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Inspired by one of our awesome readers, these rutabaga burgers are a ridiculously quick and delicious dinner. With just one main ingredient, these flavorful rutaburgers (as we like to call them) require minimal effort and can be paired with any of your favorite burger toppings.
save this recipe!Burgers are synonymous with summer. Toss a tofu burger or seitan burger on the grill, and you’ve got the perfect vegetarian dinner. So when one of our readers said they make veggie burgers from rutabaga, I was intrigued!
Rutabaga is a root vegetable, somewhere between a potato and a turnip. This starchy texture is perfect for slicing large slabs that can be grilled. But, first, you have to do some cooking to soften them. But that’s easy, and we’ll go through exactly how to do it in this post!
the ultimate Veggie burger
- One ingredient is all you need (no, I don’t count butter and salt because they are actually optional if you’re in a real pinch). Plus, it’s naturally gluten-free!
- Make them in advance by steaming a large batch to keep in the fridge for grilling all week.
- The mild flavor lends itself well to a variety of toppings. Anything from lettuce and tomato to guacamole and caramelized onions would be good!
here’s what you’ll need
Of course, you need rutabaga, but I’ve also included some topping ideas that are extra yummy!
- Rutabaga: I recommend peeling this and then cutting it into 3/4-inch slabs. It’s not always available in stores by the potatoes, but I always see it in the late summer and fall at farmers’ markets.
- Butter and Salt: These help to add a bit of moisture and richness to this starchy vegetable.
- For Serving: All the burger staples like lettuce, tomato, cheese, pickles, buns, and condiments are delicious! You can also branch out with some toppings like healthy guacamole or vegan yumm sauce.
turnip vs rutabaga
While these two root vegetables are similar (grocery stores often mislabel them), they are different. Rutabaga is a hybrid of a cabbage and turnip, and are larger and sweeter than turnips.
let’s make rutabaga burgers!
These burgers require no mixing or chilling but you do need to precook them. Here’s how to make them.
- Steam the peeled slices of rutabaga until fork tender.
- Cook the softened slices until browned in a skillet or on the grill.
- Serve with your favorite burger toppings.
Do I need to peel them?
Yes, rutabaga skin is coarse and rough. When steamed, the inside becomes tender while the skin stays tough, so it’s best to peel them. the outer layer can also be bitter, so removing it helps remove any potential bitterness.
Why this Recipe Works
Huge shoutout to our reader for testing this recipe so many times! Here’s what we’ve learned and why it works.
- Steaming rutabaga first primes it to be grilled (but it’s not steamed too much that it falls apart on the grill).
- Brush it with butter for grilling to prevent it from sticking to the grill.
- Just one piece of rutabaga works great, so there’s no need to blend it with other ingredients to make patties. It’s perfect as is!
burger and fries, please!
I crave fries anytime I have a burger. It’s as classic a pairing as milk and cookies! Here are three of my favorite fries.
- Crispy Truffle Fries are my absolute favorite and easy to whip up while the rutabaga steams.
- Jicama Fries are seasoned with classic fry seasoning making them a little smokey and nice and salty, with a little kick.
- Air Fryer Carrot Fries utilize a more common root vegetable to turn it into something uber fun and delicious!
Rutabaga Burgers (Rutaburgers!)
Ingredients
- 1 large rutabaga
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, can use vegan butter, 28 g
- 1 to 2 tsp seasoned salt
- To serve: lettuce, onion, tomato, cheese, condiments, hamburger bun
Instructions
- Prep: Peel the rutabaga and cut into 4 or 5 slabs, about ¾-inch each.
- Steam: Arrange slices of rutabaga in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water. Cover and let steam until each slice is fork-tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Cook: Melt butter over medium heat in a grill pan or saute pan. Add rutabaga and sprinkle the tops with half of the seasoned salt. Cook until bottoms are a bit browned, then flip. Season with remaining seasoned salt and cook until the other sides are browned.To cook on the grill, brush each side of the rutabaga slices with melted butter and spinkle each side with seasoned salt as they cook.
- Serve: Serve as you would a burger, with lettuce, onion, tomato, cheese, and condiments on a bun!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
We were pretty suspicious of this, but have made your blackbean burgers and tofu burgers, so we gave it a whirl. If anyone is looking for a burger substitute that has the taste and texture of burgers, this isnt your recipe. But they were really quite good. With all the hamburgers fixings they were great. We made them with the Everyday seasoning from Trader Joes. This was a good fit and recommend it.
I’m so happy to hear it! 😀
I ate this without the bun, just grilled and it was very good. Others in the family had it as a burger and everyone agreed it was surprisingly delicious!