These healthy black bean burgers are a hearty, high protein burger that will satisfy even the heartiest carnivores. Make up a batch and keep some stashed away in your freezer for those days that you need a quick afternoon lunch. Just defrost it quickly in the microwave and crisp it up in a hot skillet!
Jump to RecipeIt’s definitely barbecue season here in Ontario – probably earlier than any of us had expected (we went from cool spring to scorching hot summer in a nanosecond!!). And, although I love a good burger (I’ve always joked that you can have all the steak and pot roast, but burgers are the main reason I’m not vegetarian – followed closed behind by bacon and prosciutto!!), these vegetarian burgers are super satisfying! Whether you yourself (or your guests) are trying to cut back on saturated fats or simply trying to find yummy substitutions to cut down your meat consumption, burgers like these black bean burgers are sure to be a hit!!
What You’ll Need To Make These Black Bean Burgers?
- garlic
- onion
- carrots
- black beans (or a combination of black a red beans)
- cooked quinoa/rice/barley (most cooked grains work here)
- egg
- salt & pepper
- chili powder
- goat cheese or feta (can sub in cream cheese)
- breadcrumbs
- olive oil
- Worcestershire sauce
What gives this black bean burger a “meaty” taste?
I know that Worcestershire sauce has an ‘umami’ taste (click here if you’re not sure what that means) and I learned over at Love and Lemons, that brushing a meatless burger with a bit of Worcestershire sauce after it’s been cooked gives it a different depth of flavour…game changer!!
How do you cook them and store them?
Once the patties have been prepared and formed (below), they can be frozen before they are cooked. But, they re-heat so nicely that my recommendation is that you cook them all and leave them in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or wrap them tightly and freeze them for another time.
When you’d like to reheat them, you can either tuck them into an oven at 300 for about 30 minutes, place them into an air fryer for about 10 minutes or simply panfry them (add more oil for extra crispiness) and then serve as desired!!
What up with the cooked grains in the recipe?
You can add any cooked grain you like. I used barley here but feel free to use cooked rice, cooked quinoa or cooked farro. This does a fabulous job of binding the burgers – ensuring they don’t fall apart as well as deliver loads of fibre!
Other dishes on the blog that are vegetarian (or even vegan) but are still super yummy!:
- vegetarian chili
- Thai chickpea and spinach stew
- charred, smokey edamame
- garden ratatouille
- grilled veggie sandwich
There’s more than one way to serve these black bean burgers:
Of course any burger is epic on a bun, amiright?? Because a good ol’ burger sandwiched between two ends of a bun (like this gluten free bun from Queen street bakery) is always a party in your mouth!
Or this scrumptious loaded black bean burger on a toasted, soft brioche bun…
Or how about bun-less? I know it’s a trend nowadays to eat the burger “naked”, but let me tell you why this burger is perfect to serve without a bun. Unlike a regular meaty burger, this burger patty is very high in carbohydrates and would pair so well with some fresh vegetables and some flavourful sauce accompaniments.
In the photo below, I’ve served the black bean burger atop a dollop of store-bought red pepper hummus and tzatziki, then topped it with pickled jalapenos’ and the regular burger fixin’s of tomato, onion and lettuce. Served with a knife and fork, it an epic (and filling) meal!
Regardless of how you serve (and eat!!) this burger, this is surely going to be a hit at your next gathering! As a matter of fact, I think you should call you neighbours and organize a “come taste my black bean burger” party…what do ya think??
Savoury Carrot and Black Bean Burgers
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 small onion quartered
- 2 carrots shredded
- 2 cans 540 mL/19 oz black beans, drained and rinsed (or a combo of black and red beans)
- 1 cup cooked quinoa/rice/barley (most cooked grains work here
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ tsp chili powder
- 1/4 cup goat cheese or feta (can sub in cream cheese)
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp olive oil plus more for forming burgers
- Worcestershire sauce for basting (optional)
- 12 brioche buns
- toppings (burger condiments, tomatoes, onion, etc)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, grate carrots; then add garlic and onion and chop; add beans, quinoa, egg, salt, pepper, goat cheese and pulse again until the mixture comes together to form a paste (the mixture might seem a bit thin).
- Scrape mixture into a large bowl and stir in bread crumbs; let sit for about 1 hour or cover and refrigerate overnight.
- With oiled hands, divide the mixture into 12 equal portions. In a skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil and cook patties; cook about 2-3 minutes and flip over to brown the other side. Once they are browned on both side, place back on a platter and keep warm; continue cooking until all patties are browned.
- With the same skillet on high heat, open the buns and place, cut side down, in hot pan. Once the buns are browned, place the burgers in the buns and serve with toppings of your choice.
