Lentil Beet Veggie Burgers
This hearty veggie burger combines earthy beets, lentils, mushrooms, and cashews for a meatless option that feels substantial and satisfying. Perfect for meal prep, casual lunches or easy vegetarian weeknight dinners.
Back when I worked as a personal chef, I made these veggie burgers nearly every week for a family who ate entirely vegan and gluten-free. No matter what else I prepared, these were always a favorite.
They're flavorful, incredibly versatile and great for using up leftover vegetables and pantry staples.
Want more great recipes with beets? Try my vibrant roasted beets with tahini, super crispy oven-baked beet chips, or refreshing beets with avocado habanero crema.
Why This Recipe Works
- Made with whole, nutritious ingredients like beets, lentils, nuts and oats.
- Great for meal prepping. They freeze and reheat beautifully.
- Beets and mushrooms make them taste meaty satisfying without any meat.
- They're just as good on a bun as they are served in a grain bowl or salad.
Ingredient Notes
Beets - Any variety of beet will work here, but red beets look the best. Roasting enhances their earthy sweetness and makes them easier to blend into the burger mix.
Lentils - Use brown or green lentils, not red, which are too soft and mushy. They're essential for giving the burgers structure and protein.
Mushrooms - Cremini or button mushrooms add a rich meaty umami flavor that mimics the flavor of meat. Feel free to swap in portobello.
Cashews - These lend body, texture, and creaminess. You can substitute with walnuts, almonds, or sunflower seeds depending on your preference.
Rolled Oats - Ground oats help bind the mixture together.
Rosemary - Adds a fragrant herbal flavor. You can easily swap in thyme, sage, or any other favorite herb. Check out my guide to Italian herbs and spices for more inspiration.
Olive Oil - Use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil for roasting and sautéing. Read more in my post on the best Italian olive oil.
*Find the full ingredient list in the recipe card below!
Helpful Equipment
- Sheet pan
- Aluminum foil
- Medium saucepan
- Sauté pan
- Food processor
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- Spatula
Step by Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the beets on a piece of foil, drizzle olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Wrap them tightly and roast for 60-90 minutes, or until fork-tender. Let them cool, then peel and roughly chop.
- Add the lentils and water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes or until tender. Drain off excess water and let cool.
- In a separate pan, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the onions, mushrooms, and rosemary. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
Pro Tip: Roasting beets ahead of time will save you time during meal prep. Store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Pulse the oats in a food processor until finely ground. Add cashews and pulse until powdered.
- Add the roasted beets, mushroom-onion mixture, salt, and pepper. Pulse until mostly combined, scraping the sides as needed. Add lentils and pulse again until well incorporated.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, then transfer mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Chilling helps the mixture firm up for easier shaping.
- Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high.
- With damp hands, form the mixture into 6 patties.
- Flatten gently and place in the pan.
- Cook for several minutes on each side until crisp and browned.
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with the remaining mixture.
Pro Tip: Keep your hands wet while forming the patties; it makes the sticky mixture much easier to handle.
Tips for Success
- Beets can be roasted up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to use.
- For the best texture, avoid over-processing the mixture. A few visible bits of veggies and lentils are ideal.
- If the mixture feels too wet, stir in a little more ground oats.
- A wide spatula helps flip the patties without breaking them apart.
- These patties freeze well, so make a double batch and save some for later.
Variations
- Swap the beets for carrots or sweet potatoes for a different flavor profile.
- Use different herbs like thyme, oregano, or sage based on what's in your kitchen.
- Try walnuts or sunflower seeds instead of cashews.
- Make mini sliders instead of full-size patties for a fun party appetizer.
- Bake the patties instead of frying for a lighter option (375°F for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway).
Serving Suggestions
These Lentil Beet Veggie Burgers are super versatile. Eat them on a soft burger bun with all your favorite toppings, or serve as-is with a side salad or grain bowl for a lighter option.
They're also great with sauces like this tangy Creole remoulade, a cooling tzatziki, or smoky chipotle guacamole.
Try topping them with a spoonful of caramelized onions, smoky roasted red peppers, or even a dollop of sweet-savory cherry tomato confit.
Storing, Freezing, and Reheating
Store leftover patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To freeze, place uncooked or cooked patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. They will keep well for up to 3 months.
To reheat, warm them in a skillet with a little oil over medium heat until heated through and crisp on the outside. You can also reheat in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes or pop them in the toaster oven.
FAQ
Yes, but it will take more time. Chop everything as finely as possible and mash with a potato masher or fork until cohesive.
Walnuts, sunflower seeds, or almonds all work well. Just make sure to grind them finely for best texture.
Absolutely. Bake at 375°F for about 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through until golden and firm.
If too wet, add more oats. If too dry, stir in a splash of water or olive oil until it holds together.
