These Vegetarian Quinoa Black Bean Burgers are an awesome way to get more plants into your diet. Loads of flavor, great texture and delicious on a bun, salad, or even in a wrap.
I have been very into veggie burgers lately. Just about anytime we go out and I see a veggie burger on the menu, I have to have it.
I enjoy a conventional meat burger every once in a while but I love a good veggie burger. There is just so much flavor that you can add into the mix. And, more plants for the win.
In this particular veggie burger we’re using mainly black beans and quinoa as the base. Then you add some caramelized onions and garlic, loads of spices, an egg and flour to hold it all together.
This homemade veggie burger is delicious, and super easy to make at home.
Add massaged kale, avocado and sweet potato fries for a seriously satisfying plant-based meal.
Are Homemade Black Bean Burger Vegan?
They certainly can be! This black bean burger recipe uses an egg, but but there are notes on how to use an egg replacement making it vegan friendly.
Ingredients Needed for Veggie Burgers
- garlic & onion – cooking them down first adds more flavor
- cooked quinoa – prep one or two days ahead if you want
- cooked black beans – I used canned for an even quicker veggie burger recipe
- spices – cumin, paprika, chili and garlic powder
- egg – holds things together
- flour – binds it all and keeps the burgers together better
Black Bean Burger Toppings
Then the topping yours are really up to you. Some favorites are below:
- lettuce, onion, tomato, avocado – some typical favorites.
- vegan mayo – Primal Kitchen and Chosen Foods make vegan mayo, or I highly recommend making this chipotle aioli.
- buns – buy certified vegan ones if you’d like, gluten-free buns, etc.
- cheese – there are so many plant based cheese slices options out there now if you’re looking to keep this recipe dairy-free. Miyokos brand, Follow Your Heart and Field Roast all make vegan cheese slices. If you can do cheese/dairy, pick your favorite slice or try something different – this Smoked Cream Cheese sounds so fun and would add delicious flavor.
How to Make
You don’t need any fancy equipment or small appliance to make these veggie burgers. You just need a fork to be able to mash the ingredients together – or if you have a potato masher as shown in the photos, that is about as fancy as it gets.
- First things first though: cook down the onions and the garlic together – this will add loads of flavor. One you’ve cooked those and allow them to cool before mixing in with the rest of the ingredients.
- Chill the mixture – make sure to chill the mixture for at least 30 minutes before scooping and cooking.
- For shaping into patties, I used 1/3 cup measuring cup to scoop the mixture, then shaped it into about 1/2” thick. Make sure you keep the mixture packed and uniform so they cook evenly.
- These quinoa black bean burgers are somewhat delicate, so just be gentle when flipping. You want to make sure they’re cooked and a little crisped on the outside before flipping – I like to use a cast iron pan for cooking these.
Recipe Tips
Replacing the Eggs – I did not test this myself, but I *imagine* you could sub 2 TBSP flaxseed meal with 1/3 cup water and use that as the egg replacer. Or if you have something like an “egg replacer ” (i.e. JUST egg brand), that may also work. I’ve actually never used that but I assume it would work for these veggie burgers as well.
Do I have to caramelize the onion? – YES because FLAVOR. I mean technically you can skip that part, but it adds more flavor and helps keep the texture in these quinoa black bean burgers more uniform. So just do it. It doesn’t add that much more time.
Prepping the Quinoa – If you’re a meal prep person and prep quinoa for salads and other meals ahead of time, set aside 1/2 cup cooked quinoa for this recipe.
Using a Food Processor – you don’t have to use a food processor but if you were going to, you could pulse down the onions, garlic, black beans and egg together. Then remove S-blade and fold in quinoa and flour until fully combined.
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and review here on the blog! I love hearing from you. Xx Ashley
PrintVegetarian Quinoa Black Bean Burgers
Vegetarian Quinoa Black Bean Burgers for a delicious plant based veggie burger anyone will love. Easy recipe and gluten free friendly.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 5 large burgers 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 14 ounce can black beans, low sodium, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/4 cup whole grain flour (gluten free, all-purpose, or whole wheat white)
- 1/2 cup diced onions
- 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- In large skillet over medium high heat add oil, diced onions and minced garlic to hot pan. Cook onions and garlic until fragrant, stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes. Transfer to heat-safe bowl and place in fridge to cool.
- Meanwhile add drained/rinsed black beans to large bowl and mash with fork or potato masher. Add cooked quinoa, cooled onion-garlic mixture, flour, spices, salt and egg. Stir or mash until well combined and place mixture in fridge to chill for 30 minutes (up to overnight) – this will help the burger patties hold together better while cooking.
- Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, scoop burger mixture and shape with hands. You should get about 5 burger patties.
- In large skillet over medium heat, spray with oil if using cast iron pan, then place burger patties in pan without crowding. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side or until golden. Transfer cooked patties to tray and allow to cool slightly for 5 minutes before assembling buns. This will also help set the burgers a little more.
- Assemble burgers with favorite toppings, buns or even as a salad topper.
Notes
Nutrition calculated based on 5 burgers, without bun and toppings.
recipe slightly updated for better results while flipping burgers.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 veggie burger
- Calories: 166
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 351mg
- Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 37mg
Keywords: veggie burgers, black bean burger, quinoa burger
Morgan says
Best black bean burger I’ve made at home! I used a flax egg as noted and it totally works. It held together so well and tasted amazing. Will definitely be making this again!
★★★★★
Sam Erica Fuentes says
Really flavorful! Even the most serious meat lovers of my family loved it. I can’t believe I got the best recipe on my first try (I can tell it’s the best because it’s close to my favorite Vegan Burger from Cafe Georg). Thank you so much!
★★★★★
Ashley says
So glad they were enjoyed! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a review 😀