I’ve been dreaming of these beet burgers ever since I made my sweet potato and black bean burgers! They were so easy to make and are still some of the best veggie burgers I have ever eaten.
For these beet burgers, I decided to use the same basic recipe but just switch up the flavors a little bit, and sure enough, it worked out perfectly!
I’m really not sure what I like about beets more, their slightly earthy, slightly sweet taste, or their amazingly bright fuchsia color. Sometimes the fact that fruits and vegetables can be so beautiful really blows my mind. My hair isn’t black, but it is a really dark brown color. When I was a teenager, all I wanted to do was dye my hair some crazy color like blue or pink. After a few failed attempts I finally realized that I would have to bleach my hair in order for any color to actually show up (which is probably for the better because I’m not sure any of those colors would have looked that great).
In one of my desperate hair dying attempts I turned to beet juice as my dye. It is so bright and colorful and it seems to dye my hands and all of my cutting boards, so I figured, why not? Unfortunately, it only gave me a few pink highlights that could only be seen if I stood in the sun, but it did work really well for my blond headed best friend. So, if you are in a hair color rut and looking for a more natural method of changing your hair color, beets are the way to go!
The thing that I really love about this beet burger recipe, as well as the sweet potato burger recipe, is that you don’t need to use any type of bread crumbs or eggs to get them to bind together. This way, if you are like me, you can even skip the warming up step and eat them straight out of the refrigerator. Like I’ve said before, I’m a pretty low maintenance eater. There is just something about the somewhat sticky brown rice and the roasted beets that magically comes together to form a miracle burger patty. These burgers are going to be a little bit soft, they are definitely not as hard as a beef burger patty, but they do stay together without crumbling and they are so moist inside. They really won’t disappoint!
You know the amazing trend of putting french fries on your burger? I know that this isn’t the same thing at all as putting french fries on your burger, and I’m not going to try to convince you that it is, but it is a great way to add a little crunch to your burger, and I personally think that kale and beets go together like Ina and Jeffrey š
On a side note, is anyone else out there ready for Fall?! As much as I love all the summer produce, I’m counting down the days until the Fall weather comes my way, which unfortunately might not be until October in Arizona. I’m ready for pumpkin pie and winter squash! Is it too early to put up Halloween decorations?!
Check out my video to see exactly how to make these delicious beet burgers!
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Roasted Beet, Brown Rice & Chickpea Burgers with Crispy Kale & a Thyme Tahini Sauce {gf+v}
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups peeled and chopped beets, once baked it will be about 1 1/2 cups
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1–15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 small bunch of kale, dino or curly
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Thyme Tahini Sauce:
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 1/2–2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 pinch salt
- 2–5 tablespoons water, depending on how thick or thin you would like it
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the diced beets onto a large sheetpan and drizzle with a little bit if olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast beets for about 40-45 minutes, until they are cooked through. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
- In a food processor, add the beets, chickpeas, brown rice, thyme, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Process ingredients for about 15-30 seconds until everything is mixed together. You don’t want to process until ingredients form a paste, just until everything comes together.
- Form the mixture into patties, you will get about 6-8 depending on how big you make them. Place patties on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, this will make it easier for you to handle them when cooking.
- To cook beet burgers, place a large pan over medium heat and coat the bottom with olive oil. Once the pan is hot, add the beet burgers and cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side.
- Place the crispy kale on the bottom of the bun, top with the beet burger, and spread the top of the bun with the thyme tahini sauce. Enjoy!
Crispy Kale:
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Stack kale leaves on top of each other and cut into 1/4-1/2 inch ribbons. Place kale ribbons on a large baking sheet and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place kale in the oven and cook for about 10-12 minutes, until kale is crispy, flipping once.
Thyme Tahini Sauce:
- Add all ingredients into a blender or a medium sized bowl. Mix until combined.
Notes
Goat cheese would also taste really amazing on these instead of the tahini sauce!
- Category: Entree, Sandwich, Gluten Free, Vegan
Can I be a cat, please?
Can a burger really be beautiful? I think you managed it. So trying to incorporate beets into my diet, they’re just so good for you! And kale, amazing, wonderful kale, how healthy you make me feel! What a great combo. This burger is just popping pink. And you snuck some chickpeas in there too. But ditto on the pumpkins and squash and fall. And it’s been cold here and I still long for winter squash and fall. Can’t wait to start seeing squash recipes crop up.
