The BEST Keto Veggie Burger—Low in Carbs, But Not in Flavor!
Calling all keto-lovin’ vegetarians!
This low-carb veggie burger recipe has your name on it! I can only imagine how hard following a keto lifestyle must be for all you non-meat eaters out there. Michelle from our Hip2Keto team is a vegetarian keto-er, and she’s been begging for a good veggie burger recipe—My dearest Michelle, ask and you shall receive! 🙌
You don’t have to be a vegetarian to happily nosh these veggie burgers.
Yep! Although these vegetable-based burgers are meatless, they’re super tasty. The mushrooms add a rich flavor and meaty texture. And I promise they don’t taste “mushroomy”. So for any of you who typically avoid this friendly fungus—try these! You’ll be pleasantly surprised.
What’s more, for anyone who must have meat as their main course, these veggie burgers make a banging side dish! Or, if you’re going the finger food route—I highly suggest dividing the mix into 24 portions to make mini veggie burger bites! Serve with ranch dressing or sweet mustard dipping sauce. YUMMO!
Keep these recipe tips in mind when making keto veggie burgers:
- Be sure to cook your vegetables long enough. If the excess moisture isn’t cooked out, you may end up with mushy veggie burgers. Bleck!
- If making mini burger bites, be sure to adjust the cooking time down because appetizer-sized burger bites will cook faster.
- I do not recommend using a silicone mat when baking the burgers. It creates excess moisture and the patties don’t crisp up as well. (And yes, a silicone slip mat is shown in the photo above—So trust me, I’m speaking from personal experience. 😭)
- If your burgers don’t seem firm enough, pop em’ back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes. The veggie burgers are done once the patties are well-browned with very crispy edges.
- If using an 8-oz. block of cheese and you don’t have a scale, I recommend cutting the block of cheese in half before shredding. Freshly shredded cheese is hard to measure so this helps to ensure that you are using 4 oz. of cheese. (And BTW, you really should get a kitchen scale.)
Keto Veggie Burgers
yield: 6 SERVINGS
prep time: 25 MINUTES
cook time: 30 MINUTES
total time: 55 MINUTES
These meatless burgers are super tasty AND they're super low-carb & low-cal, too!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion, very finely diced (I use sweet yellow onion)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup celery, very finely chopped
- 8 oz. mushrooms, stemmed and very finely chopped (I use baby bellas)
- 10 oz. bag frozen riced cauliflower
- 1 teaspoon tamari
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup freshly grated sharp white cheddar cheese (must be equal to 4 oz.)
- 1/4 cup flax meal
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
Directions
1
In a large non-stick skillet, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and celery. Saute for 2 minutes, or until onions begin to soften. Add mushrooms and riced cauliflower. Stirring as needed, cook for an additional 10-12 minutes to remove unwanted moisture from the veggies. (If the veggies begin to brown, the excess moisture has likely been cooked out.) Remove the pan from heat.
2
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3
To the warm veggie mixture, add tamari, salt, parsley, paprika, cumin, and garlic powder. Stir to combine. Add the shredded cheese and mix until the cheese has melted and is fully incorporated. Next, add the flax meal and chia seeds. Stir until thoroughly combined. Set aside to cool and thicken.
4
Prepare a baking sheet by either greasing it very well or use my preferred method and line it with parchment paper. (As noted in the tips, silicone mats are not recommended). Once the mixture has cooled enough to easily touch (about 5-10 minutes) form the dough into 6 patties. The mixture will be sticky and should come together easily. I recommend oiling your hands to help with sticking. If your dough wants to fall apart, you may need to add another tablespoon (or more) of flax meal and leave it to thicken a bit longer before forming patties.
5
Bake veggie burgers for 30 minutes or longer (oven temps may vary). Patties are done when they are nicely browned with a crispy exterior. Allow to cool for a minimum of 5 minutes before serving. Patties will harden/thicken as they cool. Enjoy!
Additional Notes
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat frozen veggie burgers in an air fryer at 350-degrees for 5-7 minutes (preferred method) or in a 375-degree oven for about 10 minutes. I also enjoy them cold.
Nutrition Information
Yield: 6 servings, Serving Size: 1 veggie burger
Amount Per Serving:
161 Calories | 11g Fat | 8g Total Carbs | 4g Fiber | 8g Protein | 4g Net Carbs
Top that veggie burger!
These keto veggie burgers are fab on their own. However, they are also AMAZING loaded with my fave toppings! What’s on the list? I love tangy sprouts, avocado slices, garlic aioli, melted cheese, and for you meat-heads—bacon. Yep, I said bacon on a veggie burger! How truly unorthodox. 😉
Serve these veggie burgers wrapped in lettuce to keep it light and low-cal. Or, try it on this Italian focaccia bread—So good! Another fun idea that I’ve personally never tried but will soon—avocado “buns”! Probably messy and probably worth it!
Hip sidekick and recipe tester, Jenna, tried this recipe too, and here’s what she had to say –
“Wow! This was such a fun recipe! The steps are super helpful and full of informative tips. That’s appreciated because this is a more intimidating recipe. One of my favorite things in the world is portabella burgers. This recipe is seriously so good! I love the use of the mushrooms, white cheddar, and the riced cauliflower as the base. What a delicious creation!
The tip for oiling your hands worked out perfectly for me and the cook time was spot on. They turned out crispy on the outside, juicy in the middle, and they held up perfectly! I used our delicious keto cloud bread as the bun.” – Jenna
For another yummy vegetarian meal, try a Mexican Ketodilla (it’s our keto take on a quesadilla)!
Made these tonight and they were super yummy! Even my meat eating hubby liked them!
Hi there,
Can you use I egg white or egg in place of flax product . Looks amazing.
