If you’re a fan of beet salads, you will love this beet burger recipe! Perhaps you’ve grown tired of the average veggie burger and are looking for something a bit... elevated. I spent months working on this recipe and know you'll love this roasted beet and sweet potato burger made with panko breadcrumbs and eggs.
With the rise of products like Beyond Beef and the Impossible Burger, it’s clear that people want more meatless options. Luckily, we’ve turned a corner with vegetarian options that taste better than ever. Upgrade from the same ol’ veggie burgers and make this super flavorful beet and sweet potato burger!
Are beets the same as beetroot?
You've come to the right place if you’re searching for a beetroot burger recipe. Beets and beetroot are entirely the same thing. The term “beetroot” is more common in certain countries, whereas the U.S. uses the term “beets” more commonly.
My initial inspiration for this burger came after stocking up on cans of julienne beets (typically used in my Mary’s Pizza Shack Signature Salad dupe). Beets have a mild flavor, but people either love or hate them. However, when combined with sweet potatoes and the proper seasoning blend, you may be surprised how many people will love these veggie burgers!
How to cook beets for a beet burger
The best way to prepare the beets is to drizzle them in olive oil before roasting. However, I realize that this isn’t always an option. If you don’t have access to fresh, raw beets—or don’t have 45 minutes of roasting time—you can use a few quick substitutions:
• Canned beets
• Frozen beets, thawed in hot water
• Previously cooked beets (like these from Love Beets)
There are two ways to prepare your beets for roasting. First, remove the stems and peel. However, you can skip this step if you prefer.
- Start by trimming off the tops of the beets.
- Drizzle with olive oil and wrap each beet in foil.
- On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, roast until tender and let cool.
- Once they’re cool enough to handle (but still warm), gently rub the outside of the beets, and the skin will slough off. Easy!
Preparing your sweet potatoes
A key ingredient in this beet burger recipe is sweet potatoes! I often cook several sweet potatoes at once, knowing I’ll use them in another recipe over the next few days. So, use this opportunity to transform leftover sweet potatoes into your next meal!
You can also opt for frozen sweet potatoes—just be sure to thaw them first. After cooking your root vegetables, you’ll want to pull out your food processor. With just a few pulses, you can eliminate tedious chopping and dicing (unless you enjoy it!).
Beets: simply chop them into cubes, add to a food processor, and pulse a few times.
Sweet potatoes: if you opt for frozen sweet potatoes, allow them to thaw and repeat the pulse in the food processor. Otherwise, you can boil peeled sweet potatoes and smash them with a fork.
Easy beet burger recipe
This recipe will yield six to eight patties, depending on how big you want to make your burger. The burgers pictured here are made with the 6-patty ratio but are a bit dense. You can pare down your portions and get eight patties (or 20 sliders!).
It’s important to wrap and refrigerate your burger mix before cooking. This will give the eggs and panko time to create a little “glue” and hold your patties together. Allow for at least an hour, but you can make them up to 24 hours in advance.
Best way to cook beet burgers
I have not tested these burgers on a barbecue or grill. If refrigerated ahead of time, they'll likely stay intact. But, for now, let’s utilize your cast iron skillet or griddle to pan-fry.
A cast iron skillet is the best choice for cooking beet burgers. It retains heat well, cooking the burger thoroughly without overcharging the outside.\
Start by heating your skillet to medium-high and immediately lowering it to medium-low. Doing so ensures heat circulation but does not make the skillet too hot, burning your burgers.
Note: cast iron is excellent for heat retention, but it can be tricky when it comes to even heat distribution. I use this trick before cooking anything in my cast iron skillet.
How to make vegan beet burgers with no egg
This beet burger recipe is vegetarian but not vegan due to the eggs. To make a vegan burger using this recipe, just make one simple ingredient swap! Substitute the eggs for flaxseed meal and water to make this recipe vegan.
How to make a vegan egg substitute with flaxseed
For every egg, substitute two to three tablespoons of water with one tablespoon of flaxseed meal. So, for these beet burgers, you’ll need about five tablespoons (¼ cup plus one tablespoon) of water and two tablespoons of flaxseed meal. Combine the water and flaxseed in a small bowl and let rest for five to ten minutes. Then, it’s ready to use! Now, you can enjoy an entirely plant-based beet burger.
Substitutions and additions
Feel free to get creative and add in your favorite veggie burger additions. Try adding these popular veggie burger ingredients to this beet burger recipe or substitute for the sweet potatoes.
- Black beans
- Rice
- Roasted corn
- Caramelized onions
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
Want to make this recipe beet burger recipe gluten-free? Swap the panko breadcrumbs for gluten-free corn flakes or make your own super easy gluten-free breadcrumbs.
PrintVegetarian Beet Burgers with Sweet Potatoes
Create a super tasty veggie burger when you prepare this beet burger recipe with sweet potatoes, panko breadcrumbs, and eggs.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Veggie Burgers
Ingredients
- 3 beets
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Pinch of pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425º.
- Cut the stems off the beets before cutting beets into halves or quarters.
- Lightly drizzle in olive oil and wrap in foil.
- Roast for 45 minutes or until they’re tender. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Meanwhile, cook the sweet potatoes.
- Peel and cube sweet potatoes and add to a large stockpot of salted boiling water.
- Let cook for about 15 minutes or until they’re tender.
- Drain the pot and let the sweet potatoes cool.
- Once the beets have cooled enough to be handled, gently rub the outside of the beet to remove the skins. They should easily slough off—you can always peel them before roasting, if you prefer.
- In a food processor, pulse the beets until they become shredded and fine enough to mash,
- Combine the sweet potatoes and beets in a large bowl. Using your hands, a whisk, or a potato masher, lightly mash together.
- Season the beet and potato mixture with salt, paprika, cumin, garlic paste, and pepper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs.
- Pour eggs over the beet and potato mixture and gently fold until they’re well mixed in.
- Add the bread crumbs ½ cup at a time, ensuring they’re evenly distributed.
- Line a cutting board with plastic wrap and scoop the beet and sweet potato mixture onto the board.
- Cover completely with plastic wrap, rolling the mixture out until even in a rectangular or square, and refrigerate for an hour (up to 24 hours).
- Remove from the refrigerator and break into 6-8 portions, creating a round patty.
- Heat a cast iron or stainless skillet to medium heat, drizzle with olive oil, and then reduce to medium-low.
- Cook burgers on each side for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through.
- Serve over a seeded bun and garnish with goat cheese, arugula, avocado, and pickled onions—or your favorite toppings!
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