No beef and no beans. Just rice and lots of fancy spice.
Like my bean burger recipes, this recipe mixes things up and uses wild rice for a meat-free healthy alternative to the traditional hamburger.
What is wild rice?
I’m a huge nerd for food history and recipe origin stories. So I thought I would share some background on Wild Rice.
The nutty, earthy, protein-rich grain was historically a staple among Native Americans around the Great Lakes Region.
According to the Wisconsin Historical Society, wild rice – which grows in small lakes and streams – was harvested by canoe. During harvesting season, “entire communities would move to the lakeshore in time for the fall wild rice harvest. Working in family groups, a man poled two women out to the family’s section of the lake in a canoe. The women, armed with two sticks, would then bend the rice stalks over the canoe and knock off kernels until the canoe was full.”
Funny enough, the first time I tried a wild rice patty was during a canoe trip in the Boundary Waters. I had two breakfast patties made from wild rice before leaving for the trip, and I was surprised at how much like meat they tasted.
And then on the way back after a week of canoeing, we stopped at Fitgers – a brewery that’s also famous for their wild rice burgers (which is where I got the inspiration for this recipe).
Minnesota sure does love their wild rice. And after getting to try it for the first time in burger form, so do I.
Time You Need
- ~ 20 minutes prep
- ~ 20 minutes cooking
- Yields: ~4 patties
What You Need
- ~2 cups of cooked wild rice
- ~1-2 tbsp of oil, for cooking
- ½ cup finely diced sweet onion
- 1/3 cup finely diced celery
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- ½ cup shredded saukerkraut, dried
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 beef bouillon cube, crushed to powder
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 2 tsp chili powder
- ½ tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- Garlic salt, to taste
- 1 tsp worchetshire
- 1 tbsp mustard
- ½ tbsp ketchup (or tomato paste)
- 1 tbsp mayo
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ~1 cup unseasoned panko crumbs
- 4 slices of extra sharp cheddar
- 4 hamburger buns of choice
- Any other desired hamburger toppings such as: pickle slices, onions, ketchup, mustard, etc.
What You Do
- Follow the instructions on the packet of wild rice to cook, then let cool completely.
- While rice is cooling, sauté onions and garlic for about ~5 minutes. Set to the side and allow to cool.
- In a large bowl, add all your seasonings, the rice, the diced onion, celery, garlic, sauerkraut and bread crumbs. Mix gently then add in mayo, ketchup, and mustard.
- Mix one more time (if too wet, add more breadcrumbs) and then add beaten eggs.
- Mix everything really well, then form individual patties.
- On a large cast iron skillet, heat about a tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat.
- Fry patties for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until crispy and brown.
- Serve with a slice of sharp cheddar and desired hamburger toppings.
- Enjoy!