Say hello to your new favorite veggie burger.
It’s gluten-free, BIG on flavor, infused with smoky BBQ flavor, and perfect on the grill or stovetop. Let’s do this!
This burger is easy to make, requiring simple methods and 10 wholesome ingredients you likely have on hand right now.
It all starts with black beans that are cooked down until dry and cracked, which helps keep the burgers from being mushy. Then comes toasted pecans, which are pulsed into a meal.
Then we add quinoa, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, cumin, chili powder, BBQ sauce, and salt. Quinoa adds moisture and also binds the burgers, and the rest is all about flavor: sweet potatoes for sweetness, mushrooms for “meatiness” and texture, and the spices and sauce for smoky BBQ flavor.
For these burgers, it’s best to sear both sides on the stovetop and then finish baking in the oven, where they will dry out and firm up a bit. But they are firm enough for the grill as well!
Once cooked, it’s all about the toppings. We went for vegan buns, lettuce, cabbage, red pepper, pickles, and more BBQ + a little hot sauce. Swoon.
We hope you all LOVE these burgers! They’re:
Smoky
Tender
Hearty
Satisfying
Customizable
Easy to make
& SO delicious
These burgers would make the perfect weeknight meal for you and the family or for hosting! Serve with Crispy Baked Fries, Garlicky Kale Salad, or Garlicky Guac and Plantain Chips!
If you’re into veggie burgers, also be sure to check out our Chickpea Sun-Dried Tomato Burgers, Grillable Veggie Burgers, Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger, Black Bean Beet Veggie Burger, Simple Veggie Sliders, and Green Chili Veggie Burger.
If you like this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Smoky BBQ Black Bean Burger
Ingredients
BURGERS
- 1 cup cooked + cooled quinoa (divided // see notes for cooking instructions)
- 1 15-ounce can black beans (rinsed and dried)
- 2/3 cup raw pecans
- 1 Tbsp coconut or avocado oil (plus more for cooking burgers // or water)
- 1 heaping cup sliced and peeled sweet potato (cut into 1/4-inch rounds)
- 2 heaping cups thinly sliced cremini or button mushrooms
- 2 Tbsp coconut aminos (optional)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)
- 2 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 2 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 3 Tbsp vegan-friendly BBQ sauce (I like Annie’s organic original BBQ sauce // plus more for glazing)
FOR SERVING (optional)
- Vegan-friendly hamburger buns OR lettuce wraps (and gluten-free if needed)
- Veggies of choice (i.e. onion, cabbage, tomato, pickles)
Instructions
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If you haven’t yet, cook quinoa and set aside to cool (see notes for instructions).
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and spread rinsed, dried black beans onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake beans for 6 minutes. Then add pecans to the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes more. The nuts should be fragrant and golden brown (be careful not to burn), and the beans should appear dry and cracked open (this way, they do not become mushy in the burger mix). Set aside to cool. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 C).
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In the meantime, heat a medium to large cast-iron or metal skillet over medium/medium-low heat. Once hot, add oil (or water) and the sweet potato. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes, turning heat down if the potatoes are browning too quickly. Once browned on the underside, flip and cook for 3-4 minutes more or until tender and golden brown. Remove from the pan.
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To the still-hot pan, add the sliced mushrooms and coconut aminos (optional - sub a little salt otherwise) and cook on medium/medium-high for about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until they’re browned, fragrant, and cooked down to half their size. Set aside.
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To a food processor, add beans and pecans and blitz/pulse into a loose meal (some texture is good - you don’t want a powder).
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Next, add cooked sweet potato, mushrooms, half the quinoa, sea salt, chili powder, cumin, and BBQ sauce and pulse a few times to combine (again, some texture is good here - you're not going for a purée).
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Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in the rest of the quinoa. Then taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more cumin for smokiness, chili powder for heat, BBQ sauce for sweetness / depth of flavor, or salt for saltiness.
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If the mixture appears too wet, add more quinoa. If it looks too dry, add more BBQ sauce (or a little coconut aminos) to moisten.
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Divide the mixture into four even balls and form into patties with your hands or by lining a 1/2 cup measuring cup with plastic wrap, packing the mixture inside, then lifting the plastic wrap out - mash slightly into more of a disc. Refrigerate burgers for 30 minutes.
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Once chilled, heat the cast-iron or metal pan from earlier over medium heat. Once hot, add a bit more oil (or water) and the burgers. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Then carefully flip and cook for 4-5 minutes on the other side. Then turn off heat, glaze/brush with a bit more BBQ sauce, and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake at 375 F (190C) for 10-15 minutes more. The burgers should appear browned.
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Serve as is or with toppings. We enjoyed ours on buns with butter lettuce, shredded red pepper, shredded cabbage, pickles, radish, and more BBQ sauce. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.
Notes
*To cook quinoa, add 1 part rinsed, drained quinoa to a small saucepan and toast for 3 minutes over medium heat. Then add 2 parts water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 18 minutes or until water is absorbed. Then fluff with a fork and set off the heat uncovered to cool. (As the recipe is written, the amounts should be 1/2 cup quinoa to 1 cup water.)
*Prep time does not include cooking and cooling quinoa.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 burger calculated with oil and without coconut aminos or toppings.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 of 4 Burgers)
- Calories: 289
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated fat: 2.1g
- Sodium: 433mg
- Carbohydrates: 45.6g
- Fiber: 8.7g
- Sugar: 6.8g
- Protein: 12.4g
Is this 1 cup cooked quinoa or 1 cup dry quinoa that we then boil? Or cooked, how much dry makes a cup cooked?
Hi Natalia, 1 cup cooked. That would be about 1/3 cup uncooked. Hope that helps!
Thank you! It helps a lot.
Yum! These burgers are perfect, the combination of ingredients makes them so tasty. Once I cooked the recipe once I flew through it each time after, so simple.
