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Black Bean Burger: A Delicious Alternative

Black bean burger on a plate of greens with cheese sauce, salsa and sour cream

The vegan black bean burger is an easy and healthy way to satisfy the burger craving and can be as versatile as the classic beef burger without the fat, cholesterol and guilt. Once you get the basic recipe, you are only limited by your own imagination. They can be blended in a food processor, like a Cuisinart, to mimic the homogenous texture of a hamburger, or ingredients can be chopped finely to add color and texture to the burger.

The Versatile Black Bean Burger

The black bean burger stands up to any condiment. It can be blended with onions, peppers and Mexican spices and topped with salsa or guacamole. It can be blended with mushrooms and onions and served with vegan gravy on mashed potatoes for a total comfort food feel. It can be made with onions, garlic and sun dried tomatoes, flavored with Italian spices, and served with romaine lettuce on Italian bread.

The recipe that follows was inspired by a recipe I found for low fat vegan nacho cheese (from Vegan Yumminess) that I wanted to try so I went with the Mexican flavors. Feel free to experiment and have fun with different combinations!

Note: This recipe has no added oil. The black bean burgers are moist on the inside, but the outside is rather like a crust. If you prefer a moister burger, add approximately 1/3 cup of vegetable oil to the recipe.

Note: Chia “eggs” are an important component of this recipe. Here is a great post to read about making chia eggs.

Blending the beans, adding quinoa, and ready to cook black bean burgers on the pan

Blending the beans, adding quinoa, and ready to cook burgers on the pan

The final delicious black bean burger meal!

Black bean burger on a plate of greens with cheese sauce, salsa and sour cream

Black bean burgers on greens with vegan cheese sauce, salsa, and tofu sour cream!

Watch Georgia demonstrate the entire process of making these black bean burgers on this video from our YouTube channel:

 

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Black bean burger on a plate of greens with cheese sauce, salsa and sour cream

Vegan Black Bean Burger

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  • Author: Georgia @fullofbeans.us
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 40
  • Total Time: 60
  • Yield: 12 1x

Description

The vegan black bean burger is an easy and healthy way to satisfy the burger craving and can be as versatile as the classic beef burger without the fat, cholesterol and guilt.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 6 cups cooked black beans*
  • 1 1/2 cup quinoa (may substitute with rice, bread crumbs or other grain)
  • 1 finely chopped onion
  • 2 chia eggs** (complete instructions on this post)
  • 1 cup finely chopped green, red or yellow pepper (may be pulsed in the processor with the beans if desired)
  • 1 Tbs chili powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • few grinds of black pepper
  • 1 generous tsp cumin
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Start by preparing 2 chia eggs** (1 egg = 1 Tbs finely ground chia seed with 3 Tbs water, blended well and refrigerated for at least 30 minutes)
  3. Mash, or blend in a food processor (or a combination of the 2) 6 cups of cooked black beans
  4. Blend in the remaining ingredients with your hands or a big spoon
  5. Add more grain or water sparingly to reach a workable but moist texture for forming burgers. Form into 10 – 12 burgers based on desired size and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
  6. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes.
  7. Gently flip and continue for additional 18-20 minutes.

Notes

  • * If you cook your beans from dry bulk beans, give them a good solid cook. The burgers are better with a nice soft bean. Plus, they are easier to mash and mashing makes a better texture than using a food processor.
  • ** Chia eggs seem to work best. Flax eggs are a reasonable substitute but the burgers do not hold together as firmly, in our experience.
  • Cooking time may be adjusted to taste and may vary with different ingredients. (more moisture = a little more time)
  • Serve immediately.
  • Left over burgers can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator and will last for several days.

Georgia is an unpretentious foodie who, at 50, transitioned from a vegetarian diet to a whole foods plant based diet and is loving it. She works as a nurse, plays as a quilter, loves to run, hates to race.
She thinks dogs are actually angels (in dog suits).

This Post Has 11 Comments

  1. I have a question! I am making this recipe and I am the only one in my house that will eat them. Do they freeze well if I store them air tight? Would you recommend freezing them before or after cooking?

    1. Hi Jessica!
      They keep well in the fridge and probably in the freezer (but we haven’t done that). Best to cook first, we think. Glad you are trying them and hope that the others give them a try!
      🙂

    1. Hi Kate! They might not work so well directly on the grill, but they will probably be fine if you place some foil underneath them. Let us know how it works out!

  2. Tried this recipe a few nights ago and loved it! Andy said it was “one of the best burger experiences” he’s ever had – and that’s coming from a meat lover. I skipped the peppers and added sautéed mushrooms and garlic and the texture was fantastic. Served with tomato and avocado on toasted rye bread with “Just Mayo”. It was killer. I had a little trouble with binding – I’m guessing I needed a better/more flax egg. Any tips?

    1. Hi Gretchen, that’s awesome – thanks for letting us know!
      🙂
      To help with binding, you might try a little more liquid. I have recently been using chia eggs instead and find them to be a better binder. I will have to amend the recipe to include the option. Chia eggs are same ratio. 1 tbs ground chia seeds to 3 tbs water.

      – Georgia

    1. Hi Sarah,

      SO sorry for the delay! The recipe should work just fine cut in half. What we usually do is just cook up the whole batch and store what doesn’t get eaten immediately in a tupperware container in the fridge. They keep just fine for days!

    1. So glad you enjoyed them! I really loved your idea of adding a little lime juice and corn. I’m going to do that next time. Thanks.

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