I saw recipes for beet burgers floating around the blogosphere for months before I finally got around to making them. Once I did, I was totally hooked! (Not much of a surprise, of course, given how much I love beets.) I’ve tried — and been inspired by — a half dozen different recipes, but this variation is my favorite thus far.
Putting some smoky flavor into these burgers was a no-brainer; it nicely compliments the beets, but doesn’t overwhelm their unique flavor. Sweet smoked paprika is a magical spice, but smoked paprika will also do the trick. Raisins (yep, raisins!) impart a dark and subtle sweetness, and the walnuts balance the sweetness and add some textural interest.
Like a lot of burgers made mostly from veggies, these burgers are soft and fairly delicate. They hold their shape, but they don’t like being handled heavily. Keep them small, and heck, call ’em sliders if it makes you feel better. I suggest serving them on a soft bun, so the burger isn’t forced to squeeze out the sides.
These can also be made with less rice or a different grain altogether, but they might turn out a bit more delicate.
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 c grated beets (packed)
- 1 c walnuts, toasted
- ½ c raisins
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika (or smoked paprika)
- 1½ c cooked rice, slightly cooled
- 1 c cooked brown lentils, slightly cooled
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- In a frying pan over medium heat, sauté onions until translucent.
- Stir in beets, walnuts, raisins, garlic, and paprika.
- Cover pan and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing sticks.
- Set mixture aside to cool a bit.
- Pulse mixture in food processor for a few seconds (until it approximates the texture of ground meat).
- Transfer beet mixture to a large bowl.
- In food processor, pulse rice, lentils, salt and pepper until its texture is similar to the beet mixture. (Don't over-do it! You don't want this mixture to be gummy.)
- Add rice mixture to beet mixture in bowl and stir until fully incorporated.
- Using your hands, form patties about 3 inches in diameter by 1 inch in height.
- Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
- Cook burgers for about 5 minutes on each side, or until browned, taking care to flip them gently.
- Serve hot or cold on buns with tomato slices, baby greens, vegan mayo, and ketchup or chipotle sauce.
16 comments
Shannon says:
Sep 25, 2013
Looks great, although I am wondering if they are overly lentil-y. I hate lentils with a passion. Could I use another type of bean?
claryn says:
Sep 25, 2013
Brown lentils are not my favorite lentil, and I don’t think their flavor stands out in this recipe. Then again, I definitely don’t hate them! I could see this working with other beans, provided they aren’t overcooked (I’d be worried about them making things gummy). The nice thing about lentils in this recipe is that they’re fairly dry, and lend themselves well to the texture of the patty.
Katie @ Produce on Parade says:
Sep 25, 2013
Nom, nom, nom this looks amazing. I’ve made a beet burger based on that vegan place in Columbus Ohio and they were super delicious. Even the carnies like them! However, they were totally intense to make, so it’s nice to see a simpler veggie burger recipe!
Kylie @ FotV says:
Sep 25, 2013
I’ve never had a beet burger, it’s definitely pretty…now I’m curious!
madeleine.teacup says:
Sep 25, 2013
I love beet burgers of all stripes – these sound so good! And that color!
Helen says:
Sep 27, 2013
Ooh, this looks beautiful and sounds like it has some serious flavour going on!
Ayal says:
Sep 28, 2013
Wow that looks amazing. The color is insane! Never had a beet burger before, can’t wait to try one!
lyuda says:
Oct 3, 2013
i tried these the taste was great but they were falling apart so i dont know what i did wrong and i had to bake them seemed easier not faling apart …………
claryn says:
Oct 4, 2013
They’re definitely delicate and soft, unlike store-bought veggie burgers or ones made with wheat gluten, but they should hold their shape. Keep them small (I aim for about 3″), and flip them gently, pressing down on them with a spatula if needed. I bet they’re good baked, though, too!
Ken says:
Oct 8, 2013
Hello there, I’m always looking for the latest and greatest veggie burger. This is next on my to do… I’ll report back later!
Laura says:
Oct 20, 2013
These adore totally what I’ve been craving!
scott says:
Nov 6, 2013
i am always looking for varietal vegan burgers and look forward to these (making two separate batches: red and yellow beets)…….
just highly ALLERGIC to NUTS so what would you suggest substituting? pepitas or some other coarsely chopped seed?
can’t wait!!
claryn says:
Nov 7, 2013
Cool! Yeah, I think hulled pepitas or sunflower seeds would work well. I’d suggest soaking them first so you don’t get hard little bits every other bite. You could always leave them out, but as I said, I think the added texture is great. Let me know how it turns out!
Tina panna says:
Dec 10, 2013
Lentil beet burgers look amazing
Jemaul says:
Oct 23, 2014
I’ve been looking for a great beet burger recipe since visiting Kukhnya in New Orleans. This looks great!
Alice says:
Jan 11, 2015
Do you cook the beets first? I’ve never made beet burgers before!