rid of Excess Moisture

These veggie burgers are made with zucchini, which naturally has a lot of water content. Excess water will make these veggie burgers soggy and not stick together.

To get rid of the excess water in the zucchini, place shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and wring out all the excess moisture.

The canned green chiles also have moisture, so be sure to drain off the liquid using a small strainer.

Tip #2: Use Sweet Potato

Not only does sweet potato add great flavor and nutrients, but sweet potato puree also works as a perfect egg-free binder and helps to hold these veggie burgers together.

You can use bake 1 large sweet potato (or 2 smaller sweet potatoes) at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until tender or prepare Instant Pot Sweet potatoes and then use the flesh of the sweet potato and mash-up until smooth.

Tip #3: Measure Correctly

Be sure to measure your shredded zucchini AFTER removing excess moisture for an accurate measurement. It is also important to and sweet potato puree AFTER mashing up the sweet potato.

Tip #4 Freeze Burgers before Baking

Once you shape your burgers, I STRONGLY suggest that you pop them into the freezer for 30 minutes. This helps the burgers to hold their shape better.

Reviews on Veggie Burgers

I mentioned I love, I mean LOVE, these Veggie Packed Burgers, but what about my kids? Or the bigger critic---my Midwestern meat-loving husband?

• My son loves these veggie burgers, if I serve with cheese and on a bun.
• My daughter thinks they are a bit spicy, but when paired with mild cheddar and served on a bun, she does enjoy them.
• My husband actually REALLY likes these burgers. Especially if I serve them with cheese, pico and lettuce, and tomatoes.

Bottom line, give these  Veggie Burgers a try. Serve them on a bun, in a lettuce wrap, over a salad, in a tortilla with sour cream. I bet you will enjoy them!

More Vegan Recipes

• Lentil Sloppy Joes
• Vegan Tex Mex Stuffed Peppers
• Easy Lentil Tacos with Avocado Cream
• Vegan Sweet Potato Black Bean Burritos

Vegan Veggie Burgers

A bean-free, grain-free, vegan version of a veggie burger made with sweet potatoes and zucchini and southwestern spices. 

4.5 from 10 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Freezing: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 66kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

• ▢ ⅓ cup ground flax seed
• ▢ 2 tablespoons water
• ▢ 1 cup sweet potato puree about 1 large sweet potato
• ▢ 1 cup zucchini shredded, and drained well
• ▢ 4.5 ounce can diced green chilies drained well
• ▢ 2 teaspoons chili powder I used chipotle chili powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 8 slices Montery Jack cheese optional

Cook ModePrevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large sheet tray with parchment paper or a silpat and gently spray with nonstick spray or very lightly brush with olive oil.
• Mix together the flax seed and 2 tablespoons water and let sit while preparing zucchini and sweet potato.
• In food processor, shred zucchini. Place zucchini in clean kitchen towel, and gently squeeze out any excess moisture. Return zucchini to food processor. 
• Add in the sweet potato puree, drained green chilies, flaxseed mixture, and spices into the food processor and pulse until just combined.
• Scoop out about ⅓ cup of mixture onto prepared sheet tray. Pat down into burger patties.
• Place pan with veggie burgers into FREEZER for 30 minutes to set up.
• Bake for 30 minutes on first side and VERY carefully flip and cook for additional 10-15 minutes, or until browned.
• If serving with cheese, place a slice of cheese on each patty and return to the oven until cheese is just melted.

Equipment Needed

• Parchment Paper
• Food Processor

Notes

• To decrease on the spiciness of these Southwestern Sweet Potato Burgers, cut the chili powder to 1 teaspoon.
• Be sure to get rid of any excess moisture in the zucchini by placing shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and wringing out all the excess moisture.
• Measure out your zucchini after wringing out your moisture. 
• Be sure to shape your burgers BEFORE baking--so they bake up into perfect patty forms.
• It is extremely important to bake these vegan veggie burgers on a silpat OR parchment paper so they do not stick to the baking sheet.
• If you find the veggie burger mixture too wet, you can add in 1-3 more tablespoons of flax seed.
• To freeze leftover veggie burgers, allow burgers to cool fully. Lay on parchment paper lined sheet tray in the freezer and freeze until solid. Transfer to freezer safe container or bag and store in freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat by heating frozen burgers in oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 66kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 352mg | Potassium: 275mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2565IU | Vitamin C: 11.9mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 0.9mg

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This recipe has been modified since so many people have been had issues with these burgers turning soggy to give more tips to allow these Vegan Burgers to turn out well. EXACT amounts have been added instead of 1 sweet potato and 1-2 small zucchini, the flaxseed has been soaked in water first as well to give these grain-free burgers more binding. Also, the step to freeze the burgers before baking helps tremendously! These gluten-free, grain-free burgers are still incredibly fragile, but they should retain their shape if the recipe followed.