These burgers were so good I will never buy frozen or store bought black bean burgers ever again!
I didn’t have any issues with the burger not sticking together – we ended up not using mushrooms and left the pre made patties in the fridge for 24 hours so idk if that made a difference. Definitely my new favorite go to.
Whoop! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Kate. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
This is a delicious recipe! To keep the burger together better I add 1-2 flax eggs per recipe, this really helps!! Freezes well for a last minute meal.
Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modification, Bethany. We are so glad you enjoy them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
I have made these twice. Everybody enjoyed them…they want more!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Hermann. We are so glad you everyone enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
I made these twice and they are delicious–I am very picky and these burgers hit the spot. Thx for a great burger
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Paula! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Looks great! How many calories are in this?
That information can be found at the bottom of the recipe box!
Been wanting to try this recipe for ages but didnt have the right ingredients so I subbed rice for quinoa, walnuts for pecans, soy sauce for coconut aminos and ommited the salt. They were still absolutely delicious! My husband has only just started eating a plant based diet so any recipe that gets his approval is staying! The 2 1/2 tsp chili powder did make for a fiery burger but we really enjoyed it!
I made them up the night before, cooked them for lunch the following day and they were great. Nice to know I can pre prep for bbqs or quick meals. Perfect ?
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Jude! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Can you use soy sauce instead of coconut aminos?
Yep! Just use a little less b/c it’s saltier than coconut aminos.
The first time i’ve cooked it as written, but the amount of chili made it inedible (maybe I have some kind of extra spicy one), the second time with reduced chili it was amazing! Thanks for a great recipe!
Everything was amazing! We don’t usually have pecans on hand so I just use whatever nut we have so I’ve used almonds and cashews, still turned out amazing! We have also made a bunch and instead of cooking them right away froze them and they were still amazing when we ate them later, just fried and cooked as the reciepe indicates. They are so delicious and definitely added to the weekly meal plans!
So glad to hear you enjoy this recipe, Hillary! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Just made these for our family dinner and I did not expect them to taste this delicious. Omg! It was hard not eating the batter alone. The bbq sauce just takes it to the next level. These will be my new veggie burger staple recipe.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Carina. We are so glad you enjoyed these! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
I love these. Made four but only served two. Can the burgers be frozen before cooked?
Thank you!
Yes! We recommend freezing prior to frying, and then when ready to use, bake them to thaw, followed by frying. Hope this helps!
This was an awesome recipe! I added 1/2 quinoa and 1/2 brown rice. I omitted the salt, as I’m watching my sodium intake, and didn’t miss it! The texture was amazing! I kept some pieces of the beans and nuts intact, which allowed the burger to have some nice crunchiness throughout. I was pleasantly surprised by how firm the patty was without being dry. Baking the black beans was a genius move! I thought the recipe called for too much of the cumin and the chili powder, but I was wrong – the seasoning along with the BBQ sauce added so much flavor. Thank you for a tremendous recipe! I look forward to trying your other veggie burger recipes soon.
Thanks for sharing! I borrowed the baking beans step from a friend! Genius, I agree!
Any subs for the pecans? Avoiding nuts…
We haven’t tried it without nuts, but think oats could potentially work. Let us know if you give it a try!
We have nut allergies, so I’m wondering if I substitute with oats, would I cook them first, or bake them with the black beans, like you would do with the pecans?
Hi Karen, no need to cook the oats. Hope that helps!
Looking for a nut substitute that’s isn’t oats. ( Multi sensitivity family.)
How about a seed meal? Such as sunflower or hemp. Or a gluten-free flour or GF breadcrumbs.
My beef loving husband loved these as well as the rest of the family. I love all of your recipes. They are no-fail and taste delicious!
Hi Dana,
I have your cookbook, and I noticed that several of your burger recipes include quinoa. However, quinoa doesn’t sit well with my stomach. Can I substitute another grain successfully with this or other quinoa included recipes on your site or in your cookbook? Thanks!
Hi Mari, we haven’t tried these or the cookbook recipes with other grains, but think rice or millet might work! If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes! Hope that helps!
Hi there, love the recipes. Just a quick question regarding the nutritional info as I am into my fitness and bodybuilding. I was thinking 289 calories seems a little low with the listed macronutrients of 19g fat, 46g carb and 12g protein. Using these macros, the calorie count comes to 403. There is perhaps something I don’t know regarding nutrition. Any help on this? Thank you :)
Hi Alan! We use caloriecount.com to figure out our nutritional info.
Thanks for the reply but that is an article about calorie counting and I’m not sure if you understood my original comment. For this recipe, the macronutrients don’t add up to the calories. So either the calories or the macros are wrong. It’s not a huge deal because I track them myself but I do use them as a guideline as to what the ratios for your recipes are. I know I’m probably in the small minority of readers who care about this stuff but, as the article you linked states, it is important to look at the nutritional info of the food you are eating.
I would probably find me a recipe that was more suited to my micro needs. She does these recipes for whoever wants to try them, those who are concerned about certain ingredients and nutritional information should probably just find a more suitable recipe. #justsaying
Just made this tonight and substituted the barbecue sauce with bulgogi sauce and swapped the spices for ginger and garlic. Served it with kimchi as well. It was delicious! One of the best veggie burgers we’ve had! Thanks for the great recipe.
Loads of comments already here, but I made this last night and have to say: THESE ARE DELICIOUS! Make some right away!
Superb! My favorite part is that it doesn’t fall apart like 100 other veggie burger recipes i’ve tried. Flavors are fantastic. I will definitely be making this again as my go-to veggie burger. My one and only complaint is the amount of time involved — it literally took up my whole evening to make this. But it was well worth it. I’m happy I have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
Yes, yes, yes to your comments that they do not fall apart and have great flavor! I cooked the potatoes (steamed chunks) and rice (used some in other dishes) a couple of days ago, so these came together pretty quickly. I can imagine doing all the steps in one evening took your whole night!