Aww, thanks so much, Laura! I’m trying to eat more beets these days and these burgers really are the perfect way to incorporate them into your diet! I’m so jealous of your cold weather! I think it might be time that I move away from the desert and head to the northeast! I’m so excited for squash recipes too!
I’ve been thinking about making beet burgers. These look so delicious, I got to try your recipe.
You totally should make them, Kathy! You will love them and they are so pretty š
Those beet burgers are so gorgeous! What a vibrant change from brown brown brown! Love these! And the tahini dressing sounds perfect.
Thank you, Monet! The tahini dressing complements them so well! Goat cheese would also be really nice!
Izzy, this is seriously one of the most beautiful, creative recipes you’ve come up!!! I feel so proud to have you as my friend! Your talent is BEYOND. Not just saying that. You have some serious skill. HA! I can’t believe you went to such extremes to dye your hair. That’s hilarious! My sister, who has the same red hair as me bleached her hair and dyed it blue when she was a teen -BIG MISTAKE. I love that you used beet juice to add some highlights. I may have wanted to take a bite of your hair (in the least creepy way possible). Kind of hippie-ish!
I am SOoooooo with you on the Halloween decorations. In fact, I’ve already decided on my costume lol. Yesterday at the market, I bought 2 acorn squash and a spaghetti squash -they’re starting to come out in my town!!! I pretty much died and went to squash heaven. Come join me in squash heaven! It’s pie-tastic.
Love you my darling xoxoxoxox!
Al
PS. Brown rice in a burger is my favourite. Adds such a great texture! Brown rice is one of my most loved foods, oddly. I could eat bowls upon bowls of that stuff!
PPS. Hey “Cheetos” š !!!! I want to be a cat with you. I <3 napz.
Al!! That is seriously the nicest thing anyone has said to me!!! Thank you so much, you so sweet and awesome!! š Haha, would it be weird if I said that I used to chew on my hair? Haha, I think I liked the way it felt on my teeth! I was a very strange little girl!
Ohhh, I can’t wait to see what your costume is! I need to get started on mine soon! I just saw a bunch of acorn squash for sale a few days ago and I’m trying to hold out a little bit longer to buy them, but I’m not sure I can wait much longer! I just want to be in squash heaven now!! We’ll be cats together in squash heaven š
I used to hate brown rice when I was a kid, but I’m loving it these days and I especially love putting it in my veggie burgers! Love you and hope you are having a great week!!!! XOXOXO
LOVE beets! I just can’t get over how pretty these burgers are! That color is SO vibrant!!!!
I was kinda surprised at how bright they were too! It almost seemed fake, but I promise it is all real beet color š
Good to know that beets can’t dye your hair completely pink! š You are so creative with your recipes, Izzy! These burgers not only look beautiful, but sound amazing, too. The tahini sauce sounds like it compliments these so well! And I’m ready for fall and all the pumpkins and baked goods, but not ready for cold weather just yet! š
Thank you so much, Gayle! The tahini sauce really goes so well with them, but goat cheese would also be amazing! I’m so ready for cold weather, but in Arizona cold weather means about 50 degrees, haha! But, bring on the squash and pumpkins and baked goods!
Your cat is too cute! I love the color of these burgers, I would’ve never thought to incorporate beets. Such a fabulous idea!
Thanks Danielle! He is pretty much the best cat ever š
This looks so amazing! I am having a massive crush on Kale these days, and have always loved beets! must make these burgers soon!! Thank you for sharing the recipe š Gonna sneak in some vegetarian meals for my husband!
Thanks Dini!! I have a big crush on kale too and beets and kale just seem to go so well together! I’m always trying to get my husband to eat more vegetarian meals and I think I am slowly but surely wearing him down! Thanks so much for stopping by š
I am a huge fan of beets and absolutely love these gorgeous burgers! Especially since you won’t need to add any breadcrumbs too! The color is so so pretty and it sounds amazing with the crispy kale and thyme, tahini dressing!
Thank you, Kelly! I honestly don’t know if I like the taste of beets or the color of them more!
I really love the vibrant color that most fruits and vegetable have. When I see beautiful colors like this I wonder why on Earth would anyone want to use artificial coloring. Nature is handing it right to you and it is good for you. š
This burgers look so amazing! Such a great idea.
