Barbecue/Grill/ Burgers

The Best Homemade Mushroom Burgers

The Best Homemade Mushroom Burgers

The best Homemade Mushroom Burgers I’ve ever made, with two types of mushrooms, a crispy burger patty, spicy garlic mayo, and grilled halloumi.

If you’re a fan of mushrooms, then this mushroom burger is the recipe for you! It’s packed with flavour, umami, and texture -just like how every good burger should be.

These homemade mushroom burgers are made from two types of mushrooms that get cooked over a high heat until they’re nutty and caramelised. We’ve also got garlic and thyme running through the burgers along with some chopped walnuts for texture.

These mushroom burgers are mushroom-y beyond belief, with every bite filled with an abundance of mushrooms. The burger patties get coated in breadcrumbs before being pan fried which creates the perfect crispy crust for quite the textural sensation.

The Best Homemade Mushroom Burgers

I am exhausted of being served a slice of portobello mushroom pretending to be a mushroom burger. There are not enough condiments or edible accessories in the world to make this happen. So it seemed only fitting to create a mushroom burger that was actually a burger made from mushrooms.

These homemade mushroom burgers are as generous with their mushrooms as they are with their flavour. We’re not skimping out on anything here. Every bite tastes of rich and earthy shrooms in all their glory.

The seasonings are light and subtle but enough to enhance the flavour of the mushrooms even more. Which makes them the star of the show, and deservingly so.

The Best Homemade Mushroom Burgers

I always like to use a combination of mushrooms in my recipes, or at the very least two varieties. This adds to the texture, flavour, and umami-ness.

For these burgers I’m using chestnut mushrooms (baby bella) and shiitake, which are two of my all time favourites. You can, however, use any alternative mushroom that you like as I appreciate both of these may not be accessible for all.

All of the above can be used for binding burgers, either alone or in combination. The binding is integral for a creating a good burger as it provides the necessary structure to avoid the dreaded ‘smoosh’.

In other words, the utter diabolical flattening that many veggie burgers succumb to as soon as they’re placed under any pressure. So, choosing your binding agents is incredibly important. For this recipe I’ve used cannellini beans and vital wheat gluten (not pictured).

Beans in general are also effective binders but they’re generally too soft to be used alone. Vital wheat gluten is a protein flour derived from wheat that’s used in making seitan. It is a brilliant binding agent and adds an additional 5g of protein per burger.

The Best Homemade Mushroom Burgers

I like to serve these crispy homemade mushroom burgers with:

  • My Homemade Burger Buns – and make sure to toast them!
  • A spicy garlic mayonnaise – recipe included in the full recipe at the end and it only takes 1 minute to make!
  • Rocket and grilled halloumi
  • Pickled onions

On the side, I always serve burgers with seasoned chips/fries. There’s just no other option, burgers and fries have a relationship that will never face separation (in my house, anyways).

The Best Homemade Mushroom Burgers

Let’s talk about some of the ingredients

I’ll cover the main ones below but the full recipe can be found at the end

  • Mushrooms – I like to use chestnut mushrooms (baby bella) and shiitake, but feel free to use any that you like
  • Miso paste – this is a fermented soy bean paste that adds savouriness and umami
  • Mushroom sauce – this is a vegetarian oyster sauce alternative that also adds savouriness and umami. I get mine from my local East Asian supermarket
  • Cannellini beans – I’ve just used a tin of these, but you could technically use any beans you like
  • Vital wheat gluten – this is a protein flour derived from wheat that’s used to make seitan. It binds the burgers together, but there are quite a few other alternatives that are more panty friendly that I’ve included in the recipe
The Best Homemade Mushroom Burgers
  1. Caramelise the mushrooms – cook these over the highest heat, without salt, and in batches to prevent them from releasing water. We want them to smell nutty and caramelise for maximum flavour
  2. Chill the burger mix before coating in breadcrumbs – this allows them to firm up which makes them easier to handle when dunking in the flour paste and breadcrumbs

First let’s start by making the burger mix

1+2) Start by cooking the chestnut mushrooms over a high heat until nutty and caramelised. Then, set aside in a separate bowl