HI! I’m a adoring fan of your work :)
Would it effect the outcome too much to roast the sweet potato slices with and/or after the black beans and pecans? why not since the oven is already hot and the pan dirty? i love to avoid using another dish if at all possible..heheh..
Oh, that should work! As long as they get tender.
Do you think a cast iron pan is important? It looks like it gives a good sear to the veggies that I don’t get in my metal pan.
Yeah, I love my cast iron! Not essential, but recommended.
SO GOOD! I topped mine with sautéed mushrooms (leftover from the burgers), mashed avocado, and pickled red onions.
My meat-eating boyfriend said the texture was the “meatiest” out of all of the veggie burgers I’ve ever made. We like thinner burgers so we ended up getting 8 out of the recipe & paired it with sweet potato fries.
That sounds delicious, Katie!
Delicious! I didn’t have exact ingredients so subbed cooked brown rice for quinoa and added a little curry powder. So yummy! Thanks.
What is the best way to reheat these from a frozen state? I’d like to make a bulk amount and store them in the freezer, and heat one up for something quick and healthy to eat. Thanks and cheers!!
See comments above!
This was really tasty. I added in smoked paprika too to add to the bbq flavour because it’s my fav.
My burgers fell apart tho, they were squishy. My mix made 6 so I dunno if maybe I used too much veg? My quinoa was a little damp too. I’ll be interested to try again rectifying the above & see if they stay in 1 piece.
Hi Emma! Did you blend them long enough? Perhaps they just needed a few more pulses in the food processor.
Maybe ? I didn’t want to puree it tho. I think my quinoa was too wet.
Thanks you so much for this receipe ! These parties are so delicious! I am a slow cook so it did take me quite a while to make them but so worth it! I usually do not like store brought “burgers” here is France and making your receipe was the best decision ever ! They are so good ! Thank you!
We are glad you enjoyed them, Solène!
A friend recently recommended your website. This is the first recipe I’ve made, and I absolutely loved it! The flavour and texture were perfect. This will definitely make it into our meal rotation. Thank you so much!! xo
Yay! Welcome to the site, Jennifer – we are glad you enjoyed this recipe :D
Can’t thank you enough, Dana!! These burgers were sooooooo delicious!! Going to make another batch and put them in the freezer for one of those nights when I don’t feel like cooking.
Question – once thawed, would you reheat on the stovetop or in the oven?
Thanks so much, again!
Yes, you could do that!
Thanks again! ?????
I made this – they were delicious, a little more time consuming than other vegan burgers I’ve made but the taste and texture is worth it! Don’t even hesitate to invest your time in them, just do it!
I made six batches of this recipe and for my daughter’s first birthday barbecue. It was a crowd pleaser! My sister asked if they could take some home. Ha! Thanks for yet again another delicious recipe.
I send people to your website often when they need recipe inspiration!
What can be used in place of quinoa? Bulger maybe?
Bulgur might work! Or cooked rice, amaranth, or millet? If you try it out, let us know how it goes!
Just finished making these! Haven’t tasted yet (lol) but they look awesome. I don’t have a food processor so I used my blender… if using a blender, I recommend blending beans + pecans/sweet potatoes + mushrooms and putting them in a separate bowl and then combinging together. It will help avoid the beans and pecans from becoming a purée while the potatoes stay whole. Thanks for the recipe!
Great recipe. Wonderful flavor. Made a double batch a few weeks ago for vegan family who LOVED them. Also a huge hit with the non vegans!
There are quite a few steps and it seemed to take me longer than I usually like to spend cooking a meal. So about to repeat for tomorrow so I’m pre cooking quinoa, drying beans and cooking sweet potatoes and mushrooms a day ahead as I’m serving left overs tonight! Hoping that splitting across two nights will make it seem less burdensome.
These were excellent! Loved the flavor and consistency. Made a double batch and was able to get 10 burgers out of it. Does require several steps but so worth it. Unlike many other veggie burgers I’ve tried I had no issue with them falling apart. I really think getting those beans super dry is the reason — so smart! So we made 2 as directed and I’ve now frozen 8 pre frying/baking. I’m serving them on Friday at my bday BBQ dinner. I’ve read all the comments and still a bit confused as to the best strategy for cooking them out of the freezer — if it’s bake for 10 min then fry, for 8-10 min when does the BBQ sauce on top make an appearance. Thanks so much! Can’t wait to serve to my omni friends, along with your macaroni salad. :-)
Last night I made this for me and my partner. We subbed extra black beans because he doesn’t like quinoa. I didn’t have any vegan bbq sauce, so I just used the Hunts or whatever it was in my fridge. The burgers were a perfect consistency after briefly frying in a pan and then baking. We had them on potato rolls with tomato, onion, cheese, and pickles. My predominately carnivorous partner said he would totally eat them again. Good amount of prep work and dishes involved, but a fun date night in.
Yay! We are glad you enjoyed these burgers, Abigail! If you could leave a rating, that would be super helpful for us!
I have made these before exactly as recipe says, and they’re delicious, thank you!
I would like to make a double recipe and freeze some. Do you suggest freezing before or after baking? Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed them! Check the comments above for tips!
Any suggestions for replacing the quinoa due to allergies???
Hi Linda! Perhaps cooked rice, amaranth, or millet?
By far the best veggie burgers I have ever made. I used half pecans and half walnuts cause that’s all I had on hand and a Japanese sweet potato. Amazing!
These were reallllly good! I ate them as burgers and on their own with salad! They kept in the fridge for a couple days, and were just as tasty. Thanks for this recipe. Never disappoints!
