Looking for the perfect easy recipe for a quick dinner? These gluten-free vegan black bean burgers are low fat, full of protein and take 10 minutes to prep!
This recipe was originally published on 8/12/18
These homemade veggie burgers are made of only 7 ingredients, most of which you typically have on hand, and are perfectly customizable so that everyone gets what they want, aka no more whining that the burgers have something a certain child doesn't want.
Gluten-Free Vegan Black Bean Burgers
We all have those crazy days (or weeks or months) where the thought of dinner sends us into a tailspin. Having healthy easy dinners in our back pocket is key. Which is why I love this gluten free and vegan black bean burger recipe!
It is not only easy, but it's quick to prep and customizable for all my personalities (aka children) and good enough to go back to over and over.
Making a homemade veggie burger that is just right in texture and flavor can be tricky. So here are some answers to the questions I get asked the most.
What are the best vegan burgers?
I am a homemade veggie burger snob. So when it comes to finding my favorites two things always stand out the most. Texture and flavor.
You need to have the right amount of liquid to solid ratio so that they aren't mushy or overly dry but still stick together.
You also want your burgers to taste like something other than bread or beans. This is where add ins and spices play a big role.
How do you bind a veggie burger without eggs?
I get asked this question all the time. There are so many ways to get your burgers to stick together! Eggs are definitely not needed. Here are some of my favorite key binding ingredients:
- beans
- potato
- ground flax and water
- breadcrumbs
- oats
How do you make veggie burgers that don't fall apart?
This comes down to the ratio of moisture to dry you have along with your binder. If you have the right combination of ingredients, the right amount of moisture and a binder, then you will get burgers that are tough enough even for a grill.
You also need to make sure you are forming them well. They need to be mashed and firmly shaped into a patty.
Another thing to keep in mind is if you are cooking them in a pan, make sure not to try and flip them too early. If you do, they have the potential to fall apart.
Why are my veggie burgers mushy?
Moisture. Are you sensing a theme? LOL! It's easy to make a mistake and add unwanted moisture to your homemade veggie burgers.
- veggies not cooked when they should be, or not cooked enough
- not using enough binder
- your bean ratio is too high
- using grains that are not fully cooked
- cooked them at too high of a heat, medium is perfect or they will develop a crusty outside and mushy inside.
How to store homemade veggie burgers
You can definitely make black bean burgers ahead of time and store for when you are ready. Storing them uncooked gives you a fresher burger since cooking and storing tends to dry it out. But there are different things I do depending on when I will eat them.
If we are eating the burgers within 1-3 days, I store them in the fridge. Here are my best tips:
- store the burger mixture in an airtight container whole
- put on the counter to bring to room temp when you are ready to cook them
- shape into patties then cook
If we need to freeze the burgers to eat at a later date, here is what I do:
- shape the mixture into patties
- cover each patty with plastic wrap
- wrap the plastic covered patties with tin foil
- store in an airtight container
- defrost on the counter to bring to room temp when ready
- reshape the patties if they fell apart at all then cook
Options for customizing homemade black bean burgers
This recipe is a perfectly flavored stand alone vegan burger recipe, but adding in a variety of ingredients can really help to switch up the flavor so you don't get sick of eating the same thing.
There are loads of options, but here are some of our favorite ingredients to add:
- red, green or sweet onions
- spinach
- corn
- sautéed peppers
- roasted chiles
- mushrooms
- carrots
- chives
- cilantro
- parsley
How to serve gluten-free vegan black bean burgers
Other than the versatility of the add ins when making homemade bean burgers, I also love the many ways you can serve them. There are so many options that you can literally eat them every week and not get sick of them. Here are our favorite:
- in a bun the traditional way
- use lettuce as a wrap
- crumbled over a salad
- crumbled over nachos
- in a wrap
- crumbled in a quesadilla
- as part of a panini or grilled cheese
How to make homemade gluten-free and vegan black bean burgers
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Put in any add ins you want.
- Allow the mixture to set in the fridge while you clean up a bit.
- Shape into patties and cook.
- Build how you want and devour.
If black bean burgers aren't your favorite, or you want to switch it up try out these Vegan Chickpea Burgers!
