Mushroom Walnut Burgers are the best! I’m a big fan of veggie burgers in general, but let’s face it —there are a lot of bad veggie burgers out there. This Walnut Mushroom Burger recipe is my idea of a GREAT veggie burger.
My fave Mushroom and Walnut Burger delivers everything that pleases me in a veggie burger. It’s fatty and juicy, it has a nice hearty texture and a rich, meaty flavour from all the mushrooms. Plus: They can easily be made vegan and/or gluten-free by using egg substitutes (eg. flax, "Just Egg", or some liquid from the canned beans) and gluten-free bread crumbs.
What you’ll need to make this recipe
- Mushrooms: I use cremini mushrooms, but button mushrooms or portobellos would be fine too. If you’re using portobello mushrooms, I’d recommend scraping away the gills first or your patties will be quite dark in colour.
- Onion: The ultimate savoury ingredient that really pumps up the flavour in these burgers.
- Garlic: Again, added savouriness and a good base flavour.
- Walnuts: I love walnuts in these burgers because they offer a really buttery texture. I don’t toast them because I’m not really looking for a pronounced nutty flavour, but feel free to toast them if you’d like.
- Black beans: These add a lot of hearty oomph to the burgers, plus some protein and fibre.
- Bread crumbs: I like to save up my bread scraps in a tub in the freezer, and when I’ve collected enough—I grind them into bread crumbs. Panko also works. Use GF bread crumbs if needed.
- Egg replacement (or an egg): You need something to bind this veggie burger mixture. A flax egg, or even some of the juice from the canned black beans works great. (Of course, an actual egg or "Just Egg" also works.)
- Worcestershire sauce: Use the vegetarian version if needed. This delivers the beefiest flavour you can get without beef.
- Salt: For flavour.
- Vegetable or olive oil: For frying.
How to make these Mushroom Walnut Burgers
Follow these steps to make what are possibly the best veggie burgers you’ve ever had. 😳
Step 1 - Load up your food processor with the walnuts, chopped onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Pulse until you have a coarse—yet evenly chopped mixture.
Step 2 - Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat and add a teaspoon of oil. Transfer the mushroom walnut mixture to the pan, and fry, while stirring, for 7-9 minutes.
Step 3 - Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for several minutes. While it cools, grind the black beans in the food processor until they are coarsely chopped. Add the bread crumbs, the chopped black beans, the Worcestershire sauce and the egg to the cooled mixture. Mix well to combine (I use my hands), and chill the burger patty mixture for 20 minutes to an hour.
Step 4 - Divide the mixture into six portions, and form into patties. You might need to wet your hands for this part so the mixture doesn’t stick to your hands.
Step 5 - Add a drizzle of oil to a large nonstick or cast-iron pan or griddle, and heat over medium-high. When the pan is hot, lay the patties into the pan (be careful not to splash hot oil on yourself). Cook for 4-5 minutes on one side, then flip them and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Step 6 - Doctor up your bun of choice with whatever toppings you fancy, and you’ve got burgers!
Success Tips
- Follow these handy tips to ensure your Mushroom Walnut Burgers turn out perfectly.
- If you decide to wash your mushrooms before cooking them (a highly personal and situational choice) there might be a bit more water trapped inside the mushrooms and the mixture might take a bit longer to cook in the pan. It’s ready when it looks like a juicy paste—but with no liquid coming out of it.
- Making a big batch? Great idea. This recipe makes the maximum amount most food processors can handle, but you can easily make a bigger batch by blending the mixture in batches.
- Make sure the mushroom walnut mixture is no longer hot before adding the egg, or it will cook as soon as it hits the mixture. We don’t want that.
- Make sure you chill the mixture well before frying the patties. If you prefer, you can shape the patties and then chill those, but either way, the patties should be cold when they hit the pan. This will ensure they keep their shape and don’t fall apart on you.
What goes well with these Mushroom Walnut Burgers?
There are so many possibilities. Anything you’d serve with a burger is fair game for these Mushroom Walnut Burgers. A big crisp salad, caesar salad, oven fries, you name it. Throw a few pickles on the side while you’re at it!
These burgers are also great with a bowl of soup on the side. Perfect for chilly evenings!
A few ideas to get you started
The Creamiest Kale Caesar Salad
Kohlrabi Salad OR Kohlrabi Fries!
Quick Veggie Slaw with Maple Miso Vinaigrette
How to store, freeze, and reheat
These burgers are best eaten right away, but they also freeze really well, and they do ok for a few days in the fridge too.