These burgers are the bomb! I made them true to the recipe and it was very satisfying. However next time I wanted to serve them on a bed of lettuce and thought to omit the BBQ sauce and use liquid smoke instead. Check! Also for the dressing I processed avocado, jalapeno, lime juice and cilantro in the cuisinart. This worked well on the burger and as a dressing for the salad which included raw veggie sticks and more of the roasted pecans. Love this and so did the guests! Thank you so much Dana for the great recipes!! XOXO
Yum! Great changes, Diane! Thanks for sharing.
Delicious! So this is the most time consuming recipe I prepared for a while but it is worth it. I didn’t have any pecans so I used a mix between walnuts and sunflower seeds. Since I made this for the whole family (including a 3 and a 1-y-o) I used less BBQ sauce and added a bit of homemade ketchup instead and omitted the chili powder. My 3-y-o daughter was happy to help – she loves pushing the buttons of the food processor and making the patties. I cooked them only in the pan and they held together beautifully. Enough so that my 1-y-o son did not smash his patty. Since it does take a fair while I made double the amount so we can eat them again later on in the week.
Made these tonight and they were divine! The pecans and BBQ sauce really add some great depth of flavor. So so yummy! Thank you Dana.
These burgers were DELICIOUS!! I followed the recipe without substitutions, and they were some of the best vegan burgers that I’ve ever had! I highly recommend serving these with some tomato and avocado on top :)
I am an omnivore, but I often make plant based meals for my family to diversify our paletes. This was absolutely the best black bean burger I’ve ever made. The texture and flavor is just great. All 5 of my omni crew happily tucked in these burgers. I will definitely make these again.
I have seen comments about the mushrooms. If you don’t leave any visible chunks, or let a mushroom hater watch you add them in, I really don’t think the mushrooms will be noticeable. I have two mushroom haters in my crew and they didn’t bat an eye.
Currently transitioning to a plant-based diet. Made this for myself and my brother, we both agree that it is the best vegan meal we have had thus far! Thank you very much!
Yay! We are so glad to hear that, Matthew!
These burgers are awesome. A friend of mine who’s a carnivore was not really happy I tricked him when I said ”Hey come over for dinner I am prepping some hamburgers”. But he loved it. We all did! It is seriously the best veggie burger I ever had. I added a bit of steak seasoning and it was just perfect. Thank you so much for this recipe! I am doing it again to see if the kids will love it as much as I do:)
Hi! This sounds divine, but I want to make it for someone with a mushroom allergy. Any suggestions on what I could substitute for mushrooms? Much thanks. Love your recipes. ?
Hi! Caramelized onions might be a good substitute, or even raw grated beets!
Will be creating this yumminess, thanks my fellow foodie
The flavors in these are incredible! Definitely worth the extended prep time.
I just made these exactly according to the recipe and they’re SOOOO good. I actually got five solid burgers so now I’m set for the next couple days. They genuinely taste just as good as something you would get in a restaurant. Easy to make and totally worth it :)
Woot woot! We’re glad to hear it, Sydney!
I have made this several times now; it is seriously SO good. I even made meatballs with it. Total win, five stars.
I don’t have a food processor but I do have a vitamix. Will that work?
You can give it a try, but we highly recommend a food processor for this one. Let us know how it goes!
Best veggie burger!!! I love the strong barbecue flavor, how it is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and that it’s totally free of soy or other fillers. The finished product makes the prep time so worth it! I recommend serving with carmalized red onion.
We didn’t have mushrooms so we used peeled zucchini instead- worked perfectly! Do yourself a favor and make a double batch and freeze patties for an easy + quick dinner another night!
Dana, we need to soak our nuts for digestive purposes do you know if this will negatively affect the recipe? Thank you so much!
Hi Holly! We recommend soaking, then roast for best results.
Great recipe! Going into the rotation. It also make 6 for me, but that’s great because we have some left over for lunch/dinner tomorrow night. You are my go to for dinner inspiration! Topped mine with some spicy sauerkraut, tomatoes, lettuce and red onion… delicious!
Yum, sounds delicious! Glad you enjoyed, Amy!
These tasted amazing and are so easy to make.
Can you freeze them once they’ve been browned on each side?
See above comments for suggestions!
These look terrific! I have some cooked quinoa and roasted sweet potato in the fridge so it’s perfect for this recipe. Will try this tonight
These are wonderful burgers. They are a bit labor intensive, however. But i do believe the next round will be easier as I am now seasoned. Thank you, Dana, for another fantastic recipe!
We have made many of your recipes over the past several years, but never left any comments. This recipe was SO good, i just had to let you know! As a Midwestern carnivore married to a vegan, this was my first attempt at making a veggie burger at home. We chose your recipe because the ingredients sounded so delicious and simple…and they were! These burgers turned out better than most veggie burgers I’ve tried (and loved) in restaurants. The flavor and texture were PERFECT, so the long prep time was totally worth it. We followed your suggestion to use hemp seeds in place of pecans to make this recipe nut-free. I was impressed at how well the burgers held together and how crispy they were on the outside after baking. So glad we made a double batch!
yum! this looks amazing.
My 3-year-old loved this — ate the mix straight from the bowl! A bit time consuming but very easy and yummy :)
Yay!
Would it be better to freeze these uncooked or cooked? Planning on making them tomorrow!
Have a read through the comments above for suggestions!
Can I freeze these ?x
Yes! See above comments!
These look amazing! Is there anything I can use as a nut substitute?
Hi Kim! Sunflower seeds or even hemp might work here. Hope this helps!
Had been craving a burger for a while, this definitely hit the spot! Great texture. Followed the note to made the quinoa, but ended up with way more then necessary, only ended up using half.
A lil update on my above comment. I did freeze half the recipe when I made these after the refrigeration step. Once I thawed them, I panned fried them and put them in the oven like the recipe says. They were definitely more dry and crumbled apart a lil in the pan when frying. They were still good, but a lil to dry for my liking. Definitely best eaten right fresh.