3+4) Repeat the cooking process with the shiitake mushrooms. Once caramelised, add in the onion, garlic, thyme, and the cooked chestnut mushrooms

5) Sauté for a further 1-2 minutes to cook the onion and garlic

6) Mash the cannellini beans along with the miso and mushroom sauce

7+8) Next, add in the mushroom mixture along with the walnuts and vital wheat gluten and mix well to combine

9+10 ) Shape the mixture into 6 burger patties and place onto a lined tray. Pop the tray into the fridge to chill for at least 60 minutes. These can be kept refrigerated for up to 5 days

Now let’s coat the mushroom burgers in breadcrumbs

1+2) Take the chilled burger patty and dunk into the flour and water paste. Use a fork to lift it up and allow any excess to drip off

3+4) Place the burger into breadcrumbs and toss to coat as evenly as possible

5+6) Pan fry the burgers for a few minutes on either side until golden brown and crispy. Carefully tilt the pan to help the sides crisp up too

pan frying mushroom burgers
7

7) Finally, once golden and crispy, transfer to a paper towel lined tray to absorb any excess oil

Finally, assembling the mushroom burgers

1+2) Start by layering up a toasted bun base with a generous spread of spicy garlic mayo, along with some rocket and grilled halloumi

3+4) Then, top with the crispy mushroom burger and some pickled onions. Finish with the burger lid, which has also been toasted and spread with a little bit more of the spicy mayo

How long will these mushroom burgers keep? What’s the best way to store them?

Both the uncooked and cooked burgers can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store in an air tight container or on the baking tray covered with clingwrap.

Can these homemade mushroom burgers be frozen?

Yes, I currently have a batch in the freezer myself. I recommend pan frying them first and allowing them to cool completely. Then place onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and freeze for around 2 hours.

After 2 hours the burgers can be placed into a freezer safe bag or container and they won’t stick together. To reheat, bake or air fry at 160’C for 15 minutes or until sufficiently heated through.

Can these burgers be cooked on a grill or barbecue?

To grill these, I’d recommend skipping the breading as it tends to burn on the grill. Instead, pan fry the burger mix without the breadcrumb coating or the flour paste. Once pan fried they can then be cooked for a second time on a barbecue or grill.

Can these burgers be air fried or baked?

They can, but keep in mind they won’t crisp up as much as pan frying. The breadcrumb coating does also become a bit drier and firmer. Brush the burgers with oil all over and bake/air fry at 180’C, baking will take around 20-22 minutes whilst air frying will take approx. 15 minutes.

If you enjoyed this recipe

Please do let me know! Leave a review and a rating below, I’d love to know how you got on.

You can also tag me on Instagram at @dish_by_rish. Or follow me on FacebookPinterestYoutube, and TikTok to keep up with all my cooking and baking creations.

Until then, happy cooking!

The Best Homemade Mushroom Burgers

The Best Homemade Mushroom Burgers

Yield: 6 burgers
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

The best Homemade Mushroom Burgers I've ever made, with two types of mushrooms, a crispy burger patty, spicy garlic mayo, and grilled halloumi.

Ingredients

For the mushroom burger mix:

  • 2tbsp olive oil
  • 450g chestnut mushrooms, chopped
  • 250g shiitake mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 6 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 6 sprigs of thyme
  • 400g tin of cannellini beans
  • 30g walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 35g vital wheat gluten, (*See notes for alternatives)
  • 3tbsp mushroom sauce
  • 2tbsp miso paste, I've used red miso

For dredging:

  • 100g plain flour/all purpose flour
  • 150ml water
  • 80g panko breadcrumbs
  • Pinch of salt

For the spicy garlic mayonnaise:

  • 10tbsp mayonnaise
  • 3tsp paprika/Kashmiri chilli powder
  • 1 clove of garlic, grated
  • 1tsp dried oregano

You'll also need:

  • Oil for pan frying
  • 6 burger buns
  • Rocket (optional)
  • Halloumi (optional)
  • Pickled onions (optional)