The best way to freeze these Mushroom Walnut Burgers is after frying them. If your freezer is big enough, place the fried patties on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once they’re solid, transfer them to a plastic bag or a sealed container and keep them frozen for up to a month.
You can also store these finished burger patties in the fridge for up to four days. To reheat, simply fry them in a frying pan over medium heat with the lid on until warmed through and slightly crispy, or use a toaster oven or a regular oven at 400 degrees F.
Frequently asked questions
Should I wash mushrooms before cooking with them?
This is a very contentious issue and you’ll get a different answer depending on who you ask. Washing mushrooms doesn’t harm them, it only causes them to soak up a bit of water. In this application that’s ok because we’re cooking out the liquid before shaping the patties. If your mushrooms are water-logged, that process might take a bit longer. No biggie.
Personally, I only wash mushrooms if they look really dirty. Most of the time, there is only a little fleck of dirt here and there, and I kinda just brush that away.
If you choose to wash your mushrooms, My favourite method is to place the mushrooms in a large bowl and cover them with cold water. Swish the mushrooms around for 5 seconds before removing them from the cold water and looking at all the dirt you've left behind. (Very satisfying). Spread them out on a tea towel to allow them to dry somewhat before cooking with them.
Can I use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic?
Yes. I love garlic powder. I'd use about a teaspoon here.
What about other seasonings? Can I jazz these up?
Sure! I love the pure, mushroom flavour of these as-is. But you can definitely make them your own by adding some herbs and spices to suit your mood. Fresh or dried thyme is always a good combo with mushrooms. Coarsely ground black pepper is always welcome, and chili powder could be a great little addition for some added kick.
Can these be made vegan?
Yes! Use the instructions provided in the recipe card to make these mushroom walnut burgers vegan.
What are some good toppings?
I'm pretty basic with my burger toppings. Lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions—those are my go-to's. These burgers would also be incredible with caramelized onions. Really, the world is your oyster.
As far as condiments go, I'm a big fan of the classic mustard, mayo (homemade mayo that is), and ketchup. This burger would also be super delish with my Zucchini Miso Butter - which is an amazing vegan, low-fat spread.
Can these be made be made gluten-free, egg-free, onion-free, etc?
Yes indeed. I've given a few recommendations on how to make these burgers vegan and gluten-free, but my mom also wrote a companion article sharing her experience modifying this recipe with great success. Check it out here!
I hope you love these burgers! Let me know if you make them by leaving a comment here, or tagging me on Instagram @howtomakedinner. Enjoy!
Mushroom Walnut Burgers
Ingredients
- ½ medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 275 grams mushrooms
- 80 grams walnuts
- 185 grams black beans
- 75 grams fresh or dry bread crumbs Use GF bread if needed
- 1 egg substitute (or an actual egg) *See recipe notes
- 2 teaspoons Vegetarian Worcestershire sauce *Soy sauce also works
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons oil for frying
Instructions
- Load up your food processor with the walnuts, chopped onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Pulse until you have a coarsely but evenly chopped mixture.
- Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat and add a teaspoon of oil. Transfer the mushroom walnut mixture to the pan, and fry, while stirring, for 7-9 minutes. While that’s cooking, grind the black beans in the food processor until they are coarsely chopped.
- Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for several minutes before stirring in the bread crumbs, the chopped black beans, the Worcestershire sauce and the egg substitute. Mix well to combine, and chill the burger mixture for 20 minutes to an hour.
- Divide the mixture into six portions, and form into patties. You might need to wet your hands for this part so the mixture doesn’t stick to your hands.
- Add a drizzle of oil to a large nonstick or cast-iron pan or griddle, and heat over medium-high. When the pan is hot, lay the patties into the pan (be careful not to splash hot oil on yourself). Cook for 4-5 minutes on one side, then flip them and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Dress up your bun of choice with whatever toppings you fancy, and you’ve got burgers!
Video
Notes
Egg substitutes
- Use 60-70 grams (¼ cup) of the juice from the can of black beans
- Make a flax egg by mixing 1 Tbsp ground flax seed with 2.5 Tbsp water and letting it sit for 5 minutes
- Use "Just Egg" or another store bought egg substitute
Konrad says
What are fresh bread crumbs? Is it fresh(-ish) bread in fine pieces? Or bone-dry bread in fine pieces (but "fresh" as in "not a few years old")?
I'm sorry if this question seems weird but in Poland we have only "breadcrumbs" (and maybe Panko in Asian stores).
Just a tip: the list of ingredients is missing an egg.
