The original plan for today’s post was to share this triple layer carrot cake. I was hoping for a birthday miracle – maybe just this once it would work on the first try? Yea right. Three trials later, I don’t want anything to do with cake. (Let’s be real, that probably won’t last more than a day.) Vegan and gluten-free cake creation is not for the faint of heart, I tell you.
Enter Birthday Burgers. This might have to become a yearly tradition! I think I like this meal better than cake anyway. You’ve probably heard of those BB skin creams and potions that are everywhere these days. Well, I like to think of this as a BB meal. There’s no sugar crash – just a boost of energy for hours, a kick in your step, a glow to the skin. Total BB meal. Nourish that skin from the inside out. Wrapped in curly lettuce and topped with a cilantro-lime-tahini sauce and homemade salsa, it’s just about the most balancing meal I could’ve hoped for to kick off turning 31. It’s going to be a great year.
Moroccan Yam Veggie Burgers with Cilantro Lime Tahini Sauce
Yield
6-8 patties
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
A flavourful Moroccan-style veggie burger served with a tangy and fresh cilantro-lime tahini sauce. You can make these burgers soy-free by using coconut aminos and they are naturally gluten-free when using certified gluten-free rolled oats/oat flour. Burger recipe is inspired by Ryan's Moroccan Yam veggie burgers from the Whitewater Cooks Cookbook.
Ingredients
FOR THE BURGERS:
- 1.5 cups grated yam (I used a sweet potato in a pinch)
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
- 3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 small piece of fresh ginger (1 cm cube), peeled
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 1.5 cups)
- 2 tablespoons ground flax mixed with 3 tablespoons water
- 3/4 cup rolled oats, ground into a flour (use gluten-free if necessary)
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos or low-sodium tamari
- 1/2-3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt or pink Himalayan salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
FOR THE CILANTRO-LIME TAHINI SAUCE (makes 1/2 cup):
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled
- 2/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- FOR THE BURGERS: Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Peel the yam. Using the regular-sized grate hole, grate the yam until you have 1 1/2 lightly packed cups. I used the grater attachment disc in my food processor to save time (it takes less than 20 seconds). Place into large bowl.
- Remove grater attachment from food processor, and add the regular "s" blade. Mince the garlic, cilantro, and ginger until finely chopped.
- Add drained chickpeas and process again until finely chopped, but leave some texture. Scoop this mixture into a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, stir together the flax and water mixture.
- Grind the oats into a flour using a blender or a food processor. Or you can use 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon pre-ground oat flour. Stir this into the mixture along with the flax mixture.
- Now stir in the oil, aminos/tamari, salt/pepper, and spices until thoroughly combined. Adjust to taste if desired.
- Shape 6-8 patties, packing the mixture firmly together. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, then carefully flip, and bake for another 18-23 minutes until golden and firm. Cool on pan.
- FOR THE CILANTRO SAUCE: Mince garlic in a food processor, followed by the cilantro. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and process until smooth and creamy.
- Serve the patties with a generous dollop of sauce and optional homemade salsa (from OSG cookbook, p.95) with a bun or lettuce wrap.
Tip:
Note: I was missing a bit of crunch in these burgers, so next time I think I will add 1/4 cup sunflower seeds into the mix.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Don’t forget – today is the last day to enter the #osgcookbook Vitamix Contest. Keep those pictures coming!
These look amazing! Can’t wait to try!
Angela,
Chickpeas do not suit me due to severe acidity issues. Could you suggest a replacement if possible?
Thanks
Shradha
Hello Angela,
I’m a huge fan of yours – I make your recipes all the time. I just love how healthy, fresh, and pure your recipes are, and at the same time, they are elevated, sophisticated dishes, using relatively basic, not obscure, ingredients.
I made these burgers and the sauce yesterday for my family and we all absolutely loved them. Probably one of the best dishes I’ve made from your site and one of the best veggie burgers I’ve ever had. The burger’s flavor is so complex and multi-dimensional – in one bite, I get a sweet flavor from the cinnamon and sweet potato (which I used instead of yam) and then the spicy flavor comes through. Really delicious. So thank you!! You are such an inspiration as a vegan cook, leading a healthy, wholesome glowing lifestyle.
And congratulations on your pregnancy! Best wishes!
Hi Greta, Im so happy to hear this! Thanks for your kind words of support :)
I made these for 4th of july and they were delish! I added some sunflower seeds per the suggestion at the bottom. My only complaint is that mine came out a little too mushy because I think I over-processed the mix in the food processor. I cooked them for longer than suggested hoping it would make them firm up some, but it didn’t really help. The taste was right on though and by day 2 of leftovers, they were almost the perfect consistency!! The cilantro tahini sauce was also a huge hit and really “made” the recipe :) Everyone (including many non-vegans) loved them! Thank you for another fabulous keeper!
