Beet Tempeh Veggie Burgers

Published: Feb 8, 2020 Last Modified: Jun 27, 2020 by Allison

These beet tempeh veggie burgers are kind of like a homemade version of Beyond Meat in flavour and texture. They’re gluten-free, and can probably even be made soy-free by swapping out the tempeh for chickpeas and the tamari for liquid aminos!

fully dressed beet tempeh burger on a cutting board

Almost a year ago, I published what would become my most popular blog recipe to date: Homemade Beyond Meat Burgers. At the time, I was pretty darn pleased with the recipe. I found the texture, flavour, and colour to resemble Beyond Meat burgers enough to justify calling them “Homemade Beyond Meat Burgers.” And yet, something inside of me still knew that I could do better–that I could offer something even more beefy tasting and textured to the world.

Many of you shared this opinion. The main constructive feedback that I got about the original recipe was that it missed the mark in the texture department: it was too moist in the middle to consider it a true Beyond Meat copycat. Overall, you guys liked the flavour, but the texture missed the mark.

Well, I went back to the drawing board, and after months of tinkering, I’ve finally come up with a recipe worth sharing. My family and I freaked out when we first tasted these! We were absolutely floored by how closely they resembled meat burgers.

the fully dressed burger, topped with tempeh bacon, pickles, tomato, lettuce, mustard, mayo, and onion is sandwiched between a bun and shown in someone's hands, about to be eaten!

I actually prefer this beet tempeh burger it to my original “Beyond Meat” recipe. I find it more “meaty,” it holds together better, and because it has some vegan butter and mayo in it, it has some of the fat that ground beef would also provide in a beef burger. While this recipe still contains some soy in the form of tempeh and tamari (Beyond Meat is soy-free), you can probably swap out the tempeh for chickpeas and the tamari for coconut aminos. Let me know how that goes!

These burgers are made with the following ingredients: tempeh, walnuts, mushrooms, short grain brown rice, oat flour, ground flax, barbecue sauce, Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, balsamic vinegar, tamari, Miyokos vegan butter, vegan mayonnaise, vegan Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt and pepper, smoked paprika, and finely shredded beet for a punch of beefy colour.

As I said, all of the ingredients are ultra healthy. You might think it odd that a burger recipe would call for vegan butter and vegan mayonnaise, but they are absolutely essential for creating the mouth feel that you would get in a meat burger. (Also, remember that Beyond Meat burgers contain both canola oil and coconut oil, so if we are going for a copycat recipe, we’re going to need to add some oil to our recipe, too.) Just remember to buy a vegan butter that is free from refined vegetable oils–I use Miyokos cultured vegan butter exclusively because it is made with organic coconut oil and cashews. As far as a vegan mayo goes, I would recommend Chosen Foods vegan mayo, made with avocado oil and aquafaba. If you are unable to find Miyokos vegan butter, you can try using organic refined (deodorized) coconut oil in its place.

the fully dressed homemade beyond meat burger is shown on a wooden board surrounded by sweet potato fries.

how to make these beet tempeh burgers:

Aside from the phenomenal flavour and texture, what’s really nice about these burgers is that you don’t need any fancy food processors or other kitchen appliances. You read that correctly: this is a mix, mash, and press kind of recipe. To make them, you’ll need to have 2 cups of cooked short grain brown rice ready to go. From there, the process is incredibly simple.

Simple though the recipe is, it is important to note that refrigerating the mixture before cooking is absolutely essential for them to hold together properly. I cannot guarantee that the burgers will have the same result if you do not refrigerate the mixture for at least one hour beforehand.

Finally, for best results, I recommend cooking the burgers on a skillet for 3-4 minutes per side after baking them so that they get an irresistibly crispy exterior. You can also melt vegan cheese on top of them at this point.

Here is a step by step description of how to make the burgers. You can also find the steps on the recipe card.

Start by finely chopping one ½-pound block of organic tempeh and place it in a bowl. Lightly mash it with a potato masher.
Next, add 2 cups of cooked short grain brown rice, 1 cup of finely chopped walnuts, 2 cups of finely chopped mushrooms, ½ of a very finely shredded peeled beet, ¾ cup of oat flour, 2 tablespoon of ground flax, 4 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoon of tamari, 2 tablespoon of nutritional yeast, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoon of barbecue sauce, 2 tablespoon vegan butter, 2 tablespoon of vegan mayo, a big pinch of salt and pepper, and 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika to the bowl.
Stir everything together to incorporate, and then mash it with the potato masher to break down some of the rice and tempeh.
Place the bowl in the fridge for at least 1 hour so that the mixture firms up.
Form the burgers into 8 patties and bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes per side. Then, finish them on a skillet for 3-4 minutes per side, melting vegan cheese on top in the last couple of minutes.

beet tempeh burger ready to go into the oven

After being baked, the homemade beyond meat burger looks just like a beef burger. It's ready to go on the stovetop for a quick fry to crisp up.

The burgers are on a skillet with vegan cheese melted on top now. They are ready to serve.

Helpful Hints:

I mentioned these above, but it never hurts to highlight these tips again:

Cook the brown rice before starting this recipe. You will need 2 cups of cooked short grain brown rice for this recipe, which takes 45 minutes. I often cook the brown rice the day before I make this recipe.
Make sure that you chop the mushrooms and walnuts very small, and that the beet is grated as finely as possible. This helps the burgers hold together.
Simple though the recipe is, it is important to note that refrigerating the mixture before cooking is absolutely essential for them to hold together properly. I cannot guarantee that the burgers will have the same result if you do not refrigerate the mixture for at least one hour beforehand.
You can mix up the burgers the day before and refrigerate the mixture in an airtight container until ready to shape and bake.
Finally, for best results, I recommend cooking the burgers on a skillet for 3-4 minutes per side after baking them so that they get an irresistibly crispy exterior. You can also melt vegan cheese on top of them at this point.

Topping Ideas for These Burgers:

I went with vegan classic American toppings for these: my tempeh bacon, chipotle mayo, pickles, lettuce, tomato, red onion, mustard, and melted vegan cheese. Other topping ideas include:

Lemon tahini sauce, tomato, sliced olives, and fresh spinach for a Mediterranean flair.
Guacamole, cashew sour cream, and pico de gallo for a Mexican option.
Raita, mango salsa or chutney, and baby greens for an Indian theme.

Use your imagination, and let me know some of the toppings you come up with in the comments! I’d love to hear.

a photo showing someone holding the fully dressed vegan beyond burger in their hands with a bite taken out of it.

a photo showing a bite taken out of the fully dressed burger on a wooden serving board surrounded by sweet potato fries.

I think that this is the most excited I’ve been about a recipe in awhile! I’d love to hear how you like it. Please leave a comment and rating below if you try it, and post a photo to Instagram and tag it @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen!

ENJOY!!!! <3