Black Bean Quinoa Burgers that are easy, healthy and packed with flavor. These simple burgers are made with no weird ingredients and no food processor. Plus, they are vegan and gluten free.
Who doesn't love a good burger?! These Black Bean Quinoa Burgers are a family favorite. They're packed with delicious flavor, have great texture and are so satisfying.
This recipe is based on my Sweet Potato Spinach Quinoa Burgers. And because every delicious burger needs a good bun be sure to check out these Easy Vegan Buns. They are quick to make and so delicious.
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Ingredients
There are many recipes for some sort of vegetarian or vegan burgers out there, but many rely on egg or bread crumbs as a binder to hold the patties together. This recipe doesn't have either, but still produces a burger that holds together well.
- olive oil
- onion
- corn
- bell pepper
- garlic
- chili powder
- cumin
- smoked paprika
- quinoa
- black beans
- water
- salt and pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Black Beans - instead of black beans, you can pinto beans, kidney beans, etc.
- Bun - use gluten free buns instead of white bread buns to make this gluten free
- Spicy - instead of bell pepper use green chile, jalapeño or any other pepper you like to add heat to these burgers
How to make Black Bean Quinoa Burgers
What's different about this burger recipe is the technique for cooking the quinoa. By cooking the quinoa with more water than usual and for a little bit longer you get a sticky dough like consistency that eliminates the need for eggs or breadcrumbs.
Heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, corn and pepper until softened 5-7 minutes.
Add quinoa and spices. Toast for 1 minute. Add water and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer.
Add black beans and stir well to combine. Cool to handle and form patties.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes flipping half way through.
Hint: Keep a small bowl of water to moisten hands as needed to prevent quinoa mixture from sticking to hands while forming patties.
Equipment
There is no special equipment needed for the recipe. You only need basic kitchen equipment such as measuring cups and spoons, bowls and baking sheets.
Storage
These burgers are best the first day they are made. However leftover burgers can be stored in the fridge in an air tight container. To reheat warm in the oven at 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes.
I haven't tried freezing these particular burgers. However, I freeze these nuggets with success so I think these burgers would freeze well too. Bake the patties and cool completely before placing in the freezer on a baking sheet. Once frozen transfer to a freezer safe container or bag. Store for up to one month.
💡 Top Tip
The trick to these burgers holding together is in the way the quinoa is cooked. Follow the directions below exactly. It's important to cook the quinoa until all water has been absorbed so that it will form a sort of dough when stirred. This along with mashed black beans holds everything together.
Common Questions
Beans are a good source of iron, fiber and protein. Black bean burgers are a good choice for a healthy meal.
Typically a binder such as flour or bread crumbs is used to help hold black bean burgers together. My recipe uses a different cooking method for quinoa to keep the patties from falling apart.
Fries, especially sweet potato, grilled corn or corn salad, vegan coleslaw or any other side dishes common to cookouts.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers:
Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think! Leave a review and rating in the comments below. This helps me continue to provide great recipes for you.
Recipe
Black Bean Quinoa Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ small onion, diced
- ½ cup corn, frozen or fresh removed from the cob
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper or jalapeño or other pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoon ground chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¾ cup quinoa
- ¼ teaspoon salt + more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cup water
- 1 ½ cup black beans
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a sauté pan or deep skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper and corn. Sauté vegetables for 5-7 minutes until softened.
- Add quinoa, garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, quinoa, salt and pepper. Toast for 1 minute. Add water and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer.
- Simmer for 25-30 minutes until all water has been absorbed. Stir. The quinoa should start to become sticky and hold together. If it does not return to heat and cook for a few minutes longer to ensure all water has been absorbed.
- Mash half of the black beans and stir well into quinoa mixture. Add remaining whole beans and fold in. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Let mixture cool enough to handle. Divide mixture into 8 portions and form patties. Keep fingers and palms moistened with water to prevent mixture from sticking to hands.
- Place formed patties on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Assemble burgers using buns and burger fixings.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!