I just made this recipe a couple of days ago and ended up using millet instead of quinoa because when I went to get started I realized I forgot to buy some on my last grocery trip! I can’t compare it to the quinoa version because this was my first time making these but they turned out great! My husband and I both loved them and had plenty for leftovers.
Has anyone tried this without the oil? Can’t wait to make it this weekend :)
What’s the word on freezing patties for later? Ready to try this burger out for 25 people next week! Is make-ahead still delicious, or is it better to prepare them the day-of? If I can make ahead, should I sear them before freezing? (PS just made your grillable veggie burgers last week: SCORE! Yes actually grilled them and fed to carnivores :)
Hi Lydia! Check the comments above for tips on freezing :D
Thank you! With that in mind I have one last question. If I make the patties Sunday and just refrigerate until Tuesday, will that work?? Skip the freezing? Just wondering if the texture would hold up in the fridge or does it need to be frozen?
That should work fine! Any longer than that and I’d recommend freezing, but you’re good to go!
Are you saying that pan frying the sweet potato on both sides is sufficient? Does this make the potato soft enough to use?
Yes, when cooked on both sides with a lid covering the pan, they get tender.
These burgers tasted great, but never firmed up. I don’t own a metal pan, so I water “fried” them in a ceramic coated skillet then baked them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Could that have affected the texture? Also, the patties were in the fridge for a few days before I actually cooked them. I don’t know if that had any impact. I’ll have to try again, making them thinner in the hopes that they’ll dry out more.
This is the second burger I have made from your amazing book that I bought. I love them so much! I do have a problem though. My burgers fall apart completely. A little while cooking and all the way while eating. One bite into the burger and I just have a plate of loose quinoa. It’s a mess! Any suggestions? Anyone else struggle with this? I would love to try to make this again with hope I might succeed. I do follow the recipe.
Hi Chloe! Did you blend them long enough? Perhaps they just needed a few more pulses in the food processor.
You know it wasn’t this recipe it was the two from your everyday cookbook. Can you give me advice based on those two recipes as they both fell apart completely. Thank you so much. I will try this new recipe soon.
I would say the same thing for both of them! Make sure you blend them enough to avoid them falling apart. Hope this helps!
By far the best burger I’ve had as a vegan!!! Far nicer than any I’ve had in a restaurant, absolutely delicious. Your recipes are fantastic…..healthy, easy to make, normal tasting food. Something that’s not always easy when it comes to vegan food. Thank you xx
Forgot to rate! Five stars. Also, it made 8 decent sized burgers, perfect on a bun X
Thank you for rating the recipe, Jan! It helps us a lot! Glad you enjoyed the burgers! :D
I made these last night and my carnivore husband liked them so much he had two! The recipe is a bit more involved than I usually make but I made it in a few days – quinoa one day, veggies the next day, and actually made the burgers the following day. It was well worth the effort and I will definitely make this again. Thanks for a great recipe.
Hi Dana, hello from Sussex, England! Oh my goodness, I made these last night, and I have to say, they are the most delicious black bean burgers EVER. I have made LOTS of black bean burgers, and now I have a new number one! Thank you for all your fab recipes, they are always reliable and keep us going day in day out. Best to you! Xx
I made this last evening with my daughter and son in law. I was a process but the burger was delicious and well worth the effort! My son in law is 10 days into vegan and was a real big meat eater – he loved it. We doubled the recipe so that we could have quick leftovers. This was the 4th recipe I have made w MB and each have been devine. I loved every bite of this black bean burger, the toasted quinoa made the big difference I think.
Loved it!
Glad to hear you and your family enjoyed the recipe! :D
These are soooo tasty! Minus one star because they took forever to create BUT my meat loving husband ate seconds so I’d call that a win!
I made these burgers tonight but they turned out super mushy! I was disappointed but it may have been my own mistake. The recipe also made 9 huge patties somehow. I cooked the beans just as you instructed. They were super dry but I steamed the yam. They were still al dente when I threw them in the food processor but could that have caused the mush? I guess I should’ve thrown in another dry ingredient but I was too hungry to play with the recipe so I baked them for a really long time to dry them out as much as possible. I’m gluten free and the buns I used were a bit stiff so with every bite the patty just squished out everywhere :( The flavour was delicious and I’ve made a lot of your recipes and they are fantastic. I’m convinced I did something wrong. I’ll definitely have to make this again but I’ll most likely crumble the remaining patties and use them as taco filling. I’m going to try the vanilla cake tomorrow :)
WOW! I have to say that I have never posted a comment before but these were so good, I had to.
I substituted cashews for the pecans due to my sons allergy to pecans. I used Braggs liquid aminos instead of the coconut aminos (thats what I had in). I also cut back a little on the chili powder and cumin. Other than that, I followed the recipe as written. They are moist (but not too), very flavorful and satisfying. I used the pressing in the half cup method for shaping and it made 7 good sized patties.
I will definitely be making these again.
Thanks so much for all your great recipies!
Deirdre
Glad you enjoyed them, Deirdre!
I am going to make this recipe for my adult kids and grandkids, who are not vegan. The recipe really sounds great. I am trying it out today, then will make a double or triple batch for the “kids”. My question is: When you list “sweet potato”, do you mean an actual sweet potato or a yam? My family always called “yams” – “sweet potatoes” until I met my Swedish/Swiss husband who said that actual sweet potatoes were not yams. Which did you use? Have a wonderful Easter celebration. Lucia
Hi Lucia! Great question! We used sweet potatoes but they are sometimes called Garnet yams. See the images for additional help! Hope this helps!
Recent vegan–we’ll see how long that lasts–and this was my first attempt at making black bean burgers. SO GOOD. I think I can improve the texture next time around, considering how I might have over-pulsed a bit, but the flavors were absolutely perfect. Will be trying again soon!