Paula Hingley says
AHH thank you for catching that! By fresh bread crumbs I mean crumbs made from bread that isn't dried out. Normally when you buy ready-made bread crumbs in the store, they are dry bread crumbs. I think either version would work, but I had only made this with fresh so I didn't want to make any promises I couldn't stand behind! I'll try them with dry bread crumbs ASAP and add that note to the recipe! Thanks for checking in! - Paula
Alan R. says
Awesome recipe Paula! I made these with store bought bread crumbs and it worked great. I didn't have any Worcestershire sauce, so I substituted 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke and 1 teaspoon of tamari. These patties held together nicely while cooking and had a great taste. What I really liked was that the black beans didn't overwhelm the other ingredients--so many other veggie patties rely too heavily on beans or legumes and that's all you can taste.
Paula Hingley says
Ooh liquid smoke! That would be such a nice twist. I'm so glad it worked well for you Alan! Thanks for your comment 🙂 - Paula
Chris V says
These burgers are excellent! The recipe is easy to follow and the video is very helpful.
I didn't have enough mushrooms so threw in a few carrots and 1 stalk of celery to the food processor. The bread crumbs absorbed the liquid nicely. Te best part is - they taste great! My burger-loving husband agrees. He was surprised at how good they are. We did the standard burger topping thing - relish, onions, ketchup, mustard. Definitely a "make again" recipe. Thanks Paula!
Paula Hingley says
This is music to my ears Chris! So glad they were a hit for you. The consensus on this one has been very positive overall, so I'm happy 🙂
Jayme says
Hi Paula,
Can these bugers be frozen? How long do they last in the fridge and/freezer?
Thanks!
Paula says
Yes! Just cook them as you normally would, then freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet before transferring them to a sealed container or a ziploc. I try to use mine up within a month or two!
Chris V says
… and three and half years later, my husband is still asking me to make “those great mushroom black bean burgers”! Love it.
Paula says
Yess!!! I love to hear it Chris!
Glenda Hingley says
This is a GREAT burger! Even with a bunch of substitutions, they looked like a "burger" and tasted really yummy.
Paula Hingley says
So glad you love them mom! And glad but not surprised my mushroom-loving dad liked them too 🙂
Nadine says
These were so good! With some toppings, it was like McDonald's 😋
Can I freeze them? Either cooked or raw?
Paula Hingley says
Yes! I'm so glad you liked them. Yep, freeze away! I normally do them raw. Lay them out on a plate or a sheet pan to freeze, then transfer them to a container to store. I've got a stack in my freezer right now!
Susan Howes says
Can you tell me if I can oven bake these please?
Many thanks,
Sue
Paula Hingley says
I've never tried, so I can't say for sure. But I believe it would work well, as long as you brushed them with a bit of oil and baked them at a fairly high temperature!
Jim says
I have made these many times and often make some adjustments.
I have always baked them in the oven at 375 for 30 to 35 minutes. Flipping half way on parchment and no oil. They are always great.
I’m on a reduced oil diet.
Great recipe!
Kaylah says
One of THE BEST burgers I've had. The consistency is perfect 👌. Not too dry or moist and the flavor is delightful. I added plant based cheese and onion with pickle 😋. Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!!
Paula Hingley says
Yes!!! This is music to my ears. Thanks for sharing your success story Kaylah!
Ayse says
I made twice. It was the best veggie burger.
Paula Hingley says
This is the best news!
Pipers says
Is 275gr of mushrooms correct?
Leslie says
Hiya ! What can I substitute for egg to make these burgers vegan ? Ever tried ? Anyone ?
Paula Hingley says
Hi! Yes! My mom makes them with flax eggs all the time. She even wrote a little swap-out guide for them here.
Z says
Easy, delicious and a new family favorite. Doubled the recipe “just in case” for a family of 4 …and I’m glad we did because having seconds was NECESSARY. Love!
Paula Hingley says
I'm so glad to hear that!
Ingrid says
I’m with Konrad on this, if there is a way to convert the amount of fresh breadcrumbs to dry, and most likely add some more liquid, I would appreciate to get that. I read “fresh” too late, and the comments but 100 g seemed like far too much so I reduced it to 60 g. It feels a bit dry and I will consider adding 40 g of water before frying them.
Soo looking forward to lunch tomorrow, mushroom burgers/patties are my favorite. Had a place nearby that served them with a slice of chèvre on top. I cried when they stopped serving them 😀
Lisa says
These were delicious! I'm vegan and trying to eat only whole foods and not add salt or oil so I did not include the egg and I omitted bread crumbs and substituted with about 1/2 cup - 1 cup of rolled oats, half of which I blended with a couple of chipotle peppers in poblano sauce. Instead of worcestershire sauce, I used a teaspoon of Bragg's liquid aminos. I air fried these and they held together even without the egg so that's good. 🙂
Paula Hingley says
I'm so glad to hear that!