Instructions

For the mushroom burger mix

  1. Start by cooking the chestnut mushrooms in 1tbsp of the oil in a large pan over a high heat until nutty and caramelised. Then, set aside in a separate bowl
  2. Next, repeat the cooking process with the shiitake mushrooms. Once caramelised, add in the onion, garlic, the leaves from then thyme, and the cooked chestnut mushrooms. Sauté for a further 1-2 minutes to cook down the onions and garlic, then set aside to cool completely
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, add the drained and rinsed cannellini beans along with the miso and mushroom sauce. Mash them all together until the beans are coarsely broken down but not into a smooth paste. I don't add any additional salt as the miso and mushroom sauce are salty, however feel free to add if you feel like your mix needs more seasoning
  4. Next, add in the mushroom mixture along with the walnuts and vital wheat gluten and mix well to combine. (*See notes for alternative binders to vital wheat gluten)
  5. Shape the mixture into 6 burger patties and place onto a lined tray. Cover loosely with clingwrap and pop the tray into the fridge to chill for at least 60 minutes. These can be kept refrigerated for up to 5 days

Now let's coat the mushroom burgers in breadcrumbs

  1. Start by assembling your dredging station. In a deep bowl, whisk together the flour and water into a thick, but pourable paste. Adjust with more flour or water if required. In a separate bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and salt
  2. Take the chilled burger patty and dunk into the flour and water paste. Use a fork to lift it up and allow any excess to drip off
  3. Place the coated burger into the breadcrumbs and toss to coat as evenly as possible
  4. Pan fry the burgers over a medium heat for a few minutes on either side until golden brown and crispy. Carefully tilt the pan to help the sides crisp up too. I quite like propping the burgers up on the sides of the pan and rotating them until they're crispy all over
  5. Once golden and crispy, transfer to a paper towel lined tray to absorb any excess oil

Finally, assembling the mushroom burgers

  1. In a mixing bowl, simply mix together the spicy garlic mayo ingredients until combined. Slice the halloumi and grill in a pan over a high heat until golden brown on both sides
  2. Layer up some toasted buns with a generous spread of spicy garlic mayo. Add a small handful of rocket and a couple of sliced of halloumi
  3. Top with the crispy mushroom burger and some pickled onions. Finish with the burger lid, which has also been toasted and spread with a little bit more of the spicy mayo. Best served immediately

Notes

Vital wheat gluten substitutions:

  1. A mixture of plain flour/all purpose flour and cornflour (this is corn starch in the US) - I've tested this combination for these burgers and found 6tbsp of plain flour and 3tbsp of cornflour to work well. However if the mixture still feels sticky, feel free to add more
  2. Oats - add gradually until the mixture holds together to form a cohesive burger patty. I would recommend using oats along with plain flour
  3. Chickpea flour - same instructions as above - however this will impact the taste as chickpea flour has quite a prominent flavour
  4. Flaxseeds/psyllium husk - both can be ground and added in, they will form a starchy 'network' and swell as they come into contact with water. I would still recommend using either of these in conjunction with plain flour

Frequently asked questions

How long will these mushroom burgers keep? What's the best way to store them?

Both the uncooked and cooked burgers can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store in an air tight container or on the baking tray covered with clingwrap.

Can these homemade mushroom burgers be frozen?

Yes, I currently have a batch in the freezer myself. I recommend pan frying them first and allowing them to cool completely. Then place onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and freeze for around 2 hours.

After 2 hours the burgers can be placed into a freezer safe bag or container and they won't stick together. To reheat, bake or air fry at 160'C for 15 minutes or until sufficiently heated through.

Can these burgers be cooked on a grill or barbecue?

To grill these, I'd recommend skipping the breading as it tends to burn on the grill. Instead, pan fry the burger mix without the breadcrumb coating or the flour paste. Once pan fried they can then be cooked for a second time on a barbecue or grill.

Can these burgers be air fried or baked?

They can, but keep in mind they won't crisp up as much as pan frying. The breadcrumb coating does also become a bit drier and firmer. Brush the burgers with oil all over and bake/air fry at 180'C, baking will take around 20-22 minutes whilst air frying will take approx. 15 minutes.

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