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    Bean-Free Veggie Burgers

    Allergy Friendly Recipes Dairy-Free Recipes Gluten Free Main Courses Paleo Plant Based Recipes Real Food Vegetarian Recipes January 28, 2022 | By Kristen Chidsey | 51 Comments | *This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

    Jump to Recipe
    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.  

    These Bean-Free Veggie Burgers are made with zucchini, sweet potatoes, and seasoned with southwestern flavors. They also happen to be grain-free, bean-free, egg-free, and vegan-friendly as well.

    Up close of southwestern sweet potato veggie burger in a lettuce wrap.

    I adore vegetarian burgers. Not pre-bought frozen veggie burgers, made with fillers and unrecognizable ingredients, but homemade veggie burgers.

    I have recipes for Black Bean Burgers and Quinoa Burgers, that are delicious, yet are made with eggs and grains. Therefore, they are not suited for every diet.

    But this recipe for Southwestern Veggie Burgers is made without grains, without eggs, and without beans--making it suited for just about everyone.

    While a bit more fragile in texture, the taste is incredible. They are made with sweet potatoes, zucchini, green chiles, and Tex Mex seasonings, to create a veggie burger that is incredibly flavorful, allergy-friendly, and packed with nutrients.

    Notes on Ingredients

    • Sweet Potato Puree: 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 F 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.
    • Zucchini: You will need about 1 large or 2 small zucchini for this recipe.
    • Flaxseed: Ground flaxseed mixed with water will help the burgers stay together and hold their shape.
    • Seasonings: Canned green chiles and cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder, will give these burgers a southwestern flavor.

    How to Prepare Veggie Burgers

    • Mix together flaxseed and 2 tablespoons of water and let sit while preparing zucchini and sweet potato.
    • Shred the zucchini using a box grater or food processor. Place the zucchini in a clean kitchen towel, and gently squeeze out any excess moisture.
    • In a large bowl, or food processor fitted with an s-blade, mix together the zucchini, sweet potato puree, green chiles, and spices until everything is well distributed and combined. If using a food processor, just pulse until the mixture comes together.
    • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and then scoop out about ⅓ cup of the mixture into mounds on the baking sheet. Use your hands to shape the burgers into patty-like shapes.
    Vegan Veggie Burgers on parchment paper ready to bake in oven.
    • Place the sheet pan into the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours. This will help the burgers to hold their shape when baked.
    • Bake for 30 minutes on first side and VERY carefully flip and cook for additional 10-15 minutes, or until browned.
    • To serve, top with cheese if desired, serve on a bun or in a lettuce cup.
    Gluten free sweet potato burger on lettuce wrap

    Recipe Tips to Remember

    While these veggie burgers are much more fragile because they do not have added stabilizers like breadcrumbs or eggs, they will hold together perfectly with a few tips.

    • Get rid of excess moisture. Excess water will make these veggie burgers soggy and not stick together. To ensure this does not happen, drain the green chiles AND really wring out the zucchini well to remove all excess water content.
    • Measure correctly. Be sure to measure your shredded zucchini AFTER removing excess moisture for an accurate measurement. It is also important to measure the sweet potato puree.
    • Freeze prior to baking. Once you shape your burgers, it is crucial to pop them into the freezer for 30 minutes, or they will fall apart when baked.

    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, lettuce, and tomatoes.

    The 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.

    More Vegetarian Favorites

    • Lentil Sloppy Joes
    • Easy Lentil Tacos
    • Sweet Potato Black Bean Burritos
    • Vegan Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

    If you tried these bean-free, allergy-friendly veggie burgers, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.

    Up close of southwestern sweet potato veggie burgerrap topped with hot sauce.

    Bean-Free Veggie Burgers

    A bean-free, grain-free, vegan version of a veggie burger made with sweet potatoes and zucchini and southwestern spices. 
    4.59 from 12 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Freezing: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 66kcal
    Author: Kristen Chidsey

    Ingredients

    • ⅓ cup ground flax seed
    • 2 tablespoons water
    • 1 cup sweet potato puree about the flesh of 1 large sweet potato
    • 1 cup zucchini shredded, and drained well
    • 4.5 ounce can diced green chilies drained well
    • 2 teaspoons chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    Prevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large sheet tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet and gently spray with nonstick spray or very lightly brush with olive oil.
    • Mix together the flaxseed and 2 tablespoons of water and let sit while preparing zucchini and sweet potato.
    • Shred the zucchini using a box grater or food processor. Place the zucchini in a clean kitchen towel, and gently squeeze out any excess moisture.
    • Combine the sweet potato puree, zucchini, drained green chilies, flaxseed mixture, and spices together by pulsing together in a food processor fitted with an s-blade, or mixing by hand until well 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 the 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

    Zucchini: Be sure to get rid of any excess moisture in the zucchini by placing shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel, and wring out all the excess moisture before measuring.
    Parchment Paper: It is extremely important to bake these burgers on Silpat OR parchment paper so they do not stick to the baking sheet.
    Storage: Leftover burgers can be stored in an airtight container up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
    Freezing Instructions: Freeze leftover veggie burgers by allowing the burgers to cool fully. Lay them on a parchment paper-lined sheet tray, place them in the freezer, and freeze until solid. Transfer to freezer-safe container or bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat by heating frozen burgers in an oven at 400 degrees F 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
    Liked this Recipe? Tag me Today!Snap a picture and tag #amindfullmom on Instagram - I would love to see!
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    About Kristen Chidsey

    Hi, I am Kristen, creator of A Mind "Full" Mom. I believe that making a wholesome family meal does not need to be hard or expensive! I love nothing more than to share with you delicious solutions for your hungry family.