These were delicious! My 3 year old even ate one. I normally eat meat with dinner, but these were very satisfying on their own. Thank you for sharing!
What about gaining some recipe inspiration from Babycakes NYC for gluten-free vegan cakes.
Hello,
I am very interested in making this but I am wondering if you have any suggestions of an alternate herb to use than cilantro? Perhaps it isn’t possible to substitute that part but I just wanted to ask because I really like the overall idea and everything else in the recipe!
Thanks,
Jen
I just made the Moroccan Yam Veggie Burgers for my family. They were SO good! Even my teenagers ate them with NO (real) complaining. The sauce on top was perfect and I added the sunflower seeds, too. I love your site and have referred it to many others. I can’t say enough awesome things about all these recipes.
These Moroccan veggie burgers were awesome! I added the sunflower seeds as suggested and ate them on pocketless pitas. Thanks, Angela!
This is a flavour infused recipe that will go into my cook book. If you enjoy cilantro, this will tickle your taste buds.
I would add some crunch as the recipe suggests.
I individually wrapped the patties and put them in the fridge. Warming up by frying in your oil of choice adds a very nice exterior shell/crust.
Sultanas would be a nice addition too.
Thanks for the recipe !
Fabulous. The burgers were tasty as was the sauce. Left-overs went into the lunch bags!!
I made these and they were yummy!! The sauce is so good that I will use it for other recipes as well. These burgers will be a regular in my menu rotation:)
This is delicious! Great moist burgers and the sauce is such a treat!
Angela,
How do these compare to your veggie burgers with the peanut sauce. They both share many of the same ingredients, but with some differences. I can’t decide which ones to make… Is one recipe more spicy or savory or something?
Amazing!!! I love freezing this so I have them for lunches. One of my favourite recipes of all time!
These are one of our all time favourite recipes from your collection. I have made them now about 4 or 5 times and am just about to cook up a batch for tonight. Honestly the mix of flavours is heavenly! I think they need a new name though. ‘Burgers’ makes them sound so ordinary and these are anything but.
You must not skip making the sauce and salsa and DO serve on a bed of greens as suggested. The salsa ingredients today are coming from my garden.
Another excellent veggie burgers recipe. I made “Our perfect veggie burger” a couple of weeks ago and I just finished making a third batch. Delicious! I decided to try this one and I LOVED IT! The lime-cilantro sauce is a perfect combination. Didn’t use the sunflower seeds but I may consider that next time. Either way, they turned out super yummy. Thanks Angela!
Oh, boy, these were delicious. I love the spices and the texture. My two year-old enjoyed them and my eight year-old asked when we’d have them again. My husband insisted on eating his on bread but to each his own, right?! So easy to make and the leftovers were great on top of a big salad the next day.
They sell yams in the Atlanta area at farmer’s markets/international markets. The starch content helps the burgers stick together without eggs. I substituted oat bran for the oats and paired the burgers with some juicy heirloom tomatoes from the local farmer.
My husband really loved the cilantro sauce.
Fantastic!!! The only regret was that I didn’t make more.
are the coconut aminos or low-sodium tamari necessary for the burgers?
Hi Leah, They serve the purpose of enhancing the flavour and adding sodium too. If you were to leave it out I would suggest adding more salt (to taste) and possibly increasing the spices. Hope this helps!
I made these burgers tonight, so yummy, I think they will be one of my favorites! Added in the sunflower seeds and they do lend a really nice crunch. Thanks for a great recipe!
I made the entire recipe, including the OSG salsa from the cookbook. YUM! I had promised my coworkers that I would bring some to work but now I want to eat them all myself. Is that wrong? Also, if you ever decide to open an OSG restaurant (or two), please consider coming to the Virginia area. I will be your most loyal customer!!!
so wrong! you need to share good vegan food ;)
These were unbelievably good! Will definitely be making again! Even my picky eater teen loved them! I sprinkled the roasted sunflower seeds on top of the sauce, which gave it a nice crunch. Thanks for this fantastic recipe!
These are my new favourite meal, honestly I could eat them every day. I have them on mini naan bread rounds with an avacado-tomato salad on top. That being said, do you have a rough idea of how long they’ll last in the freezer? I’m always tempted to make more each time but I don’t want them to go to waste. Thanks!
Most amazing recipe ever!
I’ve made them 3x already and have numerous people ask me for this recipe.
Love your blog, thanks for the super nutritious and delicious recipes!
Made these today, taste great! Doubled the recipe which made 13. I used Yams which are a purple color and exchanged one can of chick peas for kidney beans which are a little lower in calories. Sauce needed a little more lime juice which gave it a bit of a kick and sprinkled with Raw pumpkin seeds. Will definitely make again.
