Recipe This | The Ultimate Air Fryer Veggie Burgers (2024)

by Recipe This

Jump to RecipePrint Recipe

The ultimate air fryer veggie burgers. Juicy veggie burgers loaded with sweet potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, chickpeas and mozzarella cheese. They are so delicious you will not want to share them.

Recipe This | The Ultimate Air Fryer Veggie Burgers (1)

I must admit that I have a soft spot for veggie burgers. Especially when they are cooked in the air fryer.

Though when I am eating out I always HATE the veggie burgers that are on offer. They are always tiny, have too many beans in them and always feel like poor quality processed foods.

I remember going to a vegetarian buffet with Dominic about a year ago and having a terrible one. It was this tiny thing with too much sweetcorn in it and Dominic pointed out to me that it was so bad because it was a frozen veggie burger reheated.

He had a point.

And it got me focused on making some new veggie burgers for the air fryer, that I would want to eat time and time again.

Table of Contents

My Perfect Veggie Burger In The Air Fryer

Recipe This | The Ultimate Air Fryer Veggie Burgers (2)

What I hate about veggie burgers is when people try to turn it into a meat burger with meat substitutes. I remember when I was a veggie in my teens, being served a veggie burger with quorn. It was disgusting!

It even put me off quorn for life and I haven’t touched it since. If you have not tried quorn before then it is a rubbery vegetarian version of chicken!

Instead what you want to achieve is a veggie burger that is loaded with your favourite vegetarian food instead.

My ideal Air Fryer Veggie Burger is one that has:

  • Less pulses and is more focused on the vegetables. Its okay if you want a bean burger but a veggie burger should be loaded with lots of favourite vegetables. Plus, beans are often used to stop burgers from being soggy, but I have a solution for that!
  • Less effort as a lot of burgers end up taking hours. There is no need to spend all afternoon in the kitchen to make a good veggie burger. Instead thanks to the air fryer and the Instant Pot you can make veggie burgers FAST.
  • NOT soggy. The worst thing about veggie burgers is when they are soggy and fall apart as you try and eat them. Instead you want to have a firm burger that has a crispy edge like a hamburger does.
  • Normal ingredients. Don’t you hate it when a veggie meal calls for lots of ingredients that you don’t have in? Well with my air fryer veggie burgers it’s all about 3 main vegetables, 1 pulse, breadcrumbs and cheese. All things that most of us have in our kitchen anyway.
  • Choose your ingredients wisely. It is also important that you use vegetables that don’t carry a lot of water. Avoid courgette and pumpkin as these are extremely water based.

My ideal veggie burger is as simple as this:

Recipe This | The Ultimate Air Fryer Veggie Burgers (3)
  • Stage 1 – Cook the vegetables in the Instant Pot until they are soft and soggy like when you make mash.
  • Stage 2 – drain the liquid from them and then use a clean tea towel to remove even more moisture. Spend a couple of minutes doing this until your tea towel no longer has anything to ring out.
  • Stage 3 – Add other ingredients to the Instant Pot. This includes chickpeas, breadcrumbs and cheese. Mix well and mash the chickpeas so that you don’t have chickpea lumps in your Instant Pot.
  • Stage 4 – Make into veggie burger shapes. Roll in cheese for a cheesy crust.
  • Stage 5 – Cook in the air fryer until you have lovely veggie burgers. Serve them warm and tuck in.

There really isn’t much effort to these veggie burgers, compared to other veggie burgers I have seen recently online. There is no cooking the vegetables for hours in the oven or adding cashew nuts.

Just simple delicious Air Fryer Veggie Burgers using popular vegetables along with some chickpeas, breadcrumbs and some cheese.

Recipe This | The Ultimate Air Fryer Veggie Burgers (4)

If you are vegan, the only vegetarian element that is NOT vegan is the cheese. You could of course substitute this for something else if you prefer. Or we also have some delicious lentil burgers on our blog!

I even got my meat-eating hubby and son loving these burgers. They didn’t even ask where the meat is, as that is normally top of their complaints!

