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The Best Damn Chunky Portabella Veggie Burgers on the planet! Portabella mushrooms, broccoli, black beans, and seasoning make this a burger even meat lovers can’t resist! This burger is packed full of veggies and seasonings that make it taste like a real beef burger! Whether you’re a vegetarian or a carnivore you’ll love this burger!
Last week I was at Sam’s club, like every Saturday morning picking up my weekly supplies perusing through the fresh produce section. I was pushing my buggy through the aisles, taking my time looking at everything when I spotted the most incredible Portabella mushroom caps. Each cap was the size of a dinner plate!
I have never seen them that big; I mean EVER! And for like $3.50 I was all over that!
So I brought them home, tucked them in the fridge for a few days. Since my tummy was on the fritz and hating most meats (it does it every once in a blue moon) I figured it was perfect timing to use these face-sized mushrooms.
Ingredients needed to make these Portabella Mushroom Burgers
Obviously you need mushrooms. They are the cornerstone of these burgers. And portabella (or portobello depending on how you spell it) are the mushrooms of choice here.
I go with these mushrooms because they are the most like meat. As they are meaty and “beefy”. Often I’ll grill these up for me, with my typical Montreal Steak seasoning while I make him a new york strip.
For this recipe I went with what I had on hand:
- Portabella mushrooms
- Black Beans
- Fresh broccoli – I minced it and kept it raw for texture but you could cook it if you wanted to first
- red onions
- bread crumbs (see below how to make keto and gluten-free)
- egg (see below how to make egg-free or see THIS POST for egg substitutes!)
- cheese (see below for vegan options)
- seasonings
Now, can you go with other veggies? ABSOLUTELY! I’ve used zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, corn.
Remember, this is NOT a vegan recipe HOWEVER I have a section below on how you can make it vegan thanks to all of your input!
Not all mushrooms are the same with water content
Now you can use white button mushrooms or crimini mushrooms but for this recipe, I only use portabella mushrooms.
That being said, the water content in each mushroom is different. Some have more water when you cook them up and some don’t.
When making this recipe you have 2 choices
- You can sautee up the mushrooms to remove the moisture – this ensures that you have a more cohesive/less bread crumb/binder to the mix
- You can chop, mix and add a bit more binder.
I’ve done both and honestly the only thing I think is better about cooking them up first is that they have a more rich, depth of flavor. Again, totally your call.
So use the breadcrumb measure below as a guideline because it honestly depends on your mushrooms. Just don’t add a ton as you want this to be a burger and not a meatloaf
Cleaning your mushrooms
During Lent, I try to come up with truly meatless dishes as even though most people eat seafood on Friday there are tons that hate seafood. So I took out the gorgeous portabellas and cleaned out the gills.
Now you don’t have to remove them as they are edible. Most chefs remove them as they will discolor your sauce and make it muddy. For this dish, it’s totally your call. I just do it out of habit.
Adding the veggies and binding ingredients to this portabello veggie burger
As I mentioned above, I went with what I had on hand. When using more watery type veggies (zucchini, squash, etc) you want to remove as much water out of them BEFORE you add to the mix otherwise the mixture will be soggy and you’ll find you’ll have to add a ton more binding ingredients – breadcrumbs and cheese.
So I chopped the veggies (and kept them raw as I wanted texture). I hate a bean or mushroom burger that has zero texture other than ‘creamy’. By leaving the broccoli raw (while keeping them small) it gave the burger great texture and mouthfeel.
To give the burger a more well-rounded flavor profile, I added in minced garlic and onion. The onion adds moisture.
The only thing that was missing was the protein. Sure the eggs were a great source of protein but I want more. I opted to add black beans not only for color, protein, and flavor but also texture. They, unlike cooked broccoli, mushrooms and onions stay semi-firm.
I quickly sauteed up the mushrooms to help remove as much liquid as possible as I wanted these to be hearty burgers that were easier to shape and hold the shape.
Mixing Portabella Mushroom Burger all together
Once everything was ready to go, into the bowl they went. I knew the best bet to really get these to stick together with as little filler (bread crumbs) as possible was to mash half of the beans. That really helps to bind the stuff together without adding a lot of bread crumbs making it then almost meatloaf-like.
- Place the prepared veggies, and seasonings into a large bowl. Mix just until coated
- Add in the breadcrumbs, cheese, and egg until the mixture is well combined.
- With damp hands, form into burgers that are tight and compact. If the mixture is really loose and won’t hold it’s shaped, add a bit more breadcrumbs. Again, this is all driven by the water content in your mushrooms.
Best Tips for shaping and forming Portabella Mushroom Burgers that hold their shape
- My biggest advice I can give you when you make these is to make sure you have like a bowl or something with water in it so you can dip your hands in to get wet as this mixture is soft and will stick to dry hands. Plus it helps to make shaping them so much easier.
