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James and I are setting out for Idaho today. James has a bike race up there, so I’m prepping the food and packing up the RV.
Well, OBVIOUSLY I’m not packing it up right at this moment.
Being the Queen of Procrastination I am, I’m instead finding any excuse I can to put off the prepping and packing.

Be patient, I’m getting to this!
It’s weird, some trips I LOVE the pack-up phase, others, I dread it. And if I put it off long enough, I’ve got the gnomes (AKA James) who’ll do it anyways.
So!
That means I can take my time and give you my full attention.
(Life is good when you’ve got gnomes.)
With the van being so, well, SMALL, my most favorite way to cook dinner on RV trips is outside on the grill.
I just love it. When you’re cooking outside, somewhere new, with your brain turned to Vacation Mode…it can be one of the best parts of the trip. It puts me in a happy place just thinking about it.
So, when I plan our trip menus, I focus on meals that require the grill. And what would a trip be without a good old-fashioned burger?
Except one problem.
I haven’t eaten beef or pork since May of 1995.
So while I love me a burger, mine are of the veggie kind. This gets a little tricky when it comes to grilling. Most veggie burger recipes out there simply will not hold up on a grill. Trust me, I’ve tried.
But hark!
Today, I’m bringing you a veggie burger that is, oh my gosh this gets me excited WAIT FOR IT!
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GRILLABLE!
Now, these puppies aren’t as firm as an actual hamburger, but they definitely will hold their shape.
As for which BBQ sauce to use in the recipe, well we’re on a My Brother Oog’s kick right now, and it works great in these burgers. It’s from a small family-run company we discovered in Oklahoma, and unlike most commercial BBQ sauces, they don’t use any high fructose corn syrup.
As for texture, if you want these a little firmer, you could replace the oatmeal with wheat gluten. But! What’s more likely to be on hand, oatmeal or wheat gluten? I’m banking on oatmeal. That’s what we use and we’re good with it.
BETTER than good with it. We love these! If you make them, feel free to jazz up the spices however you wish. In fact, sometimes I’ll add in my most fave spice mix, Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning…but then I’d put that stuff on my pancakes.
Grilled Walnut Veggie Burgers Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, well rinsed and patted dry
- 1 cup prepared brown rice
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 1/3 cup oats
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3/4 cup finely diced onion (about ½ a large onion)
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Heat skillet over medium heat. Add oil and onion. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until onion is translucent with some slight browning. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add the walnuts to a blender or food processor with chili powder, cumin, and garlic and blend until a fine meal is achieved.
- In a mixing bowl, mash the beans well with a fork (or could use a blender or food processor).
- Add everything else to the mixing bowl with the beans and mix thoroughly until you’ve got a moldable dough. If it seems a little dry, add more BBQ sauce. If too wet, add more oatmeal. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Form into patties of whatever size you wish, trying to keep them about ¾” thick.
- Brush the grill surface with oil and heat to medium.
- Grill for 3-4 minutes per side or until well browned.
- Serve as you would any burger, topping as desired…but I’ll be VERY happy if your toppings include fresh guac!

YUMMO!!!
Can these be made ahead, and frozen or kept refrigerated? I don’t want to take a food processor with me. Or should I prep the rice, walnuts and oats, ahead, and then do the onions, etc on site, and mix it all on site?
I like the idea of prepping ahead and mixing on site, but I don’t see any problem with freezing, either. They can definitely be kept refrigerated; I’ve done that a few times myself.
THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR RECIPES , AND THIS IS MY BROTHER OOGS BBQ SAUCE , IT IS AMAZING
Yes, we TOTALLY agree…that BBQ sauce is the bomb! 🙂
Looks good Steph, adding to my menu for next trip out. What type of grill do you guys use?
Glad you like it, Karen! As for grill we use THIS one and love how tiny it is: http://amzn.to/1q0wvia
Grill ordered, thanks!
Yay, Karen! Now you’re all set to make these awesome veggie burgers next RV trip!
Where is the oatmeal in the ingredients list? How much do you recommend?
Thanks!
Sorry, Betsy! I caught that earlier today and updated it, you might need to clear your cache to see it! It’s 1/3 cup oats. 🙂
Thanks!
Can’t wait to try them. Thanks.
As veggies ourselves, we try and make something non meat for the bar b q but have problems with them disintegrating. These will be a nice change from the lentil burgers we usually make. Thanks.
OOOH, I love lentil burgers, too!