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.
woow these loook delicious! i also hardly every freeze due to a small freezer and im living with a roommate so its even smaller !! im glad I can fit in my frozen bananas for my green monsters <3
Great recipe! I’ve been getting into freezer cooking too and through some trial and error have discovered crumbly veggie burgers are great in a wrap or over a salad. I made your lemon rosemary chick pea burger, loved the flavor but they refused to stay in a party so into a wrap it went. oh em gee… for supper tonight is avocado pasta!!
These look great! And I love the prep lesson, need to do! I like to freeze my fruit so I can make smoothies faster with no ice needed.
Dear Angela,
It’s now 12:37 am and I have been browsing your blog for new recipes ideas for the past hour and a half…It’s not the first time and it is definitely not the last time. As I browse through all of your blog posts and the delicious mouth-watering pictures you take (by the way you are great at photography!), I can’t help but think “Gosh, I can’t wait to acquire such skills in food photography and recipes creation!”.
You are SUCH an inspiration and such a positive “glowing” light on the blogosphere.
I just had to come and leave a comment to let you know that it has now been about two years that I follow your blog and you do not cease to amaze me and make me hungry with all of your posts :p. I have tried many of the recipes you share with us and I sure will continue.
I hope you don’t mind if I share some of the recipes I take from your blog (giving you credit of course for the inspiration) on my Facebook page. I just launched it recently and I must say once I launch my blog, I hope the pictures and quality of the posts will be as great as yours ;)
Anyways, I just wanted to say thank you for sharing, inspiring and continuing to make our mouth water with every single picture you take :)
Much much appreciated,
Take care,
Sarah.
PS: here is my page if you ever feel like checking it out: www.facebook.com/sarahsdeliciousobsessions ;)
Hey Sarah,
Thank you so much for your kind words, that means so much to me! Will definitely check out your page. Take care.
You’re welcome, You deserve them :)
PS: I made your spicy peanut lime sauce today! Changed it a little with almond butter, honey and lemon instead. It was absolutely delicious! I posted it on my page today :)
Take care.
I can’ t wait to try a batch of these delicious-looking burgers. Maybe someone could answer my most burning question about these. Can I microwave them at work? Or even at home? I don’t like to heat up my kitchen with the oven in 103 degrees (outdoors) in Texas, I don’t often fire up my grill, and I don’t typically even pull out a frying pan. You can call me lazy…… So, just wondering. Thanks!
Hey Betsy, Im sorry Im not sure as I dont own a microwave. Best of luck if you try it!
I would try the toaster oven over a microwave oven. I have an idea… you should try it, then let us know. I’m sure they’ll taste the same, although consistency might suffer a little bit… OR, cook them prior to freezing, let them cool before freezing and the microwave should be a breeze.
What a great idea! I am making this top priority. Now I’ll be able to enjoy my veggie burgers on the go!
P.S. I am making your Portobella Pizzas tomorrow night and have a question about Nutritional Yeast for the Cashew Butter. How long does nut yeast last if kept in the fridge?
thanks!!
I think it lasts for a very long time. Mine has been good for months and months.
i did this when i was pregnant thinking that once the baby came there would be little to know time for good healthy meals. I would freeze then put the cooking instructions ziplock freezer bag in case my husband had any questions. Plus I cook a batch of beans & rice/quinoa/couscous weekly to add to other recipes during the week. I really helps when you need a quick recipe and i don’t like using canned anything!thanks
Gosh this looks good!
This is great, thanks for sharing! I’ve been making your awesome burgers for awhile now, and I freeze them too. I just bake them all first, and then freeze in the zip lock. They’re great for work lunches because you just pop it out of the freezer and then it’s thawed for lunch…great with rice or quinoa!
This is spectacular Ang! They look so good, almost like the fried ones from Subway which i do not eat but have before.
I must have Moni Cookies in the freezer at all times. ;)
I pre cook and then freeze my HM veggie burgers. This makes them not fall apart when you got o re cook them.
How do you pre cook them?
I love the idea of freezing a large batch of veggie burgers. I have been buying too many boxed ones as well. Besides being expensive, I’m not a fan of the salt content in them. Thanks for always inspiring me!
Those burgers look so fresh and incredible! I can’t wait to try them!
My boyfriend and I have switched to a vegan diet just over a month ago. We made these together last night and they were so yummy. Definately going to be a regular item in my new way of life. Thank you so much for your website. It has been my bible and guiding light over the last month. Thanks from 2 Canadians in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Thank you Krista, I’m so happy to hear that! I love Scottsdale by the way! We will be visiting again next winter/spring and Im already excited.
Love your blog. I cook big batches of rice and (separately) beans in my oven while I’m either at work, or sleeping. My oven is programable. I’ll soak the beans overnight (in a big stock pot), dump the soak water and refill with fresh, put it all in the oven, and program the oven to cook for 2 hours at 300 degrees, turning itself off when done. By the time I get home, they are cooled and ready to drain and package up in ziplock baggies to freeze. I cook up a big casserole dish of rice each week in a similar way, which we then use to eat throughout the week.
I agree, the recipe looks great, I can’t wait to try them! The quinoa salad looks yummy! Thank you!
I just made these veggie burgers last night and oh wow!! They ARE the perfect burgers, stick together perfectly and the nuts added nice flavor. I will def be making these again and again. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for all your great recipes!!! I have two teenage girls heading back to school and i would like to put a bunch of lunches into the freezer. My picky daughter wants soups but she doesnt like beans, I have found in the past that potatoes and pasta go mushy in frozen soups once they are thawed. Do you know of any tips for freezing soups or any other options for frozen lunches?? Thanks
Hey Janelle, Sorry for the delayed reply! I missed your comment somehow.
What about freezing pesto? They make a great spread on a sandwich. Also casseroles and burritos tend to freeze well.
Delicious! Can’t wait to try these… So far my favorite dish to make ahead and freeze is Vegan Sheppard’s Pie, Veggie Chili and Soups… Many, many soups!
They not only look great they taste great! Just finished making a double batch and putting some in the fridge for dinner tonight and some in the freezer for the tailgate next week. I did replace the brown rice for quinoa and it worked perfect! Awesome recipe, love your site and your recipes!