- Your mixture should be soft and sticky but if you grab a 1/2 cup of the mixture, go to shape it like a burger (again it will be soft) and it does not hold the shape at all, you’ll need to add a bit more breadcrumbs.
As you can see by the pictures they are super moist and juicy inside. I just love how you can see the different ingredients and textures. That peek-a-boo look of pieces of broccoli just makes the pictures (plus the taste!).
Can I make Portabella Mushroom Burgers ahead of time?
Yes but I do not recommend mixing up the recipe, shaping them, and then putting them into the fridge (or freezer) uncooked.
Even though you may have cooked your mushrooms ahead of time, vegetables have water in them so by cutting them up and incorporating them raw into the mix, you’re increasing the possibility of the water making these get soggy if they sit raw.
I advise shaping, cooking them up, and then either storing them in the fridge or freezing them.
These reheat beautifully in the oven!
Making the Portabella Mushroom Burgers
Pan-fried
In my recipe, I prefer to pan-fry these as I want that caramelized crust you would like if you made a real beef burger. If you’re worried about fat you can use a lighter, more neutral oil. Make sure though that your burger is shaped and holds a tight shape.
Do not try and flip it a million times. It’s a soft burger so flip it once. And do not rush the cook.
Baked
You most certainly can bake these. Line a rimmed baking sheet with sprayed parchment.
- Preheat the oven to 400F, place the burgers on the pan and drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake for 10 minutes, carefully flip, drizzle with a bit more oil and bake for another 5-10 minutes.
- Just flip GENTLY as these will be much softer than the pan-fried ones.
Grilled
I’ve not personally tried this but I know many of you have with success. Since these are not like regular burgers, I would not advise putting it directly on the grill. Instead, I would place a grill pan in the bbq, oil it up and then grill. the biggest factor is to watch your temp in the grill.
Even a hardcore carnivore meat-loving burger enthusiast will LOVE this burger!
It’s funny as when I was heating these up at work for lunch so many people would come into the kitchen and say “What is that smell? It smells amazing! Lori what did you make??”.
Then when I showed them their eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. So I managed to lose one every day to passers-by as they wanted to taste. I didn’t mind though as I find that to be such a huge compliment.
What’s funny is I’d tell them it was all veggies and then a few guys would argue with me saying “It can’t be as it tastes like beef! There has to be beef in there!” but I would just shake my head no over and over.
So yeah if you can get people arguing with you over a veggie burger tasting so much like beef that they question if it’s really just veggies then you’ve created something pretty amazing!
Even if you’re a hardcore carnivore I’m asking you to give this a shot.
You will LOVE these!
Portabello Mushroom Burger Keto and Gluten-Free Substitutions
Some of the best substitutions for breadcrumbs in this burger is one of two things:
- Homemade Gluten-Free Panko breadcrumbs – this is the same coating I use on my GlutenFree Chicken Parmesan and it’s INCREDIBLE!
- Pork Rinds – Yes, good ol’ pork rinds, that are ground using the above panko recipe instructions are the best. I make my own as it’s cheaper and I can control how much I make!
- If you want, there are 2 great Keto/Gluten-Free Pork Rind Breadcrumbs that are already prepared that are good too!
Portabello Mushroom Burger Vegan and Dairy/Egg-Free Substitutions
As I stated above, this is NOT a vegan recipe BUT that doesn’t mean vegans and those with allergies can’t enjoy this!
Thanks to the millions of you that are, your incredible feedback on how you “veganized” the recipe or how you modified it for your dietary needs, I’ve been able to test your substitutions out with GREAT SUCCESS!
Dairy / Egg-Free / Vegan Substitutions
- To not use eggs, most folks go with 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal and 3 tablespoons of water for each egg. I HIGHLY recommend reviewing my Egg Substitutions post as it’s extremely detailed!
- For the cheese, go with vegan cheese or even nutritional yeast.
- For the Worcestershire sauce, use this VEGAN version
More Mushroom Recipes
- Chunky Portabella Parmesan Veggie Burgers
- Breakfast Stuffed Portabello Mushroom Caps
- Garlic Herbed Roasted Portabello Mushrooms
- Green Bean Casserole Stuffed Portbello Mushrooms
- Porcini Mushroom Pasta with Bacon, Peas and Mushrooms
- BBQ Pulled Pork Stuffed Mushrooms
- Ultimate Mushroom Veggie Meatloaf
- Pizza Stuffed Portabello Mushroom Caps
Chunky Portabella Veggie Burgers
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 35
- Category: Burgers
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Vegetarian
The best damn Chunky Portabella Veggie Burgers on the planet! Portabella mushrooms, broccoli, black beans, and seasoning make this a burger even meat lovers can’t resist! This burger is packed full of veggies and seasonings that makes it taste like a real beef burger! Whether you’re a vegetarian or a carnivore you’ll love this burger!