More Burger Recipes In The Air Fryer

  • Best Ever Air Fryer Burgers
  • Turkey Leftover Burgers
  • Classic Double Cheeseburger
  • Juicy Lucy Cheeseburger
  • Mediterranean Paleo Burgers In The Airfryer
  • Air Fryer Lamb Burgers
  • Whole30 Bunless Burgers
  • Air Fryer Hamburgers
  • Air Fryer Falafel Burgers
  • Air Fryer Lentil Burgers

Recipe This | The Ultimate Air Fryer Veggie Burgers (5)

Print Recipe

The Ultimate Air Fryer Veggie Burgers

Delicious veggie burgers in the air fryer. Featuring sweet potato, carrots, cauliflower and chickpeas. Perfect for a quick evening veggie burger and a great way to get your kids eating their veggies.

Prep Time6 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time31 minutes mins

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Air Fryer

Servings: 6

Calories: 373kcal

Author: RecipeThis.com

Ingredients

MetricImperial

Instructions

  • Peel and chop the vegetables and place them in the bottom of the Instant Pot inner pot. Add to the Instant Pot 1 cup of warm water. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the valve to sealing and cook for 10 minutes on manual.

  • Drain the vegetables and using a tea towel squeeze out the excess moisture so that the vegetables are quite dry.

  • Add the chickpeas and mash the vegetables together.

  • Add the breadcrumbs and mix well.

  • Add the seasonings and make into veggie burger shapes.

  • Roll in the grated cheese so that it is fully covered in cheese.

  • Place the veggie burgers in the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes at 180c/360f. Follow this up with a further 5 minutes at 200c/400f to get that crusty veggie burger texture.

  • Serve warm in bread buns or with a salad (or both).

Notes

This recipe made 6 large veggie burgers. When you are chopping up vegetables, because they reduce in size, its hard to get it exactly right for 4 medium burgers.

But they can be frozen, and you can easily make 8 small to medium veggie burgers on the measurements above.

To give you exact amounts I weighed out the vegetables above. But you can of course just use 4 large carrots, 1 medium cauliflower and 4 medium sweet potatoes.

10 minutes on manual in the Instant Pot may seem a lot BUT there is a lot of vegetables, it will take a while to get them to pressure and you want them really soggy when cooked. It also took me 13 minutes before the vegetables went to pressure.

Nutrition

Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 490mg | Potassium: 963mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 17260IU | Vitamin C: 68.6mg | Calcium: 245mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition InfoPlease Note: Nutrition values are our best estimate based on the software we use at Recipe This and are meant as a guide. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Did You Know We Have A Sunday Times Bestselling Air Fryer Cookbook?It has sold 100,000+ copies worldwide and is called The Complete Air Fryer Cookbook, gets you started with air frying with step by step pictures and it uses everyday ingredients. It is JUST £10 on Amazon in the UK and $15 in the USA.!

We Are Making You Another Air Fryer Cookbook!You can also pre-order Air Fryer Easy Everyday which is just how it sounds. Easy everyday recipes for those that want to learn the air fryer and have easy meals rather than fancy food you would never cook. Pre-order your copy here.!

Are We Friends On Pinterest?If we are not and you use Pinterest then follow us @RecipeThisBlog for more delicious recipes.

Fancy A Video?Subscribe to the Recipe This YouTube Channel for full length recipe videos. Don’t forget to click the bell icon to be notified when we upload a new video. Subscribe Here!

Copyright Notice© RecipeThis.com. ALL content including photos are copyright protected. Sharing of our recipes is both encouraged and appreciated via the social share buttons. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media channel or onto your own website is strictly prohibited.

Recipe This | The Ultimate Air Fryer Veggie Burgers (6)
Recipe This | The Ultimate Air Fryer Veggie Burgers (2024)

FAQs

What temperature do you cook veggie burgers in the air fryer? ›

Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Place the veggie burger patties in the air fryer basket, ensuring they are not touching each other. Cook the patties for 8-10 minutes, flipping them halfway through the cooking time. This will ensure that both sides cook evenly and develop a nice, crispy crust.

How to air fry plant based burgers? ›

Directions
  1. Preheat an air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) according to the manufacturer's instructions.
  2. Form ground beef substitute into three equal patties. Spray the top of each patty with nonstick spray and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon steak seasoning. ...
  3. Cook in the preheated air fryer for 3 minutes.
Mar 10, 2024

Should you spray airfryer basket before cooking burgers? ›

Prepare the hamburgers your favorite way and preheat the air fryer to 390°F (199°C). Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil to avoid sticking. Remove the patties from the air fryer and toast the burger buns for 1 minute until hot and crispy. Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy.

