Homemade Veggie Burger with Brown Rice, Oat, and Nuts

11.24.13
Hello! You've landed on an older recipe. Sometimes the older recipes aren't written as clearly as they should be or something might need to be clarified. If something seems confusing or a question arises, send me an email and I'll help!
Brown Rice, Oat, and Nut Veggie Burger
Brown Rice, Oat, and Nut Veggie Burger
Brown Rice, Oat, and Nut Veggie Burger
Brown Rice, Oat, and Nut Veggie Burger
Brown Rice, Oat, and Nut Veggie Burger
Brown Rice, Oat, and Nut Veggie Burger

Brown Rice, Oat, and Nut Veggie Burger

I understand that the eternal quest for the veggie burger is to find one that doesn't fall apart but I think you might be missing out. Sure, this burger might fall apart while you are eating but the flavors are not to be missed. This burger is an imitation of my favorite veggie burger from Tower Cafe. While I love beans, it's nice to have a veggie burger option that doesn't include them.

As stated, this burger may fall apart but I included a couple of ingredients to aid in the cohesiveness. Short grain brown rice has a bit more starch than long-grain brown rice. This helps create a bit more binding.  The egg is also important for this same reason. The nuts can be changed out based on what you have on hand. If a burger isn't your thing, a simplified crumble is also delicious!

As for buns, I loosely used the Kitchn's recipe but used half whole-wheat and half unbleached all purpose flour, honey instead of the sugar, and did an egg wash (1 large egg + 1 tablespoon water) then sprinkled sesame/poppy seeds on top of the buns right before baking.

Print

Brown Rice, Oat, and Nut Veggie Burger

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

  • Author: Erin Alderson
  • Prep Time: 25 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 40 mins
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: vegetarian entreé

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3/4 cup uncooked short-grain brown rice
  • 1/2 cup unroasted pecans
  • 1/2 cup unroasted walnuts
  • 1/2 unroasted sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup minced red onion
  • 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 tablespoons tamari (or soy sauce)
  • 1 tablespoon brown miso
  • 1 teaspoon chili paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 large egg

Instructions

  1. In a pot, combine the brown rice with at least 3 cups water. Bring to a boil and cook until rice is just tender, 30-35 minutes. Remove from heat and drain well (press the rice down if need be to remove water.)
  2. In a large skillet, combine pecans, walnuts, and sunflower seeds. Stirring frequently, lightly toast the mix over low heat, 4-5 minutes. Nuts should be fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  3. In a food processor, pulse oats until resembling a coarse flour. Add in the nuts/seeds and continue to pulse until the mixture resembles a nut meal-like texture. Next, measure in the tamari, miso, chili paste, spices, cooked and drained brown rice, red onion, parsley, and egg. Continue to pulse until the mixture is well combined.
  4. Wet your hands and divide mixture into 6 pieces. Pat the pieces into patties, approximately 1/2" thick.
  5. Heat a skillet or grill pan over low heat. Cook patties on each side for 6-8 minutes (see note). Burgers should be crisp on the outside and warm in the center. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Notes

*These burgers freeze well. Simply separate leftover burgers with wax paper and seal in a freezer-safe container. Let thaw slightly before cooking. Also, because of the make-up, these burgers are better cooked on the stove top than tried on the grill.

* Upon recent testing, the burgers are amazing fried. Use a pan with about 1/4" of sunflower oil. Heat over medium-low heat until water sizzles. Add the burgers and fry for about 4 minutes, until brown. Flip and cook for another 4 minutes. Place on a paper towel to absorb the oil and serve.

* While not quite as moist, these burgers do work without the egg. Try pulsing the mixture a bit more to make it cohesive without the egg.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

23 comments on “Homemade Veggie Burger with Brown Rice, Oat, and Nuts”

  1. I make homemade burgers all the time, but have never even thought to put rice in them - good call!! I need to try this soon!

  2. Erin, These sound delicious and I will try them soon. Glad you three were able to get away from everything. Any release date on the book yet? I'm really looking forward to it. Cheri

  3. These look delicious. I am one of the rare people who loves to eat my veggie burgers with a fork and knife so I don't care if they fall apart. This sounds fantastic!

  4. I used almonds and Bob's 5 grain hot breakfast cereal, because that's what I had and baked them at 400 for 15 minutes on each side. They were fantastic! Plus I have lunch in the freezer for several days!

  5. Erin, these are awesome - my new go-to veggie burger for sure! They stuck together with no problem after about 15 mins in the fridge. The flavor is just right - I also added some cumin and coriander. I made the WW(what what)/honey buns too - also fantastic! We should go to Sunflower Drive In in Fair Oaks and do a taste comparison… I think yours may be better!

  6. In an attempt to make Sunday Night Football healthier, we made these burgers, but served them as challah bread sliders with american cheese, sauteed onions, and mayo. They were SOOOOO good, especially paired with the breaded cauliflower. We were supposed to have the jalapeno poppers from your site too, but the dog knocked it to the ground just before it was going in to the oven for the second time 🙁 We will try the poppers again next week.

  7. It looks like you have red onion in the burgers, but they arent listed in your ingredients?

  8. The photos in this post and a couple of other post look a little bit weird after the redesign... I'm using google chrome. Just wanted to tell you so that you can check it up! If you want to of course. 🙂

    1. Thanks! I had to disable part of the site and have to slowly work my way back through each post to fix 🙂

  9. I just made these with a few variations... SO yummy! Even my picky little grandma who had never heard of a veggie burger loved them. She told me to save what she didn't eat for lunch tomorrow! Thanks! <3

  10. I made these *exactly* as written--minus the egg, as we're rounding the corner to vegan. They were really good, held together beautifully, great texture, super caloric and, well, meaty. My teenage sons loved them. So did I!!
    Thanks for all your recipes!

  11. Hi Erin,

    I just love your recipes. These look so good and I can't wait to make them!! I am wondering if there is anything I could sub for the chili paste? Would fresh jalapeno, sriracha, or red chili flakes work? What would you recommend? Thanks!!

hi. 

Welcome to my little internet nook. On this site you'll find over a thousand vegetarian recipes, pantry knowledge, and more. I'm ever obsessed with food from gardening, cooking, and preserving. I hope you'll find endless inspiration on these pages and visit often. 

Virtual hugs, Erin (aka: e.l.l.a.)
A NATURALLY NEWSLETTER

a few good grain recipes

Do away with ads, get access to the back issues of casual, be the first to know about upcoming events, and more.
become a member

beans. beans. beans.

Have a nerdy food question, need a recipe recommendation, or just want to share something exciting you've made?
magnifiercross linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram