Great vegetable patties do not need to taste like meat. I prefer that they don’t. If you need to fool your taste buds in order to eat vegetables, you aren’t making your vegetables right. Instead of disguising my veggies as meat, I like to put that veggie taste front and center in my patties. Then I back it up with some of my favorite Cajun seasoning blend for some spicy kick.

This recipe is great for making patties to go in a breakfast sandwich or a burger bun. There are no soy or unhealthy additives meant to confuse your taste buds Here is everything you need to know about my fabulous homemade vegetable patties, sometimes called vegetable fritters.
The Best Vegetables For Forming Patties
There are multiple approaches to making vegetable patties and it mostly begins with two options. The first option is for veggie lovers and it involves making a great tasting patty out of great-tasting vegetables. The second is for meat lovers to have a vegetarian option. These use a lot more ingredients and spices that aid in simulating the flavor and consistency of meat. Most people assume that both of these options are better for you than meat, but the best way to get the nutrition that vegetables are meant for is to let vegetables be vegetables.
Instead of trying to make a patty that tastes more like meat, the best option is to use ingredients that make the best patty. We can accomplish this with a good mix of textured vegetables that are both malleable and structured. My top three are zucchini for shape, carrot for structure and broccoli for texture. These ingredients work together to form the best vegetable patties as long as you can incorporate the right binding agents such as egg and flour.
These are my favorite vegetable patties because they taste like the vegetables they are made with. They also happen to taste great together. However, these patties are not vegan and aren’t suitable for those who avoid dairy products such as eggs.
Vegan Vegetable Patties
These vegetable patties aren’t vegan, but you can make substitutions to vegetable patties that will make them so. For starters, vegan recipes tend to use starchier foods. This is totally acceptable but does impact the nutritional quality of the nutrients if you truly want to benefit from the vitamins and minerals of vegetables. If you simply want plant-based ingredients, there are more options, but even chocolate bars are plant-based, so we should avoid the assumption that plant-based automatically means healthier.
Vegan vegetable patties will often have a longer list of ingredients, so there is a trade-off if you want to avoid using eggs in this recipe. It’s also necessary to use some kind of binder. For vegan patties, this often means surrounding the loosely formed patty in some kind of flour mixture that you then fry to encase the contents of the patty.
Frequently Asked For Variations
Just as there are several different ways to prepare meat and several styles of cuisine, vegetable patties can reflect a variety of cultural flavors. You can keep this same basic recipe and swap out the Cajun seasoning (my favorite) with some other seasoning blends that speak to the cuisine of other regions. I also have advice for anybody who wants to grill their vegetable patties.
How to Make Vegetable Patties Indian
Making Indian vegetable patties can be as simple as swapping out some herbs and spices. Cilantro is often used in Indian dishes and it’s a great choice to use here. More flavorings for an Indian-style patty can come from garam masala, ginger, and mango powder for an exotic and flavorful south Asian twist.
How to Make Jamaican Vegetable Patties
For authentic Jamaican flavor you have got to add a seasoning blend that includes allspice, ginger, and thyme. You can also include some finely chopped scallions. Add some heat by throwing in a Jamaican favorite, scotch bonnet pepper.
How to Grill Vegetable Patties
The main thing you need to remember when you grill these patties, especially if you want them for a burger is to make sure they have a good breadth so that they can rest easier on the grill. They should be flatter and wider than patty’s you would fry. The heat source on the grill is fundamentally different from frying in oil, so you need to account for more than just the potential for loose patties to fall through the grill.
Make sure your patties are well bound before attempting to grill them. If the veggie mixture is too loose, try refrigerating it for about an hour to let it firm up after forming it into the size patties you want. Then scoop them up and gently lay them on a hot grill while the thick consistency remains. allow it to sear for a minute and then immediately flip over to seal the other side.
How to Serve and Store Vegetable Patties
Vegetable patties are not necessarily burger patties, you can enjoy them in a variety of ways. They can be a substitute or alternative to potato pancakes. They can also make a great start to a delicious appetizer. I enjoy vegetable patties with rice or pasta. They are a good breakfast side or dinner entrée. Because of the unique versatility of these vegetable patties it’s a good idea to make a lot of them and keep plenty on hand to reheat later.
Storing leftovers is easy to do and a good idea for adding them to future meals quickly and easily. To store, just keep in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Make sure there is room around the container for air to circulate for the best results. If you keep them in the refrigerator, they will stay good for up to 3 days. I think the best way to reuse leftover vegetable patties is for a breakfast sandwich with egg and cheese on a muffin, biscuit, or mini bagel.
Ingredients For Vegetable Patties
- Zucchini
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Flour
- Eggs
- Cajun Seasoning
- Pepper
- Vegetable Oil
How to Make Vegetable Patties
- Place grated zucchini in a cheese cloth and squeeze out all the water
- In a large bowl, add zucchini, carrots, broccoli, eggs, flour, and seasoning and mix until combined.
- Using a 1 ½ inch cookie scoop make balls, flatten slightly, and place in hot oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides.
- Remove from oil and place on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Yields approximately 12-14 patties.
Try These Delicious Vegetable Patties Today
More Delicious Recipes You’ll Enjoy
- Crispy Veggie Sandwich
- Cheesy Corn Fritter Bites
- Deep Fried Crispy Jalapenos
- Easy Healthy Veggie Dip
- And, here’s a Bow Tie Pasta Salad from Great Grub, Delicious Treats
Vegetable Patties
Ingredients
- 1 zucchini, grated
- 2 carrots, grated
- ½ cup broccoli, grated
- ⅓ cup flour
- 3 eggs
- ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Place grated zucchini in a cheese cloth and squeeze out all the liquid.
- In a large bowl, add zucchini, carrots, broccoli, eggs, flour, and seasoning. Mix until combined.
- Using a 1½ inch cookie scoop make balls, flatten slightly, and place in hot oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides.
- Remove from oil and place on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Yields approximately 12-14 patties.
Notes
Nutrition
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Okay, I’m trying these, Terri-tot. These look amazing, and the different suggestions for variations is brilliant.
Thanks so much Candy! I hope you enjoy these patties! Can’t wait to hear how you like them! :)
Can you use gluten free flour? Would it be the same measurements?
Hi Kari, Yes you can and the measurements would be the same. I hope you enjoy these patties. :)
Sounds yummy like to make and take to my Adventist church lunch we have every sabbath ,,,,,saturday
Thank you so much. I hope everyone at your church enjoys these Dave. :)
Grating these vegetables sounds very difficult could I use a Food Procesoe instead?
Yes, you sure can Marty. :)