I made these today and used the one pot black bean recipe for the beans. (Also a delicious recipe btw) The burgers came out great! Baking the beans in the oven is such a great idea and I will be using that technique for other burger recipes in the future. These held together really well and were delicious!
Just made these. They taste amazing, but they fell apart! The texture seemed perfect when I formed them. I followed all the cooking instructions and they held together for the most part when I placed them on a bun, however as soon as you started eating them they just crumbled. Any suggestions? I would love to be able to serve these to guests.
Hi Rebekah! Did you blend them long enough? Perhaps they just needed a few more pulses in the food processor.
Thank you for your fast reply! Yes it was a perfect ‘loose meal’. It all formed a cohesive ball when I removed it from the food processor. That’s what doesn’t make sense. It adhered and formed patties. I noticed that after cooking it was still soft and sticky in the middle as well. Fried first in the pan, then 15 mins at 375.
Just made these tonight and wow! Best vegan burger I’ve had, hands down. My meat loving boyfriend, who has hated all the vegan burgers I’ve ever made him try, scoffed his down and asked for seconds!
I’ve loved every recipe I’ve tried of yours, but this is my new fave! This will definitely become a regular recipe in our kitchen :) Thank you for sharing!!
These burgers were SO good. The recipe is a little time consuming and dirties up a lot of dishes – but the end result is so worth it.
Glad you enjoyed it, Abigail!
I ate part of the batter while making them. Absolutely delicious! Did anyone try to bake them rather than frying? I’m gng to try that.
These look awesome!
Can I make the patties and freeze them a night ahead?
Thanks
Yes, that should work! Just cook longer to thaw in the center.
Thanks
Wow! These look delicious- can’t wait to try. Reading through the instructions however it seems like there’s a lot of steps. After chilling the “dough” is it necessary to fry them for 10 minutes before baking them for another 10-15? Or could you just go straight from the fridge to the oven? Just trying to find ways to cut down on prep time.
Also – do they freeze well & do you freeze them before frying? Or before baking?
Thanks!
Hi Amy! It’s best to sear both sides on the stovetop and then finish baking in the oven, where they will dry out and firm up a bit, but if you try cutting down steps, just know that they may not be as firm. As for freezing them, I recommend freezing prior to frying, and then when ready to use, bake them to thaw, followed by frying. Hope this helps!
These looked so good that I had to try it! I did sub out some ingredients that I didn’t have on hand though. I used regular potatoes, brown rice, and hemp seeds for the sweet potatoes, quinoa and pecans.
The flavors were delicious! Drying the black beans out in the oven really helped the texture a lot to prevent it from being overly mushy.
Thank you for a great recipe. My meat loving boyfriend scarfed down two :P
Whoop! Thanks for sharing!
Do these patties hold shape enough to withstand a grill? Or do you recommend cooking it on the stove/oven?
Yes, they are firm enough for the grill as well!
Would you still cook them on the stove first? Or can they go right on the bbq from this fridge?
Thanks!
You can go straight to the BBQ!
I don’t know what I did wrong! I love the taste of these burgers, but mine are all crumbly! Maybe too wet? Too dry? Didn’t pulse enough so the pieces are too big? Help!!
Hi Carolyn, Sorry to hear they didn’t hold together well! Next time, try pulsing your mixture a bit more and they should hold together better. Hope this helps!
Excelente comida me encanta
Well I just learned something! Apparently I’ve been cooking mushrooms all wrong; loved the way these turned out. Keeping it healthy I made a super simple BBQ sauce and after frying the burgers I put them in the oven on the cookie sheet with parchment paper and then wilted some greens in the fry pan. Very Nice Indeed.
These were delicious!! We used the Korean BBQ sauce from Trader Joe’s and topped them with kimchi. Absolutely fabulous!
Is it possible to sub hamburger meat in from mushrooms? Just can’t get on board with fungi!!! Thanks love your stuff.
Oh Janet. We love you.
Would Portabello mushrooms be fine?
Totally!
Is it 1 cup raw quinoa, cooked and cooled (which would be about 3 cups cooked) or 1 cup cooked quinoa?
1 cup COOKED.
Oh yeah this ones gonna be dilly-dilly!
Totally impressed how you took you photography passion & skill—and vid now too— and really applied it! I have followed your site a while via a friend who swears by you. Your stuff has been really tasty. Trying to become a vegan after reading the very logical book ‘The Starch Solution.’ I am glad there are people like you just putting quality material and info out there. Ps. nice design work on your site/books too.
Would it turn out too mushy if I just baked the sweet potato then scooped out the insides?
I think it would probably be too mushy. You want to have some texture still and not totally puree it! If you give it a try though, report back!
Wishful thinking on my part. I will take your advice and make it according to your instructions. I’m just always looking for easier ways to do things!
This was absolutely delicious. We had this yesterday with red cabbage and caramelized balsamic red onions. I wonder though, if I could do something about the crumbly texture. While raw, the consistency was really dough-like and easy to press into patties, but after baking it it held its form but crumbled quite a lot while eating. Maybe my patties were too thin? They were about the size and thickness of the palm of my hand. I will absolutely make this again, thank you so much for sharing !
Hi Anna! Next time, try pulsing your mixture a bit more and they should hold together better. Hope this helps!
thank you so much for your reply. I will try this!
Great looking recipe. I’m on the hunt for a burger of this consistency that utilizes charbroiled flavor in lieu of tex-mex spices. I suspect swapping the black beans for one of more nuetral flavor, and perhaps swapping charcoals for the cumin might work. Suggestions? =^..^=
I think that could work! Report back if you give it a try.
Hmmm, when I saw this in my mailing list, I was a bit skeptical. I am pretty set on the Beyond Meat burger and my Boca vegan patties, but I definitely think that this homemade recipe made with black beans, quinoa, and SWEET POTATO (OMG!!) will become a new favorite of mine! Barbecue-flavored anything wins me over too. I might be daring one day and swap out the barbecue for teriyaki, a soyaki sauce, or even a Sriracha peanut sauce for some Asian flairs!
