The Best Veggie Burger Brand To Add To Your Cart For Grilling Season

Whether you don't eat meat yourself or you want to make sure you have the best option for your vegetarian friends, there is just one veggie burger you need to get on the grill this summer. The Actual Veggies California Garden Veggie Burger took the top spot in our complete ranking of the best veggie burgers for grilling, a ranking in which different meat-free burgers were judged on the qualities that matter most — flavor, texture, and, crucially, how well the burger holds together once it hits the heat. Coming in at No. 1, the Actual Veggies California Garden Burger was the clear winner, not a meat-imitation burger but instead a vegetable-forward patty with a thick, hearty texture, and loads of flavor.

As a lifelong vegetarian myself, I'll tell you that texture is so important in a veggie burger, and that's exactly where more plant-forward veggie burgers often go wrong, falling apart when flipped on the grill. It goes without saying that behavior doesn't exactly translate to being the star food of the cookout. But in our testing, The California Garden Burger held its shape well over the heat and kept a good substantial bite.

The ingredient list is refreshingly simple, packed full of hearty vegetables, seasonings, and spices such as carrots, white quinoa, sweet potato, and corn — simple additions that can transform a veggie burger. Alongside all the vegetables, having some grains in the form of quinoa is a great way to give a vegetarian patty a more satisfying texture and bite, plus it's a nice source of plant protein too. Despite having an ingredient list that reads more like a salad than a burger, each patty has a decent 7 grams of protein, which makes for a more substantial meal.

With nothing unpronounceable in the list, and with no fillers or additives, this burger isn't trying to mimic real ground beef with a long list of ingredients. Instead, Actual Veggies lets the vegetables be the star — creating a final patty with a layered taste. And with so many plants working together, it has just enough variety that it doesn't feel one-note the way some burgers made from one dominant ingredient, like a lentil or black bean patty, often can. It is the kind of burger that would definitely please someone who already eats a lot of veggie food, but with its heartier texture and reliable grill performance, it is also an easy sell to the meat eaters in attendance too.