The Absolute Best (And Worst) Veggie Burgers You Can Buy

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The veggie-burger industry is in the midst of a renaissance. Just a decade ago, vegans and vegetarians only had a few brands to choose from. And if we're being honest, none of the options were particularly delicious. But as technology has changed and demand for good meatless options has grown, the freezer aisles of grocery stores are now filled with exciting plant-based burgers.

As thrilling as that may be, it also presents a new problem: which ones are actually worth buying? We consulted veggie burger connoisseurs, scoured the internet, and even did a thorough taste test of some popular brands on the market today. Our team tried vegetable-forward patties as well as convincing meaty dupes, and ranked them all from worst to best.

So next time you're planning a meatless Monday dinner or want to host a veggie-friendly barbecue, check out this list to determine which store-bought burger is best for you.

Bubba Burger Veggie Burgers

Bubba is better known for their frozen beef patties, but did you know they also make a veggie burger? Now that you know that this product exists, you should also know that it's absolutely not worth buying.

This blend of vegetables, black beans, and oats tasted like a savory oatmeal. It was mushy and fell apart as we were cooking it. One of our editors described it as if "a mama bird chewed it up to feed it to her babies." So in short, don't eat this.

Hilary's Organic World's Best Veggie Burgers

When a brand claims to sell the "world's best" veggie burgers, we have understandably high expectations. Sadly, the flavor and texture of these patties didn't stack up.

This grain-forward patty had a dull, bland taste. One member of our team compared it to the slightly cardboard-y flavor of a veggie chip. Another editor said this burger tastes "like the flavor is coming from the next building over."

Everything Legendary Plant Based Burger

This brand appeared on Shark Tank and earned an investment from Mark Cuban himself. But if team Delish were a shark, we'd be out.

Multiple editors said that this tastes like pet food. And Everything Legendary's proprietary spice blend is evocative of a hot dog or Spam. So if you're into that, go for it—otherwise, we suggest skipping this one.

Amy's Organic California Veggie Burger

Amy's has been in the game for decades, and this veggie burger has been on the market since 1989! Their signature blend of bulgur wheat, mushrooms, and walnuts creates a surprisingly nuanced and savory flavor.

But, since its base is essentially wheat, it's a very bready burger. The mere thought of eating this with a bun had our associate food producer Justin Sullivan saying, "Oosh magoosh!" We could totally see ourselves eating these as a lettuce wrap but not any other way.

Cutting Vedge Plant Based Burgers

This veggie burger patty is made with a base of spinach and artichoke. This flavor combo may be top tier when it comes to appetizers, but not for a plant-based burger.

On the package, you can see a crisp, golden brown patty. But the actual product is a bright green. This is a very veggie-forward patty, with a flavor that closely resembles frozen peas. It's not the worst we've tried—but we think you can do better.

NoBull Original Veggie Burger

One thing we loved about NoBull's veggie burger is that the frozen patties came pre-seared on the outside. So whether you cook it in the oven, on the stove, or on the grill, you'll achieve a perfectly golden burger.

That being said, this patty tastes like straight-up lentil. It could use a lot more seasoning to bulk up the flavor, in our opinion. So unless you're planning on drowning this burger in ketchup, you should probably skip this one.

Dr. Praeger's California Veggie Burgers

Dr. Praeger's has been making plant-based burgers and frozen foods for over 25 years. Their California veggie burger is by far their most popular offering, with a base full of different vegetables.

If you want a veggie-forward patty, this is probably your best option. All of the chunks offer interesting texture with every bite and the exterior is perfectly crispy. But, compared to some new burgers on the market, it's not our number one.

MorningStar Farms Spicy Black Bean Veggie Burgers

MorningStar Farms is another OG veggie burger brand with plenty of flavors to choose from. One of their most popular is the spicy black bean, which blends the legume with corn and brown rice.

We love the smoky, spicy flavor of this patty and can taste each and every component (instead of a weird mystery meat substitute). Our one critique is that it's a little dry for our tastes.

Worthington Beefless Fripat Burger

The crispiest patties we tried. The exterior is slightly rough, which means there's optimal surface area to get nice and crunchy.

The flavor? Think of a nostalgic chicken patty from the school cafeteria. Even though this is theoretically supposed to resemble beef, it tastes 100 percent like a McNugget. It's definitely on the dryer side, but we're into it.

Beyond Meat Burgers

Beyond Meat was one of the brands the led the new guard of plant-based burgers. This patty resembles the taste, texture, and appearance of beef—all while being vegetarian and vegan friendly.

We love how versatile Beyond Burgers are. You can press them down to make a thin, crispy smash burger or even swap them out for beef in any recipe. However, compared to its primary competitor, the flavor is a little lacking.

Akua Kelp Burger

If the name of this burger made you do a double take, we don't blame you. Kelp burgers were once limited to the citizens of Bikini Bottom, but Akua's version is taking the plant-based world by storm.

Seafood haters can feel free to skip this one: the seaweed flavor is definitely present here. But it also lends a deeply savory taste and great texture to the overall patty. We'd gladly choose these for our next burger night.

Impossible Burger Patties

Surprise, surprise. Impossible's plant-based burger patties made it to the top of our list. Just like Beyond Meat, these burgers resemble real beef patties. But Impossible just barely beat out the other brand for our favorite.

Impossible meat has a slightly more savory flavor and is a little drier than Beyond. It's not so dry that it's unappetizing, but rather just enough to prevent the center from getting mushy. There's clearly a reason why Impossible meat has taken the industry by storm.

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