Veggies Don't Bite

Cooking with plants and lovin' it...and ditching the gluten and {refined} sugar along the way!

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Down Home BBQ Burger and Homemade BBQ Sauce

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Bringing BBQ to your table in a non traditional way, with a preview of one of the recipes in my first cookbook (Vegan Burgers and Burritos), the Down Home BBQ Burger. This vegan BBQ black bean burger is sweet, tangy and full of flavor! It is really easy to throw together. If you’re a BBQ lover, you’re going to love this one!

Vegan down home bbq burgers stacked on top of each other with black background

Eeek!! My book is here! Have you seen it? Ordered it? You can leave a review on Amazon now and receive a free gift! The gift includes 3 recipes that are not on my blog or in the book: Maple Mustard Falafel Sliders, Popcorn Cauliflower Burrito and Low Fat Maple Mustard Tahini Sauce.

You don’t want to miss these bonus treats! Email me a screenshot of your review and they are yours.

Vegan maple mustard falafel sliders on a wooden surface and black background

Vegan popcorn cauliflower burrito wrapped in brown paper lying on a plate

Low fat maple mustard tahini sauce in a glass jar and slightly overflowing

It’s time to chill

I worked my booty off writing and photographing this book. It was a huge accomplishment, anyone that has worked on a cookbook knows how much work it is, let alone when you are also the photographer.

I can honestly say that I am SO glad I’m done and can go back to being a mom first. Ironically my husband also traveled the most he ever has during the months I was writing the book (why do things always work out this way?!), so when he was here on the weekends, it was daddy time and I often missed hanging out with the family since I was working non stop.

But it’s all done now, and I can sit back and enjoy my success! Funny fact, I shot my cover at least 20 times. I was not happy with any of the cover shots until my very last one. I’m my own worst critic!

A book cover of vegan burgers and burritos

I’m sharing some exciting stuff with you guys

I am so excited to share this bbq black bean burger recipe with you guys today and give you a little sneak peek into what this book is all about. BBQ is a flavor that I am very picky about.

I am one of those middle of the road people when it comes to my bbq sauce. I don’t like it too sweet. But I also don’t want it too tangy. I created this sauce and burger to represent that perfect middle ground flavor.

The great thing is that you can always add more tang or sweetness to how you like it. There are no rules! Just make and enjoy.

a jar of vegan bbq sauce with a wooden spoon in it

And if you like what you see, and want more, please order my book so you get the deliciousness asap! Thank you all for your support now and always!

If you like this recipe, please consider rating it with the star rating system and leaving a comment below. I love hearing from you and seeing your awesome remakes! Find me on Instagram and tag me @veggiesdontbite and #veggiesdontbite, or you can also find me on Facebook, and Pinterest. Thanks for helping me spread the word about delicious food!

Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate. Please read more about that here.


5 from 2 votes
two vegan barbecue burgers stacked on top of each other
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Down Home BBQ Burger (from my cookbook Vegan Burgers and Burritos!)
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 
Bringing BBQ to your table the nontraditional way. No animals were harmed in this hearty meal, but all of your taste buds will party at the first bite. Slather on as much BBQ sauce as you want and grab a napkin—it’s going to get messy. Hope you aren’t wearing white!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: burgers with bbq sauce, burgers without meat
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 219 kcal
Author: Sophia DeSantis
Ingredients
  • 1 cup cooked brown rice
  • 1 cup cooked or canned black beans , drained and rinsed
  • ½ cup chopped sweet or yellow onion (see notes)
  • ¼ cup cooked chopped potato (see notes)
  • 2 tbsp cornmeal
  • 1 tbsp Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce (see recipe below)
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 ½ tsp liquid smoke
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • ¼ to ½ cup cooked frozen corn (defrosted to room temp) or fresh corn (add less or more per your preference)
TO SERVE
  • 4 to 5 buns (depending on how many burgers you make this into)
  • Lightly grilled rings of sweet or yellow onion
  • Lettuce
  • Tomato
Easy Homemade BBQ Sauce:
  • 1 cup tomato paste
  • ½ cup veggie broth , low-sodium if needed (see notes)
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 3 tbsp molasses
  • 4 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp liquid smoke
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 ½ tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
For the sauce

  1. Put the tomato paste, broth, maple syrup, molasses, vinegar, liquid smoke, chili powder, salt and garlic powder in a bowl and mix well until smooth. 

  2. People have many different opinions when it comes to the kind of BBQ sauce they like. If you fall in the spicy camp, then add more chili powder ¼ teaspoon at a time to get the level of spice you like. 
  3.  If you are in the sweet camp, add more maple syrup ¼ teaspoon at a time until you get the sweetness you like. But if you are in the tangy camp, add more vinegar. teaspoon at a time until you get the tang you like. 
For the burgers
  1. Place the rice, beans, onion, potato, cornmeal, BBQ sauce, garlic powder, chili powder, liquid smoke, salt and syrup into a food processor. 
  2. Pulse a few times until chunky. Add the corn and pulse a few more times. Don’t overpulse or the mixture will get too soft and diplike.
  3. Place the mixture into a bowl, and put it in the fridge for at least 20 minutes; an hour is best. Making this the day before and letting it sit overnight is optimal. This helps all the flavors marinate and leads to a sturdier burger.
To cook
  1. shape the mixture into patties. If you’re not using a nonstick pan, then you may want to prepare the pan by brushing it with a tad of oil to avoid sticking. 
  2. Place the patties in a pan on the stovetop over medium heat for 15 minutes on each side. Pans and stovetops vary, so begin to check the patties at 10 minutes. If you try to slide your spatula under a patty and it won’t give, then it isn’t ready and needs to cook longer.
  3. You can also bake the patties on a parchment-lined cookie sheet at 375°F (190°C) for about 20 to 25 minutes on each side. Allow the patties to cool and set for 5 to 7 minutes.
  4. Serve on buns with the toppings of your choice.
Recipe Notes