Ingredients
- 2 cups Portobello mushrooms, cubed (smaller pieces); gills removed *see note about sauteing first.
- 2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and divided
- 1 cup minced broccoli, fresh only
- 1/2 cup red onion, minced
- 3 XL eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoon Panko or Gluten Free Panko
- 1 tablespoon Montreal Steak Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire *for full vegetarian or vegan style use one that does not contain anchovies like this one
- 2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan *Look for vegetarian or vegan Parmesan cheese if you do not eat animal products
- Olive oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl add 1 cup of black beans and mash with a masher (chunks are OK).
- Next, add in the mushrooms (preferred sauteed), the rest of the beans, broccoli, garlic, onion, Worcestershire and steak seasoning.
- Mix just until coated.
- Add in the eggs, cheese and bread crumbs and mix gently with a large spoon until the mixture is combined.
- Set aside while you place a medium non-stick pan over medium heat and add in 2 tablespoon of oil.
- Once the oil starts to shimmer (about a minute or two), using dampened hands (the mixture will stick to you if you don’t), scoop a 1/2 cup of mixture into the palm of your hand and gently shape into a burger all the while pressing together. The mixture should hold a burger shape. If it doesn’t add just a tablespoon more of bread crumbs.
- Place in the oil and cook for 3-5 minutes per side or until golden brown and a crust has formed on each side.
- Serve with hummus, guacamole or steak sauce.
Notes
Saute First
If you are sautéing you will need to start with 3 1/2 cups raw chopped mushrooms. Mushrooms are high in water and it can vary from mushroom pack to mushroom pack how much water is in them. To alleviate the extra liquid/softness of the burger saute the mushrooms first in a little olive oil for about 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned and the liquid has been drawn out of the mushrooms. Allow to cool slightly before adding to mix.
Vegan
I get asked this a lot – how to make it vegan. I’m not a vegan so I have to trust in the comments that you guys provide.
1. To not use eggs, most folks go with 1 tablespoon of flax seed meal and 3 tablespoons of water for each egg.
2. For the cheese, go with vegan cheese or even nutritional yeast.
Make Ahead
- It is NOT recommend to mix this up, shape the patties then hold to cook. You cannot do this as the mushrooms will start to seep water and the patties will turn mushy.
Freezing Instructions
- My recommendation is to form the patties, cook per the instructions, allow to cool then freeze. You must cook these fully prior to freezing.
- To reheat just pop them into the oven at 350F for 10-12 minutes or even in a microwave.
Dani says
Worcestershire contain anchovy… I’ll replace it with yeast extract for a vegetarian version :-). Busy preparing it as we speak.
TKWAdmin says
Thanks for reminding me of that Dani! I’ll put a note in the recipe about to use a vegetarian version.
Happy Easter and Best Kitchen Wishes!
Debi Lee says
Lori, these are delicious. My hubby doesn’t care for black beans but he has devoured these for three nights. Last night I cut one of the burger in half, placed it in a low carb flour tortilla and topped it with mozz cheese, diced tomato and guac and rolled it up!! This is as close to bread as we ever come and it was delish!!
TKWAdmin says
WOW thank you and your husband so much Debi!!! Yeah Mr. Fantabulous loved these as well. I’m actually eating one right now for lunch!
Oh I love your way of making it into a wrap of sorts! Love it!
To go almost no carb, try it in a lettuce wrap. I LOVE that!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
judy says
These look amazing, i cant wait to try them!!! Im thinking of making them for dinner tomorrow and was just wondering if i can used canned black beans?? Thank you so much for all of your delicous recipes.
TKWAdmin says
Hi Judy!
Yes you can use canned beans – just be sure to drain and rinse them well.
Let me know what you think of them!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Jennifer says
So, if you wanted to make this in a meatloaf, would you need to add anything different or more, or would you just shape it into a loaf. I’m thinking this will be really good for dinner this weekend.
TKWAdmin says
Hi Jennifer!
I would add milk soaked bread (to make it moister since you’re baking it longer), maybe some oats to help with the binding (or cooked quinoa) and for me I add a bit of whatever sauce to the mixture that I’m coating in with. I’m old school and love meatloaf with a red gravy so I’d add some of that.
I’d shape it and chill it for about an hour (this will help when cooking). Bake 350 for 25 minutes, glaze with your sauce and bake another 10 minutes, glaze again and then bake another 10. This will aide in it getting an awesome crust.