Could I prep these before hand and freeze before cooking? I don’t know if I like the idea of cooking it first and then freezing them. I like to make all my meals out on Sunday!
Yes, that should work!
Hi Dana,
I’ve tried the bake-beans-before-burgers trick and it’s fantastic! Who likes mushy burgers? Not me! I am a bit lazy sometimes though, and the process of soaking beans, cooking beans, then baking them is a lot of steps. I just tried a burger recipe treating the beans the way I do falafel, and I can’t figure out why I didn’t do it before: don’t cook the soaked beans, just rinse after soaking and throw in the processor! The beans turn into the same texture as pulsed nuts and cook wonderfully in the burger. Less steps :)
Cheers,
Katie
*Of course, this hack is for if you use dried beans. Canned beans and baking is definitely the way to go!
thanks for sharing! For some people that makes the beans too difficult to digest! But if it works for you, that’s a great hack.
That’s a very excellent point! I’ve used sprouted chickpeas in the past, but in all honesty they were sprouted only because I forgot I was soaking them. I think next round I’ll do a blind trial: one with cooked + baked beans, one with just soaked beans, and one with soaked + sprouted beans to see if I notice any difference or like one over the other. :)
Really delicious but fell apart. Any idea why or how to prevent this?
Hi Marie, did you blend them long enough? Perhaps they just needed a few more pulses in the food processor.
These look and sound incredible! I can’t wait to try them. I’m thinking they would be amazing topped with caramelized onions and avocado. Yum!! PS I’m not a vegan or a vegetarian but I LOVE pretty much all your recipes. :)
Made these yesterday and they are legitimately the BEST black bean burgers I’ve ever had!!! ??
Yay, thanks Jasmine!
I have got to make this!!!! I love all the ingredients…..will post how delicious it is
Hi
As always, loving your recipes!! Does this taste overly like beans? Can I omit or do you need them ??
Thanks!
Kat
I personally don’t think they do. The BBQ adds a ton of flavor here.
Can you omit the oil altogether and just use water? These look incredible!! Can’t wait to try!
Not sure, but if you try it let us know how it goes!
Making my list of ingredients I need to pick up at the market. I have black beans soaking now! I am always looking for veggie burgers recipes. This looks great!
What brand of food processor do you use?
Hi! We use this one!
Hi Dana – Love your stuff !
Just curious if anyway you could make a low protein veggie burger recipe for a PKU kid? Most of your vegan stuff has a high protein bean or nut which I fiddle with and take out or substitute but as you spend way more time in the creation phase than I do, I was just wondering if you could think up a low protein burger mix … as summer is coming here in Ohio !!!
Chris
Hi Chris! These ones aren’t too high protein. But to make this lower protein, sub the quinoa for brown or white rice, increase the amount of grain you add, and cut the beans back. Hope that helps!
I’ve been waiting for a new burger from here! I was going to christen my new Ninja processor with the recent black bean quinoa falafels, but now this! I’ll be enjoying both recipes soon. Thanks very much.
Those rolls look wonderful. Care to share the brand?
I’m sorry, I don’t recall! I believe a gluten-free brand.
Can you omit the mushrooms? Do you recommend a substitute?
Mushrooms are not essential, but they do add a nice meaty texture and flavor. Caramelized onions might be a good substitute, or even raw grated beets!
Do you think Buckwheat grouts would work as a substitute for the Quinoa? I can’t digest quinoa.
I’m not sure, but if you give it a try, let us know! Other good replacements might be cooked rice, amaranth, or millet.
My boyfriend made these last night, using raw walnuts instead of the pecans. You should have seen the pride on his face when he took the first bite. I would be careful to process them for long enough though, since ours fell apart quite a bit. Flavour was great. Will definitely be making these again.
Ah yay! Thanks for sharing!! xo
Could dry black beans be used? Maybe soaked but not cooked?
Yes dry black beans can be used. Cook them and then dry!
Just made this tonight and they were fantastic! I followed the recipe with no substitutions. The prep work does take some time but the burgers were worth it. Due to my schedule that day, I did have to stick the burgers in the fridge after I pan fried them and before i put them in the oven with the barbecue sauce. I just baked them a tad bit longer to make sure they were hot and browned. Served them on thin buns with avocado, slaw, onion, pickle, lettuce, and red bell pepper slices. So good!
Lovely, thanks!!
made these for dinner tonight! Wow!! My kids ate it and LOVED it!! Thanks for such a wonderful recipe! The only problem was that mine were still very mushy after frying in the pan. Are they suppose to be a little bit stiff like a beef burger?
Other than that, they were amazing! Can’t wait to make them again!
Hi Joanne! I am wondering if you could have cooked the beans down a bit longer to dry them out and prevent the burgers from having a mushy consistency. The beans should have appeared dry and cracked open. Glad you enjoyed the recipe though!
I love your website and have made so many of the recipes, so thanks for everything you do. I had the same problem, and read the comments before making the burgers, so I made sure my black beans were super dried out before making the burgers, but they still turned out a little bit mushy (and delicious). Do you have any suggestions for making crispier burgers? Also would these burgers still be good if I made a bunch in advance and froze them? If so, would that change the cooking time at all? Thanks again!
While they are still soft inside, you could try making them thinner to cook them through more which may make them crispier? If you are hoping to make a bunch ahead, you can store them in the freezer up to 1 month.
These are absolutely delicious, better than most any veg burger you can get in a restaurant. The smoke flavor really makes it. My whole family loved them! Easy to prepare, though mine made six patties instead of four as in the recipe. Not complaining though! Another plus is that they don’t fall apart; perfect firmness and texture. Definitely a keeper.
Thanks for sharing!
