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Zucchini Burgers
These hearty Zucchini Burgers will make a delicious and nutritious addition to your next burger night. They're made with wholesome ingredients and packed with savory flavor and plant-based protein! Prepare the patties for easy meal prep, or serve them for a satisfying family meal.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or other neutral oil
- 1 clove minced garlic minced
- 1/2 yellow or red onion diced
- 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini 2 medium zucchinis grated on the largest holes of a box grater or through a food processor grater attachment
- 1/2 cup toasted or raw pumpkin or sunflower seeds or toasted or raw almonds or walnuts
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to taste
- 1 14 oz can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cooked quinoa or 1/3 cup of dry quinoa, cooked
- 2 tablespoons smooth Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill or parsley
- avocado oil spray, if air frying or other type of oil spray. If you don't have any, coat the tops of the burgers with any type of oil using a basting brush
- toppings to serve sliced tomato, avocado, vegan mayo, lettuce, burger or sandwich bread, red onion, and pickles
Instructions
- Warm the oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and onions to the pan. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent and tender.
- Add the zucchini and continue to cook for about 8 minutes, stirring periodically, until tender and the liquid has evaporated. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Grind the paprika, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, salt, and pepper in the food processor until it has a sandy texture.
- Add the cannellini beans, quinoa, mustard, lemon juice, and chopped dill or parsley to the food processor. Pulse to blend with the seed mixture until the mixture is thick and pasty.
- Pour the mixture into the pan with the cooked zucchini. Stir well until thoroughly combined. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Spread out the zucchini and bean mixture in the skillet or on a small baking dish. Chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours until cooled through and easily formed into patties.
- If baking the burgers, preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Form the batter into 8-12 burger patties.
- If air frying, preheat the air fryer to 375° for 5 minutes. Grease the bottom rack of the air fryer with oil spray, then place the patties into the air fryer basket (keep at least one inch between each patty). Grease the tops of the burgers with oil spray, and air fry for 15 minutes. Flip and air fry 5 minutes longer until the surface of the burgers are dry and crispy. Allow the burgers to cool in the air fryer for 5 minutes before removing with a spatula.
- If baking, bake the burgers for 35 minutes, flipping halfway through, or pan-fry them in a skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side, flipping them carefully.
- Serve burgers on buns or sandwich bread and top them with avocado, vegan mayo, sliced red onion, sliced tomato, and lettuce.
Video
Notes
This recipe was adapted from the Zucchini Quinoa burgers by Gena Hamshaw for Food52.com.
Storage Directions
- Refrigeration: Allow cooked patties to cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container and storing them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If stacking them, place a piece of parchment paper between the layers to prevent them from drying out.
- Freezing: You can freeze uncooked or cooked patties. Place cooked or uncooked patties on a baking sheet in a single layer, freeze until solid, then transfer to an airtight container and store for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Reheat refrigerated patties in a skillet over medium heat or the oven at 350ºF until warmed. Reheat frozen cooked patties at 375ºF for about 15-20 minutes or until heated, flipping halfway through. For uncooked frozen patties, cook from frozen in the oven or skillet as outlined in the recipe, adding a few extra minutes of cooking time.
- Properly drain the shredded zucchini. After grating the zucchini, squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible. This step is crucial to prevent the patties from becoming too soggy and falling apart during cooking.
- Toast the seeds. Toasting the pumpkin seeds before adding them to the mixture significantly enhances the flavor and adds a pleasant texture to the burgers.
- Chill the mixture before cooking. Let the zucchini burger mixture chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour before forming the patties. This helps the flavors meld and allows the mixture to firm up, which makes it easier to shape and cook the patties.
- Form uniform patties. Use a measuring cup to portion out the mixture evenly so the patties cook uniformly and are all the same size.