It’s no secret – I adore veggie burgers. I think I’ve mentioned this fact a number of times on The Fig Tree over the past few years. Sorry for the redundancy…but I freaking love veggie burgers! *hehe* Every time I see one on a menu, I inevitably have to order it. For me, there’s nothing more satisying or filling than a really good veggie burger. I’ve had some incredible veggie burgers at a number of restaurants (such as Stellas’, Black Bird Café, Le Garage Café and Baked Expectations), but have had a bit of trouble creating the perfect veggie burger at home.
For me, a veggie burger has to be soft on the inside without being too gummy. It must be crispy on the outside and full of flavour. And it has to hold up well to cooking/grilling and be the perfect canvas for an assortment of garnishes. I’ve come close to finding the perfect veggie burger to make at home with my Mediterranean Quinoa Burgers and my Butternut Squash Nut Burgers. They are really delicious! However, this Black Bean Burger has exceeded all of my expectations. Since you cook them from frozen, the stay together well on the grill or in a frying pan. The exterior becomes crispy, but the interior remains soft. They have a lot of flavour and the recipe can easily be adapted to change up the flavour profile. Making a large batch and freezing them is ideal, as you can just heat up a few whenever you are craving a really good veggie burger regardless of the time of year.
What are your favourite toppings to put on a veggie burger?
Best Black Bean Burgers
Ingredients
- 2-16 ounce cans of low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons of chopped flat-leaf parley or cilantro
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 2 large eggs (or 2 flax eggs)
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1 heaping tablespoon of cumin
- 1 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
- 1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs (optional)
- 1 cup of quick oats (can use gluten free oats)
- 8 whole wheat (or gluten free) burger buns
Method
- Mash black beans. Note: I leave a 1/4 of the beans whole for texture.
- In a food processor, finely chop the red bell pepper, the parsley (or cilantro), and garlic. Add in the oats, eggs (or flax eggs), cumin, onion powder and chili powder. Season with salt and pepper. Pulse mixture until everything is finely chopped. Stir mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in panko if using.
- Chill the mixture for 30 minutes, so it is easy to handle. Once well chilled, form eight patties and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper.
- Freeze burgers on the baking sheet for 2 hours. Store burgers in a freezer safe container or plastic bag. Keep burgers frozen until ready to cook, so that they keep their shape nicely while cooking. You can pan fry, BBQ or bake these burgers.
- To Cook: Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a large frying pan. Pan fry the burgers until the outsides are nicely crisp and the middles are hot (about 7 minutes per side).
- To Grill: Preheat the grill over medium heat and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. Grill the burgers for 7 to 8 minutes per side.
- To Bake: Bake at 375'F on a lightly oil baking sheet until burgers are slightly crispy and heated through.
- Garnish burgers are desired. I love to garnish these black bean burgers with fresh tomato slices, avocado and a little sweet + spicy mayonnaise (1/2 cup of mayo and 3 tablespoons of sweet chili sauce)
Source: adapted from Skinny Taste
Those sound really good! I have bought frozen bean burger patties, but I have never attempted to make them myself. I think I’ll try this recipe out very soon!
These are soo delicious! Yummy! Make me more.
Love the new site and the Black Bean burgers are well …outta site.
10 out of 10 carrot sticks
Thank you! :) Love your the scale you used to judge the blog. *haha* Thanks Dad! xo
This was my first vegetarian burger and it was amazing. The burger was full of flavour and I will definitely be making up a batch for the freezer. Also loved the cook!
I love a good veggie burger too and am always experimenting…some turning out good and others not so good, down right disastrous :) These look so good though! Our toppings of choice lately have been caramelized onions & shredded carrot with baby bib lettuce and tomato- I am definitely more adventurous with toppings than Justin – we do like avocado, and I sometimes like to add salsa depending on the burger – there are just so many choices :)
I love how veggie burgers are the perfect blank canvas to work with. Shredded carrot is a great topping. I will definitely try that next time!
I like any kind of homemade veggie burger, but I’m not all that picky – as long as it has some flavour and texture and doesn’t taste like a meat patty, then I’m happy! Black beans would make a good base because they’re pretty firm, and leaving some of them whole is a good idea for extra texture! And I’m surprised you didn’t mention Boon Burger in your post – I still want to go there!
Me too! Not a fan of any veggie burger made to mimic meat. I adore a good grainy veggie burger with nuts, seed and vegetables. This one is my favourite so far, as it’s the perfect blank canvas. I loved the texture of the burger. *hehe* I love Boon Burger! :) I may post one of their recipes soon, as it was presented on You Gotta Eat Here.
I’ll take an order of these before your trip to NYC please. Thanks!
I’ll make you a huge batch when I get home :) We could BBQ them at your place! Love you!
Haven’t had these in awhile. What date does Father’s Day fall on this year?
Better plan a BBQ for Father’s Day at the park! :)
Hi – I have a question about your black bean burgers. I made them and love the flavor but mine were pretty dry (even when forming them into burgers before cooking). By chance are you supposed to cook the quick oats before adding them in to add more moisture? Or is there something else I could have done wrong? Thanks!
Hello! :) There is no need to cook the quick oats. The key is to ensure you allow the mixture to sit for at least 30 minutes. The oats will soak up some moisture and the patties will be nice and moist. Also, you can add half of the panko bread crumbs, mix and then see if you need any more. The burgers should be pretty moist when you are forming them. Hope this helps! :)
Ok, thanks! I let them sit for at least 30 minutes but used all of the panko it called for. I’ll try less next time. Thanks!
Came out like soup! Didn’t Put the bread crumbs in, but increased the oats by 1/2 cup. So liquidy it couldn’t possibly be formed into any shape, just useless blob. Guess I’ll add extra oats until its thick enough. Not holding out for anything but a pasty blob.
These are so yummy! Much better than store bought.
So yummy! This taste much better than store bought black bean burgers.
Can’t wait to finally make these! We’re grilling out tomorrow night with friends – I’m making turkey burgers for the meat lovers and these black bean burgers for myself!
I used less pepper and added onion, mushrooms, and carrots to the mix. They came out so good, and my 3 year old daughter really liked them too. I’ll definitely be making these again!
Oh my… I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for a while but was worried that I would mess it up some how. I made these burgers today and they are fantastic! I was thinking of using my boyfriend as a food testing guinea pig, but these may be too good to share!
Just wanted to thank you for this recipe! I’ve been making them for about a year now and I always make sure to have some in my freezer because they are a staple for me. I eat them on nachos-delish!!!
These were great–thanks! One little tip, though. I used the full amount of panko and added a generous splash (about 3 T.) of balsamic vinegar. Gave it a delightful kick, and kept the burgers very moist. YUM!!