Black Bean Burger

I’ve had a lot of black bean burgers in my time – and they are not all created equal! My favorite versions are the ones that aren’t super complicated, hold together well while you cook them, and of course pack in flavor! This Black Bean Burger checks all of those off in my book, and I’m excited for you to try it.

This is my basic Black Bean Burger recipe, but there’s lots of ways to put a spin on it! I plan on releasing other versions of this in the future – but this one is a great staple to have in your recipe rotation!

ONTO THE RECIPE

Ingredients

• Flaxseed meal and water – these make up our flax egg! The flax egg basically works to bind everything together, the way a regular egg would in a non-vegan version.
• Black beans – obviously important. Black beans are a great base for vegan burgers, they taste good with our seasonings of choice, and they pack in lots of nutrients and protein!
• Onion, bell pepper, and garlic – for some extra nutrients, fun textures, and deliciousness.
• Ketchup, tamari, and spices – all for some extra flavor! Feel free to up the chili powder if you like things spicy.
• Whole wheat pastry flour – without flour, your patties will be far too wet and won’t cook properly. The addition of flour gives us the consistency we are looking for!
• Burger buns and toppings – to create the burger experience of your dreams!

How to Make Black Bean Burgers

As always, keep scrolling for the full recipe. But here are the basics so you know what to expect!

1. Make your flax egg
2. Saute your veggies
3. Set some black beans to the side and mash the rest
4. Add veggies, the rest of the beans, ketchup, tamari, and seasonings to the mashed beans
5. Add your flax egg and flour
6. Form patties with your hands
7. Allow patties to firm up in the fridge
8. Cook your burgers in a non-stick pan
9. Dress up your burgers however you’d like!

Tips & Tricks

• I don’t recommend messing much with the ratios of flax egg, beans, or flour here. However, you can play with the seasonings if you’d like! Try some extra chili powder if you like it spicy, or extra smoked paprika if you want it smokier.
• I have not tested this recipe with regular all-purpose flour. HOWEVER I have never had an issue substituting whole wheat pastry flour with regular all-purpose flour in other recipes in the past. Therefore, I believe that all-purpose flour would likely work, but I can’t make any official promises! If you do try this out, be sure to comment and let me know!
• Have fun with the toppings on this one! My go-to toppings here are ketchup, mustard, tomato, lettuce, and a slice of vegan cheese. But you can also add other fun things like avocado, caramelized onion, or whatever else you want!
• If you’re including a vegan cheese slice and you like melty cheese, feel free to add your vegan cheese to the top of the patty while you’re cooking the second side of the patty. I haven’t tried this myself because I’m fine with my cheese not being melted, but this should warm it up so that it melts into your patty a bit!
• If you don’t have burger buns, you could also crumble these patties and use them as a fun topping on Buddha bowls or salads!
• Looking for a fun side to pair with your Black Bean Burgers? Try my Air Fried Okra or some Cowboy Caviar!

Enjoy!

Black Bean Burger

Recipe by Delaney Romero – Joyful BalanceCourse: Lunch, DinnerCuisine: American

Servings

3

patties

Prep time

10

minutes

Hands-on cooking time

25

minutes

Resting time

30

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

This is a must-have staple for any plant based kitchen! These burgers hold together well, aren’t very complicated, and taste delicious with whatever toppings you desire!

*Note: Prep time includes time to dice your onion and pepper, and mince your garlic. Cooking time includes time to make your patties before refrigerating them, and time to cook your patties after refrigeration.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed (also called flaxseed meal)

• 2.5 Tbsp water

• 1/4 cup finely diced white onion

• 1/4 cup finely diced bell pepper

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 Tbsp ketchup

• 1 Tbsp tamari

• 2 tsp cumin

• 1.5 tsp chili powder

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/4 tsp salt

• sprinkle pepper

• 1/3 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour*

• Optional Burger Toppings

• Burger buns of choice

• Lettuce, tomato, vegan cheese, ketchup, mustard, etc….

Directions

• Mix together ground flaxseed and water. Set aside.
• Bring a pan to medium-high heat on the stovetop and add the pepper, onion, and just a bit of water to prevent sticking. Sauté  for 3-5 minutes, until the onion just starts to become translucent. Add the garlic and sauté another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set off to the side.
• Reserve 1/4 cup of the black beans and set to the side. Mash the remaining black beans with a fork or a potato masher until they make a paste. (I like to leave some chunks, but you can make this as smooth or chunky as you’d like – just as long as it sticks together like a thick paste.)
• Add the sautéed veggies, the 1/4 cup of reserved beans, ketchup, tamari, and all spices to the mashed beans. Mix to combine.
• Add the flour and the flax egg (which should have thickened by now and become an egg-like consistency). Mix to combine.
• Form into 3 patties, using about 1/2 cup for each patty.
• Place patties on parchment paper on a plate or small baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes to slightly firm up.
• Bring a nonstick pan on the stove top to medium heat and cook your patties to your liking, usually 1-3 minutes on each side.
• Assemble your burgers with whatever toppings you’d like!

Notes

• *Whole Wheat Pastry Flour: I have not tested this recipe with regular all-purpose flour. HOWEVER I have never had an issue substituting whole wheat pastry flour with regular all-purpose flour in other recipes in the past. Therefore, I believe that all-purpose flour would likely work, but I can’t make any official promises! If you do try this out, be sure to comment and let me know!

Happy cooking, friends! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your burger-making ways.

Stay joyfully balanced!