Vegan Mexican Burger – Non-Fried, Juicy & Loaded

What adjective comes to your mind when you think of a burger – juicy, flavorful, crunchy, fresh, loaded, satisfying, spicy, or creamy?

Well, this veggie-loaded, protein-rich, vegan burger checks all the boxes. It has got the right balance of sweet & sour from the pineapple salsa, it has juicy patty and creamy & spicy jalapeno guacamole. It has the perfect crunch from the nachos and the freshness from the salad greens and all the other veggies and herbs. If you try it once, you will dream about it for days. So, BEWARE 😀

Story Time

After trying this burger, we realized that for a burger to be tasty, it doesn’t need to be fried and crispy. Not necessarily. More than that, it needs to be juicy and packed with flavors. It should ooze out with delicious flavors in every bite. Because that will give you a nice burger experience which will make you crave more.

This delicious burger is quite easy. You will love the protein-rich patty and since it is not deep-fried, it is quite light too. Even after having one full burger, you won’t feel heavy and sick. In fact, you will have enough space in your tummy for the dessert. I got the inspiration for this burger from a restaurant here in Munich, Germany. I ordered a vegan burger after reading the tempting description on their menu. But that burger wasn’t tasty at all. It was quite dry too. I guess, making a good vegan burger is not everyone’s game. Then I decided to make my version – the tasty version – of the same burger. & here it is – A perfect vegan Mexican Burger.

You should also try our other burger recipes – Veggie Burger, Rajma Patty Burger with Mango Salsa.

If you don’t have much time, watch the video instead. If you enjoy the video, Please Subscribe to our youtube channel.

Tips to make it right

1. Moisture Content: The potatoes can get very starchy, and difficult to make a firm patty. That is why it is important to balance the moisture content in the patties. You should be able to cook a perfectly shaped and a firm patty and it should not feel dry too. For that, add poha (rice flakes) or bread crumbs to the patty mixture. They will absorb the excess moisture and make a firm patty. But don’t add a lot of it otherwise the patty will become dry and form cracks while shaping. If the mixture is slightly wet or has higher moisture, the patties will break while cooking.
2. Resting Time: Make sure to use the boiled and cold potatoes. If you will mash the hot boiled potatoes, the mixture will become mushy and starchy. Even after making the mixture, refrigerate it. That will settle the starchiness of potatoes. Also, the poha or bread crumbs will absorb the excess moisture and make a firm patty.
3. Patty Size: Don’t be tempted to make a big patty. The burger will just start to fall apart with each bite. Make sure the size of the patty is equal to the base of the burger bun. I am talking diameter here.
4. Layering: Have you ever experience soggy buns? It is a total turn-off in burgers. That is why correct layering is important. Make sure that the buns are toasted well. It gives a nice crunch and prevents sogginess. Also, if you are using the store-bought burger sauce or mayonnaise, apply that first. The sauce contains oils that prevent moisture from getting into the bun. If you have homemade sauce or chutney, place the salad leaves first. Also, since the base is carrying all the load, make sure that the base of the bun is thicker than the top half.
5. Burger Sauce: To get a burst of flavors, apply sauce on both halves of the bun. If you miss the top half, it just feels tasteless.

How to save the ruined mixture?

Sometimes the ingredients behave differently. While following the exact recipe, the patty might not stay in shape while cooking. You will end up adding more oil to prevent it from sticking to the pan but that also doesn’t help. Or while shaping the patty, it creates a lot of cracks on its surface. Does this mean that the burgers are ruined?

Not at all my dear friend.

TOO MANY CRACKS

If while shaping, the patty forms a lot of cracks, chances are that the mixture is a little dry. Just mash an extra boiled potato in the mixture and mix it well. Roll the patty and it would be perfect. A few cracks while shaping is completely normal.

SOGGY PATTY

If while cooking, the patty starts to become mushy and soggy, chances are that there is a lot of moisture in the mixture. Just add a little bit of extra poha (rice flakes) or bread crumbs to the mixture. Let it sit for a while and then cook the patties. It will be all right.

Easy Swaps

1. Buns: You can use any kind of bun for this recipe – whole wheat flour buns, multi-grain buns or gluten-free buns.
2. Sauce: You can use any sauce of your choice – tomato ketchup, chilli sauce, mango curry sauce, paprika sauce etc.
3. Cheese: Instead of adding guacamole, you can use a plant-based or vegan cheese slice. Once one side of the patty is cooked, flip it. Place the cheese slice and cover. Cook until cheese is melted and the patty is well cooked.
4. Pineapple Salsa: Instead of pineapple, you can use any seasonal sweet and juicy fruit – mango, grapes, kiwi, strawberry – to the salsa. Just chop them well and add to the salsa mixture.
5. Nachos: Use any flavour of nachos here.
6. Bread Crumbs: You can use poha (flattened rice flakes) instead of bread crumbs.

Is this recipe vegan?

Yes. Of course.

This burger recipe is vegan and all the ingredients used are plant-based. We did not use any cheese here but you can use any plant-based cheese slice in this burger recipe. If you are not vegan, you can use any kind of cheese, cook the patty & toast the buns with some butter.

How to check if Avocados are ripe & ready to use?

I learned this after making many mistakes and discarding many avocados. But now I am pro in choosing the right avocado for my recipes. You can check it in 2 simple steps:

1. Colour: Avocados generally have green colored peel but once they get ripe, the peel gets quite dark. That’s clue number 1. I always look for the ones with darker skin colour.
2. Feel: Once the avocados pass the colour test, next step is to touch and feel them. Press them gently, if they feel soft, it means they are ripe and ready to use. If they are hard, it means they will take a day or two to get completely ripe. Don’t go for the ones that are extremely soft to touch. They might look good from the skin but will have dark patches when you cut it. It just ruins the mood since they are quite expensive.

Always buy according to what your recipe demands and when you are going to use it. For example, if I want to cook something today using ripe avocado, I will buy the soft ones. If I want to cook something after a couple of days, I won’t buy the ripe ones because they will go bad after a day. Instead, I will buy slightly harder ones so that they will be ready to use after 2 to 3 days. So, choose depending on when you are going to use them.

Also, if you buy an avocado and it gets ripe on the counter and you are not ready to use it, just put it in the refrigerator. It will slow down the further ripening.

Can we freeze the patties?

Yes. Of course. You can make a batch of patties and store them in an air-tight container. Refrigerate and use within 5 days. You can even freeze them for up to a month. Whenever you want to use it, don’t thaw them on the kitchen counter. They will get soggy. Just put them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and then cook. You can even put them on the counter for around 10 minutes before cooking.

Now grab all the ingredients because we are ready to make the juiciest and most flavorful vegan burger at home. I am sure you will love it as much as we do. It is perfect for a date night or a luxury dinner at home, or cook it over the weekend. You will have a wonderful time relishing this delicious recipe. If you like the recipe, please share the photo on Instagram and tag us too @marriedfriends. We love to see your recreation of our recipes.

Happy Cooking.

Love from us

Richa & Jatin