How to season veggie burgers? ›

Add the Flavourings. Parmesan, garlic, paprika, mayo (bit of fat + flavour), salt and pepper, plus egg to bind and some breadcrumbs to reduce some of the moisture content of the Veggie Burger mixture. Blitz again until it's all well combined and it has a texture like meat mince (ground beef).

Are veggie burgers good in the air fryer? ›

Cooking Beyond Burgers in the air fryer is quick and easy, and the burgers come out perfect every time! No flipping burgers over a hot stove or waiting for your oven to preheat. Air fryers heat up quickly, cook your food super fast, and are easy to clean. Air frying is a healthy cooking method that uses minimal oil.

Are veggie burgers better in air fryer? ›

The best way to cook frozen veggie burgers is in the air fryer, as the circulating hot air cooks them evenly while creating a nice, crispy texture on the outside.

What is the difference between a plant burger and a veggie burger? ›

While both options may contain veggies, the key difference between vegan burgers and veggie burgers is that vegan burgers are made from a protein and are made to mimic the flavor and texture of actual meat while veggie burgers are not meant to evoke meat properties at all.

What is the best way to cook plant-based burgers? ›

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Coat the bottom of the skillet with oil and cook the patties for 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until well-charred and cooked through. Remove from the heat, brush with Worcestershire sauce, and serve with desired fixings.

What is the best thing to put on bottom of air fryer? ›

"Put a slice of bread on the bottom of your air fryer," said Kang. "It's a green alternative to foil for catching grease and drips for easier clean-up." In order to minimize food waste, you may want to only use this technique when cooking especially greasy foods (like bacon), and also use bread slices that are stale.

Can you put aluminum foil in an air fryer? ›

Foil is safe to use in an air fryer so long as you follow three basic rules: never let foil touch the heating element; make sure the foil is weighted so it doesn't blow around the basket; and avoid contact with acidic ingredients, which can cause the foil to leach onto your food.

Can I use Pam in my air fryer? ›

Can you use PAM in the air fryer? You should not use nonstick cooking spray such as PAM in an air fryer because it can damage the lining of the air fryer basket. Avoid any pressurized, propellant oil sprays which have chemicals added to them. You can use a non-aerosol pump-style oil spray that has no propellant.

What is a good binder for veggie burgers? ›

Common binding agents include flax eggs (a mixture of ground flaxseed and water), chia seeds, mashed potatoes, tapioca flour, or even your favorite nut butter. These ingredients help hold everything together and prevent your burger from crumbling.

How do you add flavor to a veggie burger? ›

Spices and tomato paste: Smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper combine to make these burgers a little smoky and incredibly delicious. Tomato paste adds color, sweetness, and an umami flavor to the burgers (highly recommended!). Cooked rice: Adds more texture to the veggie burgers.

How do you make veggie burgers stick together? ›

Here are a few ways to keep them together:
  1. Use an egg substitute. Flax eggs are a popular choice.
  2. Add a starchy ingredient. Adding flour or oats can help the burgers stick together, without using eggs.
  3. Mash everything together well. ...
  4. Keep the patty size reasonable.
Sep 1, 2020

How long to air fry burgers at 375? ›

The Directions

Air fry burgers at 375 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees F, flipping them at the 6-minute mark.

How long does it take to air fry a burger at 400? ›

Place beef patties in the air fryer basket. Set temperature to 400°F (200°C) and set time for 12 minutes. Cook burgers until a digital instant-read thermometer inserted sideways into centre of each burger reads 160°F (71°C).

How long to cook frozen plant based burgers in air fryer? ›

Instructions
  1. Preheat your air fryer to 375°F.
  2. If your Beyond Meat burgers are frozen, there's no need to thaw them. ...
  3. Place the air fryer basket in the preheated air fryer and cook the Beyond Meat burgers for 14-16 minutes, flipping half way through.
  4. If the burgers are thawed, cook for 9-12 minutes.
Feb 13, 2024

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Gov. Deandrea McKenzie

Last Updated:

Views: 5790

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (66 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Gov. Deandrea McKenzie

Birthday: 2001-01-17

Address: Suite 769 2454 Marsha Coves, Debbieton, MS 95002

Phone: +813077629322

Job: Real-Estate Executive

Hobby: Archery, Metal detecting, Kitesurfing, Genealogy, Kitesurfing, Calligraphy, Roller skating

Introduction: My name is Gov. Deandrea McKenzie, I am a spotless, clean, glamorous, sparkling, adventurous, nice, brainy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.