Best True Veggie Burgers: Three Patties Worth Knowing Before You Buy

Introduction

With all the attention on plant-based patties that imitate ground beef, it is easy to forget that true veggie burgers, the kind built from beans, grains, and real vegetables, have quietly improved. Patties in this category used to be genuinely unpleasant to eat. That is no longer the case. In a recent tasting of 12 brands, 10 were good enough to recommend. This roundup covers three of the standouts, plus one that shows things can still go wrong.

How We Sorted the Field

The most useful way to think about true veggie burgers is to divide them into three styles. First, bean-based burgers, which may contain grains but are strongly bean-forward. Second, the earthy and savory category, where ingredients like mushrooms bring umami depth. Third, vegetable-forward burgers, where you can actually see chunks of carrots, sweet potato, or leafy greens, and the patty makes no attempt to pretend it is beef.

Two things separate a good veggie burger from a bad one in any of these categories. It should not be dry, and it should not contain hard, uncooked crunchy bits. The three patties below were judged against that standard, with one clear favorite from each style. Our favorite vegetable-forward pick was a thick orange patty made with sweet potato and carrots, with an ingredient list that reads much like a recipe you might make at home and a larger size that works nicely on a burger bun.

Best Bean-Based Burger: Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean

This was the favorite in the bean-based category. It contains corn and has a distinctly southwestern flavor, which tasters described as a nice change of pace with a pleasant kick. It is the kind of patty that works well as an actual burger rather than a side dish.

If you buy one bean-based veggie burger, this is the one tasters kept coming back to. One taster noted she already keeps a box in her freezer and finished most of it during the tasting itself.

Best Earthy Savory Burger: Dr. Praeger’s Mushroom Risotto

Several Dr. Praeger’s varieties were tasted, and the Mushroom Risotto stood out as the pick of the earthy savory category. One taster described it simply as tasting like risotto, creamy with good flavor and a clear mushroom character. There are peas and other vegetables mixed in as well.

The trade-off is size. The patty runs a little on the thin side, so it is not the most substantial burger on the bun. What it lacks in thickness, it makes up for in flavor, which is exactly what you want from this style.

What to Avoid: The Patty That Missed

Not every patty in the tasting landed. The Morningstar Farms Mediterranean Chickpea burger had hard bits in it that seemed undercooked, and tasters found it dry and essentially flavorless. One taster who genuinely loves veggie burgers said she could not find a reason to eat it, joking that its main use might be as a hockey puck. It serves as a useful reminder that the category has improved, but individual patties can still fail the basic test.

Overall Buying Advice

Match the patty to the meal you actually want. If you are after a hearty, southwestern-style burger for the grill or the bun, the spicy black bean is the safest bet. If you want something savory and comforting that eats more like a vegetarian entree, the mushroom risotto delivers the most flavor per bite, just expect a thinner patty. And if you want a burger that announces itself as honest vegetables, look for a thick, chunky sweet potato and carrot style patty. In every case, avoid patties that are dry or contain hard, uncooked pieces.

Conclusion

True veggie burgers have come a long way, and the best of them are worth keeping in the freezer. The Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean is the strongest all-around pick for burger night, Dr. Praeger’s Mushroom Risotto wins on flavor, and the Mediterranean Chickpea shows why it still pays to choose carefully.