Vegan Beet Chorizo Burgers

Over the years, I’ve tasted a lot of plant based chorizo. Some good, some very good. With warm thoughts of homemade vegan chorizo, I set out to create a tasty, grillable beet burger recipe that’s perfect for summer. There are no beans, no soy, no gluten and no dairy. It makes 3 large burgers or 4 medium burgers. It’s easy to cook on the grill or baked in the oven. And best of all, they’re pretty awesome tasting!

A few things…

• ・Sherry vinegar works very well with the beets and walnuts. It adds some sweetness and caramel notes. No sherry vinegar? Try apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar. It won’t be exactly the same, but it should still be pretty good.

• ・I like to top this recipe for vegan beet chorizo burgers with an easy cilantro coleslaw. To make it, simply mix a little vegan mayo (2-3 Tbsp) with lime juice (1Tbsp), onion powder (1/4 tsp), garlic powder (1/4 tsp), fresh cilantro (1/3 cup) and salt (to taste). And then, mix in 2 cups prepackaged tri-color coleslaw. It adds a little crunch, but really, you can top this beet burger with whatever you enjoy!

• ・Have leftover beet burgers? Crumble the vegan beet chorizo and use it as a pizza topping, a nacho topping, as taco filling, in a tofu quiche, on fried potatoes or as a baked potato topping. Get creative!

Check out additional UVK recipes, like Italian White Bean Burgers, Rosemary Lentil Walnut Burgers, Mushroom Farro Burger, Sun-Dried Tomato Chickpea Burgers, Spicy Black and White Bean Burgers and more.

Beet Chorizo Burgers

1/3 cup millet

1 1/3 cup fake chicken broth (I used 3/4 of a cube of Edward & Sons Not-Chick’n Bouillon dissolved in 1 1/3 cup water)

2 Tbsp finely chopped garlic cloves (or ~5 garlic cloves, finely chopped)

3 Tbsp (+ a little to grease a pan) olive oil

2 cups finely chopped raw beets

¾ cup raw walnuts, pulsed in a blender until they look like crumbly sand

1 Tbsp ancho chili powder

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp rubbed sage leaf

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 Tbsp sherry vinegar

1 Tbsp flax seed meal

1. First, you’ll make the millet for the beet chorizo burgers. In a small saucepan, add millet and broth. Bring to a boil, and then, cover and lower to a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove it from heat. Let it sit with the lid on for, at least, 10 minutes. And then, remove the lid to allow it to cool.

2. In a large skillet, add 2 Tbsp olive oil, the garlic cloves, and a dash of salt over high heat. When it comes to a sizzle, turn the heat down to medium-low. Add another Tbsp of olive oil, beets, walnuts, ancho chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, sage, onion powder and salt. Stir around for about 1 minute. Then, deglaze the pan with the sherry vinegar–scraping off the goodies that stuck to the bottom of the skillet.

3. Add half of the beet-walnut mixture from the skillet to a blender. Blend until smooth.

4. Add the beet-walnut mixture from the blender into a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked millet, the rest of the beet-walnut mixture from the skillet and the flax seed meal to the large mixing bowl. Stir everything together. Let it sit for 10 minutes. As the beet chorizo burgers are setting up, preheat the grill or the oven to 400º F.

5. Line a sheet pan appropriate for the grill (or oven) with non-stick aluminum foil. Lightly grease it with olive oil. Shape the walnut beet burgers out of the mixture, and place them on the sheet pan.

TO GRILL: Place the lined grill-proof sheet pan on the grill. Grill at ~400º F for ~5-7 minutes (cook time will hinge on how large the burgers are and how grilled you like them!). Flip. Grill for ~3-4 minutes, or until they reach your desired level of char. Remove from the grill.

TO BAKE: Place the lined sheet pan in the center of the oven. Bake at 400º F for ~5-7 minutes (cook time will hinge on the size of the burgers and how charred you like them). Flip. Return to the oven, and bake for ~5-7 minutes. Keep an eye on them to make sure they do not burn. Remove from the oven.

6. Top these tasty vegan chorizo burgers with your favorite toppings, and serve.