These vegetarian Beyond Meat barbecue blue cheeseburgers are a perfect summer recipe for both your veggie friends and omnivores alike! With just a few ingredients: vegetarian “beef,” blue cheese, sautéed onions, pickles and a little arugula, you’ll be in and out of the kitchen in less than 20 minutes!
Just to note, I don’t have a partnership with Beyond Meat products. I just think Beyond Beef is a fantastic vegetarian beef substitute.
I always like to have a vegetarian option at a barbecue, and not just a veggie burger or portobello mushroom to throw on the grill. It’s nice to have something extra special that everyone can enjoy, that also tastes incredible. These little barbecue burgers are a perfect choice!
I made these as sliders for a little backyard cocktail party for Labor Day. I wanted to see if I could cook up a tasty get-together in less than a half-hour, and I did it! The sliders took just 20 minutes to make and the cheese plate took just 5 minutes to assemble. I blistered a tasty batch of sesame lime shishito peppers while toasting the slider buns, so I was up and out of there in just 25 minutes!
Why This Recipe is Special
It’s a barbecue favorite that vegetarians and meat-eaters can enjoy – I don’t like making my vegetarian friends feel like the odd ones out, or making them feel like I had to put in extra effort just to provide them with something just for them. Absolutely everyone loves these sliders, no matter their diet.
One package of Beyond Beef serves 8 people – barbecues can get pricy. I really love serving something that everyone’s excited about, but doesn’t break the bank.
It’s a great make-ahead recipe – You can cook everything a whole 2 days ahead of time, then simply fill the sliders, bake and serve.
Ingredient Notes
Beyond Beef – You can use real ground beef for this recipe if you like. Just follow the recipe exactly.
barbecue sauce – If you want to be sure this recipe is vegetarian, make sure to double-check the ingredients. The barbecue sauce I used for this recipe is actually vegan, and REALLY tasty. I used Garland Jack’s Secret Six Barbecue Sauce.
pickled jalapeños – I love a little bit of spiciness in my sliders, but if you’re sensitive, you can leave these out.
blue cheese – Did you know that most cheeses aren’t vegetarian? They often contain animal rennet. The most common kind of blue cheese, however, Stilton, is vegetarian. But you’ll always want to make sure your brand does not contain animal rennet, just in case.
How to Make This Recipe – Step by Step
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. (175 C.) Dice a medium onion. Add 2 tbsp. olive oil to a pan and sauté over MEDIUM heat for 5 minutes until lightly brown. Turn off heat.
2. Place 4 burger buns (or 8 slider buns) on a grated oven rack. Toast for 7 minutes.
3. While buns toast, turn heat to MEDUIM – HIGH, and add 16 oz. Beyond Beef to the pan and gently chop it up with a spatula. Mix with onions and season with a sprinkle of garlic powder, salt and pepper. Sauté until brown, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Turn off heat and add 4 tbsp. barbecue sauce (or more if you want them extra saucy). Mix together. Add 4 oz. crumbled blue cheese and fold into the mixture without mixing completely. You want nice chunks of blue cheese to remain un-mixed.
5. Remove buns. Distribute “beef” mixture evenly on top.
6. Add pickles and jalapeños (optional), add arugula and serve.
Common Questions
Yes and no. It has a very similar texture, but it’s not exactly the same. It’s definitely closer in texture to seitan than actual beef, but it has a flavor, when cooked, that is pretty darn similar. Especially when flavorings are added.
The main difference is it’s got a “chewy” characteristic that you obviously don’t find in beef. Bottom line, as a beef eater, I find it a perfectly delicious substitute that won’t “fool” people, but will certainly impress them.
Many are, but some have animal broths and ingredients, so double-check. I used Garland Jack’s Secret Six Barbecue Sauce which is vegan.
Can this recipe be made vegan?
It sure can! Beyond Beef is vegan, so just make sure to find a vegan barbecue sauce and a nice cheese substitute. I like Miyoko’s vegan cheddar or pepper jack for this recipe because they melt well.
• Cutting board with sharp knife
• Sauté pan
• Spatula
• Baking sheet with grated oven rack
A Few Tips
1. To make ahead of time and easily assemble when guests arrive:
Sauté your onions, season and brown your Beyond Beef, and add the BBQ sauce – but don’t add the blue cheese just yet. Place your cooked mixture in a sealed container and refrigerate until guests arrive.
Then, once you’re ready to serve, toast buns at 350 F. (175 C.) for 7 minutes. While buns toast, place “beef” mixture in a pan and sauté for just 3-5 minutes with the crumbled blue cheese. Gently toss, then distribute on your buns. Add pickles, jalapeños and arugula and serve.
2. A few exciting vegetarian ingredients to add if you want to make your sliders “loaded.”
- diced bell or jalapeño peppers
- crispy fried onions
- sautéed mushrooms
- chilis
- pepperoncinis
- relish
- coleslaw
- toasted corn
- mayonnaise
- sour cream
A Little Barbecue Side Dish Inspiration
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Beyond Meat Barbecue Burgers
Equipment
- cutting board with sharp knife
- sauté pan
- spatula
- baking sheet with grated oven rack
Ingredients
- 16 oz. Beyond Beef
- 1 medium red onion – diced
- 4 oz. blue cheese – crumbled
- 4 tbsp. barbecue sauce – vegetarian
- 4 oz. arugula
- 4 burger buns – or 8 slider buns
- 2 oz. pickles – sliced
- 2 oz. pickled jalapeños – optional
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- garlic powder – just a sprinkle
- salt & pepper – just a sprinkle
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. (175 C.) Dice a medium onion. Add 2 tbsp. olive oil to a pan and sauté over MEDIUM heat for 5 minutes until lightly brown. Turn off heat.
- Place 4 burger buns (or 8 slider buns) on a grated oven rack. Toast for 7 minutes.
- While buns toast, turn heat to MEDUIM – HIGH, and add 16 oz. Beyond Beef to the pan and gently chop it up with a spatula. Mix with onions and season with a sprinkle of garlic powder, salt and pepper. Allow to sauté until brown, about 5-7 minutes.
- Turn off heat and add 4 tbsp. barbecue sauce (or more if you want them extra saucy). Mix together. Add 4 oz. crumbled blue cheese and fold into the mixture without mixing completely. You want nice chunks of blue cheese to remain un-mixed.
- Remove buns. Distribute “beef” mixture evenly on top. Add pickles and jalapeños (optional), add arugula and serve.
Notes
- diced bell or jalapeño peppers
- crispy fried onions
- sautéed mushrooms
- chilis
- pepperoncinis
- relish
- cole slaw
- toasted corn
- mayonnaise
- sour cream
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