I hope to work on a recipe for this very soon and share it with you all. But if you try it, let me know how it worked out for you and what you added/changed.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Erin says
A mixture of salsa and bbq sauce with a little worstershire would be good as a topping.
TKWAdmin says
OH I love that Erin! Maybe top with some pepper jack cheese too!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Hannah Merry says
I put pepper jack cheese on mind with Hot and Spicy Ketchup! It had quite the kick!
TKWAdmin says
Oh that sounds really good Hannah, spicy but good! I may be too much of a wimp to put all that heat on it!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Shelly says
Do you have any suggestions for substitutes for the beans?
TKWAdmin says
Hi Shelly!
You can omit the beans and add chopped red peppers. To get that same ‘mashed’ beans without using beans go with riced cauliflower. You can Dry fry it (meaning just rice it and then place in a skillet with no fat) to get some of the moisture out but don’t remove it all. You want it to where it’s soft, like real rice.
Let me know how that works out for you!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Melissa says
I made these last night…and they were super yummy. I didn’t have black beans, so I used garbanzo beans…and I think they worked well. Also, I think that I made the patties too big…they kind of fell apart in the middle when I flipped them…but they were still really good! My boyfriend, who is a big meat eater, even had two…he really enjoyed them…SCORE!
TKWAdmin says
Thank you so much Melissa! Yeah these can’t be “Gunther” sized burgers otherwise they will fall apart in the middle like yours did 🙁 What you could do IF you wanted the bigger burgers is cook them on a lower heat for longer. This way it’ll allow the middle to heat up, some of that cheese and egg to bind slower. Plus you’ll get a killer crust on the outside.
Yep, Mr. Fantabulous is the same way – carnivore all the way and he was all over these!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Angie says
Can you grill these? That was my plan but I don’t want them to fall apart.
TKWAdmin says
Hi Angie!
I haven’t tried but I’m thinking no only because they are a softer patty when you put it in the oven or pan. BUT… if you have a grill pan that has holes in it you could put that on the grill and cook it that way. That, I think, would work as long as the pan is well sprayed so it wouldn’t stick.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
sharry shorisuperstore says
oh my! i am planning to grill them, shocks! but do you think adding flour or baking powder with beaten egg to stick them together?
TKWAdmin says
Hi Sharry,
Adding flour or baking soda shouldn’t be added; you’d never want to add them to a burger. The taste would most likely be horrific. I would think adding more binder will help with them sticking together to grill.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Jo from yummyvege says
These look so good, I just want to reach into the screen to take a bite!
TKWAdmin says
Hey Jo!
LOL If only they had scratch ‘n sniff Internet, huh? Talk about heaven! You so have to make these!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Amanda says
Just wondering if I can leave out the cheese or substitute? Thank you!
TKWAdmin says
Hi Amanda!
Yes you can leave it out but you’ll need a bit more binder. How about tofu? You can use that for sure. You want something that has moisture in it. Diced red peppers too.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Dvorah says
I used chopped walnuts
TKWAdmin says
Oh I love that idea Dvorah!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
jamie says
i made these last nite and they were yummy! i’ll never buy the frozen ones again.
TKWAdmin says
Thank you so much Jamie! I’m totally in love with these burgers!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
sharry Lima says
yeah me too, it reminds me of doing shanghai rolls with veggies but taste like meat. I will do it same as this and add raisins this time. I had also bought grilling materials at shorisuperstore, planning to flame grill it with hotdogs during outdoor camp. I swear, its more cheaper than amazon.com when I bought collection of thongs.
This is the link in case you would want to..
https://www.shorisuperstore.com
judy says
Looks fabulous! How many burgers does this recipe make?
TKWAdmin says
Hi Judy!
Thank you! Roughly 8-10 burgers is what you should get if you make them bun size.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Linda says
I love these burgers. So juicy !!!
I wanted to find out can I make these as a loaf! Meatless loaf?
I wanted to make it for Easter. If you have any suggestion I would appreciate it.
TKWAdmin says
Hi Linda!
I would add milk soaked bread (to make it moister since you’re baking it longer), maybe some oats to help with the binding (or cooked quinoa) and for me I add a bit of whatever sauce to the mixture that I’m coating in with. I’m old school and love meatloaf with a red gravy so I’d add some of that.
I’d shape it and chill it for about an hour (this will help when cooking). Bake 350 for 25 minutes, glaze with your sauce and bake another 10 minutes, glaze again and then bake another 10. This will aide in it getting an awesome crust.
Use this recipe as inspiration – http://www.thekitchenwhisperer.net/2014/06/04/ultimate-mushroom-veggie-meatloaf/
Best Kitchen Wishes and Happy Easter!