Maire says
I love these! I'm not vegan but eat mostly vegetarian with very little meat of any kind-due to health issues. I love the consistency. I couldn't wait to try them but I didn't have any store bread crumbs. I made some though with left over corn bread and 2 slices of bread toasted rather dark and 1/4 cup organic oats. I also added pot liquor from a beef roast as sub for the Worchestershire sauce (on my food list) and a TBSP of Hickory BBQ sauce. Just a bit of real beef. They are to die for! Much more budget friendly that ground beef. Thank you so much!!
Paula Hingley says
This is great to hear! Sounds like you made some great substitutions. So glad you like them!
Ahad Khan says
Hey, I love this recipe. Just wanted to know the Macronutrients for a single serving if possible, and I would also request that you add them for future recipes, I'd appreciate it.
Paula says
Hi! I just added them in. Sorry about that, I do try to add them to all my recipes but sometimes I forget! I'm glad you like the recipe 🙂
Fall says
Made this per instructions. I did add black garlic sauce. Used a cast iron skillet on the bbq. Ate it straight from the heat. Crunchy outside and delicate inside. Quite yummy. Thanks for the use of metric as well. It made things much easier.
Paula says
Awesome! I'm so glad you liked them.
Stacey E. says
I like that they contain walnuts, since those have a fatty acid that's hard to get from anything else. That said, I think the walnuts need to be ground first, because mine are still crunchy after making this. I don't mind it, but it's unusual for a burger to have a crunch to it. I didn't grind them as much as I probably would had I not also had the mushrooms in the processor with them. It's nice to have an alternative to the commercial burgers I usually eat. These have so many nutrients that it's worth the effort to make them. I've always been pretty disappointed by bean burgers, since they're basically bean mush that's been fried.
For the bread crumbs, I just used the stuff from the store that basically is panko. It's labelled as bread crumbs, but I fail to see the difference between them. Probably the only difference is seasoning.
Rebecca says
WOW delicious.. I only had dry red beans.. but they subbed fine once cooked !! Thank you .. a new favorite !!
M Lee says
Perfect then you put it on a white flour big bun. Just eat it plain and it's healthier.
Lhtv says
You eat it how you choose. Don't worry about others choices
Wendy says
Thank you for a great recipe! The whole family enjoyed. I made a few substitutions along the way because I didn't have enough of everything BUT it was still delicious!! Will definitely make again.
Paula says
Wonderful! Thank you for letting me know!
Lisa says
These burgers are incredible just following the recipe! This time I added a little hot pepper flakes and a 1/4 tsp of smoky paprika after I read about the liquid smoke. Divine! I like it topped with some spicy Mayo sauce. And I freeze them so I have them for a quick supper. Thanks for the recipe!
Paula says
Nice little twists! Super glad you're enjoying them. Thanks Lisa!
Chad says
Great recipe! Easy, flavorful, moist, great texture. I didn’t have black beans so I substituted chickpeas. I added a little cayenne and garlic powder as well. I can see this recipe making it into my regular rotation. Thank you!
Paula says
Thank you so much Chad! So glad they worked out well for ya!
Lynn says
DEEEEELICIOUS!!! I've made quite a few veggie/bean burger recipes over the years but not one that compares to yours! I may tweak it from time to time adding additional veggies but your recipe ends my search for a good veggie/bean burger. I made using flax egg in place of real egg, held together perfectly! Bragg's amino acids in place of worcestershire. The recipe is incredible as is but I also made adding additional veggies I needed to use up, collard greens, sweet red peppers, corn. I initially saw your YouTube video making these and was a little hesitant because of the walnuts but I'm so glad I tried your recipe, it did not disappoint! Outstanding flavor, great texture with chew, handles ingredient alterations, cooks well pan fried or oven baked, freezes well. Thank you!
Paula says
Ahh I love to hear this! Thanks so much for your review and happy burger making!
Paul says
I've eaten lots of veggie burgers but this was the first time I've made one. Made it exactly as written. The recipe calls for 1 tsp of salt but doesn't say when to add it so I added it along with the bread crumbs, egg etc. it was delicious with a great texture and flavour and very satisfying. Best by far of the ones I've eaten, will definitely be making this regularly.
