Wild Rice in BURGER form!
That is what we are bringing today for the last post in our Feeding a Broken Heart series.
And it’s totally appropriate that this is a post for Wild Rice Burgers, because a) wild rice burgers are other-worldly delicious:
HOW TO MAKE OUR WILD RICE BURGERS (50 SEC):
and b) because our good friends invited us over a few nights ago and served up the Minnesota good-friend-good-neighbor vibes by making us – yes, you know it – wild rice burgers.
The burger recipe comes from a restaurant in Duluth that I think just about every Minnesotan knows and loves. The Duluth Grill? Do you know it? The Duluth Grill specializes in what I would describe as diner food with a hipster feel – for a prime example, WILD RICE BURGERS. If you are wondering if this place has ever been on the classic Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, then you have the right idea. (And yes, it has been.) This restaurant packs in lots of vegetarian dishes, almost everything made from scratch, and zero pretenses.
So the only thing I can think of that would be better than eating a wild rice burger from the Duluth Grill is eating a wild rice burger in the comfort of your friends’ apartment where they ask you thoughtful questions and give you time and space to talk about this hard season of your life. Frank and Emma, you are awesome. ♡
When it comes to how to serve these crispy-chewy patties up, you’ve got a few choices. If you want to walk down the carb-on-carb road, the wild rice burgers can definitely go on a bun. Or bread. The original version of this burger at the Duluth Grill is actually served up on straight bread, patty-melt style.
Personally, I prefer the burger to stand on its own, and I usually melt a piece of cheese on top and top it with an olive-oil-arugula-avocado-hot-sauce combo. Should you add an egg for a breakfast situation? Maybe. Is it a burger salad? Maybe. Is it lacking a lil polish? Maybe.
But more importantly, is it a perfect ten for your hungry mouth? Yes.
After we lost Afton, I really didn’t know how I was going to get back into this. Blogging, I mean. Writing about recipes.
To be able to take my work and make it fit into my current mindset of grief and love has been beyond healing for me. And I owe that to you.
Thank you for not only supporting this little series but full-blown participating in it with us. We all love to hate on the internet sometimes, but dang. There are a lot of good things about the internet, and watching you guys engage with this series in honor of food, love and our son Afton has been one of them.
Now go make a wild rice burger and feel REAL GOOD about it.
The Ultimate Wild Rice Burgers
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 1x
Description
These are THE ULTIMATE wild rice burgers and I might even say the best vegetarian burgers I’ve ever had. The recipe comes from the Duluth Grill Cookbook.
Ingredients
Scale
- 5 cups wild rice, cooked – see notes
- 1 cup fresh mushrooms, finely diced
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 cup panko (breadcrumbs)
- 4 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon each salt, pepper, and garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional, to taste, for heat)
- oil for the pan
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients.
- Using a 1-cup measuring cup, scoop up rice mixture and form into patties. If the mixture is too wet, just add another 1/2 cup of panko or pop it in the fridge for a few minutes to help it stick together.
- Heat a little bit of oil over medium high heat. Add the patties and pan fry until nicely browned on both sides.
- Top with slices of Muenster cheese. Serve on a bun (or not!) with barbecue sauce, hot sauce, magic green sauce, ALL THE SAUCE. Also arugula, avocado, and beyond. You’ve only just begun.
Notes
I found that 1 1/2 cups raw wild rice was about the right amount to yield 5 cups cooked wild rice.
This was served to us with a side of roasted cauliflower which was just total perfection. They went together beautifully.
To get your cheese nice and ooey-gooey, add it to the burgers for the last few minutes of pan frying and cover with a lid.
To make ahead or gift to someone, just freeze the burgers on a sheet pan until individually frozen solid and then store together in a freezer bag.
Worth noting that I have tried reducing the mayo but it never turns out as good. I do, however, add more mushrooms and as long as the ratios of all the other ingredients are as-written, it comes out great.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: wild rice burgers, wild rice recipe, vegetarian burgers
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our best sandwiches, burgers, and wraps page. Check it out!