Who doesn’t occasionally love a good burger?!? What if there was a plant-based burger you could make at home that even meat eaters would enjoy? Introducing the best black bean burgers I have ever tasted! These Black Bean Burgers are amazing and super versatile. Serve them on a bun, in a rice bowl, as taco filling, and more. Oh, and another added bonus is that they are super filling. Once you make these you will never want to buy store bought veggie burgers again!
These black bean burgers are made with organic real whole food ingredients and packed full of protein, fiber, and organic vegetables. There is no dairy, cheese, eggs, or bread crumbs needed for this recipe. Just simple “Back to the Basics” ingredients. Black beans, veggies, flax, spices, wheat germ, and oats all combine to make these fantastic burgers. They come together and hold their form making them perfect for summer grilling. They can even be made ahead of time, frozen, and reheated for a simple weeknight meal.
Since the star of this burger is the black beans it’s nice to know that they are full of fiber. Fiber is beneficial because it slows down digestion, allowing more nutrients from your food to be absorbed, and also helps you feel full longer. This coupled with the flax and wheat germ, make for a super filling plant-based burger. Black beans are also great at helping to regulate blood sugar levels and reduce triglyceride & cholesterol levels. Not to mention they are very affordable and easy to flavor to your likely.
This recipe uses cooked black beans from my Black Bean – Instant Pot Recipe. I highly recommend using the instant pot beans for these burgers. With just 2 cups of cooked black beans, you will end up with about 6 Black Bean Burgers.
It is best to make the black beans ahead of time and have them in the refrigerator so they are completely cooled and ready to use. You can use canned black beans, however, I highly recommend using the flavored low sodium organic beans from the Black Bean Recipe (above). If you are using beans from a can, you will need 1 can.
While the beans cool, dice a 1/2 of a small red onion and 1 jalapeno (you can remove the seeds or leave them in depending on how spicy you would like the burgers). Sauté the red onion, jalapeno, and 1/2 cup of frozen corn in a small amount of olive oil. Frozen corn works best because it holds together well and isn’t preserved in salt like canned corn.
Of course, if corn is in season you can cut fresh corn off the cob and sauté it with the onions and jalapeno. Either way works. Once the onions, corn, and jalapeno are soft and slightly golden brown, remove from the pan and set aside. This should take about 5 minutes.
While the veggies sauté in the skillet, add the oats to a food processor and pulse until they are the consistency of flour. Add the wheat germ, flax meal, nutritional yeast, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper (optional), sea salt, and pepper. Pulse a few more times to combine everything and then transfer this dry mixture to a large mixing bowl.
Next, add roughly chopped carrot, green pepper, garlic cloves, and cilantro to the food processor and pulse until chopped. Don’t over mix or you will have a wet mixture instead of chopped veggies. Once chopped, add these to the dry mixture in the bowl.
Add 2 cups of organic black beans to the food processor and pulse until slightly mashed. The beans shouldn’t be completely smooth. In fact, it is great if there are a few black beans still noticeable after pulsing. Add the cooked onions, peppers, and corn and pulse a few times until it comes together.
Transfer the black bean mixture to the large bowl with the oats and other chopped veggies. Stir to combine. The mixture should come together very easily forming one large mound in the bowl. I love how you can actually see what is in these burgers. There is nothing hidden here! Black Beans, chopped veggies, and oats flavored with amazing spices!
Using a 1/2 cup measuring cup, form 6 patties by hand and place on a plate or small cooking sheet. The final step before cooking these burgers is to place them in the refrigerator for about 1/2 hour to chill. This will give the flax and other ingredients time to form together. Once chilled, they are ready to grill or bake. My favorite way to cook these is to grill them with a little olive oil on an iron skillet. They take about 5 minutes per side to cook on an iron skillet. You can also bake or BBQ these burgers. Enjoy~
Amazing Black Bean Burgers
Ingredients
- 2 cups Organic Black Beans – Recipe here: www.inspirecreatewellness.com/organic-beans/
- 1/2 cup Organic Red Onion – Diced
- 1 Organic Jalapeno – Diced
- 1/2 cup Organic Frozen Corn
- 1 Tbs Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup Organic Oats
- 1/4 cup Wheat Germ
- 2 Tbs Flax Meal
- 2 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
- 1 tsp Organic Cumin
- 1 tsp Organic Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Organic Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Organic Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Organic Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp Organic Black Pepper
- 1/8 tsp Organic Cayenne Pepper – optional
- 1 Organic Green Pepper – chopped
- 1 Organic Carrot – chopped
- 3/4 cup Organic Cilantro (stems & leaves) – chopped
Instructions
- Start by cooking dry organic black beans in the Instant Pot. Allow beans to cool before adding to oats and veggies. You can use canned beans, however, the flavor will not be the same.
- Diced red onion and jalapeno pepper (with or without seeds). Heat skillet with olive oil and sauté red onion, jalapeno, and corn until soft & golden brown. This should take less than 5 minutes.
- Add oats to a food processor and pulse until they look somewhat like quick oats and flour combined. Add the wheat germ, nutritional yeast, flax meal, and all the spices (cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, onion & garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne (optional). Pulse until blended and then transfer the oats and spices into a large bowl.
- Add the green pepper, carrot, and cilantro to the food processor and pulse just until they are finely chopped. Don't over process these veggies. You want them chopped, not blended smooth. Pour chopped veggies on top of oats & spices.
- Next, add the black beans to the food processor and pulse until they begin come together but still have some beans showing. Add the sautéed red onion, jalapeno, and corn mixture to the beans and pulse a few more times. Then transfer bean mixture to the large bowl with the oats and veggies.
- Mix everything in the bowl together. It should easily form 1 large patty in the bowl.
- Using a 1/2 cup measuring cup, scoop out the black bean mixture and form into 6 patties.
- Place the finished patties on a large plate or small baking tray and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes prior to the cooking patties. This is important as it will give the ingredients time to form together and be ready for grilling.
- Once the black bean burgers are chilled, heat a small amount of olive oil and grill the burgers for about 5 minutes per side (or until golden brown) over medium heat. Then enjoy!
Notes
As always, I encourage you to create your own version of these black bean burgers. Use the spices you love to flavor them to your likely. Remember to be creative with your food. It doesn’t have to be complicated and there is inspiration all around you. If you haven’t tried a plant-based burger before, what are you waiting for?
About the Author
I love animals, gardening, and being creative in the kitchen. I can’t waste food and rarely follow the recipe! As a IIN Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach I can help you get from where you are to where you want to be. Join me on my journey!
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