What do you get when you take the rustic, spicy, bold flavor of homemade veggie chili and infuse it into a burger? My Spicy Vegan Chili Burgers!
These sassy, robust veggie burgers are speckled with red beans and brown rice, onion, a hint of kale, garlic and plenty of earthy chili powder spice - accented by paprika, black pepper. I've also tossed in some spicy chopped vegan sausage for some extra richness.
Each hearty burger patty was quickly cooked then placed on top of a toasty sprouted grain sesame bun, nuzzled against a silky swirl of chipotle Vegenaise. Some crisp vibrant onion, tomato, sprouts and green leaf lettuce stacked on top. And don't forget that creamy avocado. Ring the dinner bell because your chili (burger) feast is ready! And did I mention how easy this recipe is? Super easy!..
freshly made chili burger patties..
Dream Feast. I made these chili burgers over the weekend and fell in love with them! I served them as burgers the first night, then the next day, reheated a leftover patty to serve with my dinner salad (which had freshly grated beets, tomatoes, sprouts, tahini hemp raw kale, avocado..) Also at the table that night, an oven-baked, sticky sweet, sweet potato and some smoky peppered shiitake mushrooms. It was so amazing!
So if you loved my Sweet Potato Tahini Burgers - you will love this recipe. It is a lot spicier with a more textured bite - but just as EASY! And that is the best part. Easy easy easy. yummy yummy yummy.
Quick note on the rice. For extra ease I used some pre-cooked rice that you simply heat in the microwave. But if you make rice yourself just be sure it isn't too wet. Short-grained brown rice is recommended. And your rice is a little on the wet side, heat it in the microwave a minute or so to dry it out a bit. Drier, stickier rice soaks up flavor better and acts as a better sticky binder for the burger patty. The nutritional yeast can also help to dry out and bind the patty.
Patty before going in my saute pan..
Spicy Vegan Chili Burgers
makes 4 large patties
15 ounce can of kidney beans, drained
1 ½ cups cooked brown rice, short grain (the stickier the better)
½ teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2-4 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 teaspoon hemp seeds
1 teaspoon salt-free chili spice powder (blend)
¾ teaspoon paprika
¼ cup red onion, diced
⅓ cup finely chopped kale
3 cloves garlic, chopped
½ link (about ⅓ cup) of Spicy Vegan Sausage, diced (optional)
*Field Roast or Tofurky brands
¼ teaspoon salt
fine black pepper to taste
*my "salt-free chili powder" contained black pepper, paprika, onion, garlic, ground chili, turmeric and more.
optional add-in's:
* roasted corn
* chopped peanuts
* lentils
* chopped bell pepper
* parsley
* ground flax seeds
* diced cooked sweet potato
* drizzle of pumpkin seed oil
* my favve... diced jalapeno and/or cayenne for more HEAT
..and more..
For burger assembly, I used:
* Sprouted Wheat Buns
* spicy mustard and chipotle vegan mayo (a dash of chipotle powder to regular vegan mayo)
* tomato + onion + lettuce +sprouts
* avocado tossed in lemon juice and pepper
Directions:
1. Add your cooked brown rice and drained kidney beans to a large mixing bowl. With a large fork, mash the kidney beans. Mash at least 60-75% of the beans to create a pasty texture.
2. Toss in all the remaining ingredients - add the nutritional yeast one teaspoon at a time and use to thicken as needed. It also adds a lot of savory cheezy flavor.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of safflower oil in a large saute pan.
4. Shape patties. You should get about 4 large patties from this recipe.
5. Add patties to sizzling hot oil. Allow patties to absorb some of the oil then quickly flip so that each side gets a thin layer of oil for the saute process.
6. Cook about 3 minutes on each side. You want the burgers to be well-browned, but not burnt. I like to finish my burgers in the oven by baking at 350 for about ten minutes - this really crisps the edges up nicely. This step is optional though.
7. Remove from oven or saute pan and place on a plate until ready to assemble burgers.
No Fry Method! Yes, you could absolutely just bake these burgers in the oven. I'd suggest 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Or do a combo method of a quick saute then finish in the oven to bake.
Assemble with: green leaf lettuce, sprouts, avocado, chipotle vegan mayo, spicy mustard, tomato, dash of pepper, and sprouted wheat buns. Serve warm.
Deb says
Just made these this morning for my work lunch today...turned out really well! I added a little extra nutritional yeast(1/4 cup), and a tbsp of chia seeds in place of hemp..everything held together well when I fried them with oil in my pan. Others commented on how sticky they were and hard to shape, so I dusted my hands lightly with GF flour before handling them and then coated with plenty of GF panko bread crumbs. YUM! Two thumbs up:)
Kathy Patalsky says
The sprouted wheat sesame seed buns are Ezekiel brand. From whole foods I believe. I don't see them at every store come to think of it. But they are great!
Sherrie says
The bread you use for sandwiches always look delicious. Do you purchase at a specialty bakery? I can never find great bread/buns at the supermarket. thanks!
Mark Moonbeam says
I just made these and they are DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Subbed spinach for kale, flax seeds for hemp. Mine fell apart too. Used 4 tsp of nutritional yeast, maybe had too much rice. Will use more next time. I'm eating one now: a patty with provolone, topped with spinach, sliced tomatoes on the side. Mmmmmm!