Sauce notes:

  • Makes 2 cups (473 ml) sauce.
  • You can use water instead of broth, but I find the broth gives it a bit more flavor. 
  • Add more or less broth for the thickness you like.
  • This sauce is best if made ahead of time so the flavors are allowed to marinate. Marinating also allows the spices to fully combine with the tomato paste.
  • If your sauce seems a little “gritty,” then allow it to sit longer. You can speed this up by heating it slightly.

 

Burger notes:

  • This can make 5 burgers if you prefer them a bit smaller.
  • Save some rings of onion to use as an optional topping.
  • Cook the onion after you sauté the burger ingredients.
  • Any type of starchy potato works—I use red. Sweet potato is not recommended as it is not starchy enough. Cook the potato in the microwave or oven. I don’t recommend boiling it because it makes the potato too wet. Measure the potato by mashing it into the measuring cup.
  • Kids: Make patties into a smaller slider size or into nuggets. Serve sauce on the side as a dipper.
Nutrition Facts
Down Home BBQ Burger (from my cookbook Vegan Burgers and Burritos!)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 219 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 2%
Sodium 1228mg 51%
Potassium 441mg 13%
Total Carbohydrates 48g 16%
Dietary Fiber 6g 24%
Sugars 17g
Protein 6g 12%
Vitamin A 36.5%
Vitamin C 21.1%
Calcium 10.4%
Iron 25%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Comments

  2. Sara says

    I was searching for BBQ vegan recipes for my husband, who loves BBQ and is willing to eat vegan when I cook at home. We loved the delicious flavors and different textures…and the pan frying sealed the deal. Your BBQ sauce is so YUM! I did use all of the salt, but will try to cut back on it next time since I rarely use salt when cooking. I’m hoping we won’t miss it. Do you think that I could freeze the BBQ sauce?

    Reply

    • veggiesdontbite says

      Thank you so much Sara! I’m so happy you loved them. You can definitely freeze the BBQ sauce. Just give it a good stir when defrosting or even heat it up a bit. Thanks for your support!

      Reply

  3. The Vegan 8 says

    Girl, I’m drooling all over my keyboard!! You know I love BBQ sauce more than anything in the world and BBQ burgers as well! I love my black bean burgers made this way too, gives such wonderful structure and cornmeal is my favorite binding ingredient also so I know I would absolutely love these. So happy for you and your book, everything looks phenomenal and mouthwatering!!! I’m so hungry right now!

    Reply

  4. Nortessa says

    I made this black bean burger recipe for my vegetarian boyfriend last night, and even though I am a meat eater, I prefer this recipe to beef for sure!!

    We were blown away with how satisfying and delicious this burger was.

    Great work!

    Reply

    • veggiesdontbite says

      Oh wow!!! Nortessa, you totally made my night! Thank you so so much for letting me know! My book is filled with 27 burgers like this one, all different and flavorful!

      Reply

  5. Linda from Veganosity says

    I don’t know how you did it with three little boys?! I chose to hire a professional photographer for our book so I could focus on the recipes and it almost killed me. You are a rock star!

    That burger looks amazing and I can’t wait for my copy of your book to arrive. Wishing you much success, my friend. xoxo

    Reply

    • veggiesdontbite says

      I honestly have no idea either!! It was one of those keep your head in the game and power through situations. LOL! Thank you so much and I can’t wait to see your book as well!

      Reply

  10. Luci says

    Yum, I love me a good burger and barbecue sauce. To die for. I will have to try to make the black bean burger, I haven’t had luck in getting them at a restaurant.

    Reply

    • veggiesdontbite says

      Thank you! Yes, I too have had no luck at restaurants. You’d think a chef could get it right, but they are always too wet and mushy!

      Reply

  12. Linda says

    I pre-ordered your book last night 🙂 Burgers and burritos are 2 of my favorite things! I’m not a great cook and not one that enjoys spending a lot of time preparing meals so it was a big bonus that a lot of the recipes fall into “easy” category. And lastly, I love when there are pictures of the dishes. So I just HAD to order 🙂

    Reply

    • veggiesdontbite says

      Ah! Thank you so much!! Yes, many of the meals are easy. Many of the burritos that have different parts to them (like a rice or bean, etc.) you can also make ahead of time to have it easy the day of. I’m so excited for you to get it!!

      Reply

    • veggiesdontbite says

      Thanks Jacque! I love the sauce, it’s that perfect middle of the road flavor, not too tangy not too sweet.

      Reply

    • veggiesdontbite says

      Thanks Brandie! Yes, it is really easy. The BBQ sauce is literally put things in a bowl and mix. But you could totally use a store bought sauce if you need that extra few minutes shaved off!

      Reply

  20. Jasmine says

    Not only does this recipe have me salivating, but the fact that your cookbook is all about vegan burgers and burritos?! Girl, you are speaking my language!

    Reply

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