Elevate The Flavor Of Veggie Burgers With Your Favorite BBQ Sauce

If you're a vegetarian who misses the smoky flavor of a flame grilled beef patty, you need to add BBQ sauce to your next batch of homemade veggie burgers. This simple addition will transform the texture, taste, and even aroma of your veggie base whether it's made of beans, mushrooms, chickpeas, or an assortment of sautéed greens, lending it a meat-like quality. The recipe for BBQ sauce is generally comprised of a mixture of tomato puree, vinegar and molasses, which lends it that rich brown color and unique balance of flavors. Moreover, it has a smoky fragrance that's reminiscent of wood-smoked meats, courtesy of the smoke flavoring that's blended in during processing. Add a squirt of this smoky condiment to anything from a chicken nugget to a French fry, and it will instantly taste smokier, sweeter, and richer.

To add your favorite BBQ sauce to your veggie burgers simply incorporate a dollop into your regular recipe. If your original mixture is on the wetter side, substitute some of the liquid that you'd normally add in, such as a beaten egg, for your sauce to guarantee your patties won't fall apart on your griddle. Note that veggie burgers need more seasoning than you might expect because they don't have any of the flavorful fat that normally comes from ground beef. Barbecue sauce provides that extra boost of seasoning in liquid form, which means it seamlessly blends into a thick mixture of mashed sweet potato and black beans, or ground nuts and quinoa.

There are a myriad of store bought barbecue sauce options to choose from, which means you should easily be able to find a brand that complements the ingredients in your veggie burgers. For example, some varieties have a kick of chili, whereas others have a deeper smoky aroma and are more savory, like Bachan's Japanese barbecue sauce, which prominently features ginger and sesame oil. A veggie burger made of guacamole and sweet potato teams well with a sauce that's rich in umami flavors whereas one made of mushrooms (that's already loaded with glutamate) will shine alongside a sweeter alternative. However, making your own BBQ sauce that's personalized to your tastes is an absolute breeze. 

In fact, you can make an easy, tangy barbecue sauce with just three pantry ingredients; ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar. From there, feel free to add in any extra flavorings, such as a spritz of brightening citrus, a dash of bourbon, or a sprinkling of hot sauce, to customize your blend. Once you've prepped and cooked your veggie burger, the world is your oyster when it comes to adding another layer of flavor with whatever toppings and condiments you please. Fresh, crisp toppings, such as sliced onions, pickles and iceberg lettuce complement the soft texture of veggie patties, creating a bite that's satisfying and satiating. Likewise cheese, as with beef burgers, will get a real kick from the BBQ sauce too so you really can't go wrong.