Bree says
These things fell apart so bad!! I could not make them stay in a single party form at all.
that said, they were pretty delicious with salsa- I know that's not the most orthodox burger condiment, but it was delicious 🙂
With a toasted bun, 5 minutes at 400, perfection.
Britt says
Just had this a few hours ago. The patties kept falling apart and had to end up eating them with a fork. I fixed them for my family who are meat eaters and they gave the patties a 4.7. I give them a 7. I would fix them again 🙂
milkensmama says
these were wonderful! i omitted the vegan sausage link and they still came out great. thanks for this recipe!
Tara Shenson says
AMAZING! I love you site and this is one of my favorite recipes I've tried so far. I used tempeh instead of the sausage but otherwise followed it to a t and it was delicious.
Sam says
These were fantastic! I didn't use nutritional yeast or vegan sausage. I finely crumbled 150gms of hi protein firm tofu in the mix with lemon juice, extra liquid smoke and served the with a garlic aoli (Thomy mayo with a little garlic, salt and a squeeze of lemon juice).
This will be a weekly meal for sure!
Bailey says
This is brilliant! I will be making these!
Just Jenn says
These were awesome! But since I was out of yeast and hemp seeds I subbed in a handful of cheddar Daiya and flax seed meal (alternately you could use Daiya pepperjack and chia seeds) as the binder and they stuck together perfectly. I threw in a small can of diced green chili's and then followed your recipe for everything else. Super delish! I'll be making these again for sure. I love how flexible they are... next time I'll try them with roasted red bell pepper and corn!
db says
Made these last night. The flavor was very good but could not keep them together in patty form. Turned out more like a side dish than a burger but at the end of the meal....all gone! Any suggestions for a binding agent?
Lisa S. says
We used wild rice and added a little ground up almonds, walnuts, peanuts, cashews, sesame and flax seeds! Also added some beet and carrot mulch left over from juicing this morning, diced black olives, and the roasted corn. Yummy for your tummy!!
Peter Nott says
What about subbing guacamole for the avocado slices? Would that ruin it in your opinion?
I love guacamole...
T. says
Made these today 🙂 The patties turned out a bit on the soft side, but nothing that couldn't be fixed with a bit of breadcrumbs and some minced seeds; I drizzled them with olive oil and baked in the oven for 20-ish minutes, and they came out really good 🙂 We had them on on buns with loads of fresh veggies (and some smoked mozzarella, as I am not vegan), and they got thumbs up from the meat-eating, burger-loving boyfriend 🙂
Kristen @ notsodomesticated says
I just found your blog through Pinterest, and I'm so excited to add you to my Google Reader!! I'm not completely vegan, but my husband and I are trying to way less animal products. 🙂 I'm excited to try some of your recipes!
Kara says
These look absolutely delicious! I can't wait to try them out! What brand of vegan mayo do you use?
Deb Baker says
You really rock! This is an excellent combo of goodness. Love your pics, too! Thanks so much for sharing your recipes. You are helping me reach my goals of being healthy & happy! I really appreciate what you do!
Heather Poire says
These look amazing! Loving the Sprouted Roll, Avocado and Sprouts!
girlmeetsbowl says
Looks absolutely phenomenal! Love me a veg burger piled high. Mmmmm.
Alex says
I think slightle wet rice is much stickier than dry rice.
Connie says
Yum!!! I'm not a vegan, but very interested in pursuing a healthier life style. Just lost 55 pounds this last year and I am determined to never see those pounds again. Your newest follower, Connie Come on over and visit my blog, there might be something of interest to you too . . . I love making new friends.
Modern Homemakers says
I think veggie burgers are so much more interesting than meat burgers. They can have so many different flavors, and obviously more diverse health benefits! And they're cheaper than meat... so it's a win win situation. I like to batch cook my veggie burgers and freeze in individual patties so I get to pretend I have the convenience of a morningstar burger 🙂
vegancouchpotato says
that looks amazing. I love avocado on veggie burgers 🙂
cherie says
I'm raw, but I love looking at your food pictures and sharing recipes on FB. You are awesome. Thanks so much for giving these ideas to people. 🙂
Bella says
Mmmm sounds amazing
MIchelle says
good recipe, a healthy blog but did you notice the MCDO ads on your blog? lol
Fourleafclover21 says
these recipes and pics always make my mouth water....so inspiring!!
Kirstie In The Kitch says
oh my god... my mouth is watering!! Trying this ASAP!
Suzie Scott says
Oh my! This looks incredible and possibly the BEST burger ever-- cant wait to try it out!
Elizabeth An says
can we cook this on a george foreman grill?
Kathy Patalsky says
I think so. Or a panini press. Just be sure and use sticky brown rice and a good amount of nutritional yeast to get the patty to a nice sturdy state. And if you need even more "binding" power, toss in a palm-ful of chia seeds. (note: I have not actually tried these on a GF grill .. so please let me know if it does work!)
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Mmm these burgers are so filled with goodness!
Kathy Patalsky says
thnx Katrina!