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Mushroom Lentil Beet Patties
Ingredients
- 2 medium beets or 3 small beets, scrubbed clean
- 2 teaspoons olive oil divided, plus more for frying
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¾ cup green lentils
- ½ medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 cups chopped button or crimini mushrooms
- 2 sprigs rosemary stem removed
- ½ cup oats
- ½ cup cashews sunflower seeds, or any other nut or seed you prefer
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the beets on a piece of foil. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then close up the foil to enclose the beets. Roast for about 60-90 minutes, or until they can be easily pierced with a knife. Set aside and allow to cool, then remove the skins and roughly chop.
- Bring the lentils and 1 ½ cups of water up to a boil, cover, then reduce to a simmer. Cook over low heat until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain any remaining water, then set aside to cool.
- Add the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, mushrooms and rosemary leaves and cook, stirring occasionally, until they're softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Add the oats to a food processor and process on high until they become a fine powder, about 30 seconds to one minute. Add the cashews and process until they're also a fine powder, another 30 seconds to one minute. Add the beets, mushrooms onions, salt and pepper, then pulse to combine, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. When the vegetables are fully incorporated, add the lentils and pulse until a homogeneous mixture is formed. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for about 1 hour. This step can be skipped, but a chilled mixture will be easier to form into patties.
- Heat several tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Divide the mixture into 6 portions. Dampen your hands with water (this will help prevent the mixture from sticking) and gently form a loose patty.
- Place 3 portions in the pan (or adjust the amount to fit your pan as needed). Use your spatula to gently press down on each patty to flatten it and shape it into a burger. Cook until browned and crisp, then carefully flip and cook until browned and crisp on the other side. Transfer to paper towels to drain, then repeat with the remaining patties.
- Serve with a green salad and green goddess dressing or hot sauce, if desired.
Notes
- Beets can be roasted up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to use.
- For the best texture, avoid over-processing the mixture. A few visible bits of veggies and lentils are ideal.
- If the mixture feels too wet, stir in a little more ground oats.
- A wide spatula helps flip the patties without breaking them apart.
- These patties freeze well, so make a double batch and save some for later.
Nutrition
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Absolutely loved these burgers. Due to time restraints I grated the beetroot and pan-fried it instead of putting it in the oven. I also added two teaspoons of cumin and some chilli. The consistency of the burgers is probably the best that I've experienced with all of the vegetarian burgers that I have made highly recommend
Im so glad you loved them!
This is a new fave! Thanks so much!
They cook up great in my air frier and mine hold together well! crispy on the outside!
Question though--at what point do I add the rosemary sprigs? When chopping nuts in the food processor? (The sprigs are listed in the ingredients but aren't in the directions--unless I missed it!)
Also, I made a triple batch to freeze, and when I clicked on 3x to triple the recipe (super handy feature!!) it didn't triple the amount of water for the lentils (probably because it wasn't listed in the ingredients, but in the directions). I caught it in time.
I'm SO excited to have a stock of these in the freezer (I'm freezing the balls/patties on parchment, and tossing into ziplocks, to later thaw and cook up for easy dinners on busy nights. THANK YOU!
So glad you loved this, Molly! Thanks for asking about the rosemary - it goes in when sautéing the onions but as long as it gets blended up in the food processor you can't go wrong. I'll adjust the recipe to include it.
These came out really good! Mine didn't turn out nearly as red as yours but looked eerily like real beef. I used pre-cooked beets so maybe that's why? They formed together well and didn't stick to my hands since I used gloves. Basil is out of season right now so I couldn't make the dressing but will I'll definitely make this again in the summer and try them together! Thanks!
So glad to hear that Katy! Sometimes red beets can be really vibrant, and other times a little more pale and brown, especially after roasting. The color doesn't matter! You can always sub in other herbs for the basil in the dressing - it's really forgiving. 🙂
I made these tonight with the green goddess dressing. I stayed with the recipe as is and they were perfect! They held together very nicely after chilling for 1 hour. The dressing was a perfect accompaniment. I agree with the no-bun option.
My question is... Do you freeze them before or after you fry them up?
Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed them! I've always frozen the patties after cooking, then you can just pop them into the toaster oven to quickly reheat. Hope thats helpful!
These were good, but i couldnt get them to stick together. They were just mushy. Ii added some flour and panko bread crumbs which seemed to work: what did i do wrong? Should i use more oats next time ?
I'm sorry to hear that! Sometimes if the beets are a little too juicy it can make the mixture a little too wet, and thus hard to form. Thanks for pointing this out - I'm definitely going to add a note in the recipe. Extra oats / oat flour will do the trick to get them to bind together. Hope they work better for you next time!
I love beet burgers, I love how you've included other veg and herbs to help the beets. Looks ready for a burger bun!
Thanks!! They are very satisfying. Hope you give them a try!
Well that explains it. When I saw these on Instagram I didn't even recognize them as a Coley recipe! You made vegan and gluten free look good!
Haha, thanks!!! I've been inspired to clean it up a bit more lately. I say that as I've just posted a recipe for fried dough. But you know, balance!
I love beets but I'd never considered using them in a burger! Will bookmark this one! Thanks for sharing!
Awesome!! Hope you love them as much as we do. 🙂