One of my goals for August (and onward) is to start making big batches of veggie burgers. I’ve been relying far too much on boxed frozen veggie burgers and the cost really starts to add up. I usually buy Amy’s California burgers and they cost between $6-8 for 4 patties, depending on the grocery store. Plus, homemade veggie burgers are just so much better.
On Sunday, I made a double batch of Our Perfect Veggie Burgers and this week I made a double batch of Spicy BBQ Chickpea Burgers. I’ll be bringing a bunch of them to Eric’s big 3-0 birthday party on Saturday. There should be about 40 people!
I must say, these BBQ chickpea burgers are a new fav. The prep is a bit quicker than the other ones and I enjoy them just as much.
(Edited to add: After defrosting the Chickpea BBQ Burgers this weekend, the burgers did not hold well together. They seem to have too much moisture after freezing. I would recommend using the Our Perfect Veggie Burgers recipe, as I have had good results when freezing these.)
Using the Spicy BBQ Chickpea Burger recipe, I doubled all of the ingredients and made 16 patties. I’ve also been making beans from scratch to save more money. I soaked 2 cups of uncooked chickpeas overnight in a huge bowl of water. Once they have soaked, it’s only about 35 minutes or so to cook them on the stovetop (throw in a piece of kombu for easier digestion). You can also make big batches of beans and legumes on the weekend and freeze them for quick weeknight dinners. I’m slowly starting to get into the habit of doing this on a regular basis!
While the chickpeas and brown rice cook, prep the veggies: fresh parsley, red onion, shredded carrot, red pepper, jalapeno, and garlic.
Place everything into a huge bowl. My biggest bowl still was not quite big enough for this double batch, but I managed ok!
Stir in the pepita and sunflower seeds, along with the other ingredients like ground flax, seasonings, breadcrumbs, etc.
Because I made two big pots of chickpeas and brown rice, I decided to throw the rice and chickpeas in the food processor instead of mashing by hand like I did the first time. This saved a lot of time!
Stir it all up – you can even get in there with your hands to mix it up really good! Season it all to taste. Don’t be shy with the salt – this huge bowl of batter needs a good dose to make it all pop. I used 1-1.5 tsp fine grain sea salt.
Now shape the batter into about 16 patties and place on a very large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Cover with wrap.
Clear out room in your freezer and place the baking sheet right in. Freeze the patties for about 45-60 mins or so.
[my freezer needs an intervention…]
Once the raw patties are frozen, place them in a freezer safe bag. If there are any ice crystals on the burgers, scrape them off first. I use Ziplock BPA-free large freezer bags (with the zipper). Don’t forget to wash the bags out and re-use when you are finished with the burgers!
I cut a piece of the parchment to place in between the layers so they don’t stick. Take a straw and suck out the air and seal quickly. Easy!
This is my first time freezing veggie burgers like this (I used to wrap them individually), but I’ve read this method should keep them fresh for up to 1 month in the freezer. Thaw on the counter or in the fridge before pan-frying.
It took me just under 1.5 hours to prep 16 veggie burgers – a lot less time than I thought and I saved quite a bit of money too.
While we’re on the topic of make-ahead foods, what are your favourite dishes to prep in advance? Let me know in the comments!
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It’s now day 9 of The August Challenge and I’ve been documenting my daily feats on the August challenge page to stay accountable. Time is a flyin’! There are so many great comments on the page with many of you sharing your stories. You know, I had my doubts about this challenge from the get-go (if I could even do it and if you’d be interested), but I’m really happy with how things are going. August is shaping up to be a great month! And don’t worry if you are starting late, jump in at any time. I’m already considering doing this into September because I’m enjoying it more than I thought I would.
I have been searching for a good veggie burger recipe and this one looks delicious. Cant wait to try it.
Haha so funny you should post this today because my post yesterday detailed my efforts to make veggie burgers with a new-to-me squash and they crumbled like crazy!!! They could have probably used some rice and chickpeas like yours, which look great! My favourite make-ahead foods are soups (in the fall). I store them in my freezer and enjoy them all through the winter!
I live for make ahead dishes and I’ve done these veggie burgers several times – they’re delicious!! I also love whipping up a couple batches of salads, like the Detox salad or quinoa salads, to have on hand as quick lunches or dinner sides. The flavors get even better after 24-48 hours in the fridge. Yum, yum!
I need to make these. The ones I’m eating now have some stuff I can’t pronounce and I want to get away from that. Have you ever thought of a Food Saver type vacuum sealer for your frozen stuff? I can’t live without mine!
I love this idea! I want to try to do this for a week and bring them to work to save time and $$. Can these be heated up in a microwave at work? I know they might not be as grilled and cripsy, but would it be okay? Thanks!
Hi Megan, I haven’t tried reheating in a micro, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work. I’d try it at a low heat and not for long
Try grilling them first, then freezing or keeping in fridge (depending on how long you are planning on storing them). Then when you micro them at work they may not be crispy, but they’ll still have a bit more ‘cooked flavour’. Or, eat them cold/room temperature.