    Reader Interactions

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    1. Darren Wilcox

      August 26, 2020 at 7:44 pm

      I made these tonight for my wife (meat eater) and my 22 year old daughter (vegan) (can't eat beans)
      Difinatly the best veggie burger I've made, boiled the sweet potato and omitted the extra 2 T of water... Will be keeping this recipe, thank you for sharing this one... outstanding 😁

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        August 27, 2020 at 5:14 pm

        YAY! I love hearing that you were able to enjoy this!

        Reply
        • Darren Wilcox

          October 04, 2020 at 8:33 pm

          We have been eating these alot this last month, especially my daughter, because of her restricted diet and I love that they freeze so well, an update though, I have been peeling the sweet potato, shredding along with the zucchini and just adding it raw...it's been working great. I am getting ready to try replacing the zucchini with cauliflower rice, I'll let you know if it doesn't work, otherwise, thanks again for this wonderful recipe, you are truly a God send 🙏🙏🙏

          Reply
          • Kristen Chidsey

            October 05, 2020 at 6:42 am

            So glad this has been a go-to recipe. I understand how hard restricted diets are and I am happy to help!

            Reply
    2. AJ Cleveland

      April 21, 2020 at 10:43 am

      Hi! I am intolerant to zucchini. Any possible substitutions.

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        April 21, 2020 at 1:26 pm

        Hi AJ! I would use either yellow squash or eggplant.

        Reply
      • Darren Wilcox

        October 04, 2020 at 10:26 pm

        5 stars
        So I was experimenting and replaced the zucchini with 10 oz of cauliflower rice as well as shredding a raw sweet potato and adding that instead of a cooked potato..... Absolutely wonderful.

        Reply
        • Kristen Chidsey

          October 05, 2020 at 6:42 am

          So glad you enjoyed and thank you for sharing your modifications!

          Reply
    3. Abeer Rizvi

      January 09, 2019 at 1:43 am

      5 stars
      Made this for kiddo's school lunch and he loved it!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        January 09, 2019 at 6:41 am

        I love hearing that Abeer! Thank you!

        Reply
    4. Cindy

      January 08, 2019 at 11:59 pm

      5 stars
      Veggie burgers kind of have my heart too, and they're more sustainable. tysm

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        January 09, 2019 at 6:41 am

        Totally more sustainable!

        Reply
    5. Nick

      January 02, 2019 at 12:58 pm

      I think the steps are out of order a little. Gonna try tonight.

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        January 02, 2019 at 1:52 pm

        You were right Nick, one of the steps was out of order. Sorry about that, all is fixed now with a few more tips throughout the post. Enjoy!

        Reply
    6. Kelley

      May 18, 2018 at 11:43 pm

      2 stars
      Flavor is terrific, but these were an epic fail. There's nothing to hold the patties together, so they just all blobbed into one big mess on the baking sheet. I scraped the blob into a big bowl, added a whole cup of buckwheat flour, and then molded them into nuggets so that we could eat. I followed the recipe to the letter. How did they go so wrong?

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        May 19, 2018 at 8:40 am

        Kelley, I am so sorry you had an issue with the patties staying together. Let me help you trouble shoot.
        Did you make sure you got all the water out of the zucchini?
        Did you bake on parchment paper or a silpat?
        Did you flip the burgers half-way through?
        Let me know if you did all those things, so I can further update this recipe for better tips to make these turn out (because they are always a success when I make them--and I want you all to enjoy that!)

        Reply
    7. Michaela Kenkel

      July 11, 2016 at 2:59 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! these sound amazing!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        July 12, 2016 at 8:11 am

        Thank Michaela! We love them!

        Reply
    8. Lauren Gaskill | Making Life Sweet

      May 25, 2016 at 3:34 pm

      I did a double take because these look like a real burger! Love the flax seed in this. 😀

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        May 25, 2016 at 4:34 pm

        Ha ha! Loved that these fooled you for a minute!

        Reply
    9. Alyssa

      May 24, 2016 at 9:17 pm

      I'm normally a red-meat kind of girl... but I would TOTALLY try this! Looks absolutely delicious!!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        May 25, 2016 at 11:44 am

        Well my red meat hubbie loved these!

        Reply
    10. allie @ Through Her Looking Glass

      May 24, 2016 at 8:46 pm

      Hey Kristen, these burger look great!!! I love that your kids are such adventurous eaters! I have a few adventurous eaters here, and a few not so adventurous. Thanks for another great veggie burger recipe!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        May 25, 2016 at 11:46 am

        Allie, they have not always been adventurous--but as they have gotten older they are braver!

        Reply
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    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.  

    Meet a Mind "Full" Mom

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    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.  

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