Black Bean Burgers Firm & Flavorful

These vegan black bean burgers are so full of flavor, and they are also perfect for the grill. That’s because they don’t crumble and fall apart, and even more important (at least to me)… they don’t turn into squishness when you bite into them. YAH!!

This is such a versatile recipe too. You can make them gluten free. In the mood for a different flavor? It’s easy to swap out, or add in different ingredients- like BBQ sauce, chunky salsa, or my Spicy Green Sauce.

The next time I make these babies, probably this weekend lol, I’m going to try crushed tortilla or maybe corn chips for some of the bread crumbs. I think that will be delicious!

This is based off my original Grillable Black Bean Burgers

Ok, I’m getting off track. Let’s get back to these burgers. Just like in my original post, from a couple of years ago, you’re going to roast the black beans. You need to dry them out, because that will help alleviate the squishy texture.

Check out this post for Vegan Dairy & Egg Substitutes

You’re also going to need an egg substitute. I use either JUST Egg or flax eggs. You can see your options by clicking the vegan dairy and egg substitute link above. The rest of the ingredients and instructions are pretty flexible. .

Here’s a list of the ingredients I used in my burger patties, and also what I added to the buns:

Inside the Burger Patties

Black Beans: canned or homemade are fine. 14 to 15 ounce cans are typical. I use organic low sodium.

Onions: I prefer sweet onions. I cry less when cutting these. haha I also refrigerate them, which seems to help.

Bread Crumbs: I use Panko, plain flavor. The texture works best to keep the burgers firm.

Flour: I use oat flour. Regular all purpose flour is ok, but not as good. I wonder if bread flour would work better.

Nuts: Dry roasted cashews work best. Raw don’t lend much texture, and neither do walnuts or pecans.

Vegan Cheese: I used Violife just like FETA vegan cheese, but I have also used other vegan cheeses too.

–> Rest of Ingredients: I used vegan mayo and my green sauce. I change it up depending on what I’m in the mood for.

On the Burgers:

Dave’s Killer Burger Buns Done Right: I sparingly wet the tops and sprinkled bagel seasoning on them

These can be baked or air-fried, and we love these Crispy Onion Rings.

Pickled Onions: the recipe for those are near the bottom of that post. Very yum!

Guacamole: avocados, lemon or lime juice, mild chopped jalapenos, onions, and salt. I made it pretty basic this time.

Vegan cheese slices: Cheddar Jack, and also Cheddar Slices, and Provolone.

Slathered on side is vegan French onion dip:

Homemade Version from NYT

Kite Hill makes a line of very Delicious Dips

–> You can also add corn, scallions, sweet pepper, etc to your burger patties. Just be sure to blot any add-ins dry, so it keeps your burgers from getting too wet.

Let me know what you added to your burgers, and what you think of this recipe. Enjoy!

Update: I baked 6 patties, and then I froze half of them. I thawed them in the fridge, and then pan fried them on medium heat for about 2 minutes each side.

For the 2nd side, I placed a slice of vegan cheese on the burgers. It melted perfectly, while heating the burger.

It’s important to cover the pan, while you’re heating them, so they don’t dry out. They were so good, and you couldn’t tell that they had been previously baked and frozen.

P.S. I have a new post up. It’s the Pickled Onions on the burgers above. They taste so good together!

Vegan Black Bean Burgers

Print Recipe

Serves: 6-8 burgers Cooking Time: 25-45 minutes

Ingredients

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small sweet onion, finely chopped, 2 cups
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs (I use Panko)
1/4 cup oat flour or all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cumin, optional
1/2 teaspoon garlic or onion salt, or garlic or onion powder
2/3 cup roasted cashews
1/2 cup vegan feta or other vegan cheese, finely crumbled
1/3 cup egg replacement
2 tablespoon vegan mayonnaise
1 tablespoon spicy green sauce or thick salsa
1 tablespoons ketchup
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place a sheet of foil on a large rimmed baking sheet. Don't use parchment paper, because you want to beans to roast, dry out a bit. Spread black beans in a single layer on the prepared pan. Bake until most beans are split open, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to touch.

Heat a little oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes until tender. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds longer..Scrap into a small bowl to cool.

In large bowl bowl, whisk the dried bread crumbs, oat flour, cumin and garlic powder; set aside. Place the cashews in a food processor and pulse just until they are broken down into coarse small pieces, chop up any larger pieces Stir into crumb mixture.

Transfer the beans to the food processor and pulse a couple of times just until beans are roughly chopped. You only need to pulse a couple of times, because you don't want them mushy. Stir into the bread crumb mixture, along with the cheese..

Stir mayonnaise, sauce or salsa, and ketchup into vegan egg. Add to bean mixture, along with onions and salt & pepper. Fold ingredients together with your hands. If the mixture is too wet, add oat flour or AP flour- 1 teaspoon at a time. You want it wet enough to hold together without being mushy. If the mixture is dry and crumbly, add a little water (1 teaspoon at a time) as needed.

At this point you can cover and refrigerate for a couple of days.You should let the mixture sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour to firm up. Evenly divide the black bean mix into 6 or 8 balls. Tightly mold and flatten them into patties the size of your bun,

Pan frying: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet, over medium to a bit lower heat. (Don't cook at higher heat.) Add the burgers and cook until well browned, about 5 minutes. Flip the burgers, and cook the other side for an additional 4-5 minutes.

Baking: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed pan with foil, and spray with non-stick spray. Bake 10 minutes per side.

Grilling: Preheat grill to medium low. Brush one side of the patties with some oil and place that side down on the grill. Cook for about 4-5 minutes (or 5-7 minutes if the patties are cold) until well browned. Brush the tops with oil and gently flip to grill that side for an additional 4-5 minutes or 5-7 minutes until browned.

Freezing: Put raw patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze for 1 hour. Once frozen, cut parchment into squares around each. Place in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge or cook from frozen- just add about 2-3 minutes to cooking time.

For already baked burgers: When completely cool, place a square of parchment paper between them and place in a freezer bag. Thaw in fridge and pan fry, on medium heat, for about 2 minutes each side until heated. Be sure to cover the pan, while heat the burgers, so they don't dry out.