Jan says
Really enjoyed this recipe… I m gluten free so used oats instead of breadcrumbs I may experiment with more herbs and spices to add to the enjoyment of eating, lovely consistency … I ate 2 large with a side of grilled courgettes and broccoli with a side dip of tomato pesto … 🤤! Thank you
Gina says
In the video presentation, only 1 egg is used. However the recipe lists 2 eggs. Which is correct?
Ziya says
Can you freeze the batter to form and fry later? Can you freeze the extra burgers once they are made?
Montauk6 says
Good flavor but I think I overpulsed both the mixture and the black beans. I found myself in a catch-22 of do let it keep cooking, charring the surface along the way or let if fry for the 4-5 minutes and get a soft middle. Maybe I need to take a beginners course in pulsing (but dang I thought I was doing it right...)🤔
Sherry says
Absolutely delicious, I would love to make a veggie crumble from this recipe, but I would like to completely cook the crumble first then freeze it and reheat either in the microwave or on the stove, would this work, or would it turn into a mushy mess ?
Lynn says
I already left feedback expressing my love for this recipe but had to come back after making these for my parents. Mom is not picky but Dad, that's another story! He believes meat is necessary to complete a meal. While he's eating, he kept calling it a burger, he never questioned what it was. After several bites, my mom and I started laughing. I let him know he was not eating a traditional meat burger. He quickly said "quiet, don't tell me what it is, do not ruin it for me." Too funny! When I asked if he would eat it again, he actually said "YES just don't ever tell me what it is." What a compliment!
susan says
I'm going to try it with a flax egg and use oatmeal instead of bread crumbs. Thanks for the recipe!
Joyce Norton says
I don’t have a food processor. How can I prepare this dishwithout one?
Paula says
That would be pretty tricky! I’d recommend borrowing one from a friend. I don’t want you to spend too much time chopping by hand 🙂
susan says
Would oats work instead of breadcrumbs?
Paula says
I think oats would work really well! I would probably grind them up a bit in a food processor first.
Darlene Scancella says
For how quick and easy this was it was great! Plus extra to put in freezer! Next time I will double the recipe and have a stash in the freezer. I followed the recipe exactly and it was really flavorful. I did use Ali'i mushrooms - local mushrooms here in Hawaii from the Hamakua Coast. Recipe is definitely a keeper - we don't eat meat, so I am happy when I can find a fairly easy, good tasting, veggie recipe to add to my recipe box. Thank you so much!
Caro says
Great recipe. Thank you. I added a 1/2 teaspoon of Rosemary & 1/2 tsp of thyme & a few grinds of pepper and the burgers were delicious.
Paula says
That's great to hear!
HeyThere says
These are great indeed. I used expired beans accidentally , pray for me.
Trish says
thoughts and prayers!
Finley says
I add 1/8 powdered potato to mix and freeze the uncooked patties. I brush ightly with flour before searing them and shallow frying in hot oil. This works much better than frying and freezing. Burgers hold their shape.
Nana says
This looks excellent - the kind of recipe I was looking for. But I have a question/concern about the beans. Are we talking canned beans or raw dried beans? Looks like uncooked dried beans. It usually takes about 1 hour or longer to cook black beans. Will they be sufficiently digestible with only a few minutes of frying? Thanks for clarifying.
Paula says
The beans need to be pre-cooked. I usually use canned!
Sharon says
I did an exhaustive internet search for the best “veggie” burgers and found your superb recipe.
These are absolutely amazing! I have enjoyed veggie burgers all my life, usually with a soy based burger substitute. These burgers create the familiar vegetarian flavors of onions and walnuts I have used in casseroles into a fantastic, savory burger.
The search is over!
Lee says
This is the FIRST burger/patty recipe I've tried that turned out firm, not crumbly, and very tasty!!! I went exactly by the recipe adding only some smoked paprika. Thank you so much, Paula!
Nata says
Really delicious. But at what point do you add the teaspoon of salt? It's not listed in the instructions. I added it in step 2
Kim Atkins says
Can you substitute lentils for the black beans?
Paula says
I haven't tried, but I'm sure that would work!
Winnie Lucas Biedenweg says
I made the mushroom, walnut burger,but mine where a little mushy,did I do something wrong?
Paula says
It could be that the mushrooms needed to cook a bit longer to remove a bit more moisture. If you make them again and the mixture seems a bit wet, you can always add more bread crumbs to firm it up.
Madras Tiffin says
I absolutely love this recipe for mushroom walnut burgers! The flavors are so rich and satisfying, and it’s a fantastic plant-based option. Can't wait to try it out for my next dinner! Thank you for sharing.