I totally agree, Cindy! Sometimes I just can’t believe that fruits and vegetables can be so pretty! Thanks so much š
Hahaha! Oh my gosh, I’m not gonna lie—I LOL’d at the thought of you attempting to dye your hair with beet juice! It makes sense though doesn’t it? Beets stain just about everything else so why not hair?!
And these burgers!! The color alone makes me want to reach through my screen and grab a few’a those gorgeous burgers. Beets are one of my FAV things in the world, so I could definitely see myself demolishing an entire batch of these burgers! I don’t think I would be interested in sharing them with my fam, either. š
It really does stain your fingers, and your cutting boards, and pretty much anything else you happen to touch! I’ve been eating them for lunch everyday with only a bun on bottom and I keep staining my fingers when I pick it up to eat it! I used to really hate beets, but I’ve come to love them in the last few years and pretty much demolished this batch in a few days! You should totally eat them all yourself š
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a prettier or more colorful burger! And if you say kale + beets is as good as Ina + Jeffrey together, then you’ve got me hooked on the idea š I will definitely be trying out this recipe!
Thank you, Julia!! Haha, Ina and Jeffrey are the best, aren’t they?! I hope you love these burgers š
Look at these! Wow! I honestly would have never thought of this combo! They look amazing!
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Thanks Annie! I was kind of surprised how brightly colored they were too, haha!
These are just the coolest looking burgers! That color – I just can’t get over it! And they sound completely delicious as well.
And Cheeto! I missed looking at the Cheeto photos while I took some time off! hehe Cracks me up! I wish I could be a cat … or dog sometimes!
Thanks Ashley! Haha, it is a little shocking! I think it scared my husband a little! Aww, Cheeto missed you too! I would totally be a dog too! I’m jealous of pretty much anything that gets to lay around all day!
Wow, they are so colourful. If I had one word for them it would be ‘dense’! I can’t wait to try them š
Thanks Tash! I love your word š
Issy!! I finally read this blog post. It made me laugh so much to remember us trying to dye our hair with beets, but I don’t think it was a successful effort on my blond hair either! I remember that it kept rubbing off on things. Love that you incorporated that story in here though.
P.S. The burgers look delicious (of course).
Sho!! Haha, I do remember it rubbing off on things! I also remember us trying to dye our hair with lemon juice and riding around in the car with your dad while trying to stick our heads out the window so the sun would help make the lemon juice set in! I think you dad might have convinced us that the sun would help, haha! Love you! xo
These burgers look amazing… I am totally loving all the flavours and vibrant colours. I definitely will be recreating these burgers for my vegetarian household. Thanks for the great recipe and idea.
Thanks Thalia! I hope you guys love them š
I made a double batch and I am glad I airfried half of them – they tasted delicious but I could not get the first batch to hold together – perhaps because I used dried and cooked chickpeas not canned … the second batch I threw back in mixing bowl with a tablespoon of tahini paste and made a flax egg using one tablespoon of flaxmeal and 3 tablespoons of water – absolute success then š
Hi Karen, so sorry you had trouble with them holding together, but glad you figured out a solution that worked! And so glad you enjoyed them š
I tried your recipe mine fell apart in cooking. I tried it again and added 1 cup of breadcrumbs and 2 eggs it worked fantastic . I also added more garlic and more fresh herbs served it over a bed of greens with avacado. Thanks for the inspiration!
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Also cooked it 10 minutes on both sides. Texture was great!
Hi Shelley! I’m sorry they fell apart š I’ve made them a few times and haven’t had that problem, so I’m not sure what happened. But, I am glad that you were able to get them to work out and that you enjoyed them! These would be great with avocados š
Think they’ll work if I use the oven instead of frying pan?? Thanks:)
I think that would work great!
Hello! These look wonderful. I was wondering if they are freezable? Thanks!
Hi Natalie, Yes, you can freeze them! I would say that it is best to freeze them for about a month or so. Thanks š
Yum!!! Could these be baked instead of cooked on the stove???
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Definitely!!
I made these last night and used goat cheese and a dill vinagriette with arugula on toasted 13 grain ciabatta. They were delicious. My only problem was that the burgers cooked well and stayed together, but when you bit into the composed dish, the burger came apart and fell off the bread in hunks. What can be used as a binder in this dish as the brown rice didn’t cut it. Maybe some oats?
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You could add an egg (if not vegan) or a flax egg to help hold them together. Oats might help too!
Good morning, I just made these and baked them, came out beautiful. Can you tell me the nutritional component, such as protein, carb and calories?
I will look into adding it soon!