WOW! We decided to double to recipe, hoping that it would make a great lunch for us later in the week, and so glad we did! We will not change a thing, and will always double it:)
Just made these for the first time and my meat-eating husband loved them. We will be making these again!
My omnivore husband really enjoyed this. I served it on a bun (using the lime dressing), with a side salad, using your lemon tahini dressing for the salad.
My two teenage sons and I LOVE your recipes! We enjoy cooking together and think these Moroccan burgers are exotic and delicious. Our favorites are the Thai peanut patties. We substitute almond butter for the peanut butter. We also grate the yams by hand to a finer grate. We have found this allows the burgers to hold together and not fall apart.
Today, we’re adding lightly chopped sunflower seeds to the mix to add a pop of crunch.
Mahalo, Angela….you’re an Angel (a)
Yeah… I hate it when all the comments are of people who haven’t tried the damn recipe so, with that sentiment in mind, these burgers are AMAZING! My family has dubbed these the crack burgers, because when you eat one you want to eat like 6. The best part of them however is the sauce, so make a double batch..
Yum! I made these last night and enjoyed both the burgers and the sauce/dressing. They were a little soft and fell apart somewhat easily though, and I was wondering if they would crisp up a little bit nicer if cooked on the stove? What would you recommend as far as cooking time in a skillet?
Can these burgers be frozen?
absolutely. I do all the time
I have been trying to make these burgers, and for the life of me, they will not stay together! It tastes delicious, but I end up making more of a hash than a burger. Any suggestions on how to make them hold together instead of crumbling before I can even get them in the oven? I’ve followed this word for word.
Try compressing them harder in your hands when you made them. I have lots of experience with these and other veggie burgers. I think that is key, if as you say you are following the recipe exactly. Mine always stay together.
I just made these for the first time and I think they are great. I am not a vegan and did not have flax seed on hand so i used an egg. In addition, I only had one can of chick peas but wanted more than 4-6 burgers so I added some Peruvian lima beans that I had precooked. Not ideal, but it turned out alright. : )
It’s Father’s Day eve and my birthday is Monday so I have these in the oven right now :) Smells wonderful!
I didn’t really like the dressing at first taste … Until I put it with the burger and wrapped it in butter lettuce. The combination was delicious! Try this recipe!
Have you ever tried freezing these burgers? Thank you!
Yes, when I made these or any veggie burgers I always made a double batch and freeze. Fantastic. I like to take take a pattie with salad for lunch.
Looks good! What could I replace the oats with? Sorghum?
Thanks!
breadcrumbs
I just made these today and they were soooo good. The mixture did look a bit dry but they held their shape so I just left it. Glad I did because they were perfect! The chickpeas and yam crisped up so nicely on the edges. I didnt have sesame oil or sunflower seeds so I dipped one side of the patties in sesame seeds, yum. And unlike sooo many other veggie burgers I have had they were not mushy inside. Oh, and the sauce was deliciously creamy. Dont you just love tahina? Yessssss! Will for sure make again. Thanks for the great recipe!
I really like these and so appreciate when the nutrition information is included as I am pre diabetic and have to consider the ratio of carbs:protein. Love these!!
Hey all! I just have a question about these burgers. I know this sounds silly but I am new to vegan. Do I pre-cook the yam? …
Thanks!
no you don’t. I have made these several times, and other veggie burgers. OSGs has a great black bean burger in her recipe book that uses grated carrot, and again no need to precook it.
Love these burgers Angela. I have made them many times, especially for friends. The sauce is divine. I think calling them ‘burgers’ a a misnomer though. Being bunless people initially think that something is missing, but then when they try them -love them!!
I am making them again for a pool party tomorrow.
LOVE these but they aren’t filling and are too much work to eat them all in one sitting :) Non-vegans, you can paleofy these into a more filling meal by subbing two eggs for the flax seed and almond flour for the oat flour.
Hi,
Can i bake them in apan wiht little oil ? Will the burger break ?
Thank you.
Hi Joanne, I’m not positive as I haven’t tried it. For best results I would recommend cooking as the recipe states, but if you try anything else out please report back!
This recipe looks amazing! What could I substitute for the oats though? I am totally grain free.
Hey Brenda, Have you experimented with cassava flour yet? It’s grain-free, and while I haven’t tried it in a veggie burger yet, you might be able to add a bit of it into these burgers for binding purposes.
Made this last night and it was so tasty! I did the whole recipe by hand (I don’t own a food processor) and it turned out really well. I used a small-medium sized yam and it turned out to be perfect. My bf loved it too!
Hey Carolina, I’m so happy you made it and loved it! Thanks for letting me know.
Just made these. Everyone loved them. Even my picky husband. Didn’t change a thing. Had these with some home made, dense, sweet buns. A bit like a felafal, eh? But sweeter. Will make a double batch next time. Thanks :)
These look yummy. Do you think it would be okay if I don’t use sesame oil?