Did you know wild rice is the only grain native to North America? #funfact

My husband is from Minnesooooooooota. We often have a fun time playing on the Minnesotan accent. But truth be told, I’m sure I have small pieces of that accent in my own voice. In fact, when I used to go to Michigan for softball camps, my friend Katie and I were often asked where we were from so they could hear us say, “Wisconsin.” Apparently we have a long accent on the “o”. 

Apparently. 

Wild rice is a common in the Minnesotan diet as Minnesota is one of the largest producers of wild rice in the world. 

Okay, one more fun #nutritionnerd fact. Wild rice isn’t actually a rice. It is an aquatic grass. 

In efforts to accommodate my diet (thank you!), my mother-in-law tried out a new recipe–wild rice burgers. I can’t say I ever had a wild rice burger prior to that day, or had I even heard of them. But, they turned out fantastic and became a family favorite!

Not surprisingly, wild rice has some great health benefits. Did you think I would provide you a delicious recipe that didn’t have some sort of healthy benefit to it?!

Wild rice is high in antioxidants and phytochemicals, which are excellent in preventing and managing chronic disease–which we are all about here at Wholesome. Wild rice is also high in magnesium and phosphorous, both which play an essential role in bone health. 

To make the original wild rice burger completely plant-based (as it previously included cheese and eggs), I changed things up a bit and was able to perfect this delicious twist on a vegetarian “burger”. 

Wild Rice Burgers

Makes: 4 Burgers, or 6 sliders

 

ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked wild rice (or, 1 1/3 cups cooked wild rice)

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

6 tablespoons water

1 small onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

4 hamburger buns, or 6 slider buns

Toppings of your choosing: avocado, caramelized onions, BBQ sauce

directions

Cook the wild rice according to the package directions.* Allow the rice to cool when done, or rinse with cold water to cool quickly. Set aside.

Heat a small saute pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the onion and garlic. If the onion and garlic start to stick, add water or vegetable broth, 1 tablespoon at a time**. Cook until onions are translucent and soft, about 5-7 minutes. 

In a small dish, combine the ground flaxseed and water. Allow the mixture to sit for at least 5 minutes. 

In a large bowl, combine the onion & garlic mixture, breadcrumbs, salt, oregano, thyme, paprika, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Add the cooled wild rice and flaxseed mixture. Stir until well combined. 

Patty the burgers into your desired size. (This is a great place to stop if refrigerating or freezing the burgers for later in the week.)

To cook, get out your griddle and heat to medium high heat. Add the burgers and cook until heated through and crispy**. 

Toast the buns of your choice on the griddle. Top with desired toppings. Enjoy!

*Consider making the wild rice ahead of time earlier in the day, or even a day in advance. 

**You can use a small amount of olive oil during these cooking points, however, we cook without oil and it still turns out great!