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Portabella Mushroom Burgers

A plant-based burger made from finely chopped portobello mushrooms, crushed saltine crackers or cooked rice, onion, and egg substitute, pan‑fried and served on a bun.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 5 ingredients
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Why it works: Mushroom and rice match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,515 recipes. Both carry 2,4-nonadienal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓

Portabella Mushroom Burgers

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the mixture

  1. Chop the mushrooms finely, or process in a food processor with the chopping blade until finely chopped.

  2. In a bowl, combine the chopped mushrooms, the crushed saltine crackers or cooked rice, the chopped onion, egg substitute, and salt and pepper to taste; mix until combined.

Fry the patties

  1. Heat about 1/4 inch of corn oil in a pan.

  2. Form the mushroom mixture into patties.

  3. Place the patties in the pan.

  4. Fry until lightly golden.

  5. Turn and fry the other side until golden.

Serve

  1. Serve on a bun with your favorite trimmings, or top with gravy and serve with mashed potatoes and your favorite vegetable.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

882Calories
34 gProtein
13 gFat
155 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Rice1 cup cooked (158g) white206
Egg Substitute1 large egg (50g)78
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Mushroom1/2 cup sliced (35g)15
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Mushroom + ricetop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,515 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).

  2. Rice + oniontop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together10,433 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

  3. Mushroom + oniontop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together10,626 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

  4. Onion + peppertop 11% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together68,474 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  5. Mushroom + peppertop 11% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together13,580 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Portabella mushrooms
Provide the main body and savory flavor of the patty.
Saltine crackers or cooked rice
Absorb moisture and help the mixture hold together as patties.
Egg substitute
Binds the mixture so the patties hold their shape while frying.
Onion
Adds aromatic sweetness and savory depth to the patties.

The step that matters

Forming and frying the patties. The mixture is soft and moist, so patties need to be firm enough to hold their shape. Frying over steady heat in enough oil lets a golden crust form before they break apart when turned.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (mushroom, rice, pepper, egg):

  1. Capsicumfits better
  2. Asparagusfits better
  3. Spinachfits better
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against mushroom, rice, pepper, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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