It does work in the Microwave, I did my other Veggie Burgers as well. About 1-2 minutes is all you need :)
I’ll have to try this! I hate buying any kind of boxed food, so I’ve never eaten boxed frozen veggie burgers, but sometimes I just don’t have the time to make everything from scratch and these homemade frozen veggie burgers look like a treat! Thanks for this!
I’m a Sunday cooker, so I try to prep everything ahead when I can. This summer has been all about the grill, so I go on a Sunday chopping-spree. I cut up peppers, onions, garlic, mushrooms, squash. I put them in gallon size baggies, so they are ready to pull out of the fridge and pop on the grill. I also like to make big batches of condiments to freeze. Kethcup, mustard, bbq sauce, salsa, and marinara are in my freezer now.
I will definitely be trying your recipes for burgers! They look delish!
I love your veggie burgers! they are delish! great idea on freezing them.
Pinned. Those veggie burgers look delish, too!
I’ve been wanting to make this veggie burger recipe I have. And this tut will come in handy. thank you.
I make your veggie burgers ALL the time, they are a favorite at my house. I also am always stocking my freezer with food I’ve made ahead. The best way I’ve found for making ahead the veggie burgers is I cook them all on the stove, then after they cool, I freeze them in foil. When we want one (or 2), we just throw it in the oven (in the foil) and wait until it’s heated through. They are still crispy! Thanks for your awesome recipes, you rock! :-)
Wow that is a great way of going about it! genius. I will be trying this next time, thanks for sharing.
Just wondering how long the BBQ sauce will last in the fridge? I am making some today. How was the sauce that you froze? Did it taste okay from the freezer? Love your recipes and am really excited to make my own sauce. I totally do not like the smoke taste of bbq sauce and this one has all the ingredients I like :)
How long does the reheat on the grill step take? Making for veggie guests at a cookout for the first time reheat so I don’t want to mess it up!
TIA!
How long will they keep in the freezer like this ?
This really is an awesome idea!!! Thanks for sharing….
i recommend the small split chick peas used in Indian cooking, chana daal. the soak and cook faster, although i wouldn’t cook them, just soak them. the cooking happens on the grill.
flax is a good binder.
i found myself using the left over pulp from my juicer mixed with spices and uncooked beans and seeds. i’ve also used coarse ground dried beans (lentils, peas, rice, etc.), mixed with veggie pulp that is quite moist and then stuffed into a mason jar. the beans start to expand as they absorb the water, but have nowhere to go. the pressing up against the jar walls creates a great texture. very dense.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I’m wondering if you could cook these (as well as your Perfect Veggie Burgers) first and THEN freeze them?
The burgers look fantastic! Great tips, I too have been buying more frozen than I usually do these days, so this is perfect. I have been making a huge batch of quinoa at the beginning of the week, it works for every meal! This week I cooked a batch of sprouted beans as well, toss them both together with salsa and you’re set!
I really like Amy’s Sonoma veggie burger, but I have to say your perfect veggie burger is my all time fav. They are a bit time consuming, though. I am so excited to try this new and quicker version out. I have never used the straw method for getting excess air out of the bag. Thanks so much for the idea!
Especially since I’m mostly cooking for one, I put a lot of stuff in the freezer. Most muffins and quick breads I make, I put half in the freezer for when I don’t have time to bake. I make veggie broth, applesauce, and veggie burgers to have on hand in the freezer. I recently made pesto for the first time & froze it in ice cube trays. I also have been trying to cook large batches of beans when I have the time & freeze them in smaller portions.
Also, I have a batch of homemade burritos in the freezer (rice/bean/vegetable) that I made to replace the Amy’s frozen ones that I love, but are way too expensive. With an avocado, or some vegan cheese, one is a super quick complete meal for me.
What a great idea. I like to make soups and spicy chilli, dal etc. My husband and I tend to eat boxed frozen patties from the supermarket so I cant wait to try these, last year I got hooked on your veggie spelt patties.
These look great! I love burgers but I hate buying boxed stuff…those boxed veggie burgers have so much sodium!
II’ve been buying greens and veggies on the weekends and prepping them for a week of fantastic salads. Spinach, romaine, arugula. I’m loving my spiralizer for pretty cuts of zucchini, carrots, red onion etc. I just pick and choose and have a different salad every night…so good!
Speaking of a spiralizer – do you recommend a brand? Im in the market for one! :)
Angela, I bought the cheap one since I’m just starting out on this raw/vegan adventure. The brand is Joyce Chen and I think I paid 25 dollars at Rainbow Grocery here in SF.
http://www.amazon.com/Joyce-Chen-51-0662-Saladacco-Spiral/dp/B0000DDVYE
There are a lot of different ones out priced from 25 to as much as over 100 dollars. I only cook for myself so the Joyce Chen spiralizer is fine for me!
Thanks for the link Sharon!
Just like you – I spend way too much on those Amy’s burgers! I love homemade ones but have never tried freezing them. Thanks for the tutorial! I would have never thought to suck the air out of the bags with a straw. Now, can you help me with my chocolate brown kid’s cliff bar habit?? ;-)
It would be great if you would do some video tutorials! Love your blog and all your great tips:)
These chickpea burgers look amazing! Thanks for the new freezing method :)