Hi, Kimberley! You could try an egg white along with 2-3 tablespoons almond flour to help absorb the liquid and add bulk. Hope that helps!
egg white – vegan burger?
Yea, eggs are not vegan. If you are strictly vegan, you would not use the egg white.
I always Make burgers in big batches and freeze them but I add xantham gum to it and it’s holding together pretty well.
How much xanthan gum would you add to this recipe?
Yeah but you wouldn’t use cheese either
Is there a reason why you don’t sauté them instead of baking? Have you tried it?
Hi Ann! We have not tried it this way yet. You most certainly can try to saute them. I would let them set up in the fridge first so they are firm. Hope this is helpful❤
Thank you for I am looking forward to trying them Do you have recommendation for what to use instead of the gum thickener can’t really see spending 12-15 dollars on something that I can use that is keto friendly for I have cornstarch is not keto friendly thank you I love a lot of the recipes that are posted here.
Hi Kim! Sorry for the late reply. The best substitutes, to keep things low carb, are psyllium fiber, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, or gelatin. Hope that helps!
From my understand Gelatin isn’t vegan! Agar agar is sometimes marked as gelatin and that is vegan because it’s made from a red algae while gelatins gelatins is made from boiling animal leftovers. So I think it’s important to look at the back of the ingredients
Cheese also isn’t vegan and there are 4 oz of it used it this recipe… No one said this was vegan…
They are Vegetarian not vegan. Eating no animals is vegetarian, no animal products is vegan. I could not give up cheese so only vegetarian. Some people eat them just because they are tasty like my husband even though he is a meat eater.
These were great! Even my Keto loathing husband said the need to become our regular burger.
Yay! Super happy he enjoyed them too, Lesli! Thanks a bunch for the feedback!
This was a fantastic burger-five stars! I love bean burgers but since going keto, I can’t have them. This really satisfied my craving and was excellent! I followed the recipe as written except that I had just under 1/4 cup flax so I used hemp hearts to make up the difference. I also used freshly riced cauliflower. I’m sharing this recipe with the other vegetarian keto dieters in my family!
Woohoo! That’s awesome! Thanks for the review, Amy! Super happy to hear these were a hit! 🙌
Edens makes black soy beans, which are delicious and substitute 1:1 for a can of black beans. You can find in Fresh Market, on Amazon, or in some other specialty grocery stores.
Thank you for this recipe. It looks fantastic. I am trying to go more plant-based, and this will be a big help to me.
You are so welcome, Linda! Good luck!
Wortesher sauce has sardines in it. And is not vegetarian.
Correction Anchovies
Hi Amber! You’re right that some brands do have Worcestershire sauces made with anchovies. However, there are variations without them, such as Annie’s or Whole Foods 365. That said, they do contain small amounts of sugar so you can always make your own keto vegetarian version with this recipe. Hope that helps!
I use liquid aminos any time there is a calling for Worster.
Can’t wait to try this! – could you recommend a substitute for the cheese as I don’t eat dairy. Thank you!
Hi Connie! There are low carb vegan cheeses available. Just be sure to double check the ingredients. Hoping that helps!
Smells so good! Mine are in the oven right now. I used liquid aminos in place of Worster. I also added 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts for a crunch. I am imagining all of the possibilities- adding jalapeños, spinach, pepitas, curry powders instead of Mexican spices, Thai ingredients…. can’t wait to try this first batch!
What kind of bun did you use? Looks delicious! Is there a recipe?!
Yes! Here you go! https://hip2keto.com/recipes/low-carb-rosemary-sea-salt-italian-focaccia-bread/
Hi! Can these be prepared and refrigerated overnight?
They can stay in the fridge or be frozen to use later, Sherry!
If freezing, do you bake & then freeze or freeze after pattied out?
I would freeze before baking them. Just have them in the patty shapes and ready to go.
Is there a sub for mushrooms? (Allergy) Zucchini?
Although I haven’t personally tried it, I think zucchini would be great! Please let us know how it turns out!
Hello. This recipe looks fantastic. Unfortunately, I cannot eat mushrooms, shellfish, gluten or nuts due to food allergies. Is there a Keto friendly substitute for mushrooms?
Hi Andrea! We have not tried it, but zucchini may be a good substitute. Hope this helps❤
These look great! However, Worcestershire is not vegetarian. It contains anchovies. But, these are probably good without it. Maybe a little soy sauce instead? I’ll try it! I’m always looking for a yummy veggie burger!
Hi Andrea! Im sure soy sauce or liquid coconut aminos may lend the umami flavor Worcestershire does. We have not tried it that way yet, so let us know if you do❤ Thank you for the tip!
Hi, I make my own vegan cheese, I make two sorts one will melt and the other won’t. Just to confirm it is a meltable cheese needed for this recipe?
Never mind just seen the instructions, sorry
No worries! Glad you found the information you needed! 😊
Of all the veggie burgers I’ve made, these are by far the best and tastiest. I’ve made them several times now, and every time they’ve been a hit.
Yay! Happy to hear you’ve been enjoying these, Jani! Thanks for letting us know what a hit they have been!
I would love to try these but my oven on broken..Do you think I can air fry them?also, I am not a big fan of celery ,can I omit it?
Hi there! You can certainly omit the celery! I would suggest to refrigerate the patties for 30 minutes to assure they are firm enough to air fry. Then I would make sure you use a non stick spray to coat the bottom of your air fryer. Cook at 350° for 9 to minutes flipping half way in between. Hope this helps❤
I didn’t have cauliflower rice, so I cooked a bag of frozen broccoli/cauliflower mix and then pulsed in food processor. Delicious! I have made this many times, and it’s very forgiving and delicious. You’d be hard pressed to find another veg burger that’s this good that is also keto.
I bet your modification tasted great!