Low-Fat Easy Vegan Gluten Free Black Bean Burgers
Ingredients
- 30 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed , I used two 15 ounce cans
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs , gluten free if needed
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or Tamari (add optional ½ teaspoon salt if you need it saltier)
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce (add less if you are very sensitive to spice)
- 2 teaspoons garlic , finely chopped (about 3 cloves)
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke (if you don't have this on hand, you can also add smoked paprika, start with 1 teaspoon and add more as you prefer)
Optional add ins (no more than ½ cup total):
- Red or green onions
- Herbs- cilantro, parsley, etc
- Corn
Use any toppings you prefer, like ketchup, mustard, tomato, lettuce, onion, and avocado
Serve on buns or lettuce wraps
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl, mashing with your hands until half the beans are mashed and you still have some chunks.
- Allow the mixture to settle in the refrigerate while you clean up (about 5 or so minutes). This helps the breadcrumbs fully absorb and the texture to firm up.
- Cook on a griddle, outdoor grill, or pan for 6-8 minutes on each side. You could also bake them in the oven if you prefer. Bake at 375 F (191 C) for about 15-20 minutes on each side.
- Build your preferred burger using any toppings you desire. Serve on buns or even lettuce wraps.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Judy
Would it be ok to use chickpea flour in place of the breadcrumbs?
Sophia DeSantis
Hi Judy, I haven't tried using chickpea flour but I think it would work. The breadcrumbs mainly work as a binder with the beans and help suck up extra moisture so they don't end up mushy. Let me know how it turns out!
Lady Evon
So delicious and full of flavor.
I put the beans in the oven to dry them out slightly and omitted the breadcrumbs. I used the ingredients as listed and for some strange reason the burgers held together, without the breadcrumbs, during the cooking process. My only addition to the recipe was chopped caramelized onions added to the mixture, not as a topping. It could be that after drying the beans, the wet ingredients and the onions were the binder. Hmmm....Anyhoo these were absolutely wonderful. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Sophia DeSantis
So glad you liked them!! Love all your additions!
Susan
I love how easy and healthy these black bean burgers are thank you! I don't even measure at this point I just go by how it looks 😀 ! Been using a cauliflower and rice breadcrumb brand which has been working well with this recipe :)) I also just use salt in place of soy since I don't have any currently. Then add in spices that sound good. Thank you, been looking so long for a simple and healthy black bean burger recipe; and you delivered!
Sophia DeSantis
Yay! I am so happy you like them as much as we do!! Thank you so much!
Echo
Hello, I am allergic to most grains, even GF oats and rice. And other grains such as amaranth harm my intestines as I am very sensitive to bulking ingredients.
So do you think I could use eggs as a binder instead?
Or perhaps the trusty grated shaker parm that goes on spaghetti? Or both together?
These burgers sound good!
veggiesdontbite
Hi Echo! Thanks so much! Sorry to hear about your grain allergy! The oats actually help suck up the moisture from the beans so that they aren't super mushy. The beans bind the burger. So eggs would just make it mushier I'm afraid. You could try using some almond flour or even a touch of coconut flour? I haven't tried it so don't know how it would turn out, but think of something you can handle that sucks up moisture! Let me know the result!
Suzy
The best and easiest black bean burger recipe!!!! Family and kid approved. It even helped me convince my parents to eat mostly plant based recipes.
veggiesdontbite
Yay! This makes me so happy to hear!
Rebecca
These are the easiest veggie burgers I've made and they are so flavorful! I love that they come together in 5 minutes with stuff I already have in my kitchen. This will be the 3rd time we've made them! Thank you!
veggiesdontbite
Wow! I am so happy to hear Rebecca!!
Melissa Wright
The burgers did not bind together. Any suggestions
veggiesdontbite
Hi Melissa! I am surprised the binding was the issue, with bean burgers the issue is usually the opposite. If you followed the recipe exactly as written, they should have no problem binding with the beans and the moisture in the other ingredients. My only guess is you either accidentally put in too many breadcrumbs so it dried them out, or your beans were dry. Did you use canned beans or make your own? I use canned, then drain and rinse them and put them in a bowl right after they are rinsed. Also, maybe you didn't mash your beans enough? You want to make sure they are pretty mashed so they form a dough. If you tell me a little more about your process I can try and see what happened!
Ruth
Any tips on how to tell when the burgers are done when baked in the oven? They smell delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
veggiesdontbite
Hi Ruth! Usually when the crisp around the edged they are ready. Start checking at that 15 minute mark as ovens vary.
Sheila
Hi Sophia.
Made your black bean burgers with my own black beans, (not tinned). Used garlic, red and green capsicum, onion and all the added sauces and spices. YUM!! My husband loved them as well,which is saying something, as he is really funny about trying "strange" flavours. Well done!!!
veggiesdontbite
I'm so happy you like them Sheila!