Due to health restrictions I made this with low sodium ingredients. It is delicious! Wow! Thanks for a great recipe!
Read thru the directions and am wondering why we leave the oven on after roasting the beans and pecans. Am I missing something? Also, the directions say “spread baked beans”, but it is black beans, right?
I was wondering this as well. The black beans that go into the oven look like they’ve already been baked. So, start with a cup of dried black beans. Rinse, then… soak? Dry and then bake. Is that right?
Sorry about that! It’s black beans, not BAKED beans. Fixed! And you leave the oven on because you bake the burgers after cooking on the stovetop.
Best veggie burger I’ve ever had, hands down. And much easier than I initially thought after first glancing at the recipe.
Oh yay! Thanks for sharing! Next time would you mind including a rating? It’s super helpful for us and other readers! xo
If your tummy doesn’t agree with black beans, is there something else you might sub in? Would cannellini beans or chickpeas still work?
Hi Becca! We have not tried other beans in this recipe and can’t say for sure, but if you give it a try, report back!
Hi Becca, I swap beans in recipes all the time. You can also try kidney beans as well. It does change the taste some but not much. You could also try cannellini beans or kidney beans mixed with cooked brown lentils. Looking foreward to making this recipe.
Gina
I started making this and realized I was out of black beans (whoops!) so I subbed a can of pinto instead and it was delicious! May have had a bit more liquid compared to black but we enjoyed it. This is my favorite vegan burger-substitute!
Thanks for sharing your recipe change, Morgan! We are glad to hear it worked out well :D
What a remarkable recipe! Everything you come up with seems to be incredible. Your website is outstanding I’ve been following you for a long time you have become my favorite chef to go to when I’m in need of a recipe. Thank you for all your hard work!
so kind – xo!
Can you suggest a home made barbecue sauce please
One of the best home made BBQ sauces I’ve had in 45 years of being a be vegetarian is, with some modifications, the one in the 40 + year old: THE FARM COOKBOOK, the BBQ sauce for Gluten ribs. I use much less sweet, salt, oil and mustard. It is not hard to make, but does require a full hour of simmer time, which makes all the flavors transform and wonderful. Check it out. All in one big cast Iron pan. Awesome! Ann
Is it possible to omit the quinoa? Or what would you sub for that – I can’t have grains at all, but this burger sounds so delicious!
Hmm, the quinoa does add that bouncy texture and a little moisture…You could definitely try doubling the beans and just omitting the grain?
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I know it must get tiring having to constantly answer questions about substitutions. As a vegan who also can’t consume gluten (or other grains) and soy, eating can feel really isolating sometimes! Your recipes have helped me look forward to cooking (and eating).
What about brown rice instead of quinoa? Shouldn’t change it that much right. I’m allergic to quinoa. Thanks!
Could Millet be used as a substitute for Quinoa in this case? I am sadly allergic to Quinoa.
Millet pearls would probably work and also provide more stickiness to the dough I assume.
I’m curious too, about a sub for the pecans. Maybe more beans and mushrooms?
See the above comments!
Hi!!
Can be make nut free ? Thanks
Check the above comments!
Super easy to make your own BBQ sauce… This recipe from Isa is a go to for me. I make a extra, and place it in tiny tupperwares in the freezer.
For the BBQ Sauce:
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce (I sub coconut aminos)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard (I use Dijon)
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce
Wow thanks , love making my own sauces, will definitely try this burger recipe… With the mushrooms ?
I’m always looked no for a sugar free barbecue sauce. Thanks!
Thank you, Michelle!! Can’t wait to make this!!
Could you sub another nut (like almonds or cashews) for the pecans?
I sub walnuts for pecans all the time – I don’t have pecan money!
For pecans, you can try cashews, walnuts, hemp seeds, or sunflower seeds!
These look delicious, can’t wait to try. Could I use dry quinoa flakes instead of cooked quinoa?
I almost died at the price of pecans when shopping for this recipe today ?
Is there anything you would recommend substituting for the pecans to make this nut free? Looks so delicious !!
Maybe roasted chickpeas?
Sunflower seeds are often a good sub for nuts in these applications :)
I’d agree – sunflower seeds or even hemp might work here.
Thanks for this substitution! My hubby is allergic to nuts so vegan food is a bit tricky for us sometimes!
Looks delicious! On the menu for the coming week!
These look incredible! I’m going to try you make these next week! Maybe also try them as “meatballs” to serve with…something…haha, not sure what, but still!
Ooh, smart! Let us know how it goes. Sub the BBQ sauce for your favorite thick marinara in that case!
Can the mushrooms be omitted or is it be to substitute another ingredient for them? What would you recommend as a substitution? Thanks!
I’m wondering this too!
I am also. These look wonderful for my weekly dish. I really, really want to like mushrooms, but I’m never able to quite get myself there.
Do you really think you’ll be able to taste them through all the other flavours? They’re mostly there for texture I think.
Just looking at all the flavors, I might do roasted red bell pepper or the inside of a roasted eggplant. If you’re AIP… caramelized onions or roasted zucchini.
Thanks for all the questions! Mushrooms are not essential, but they do add a nice meaty texture and flavor. I agree with Michelle that caramelized onions might be a good substitute, or even raw grated beets!
Thank you for the most delicious meals. This burger— so moist. To die for!!
My son dearest mushrooms and can almost sense them in food, he ate these burgers and said they were the best he had! I couldn’t find the mushroom specified and just used typical button mushrooms.
Detests mushrooms**
Yay! We’re so glad to hear that Samantha!
These are soo good!! My new favourite burger! I loved the idea of using grated beets instead of mushrooms, I’ll try that nest time.
Thank you for all your great recipes Dana!
We made these tonight and subbed zucchini instead of mushrooms. Flavors were amazing.
Omg love this ! Been too long since I made a new type of veggie burger