Smoky Black Bean Beet Burgers

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Holding up a hearty vegan Black Bean Beet Burger

Every now and again you lovely readers send me emails with recipe requests.

One such request came recently from a mother hoping to recreate the veggie beet burger a local restaurant serves that her daughter just happens to love. All other searches for “beet black bean burger” left her a little overwhelmed at the extensive ingredient lists and time commitments.

Minimalist Baker to the rescue.

Mushrooms, walnuts, onion, and other ingredients for making vegan Quinoa Black Bean Beet Burgers

This recipe is easy to master, nutritious, flavorful, and most importantly, simple. Just 10 ingredients and roughly 1 hour required (less depending on cooking method). Plus, it’s loaded with nutrient-rich foods like raw walnuts, black beans, quinoa, and raw beets.

Flavorful vegan Black Bean Beet Burgers on a baking sheet

These burgers are loosely inspired by the beet-quinoa burgers served seasonally at LT Burger in Sag Harbor, New York. Of course, I haven’t tried them myself, but the reader who emailed just raved about it. And if her daughter who thinks most veggie burgers are “weird” loved this one, there must be something special about it.

After scanning their menu I seriously wanted to visit the area just to sample LT’s menu. But for now, recreating their recipes from afar will have to do.

Cutting board with Vegan Black Bean Beet Burgers loaded with veggies and toppings

I was quite pleased with how these little guys turned out. They’re

Hearty
Smoky
Flavorful
Tender and moist on the inside
Perfectly crisp on the outside
Not at all mushy
Simple
Savory
& Perfect for satisfying killer burger cravings

Another thing I love about them is that the raw beets give them a deep magenta hue that makes them irresistibly beautiful. Even veggie burger skeptics are sure to fall in love.

Black Bean Beet Burger on a bun with lettuce, ketchup, mustard, and onion
Partially eaten vegan Black Beet Burger on a bun

If you give these burgers a try, let us know! Leave a comment below, or tag a picture #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see how yours turned out. We love seeing your photos – it always makes our day. Cheers!

Smoky Black Bean Beet Burgers

10-ingredient, smoky black bean beet burgers with walnuts, quinoa, and a blend of spices. Hearty, nutritionally dense, and simple to prepare.
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Holding a Quinoa Black Bean Beet Burger held between two halves of a bun
4.49 from 177 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8 (patties)
Course Entrée
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 3-4 Weeks (see notes)
Does it keep? 3-4 Days

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1/2 large red onion (finely diced // 1/2 onion yields ~3/4 cup)
  • 1 cup finely chopped mushrooms (shitake, baby bella, or white button)
  • 1 pinch each salt & pepper
  • 1 15-ounce can black beans (well rinsed and drained)
  • 1 cup finely grated raw beet
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder (or sub extra cumin)
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
  • ~1/2 cup raw walnuts (crushed or ground into a loose meal)

Instructions

  • If you do not already have cooked quinoa, prepare it at this time. 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa will yield ~3/4 cup cooked.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add some nonstick spray or a bit of olive oil. Once hot add the onion and sauté, seasoning with a pinch each salt and pepper.
  • When the onions are soft – about 5 minutes – turn up the heat to medium and add the mushrooms. Season with another pinch of salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms and onions are slightly browned and fragrant – about 3 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and add black beans and mash. You’re looking for a rough mash, so you can leave a bit of texture if you want.
  • Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and add the quinoa, beets, spices and stir. For even more flavor, add a shake of vegan worcestershire or A-1 sauce (optional). Taste and adjust, adding more salt for overall flavor (we added another 1/4 tsp).
  • Lastly, add the walnut meal a little at a time until the mixture is able enough to form into patties. Set in the fridge to chill while your oven preheats to 375 degrees F (190 C) (skip this step if cooking on the stovetop – see notes).
  • Coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray or olive oil. Form mixture into roughly 1/3-cup sized patties (8-9 patties // adjust if altering batch size). I use a peanut butter jar lid lined with plastic wrap to get the perfect shape (a tip I learned from Iowa Girl Eats). You can also just take handfuls and mash them into loose patties.
  • Arrange burgers on a baking sheet and brush or spray the tops with olive oil. Bake at 375 F (190 C) for a total of 30-45 minutes, gently flipping after 25-30 minutes. Cook longer to dry them out even more and achieve more crisp, but it’s not necessary.
  • Serve on small buns or atop mixed greens with desired toppings. See notes for freezing instructions.

Notes

*For a quicker prep time, you can use a food processor to chop the walnuts, mushrooms, and beets. Use the “s blade” for the walnuts and mushrooms and the grater attachment for the beets.
*Prep time does not include cooking quinoa. You can use leftover quinoa.
*For a quicker cook time, form into slightly thinner patties and brown in a skillet over medium heat lightly coated with olive, avocado or coconut oil. Cook until brown on both sides – 3-4 minutes each. NOTE: This method doesn’t get them as well done in the middle, but the crust is more pronounced.
* FREEZING: If you don’t want to cook the whole batch at once, form into 10 patties, par-bake them at 375 degrees F (190 C) for 15-20 minutes. Then cool and stack between layers of parchment paper and cover. Freeze for up to a few weeks. To cook, place on baking sheet still frozen and bake at 375 degrees F (190 C) until desired texture/color is reached – roughly 25-35 minutes.
*If they are falling apart when flipping, that likely means they were formed too large or flipped too early. If that happens with one burger, cook longer before flipping the rest.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Nutrition (1 of 8 servings)

Serving: 1 patty Calories: 125 Carbohydrates: 17.2 g Protein: 6.1 g Fat: 4.9 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 257 mg Fiber: 3.8 g Sugar: 1.8 g

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  1. Amy Hunt says

    I was skeptical because I thought the beets would taste too strong, but they didn’t. It was really good. Even my meat-eating husband liked it. The one change is to add a flax egg. We ate 4 at dinner and had two left over, but they fell apart as I was putting them in the container to save. Otherwise, surprisingly yummy.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you both enjoyed them, Amy! Thank you for sharing your experience. These ones are a bit fragile and have to be handled carefully!

  2. Andrea says

    These burgers taste amazing! I used couscous instead of quinoa, I used jarred beets instead of fresh beets, and I added 1 tsp of liquid smoke for extra flavour. They did fall apart during the cooking process even though I chilled the mixture first, so they definitely need a binding ingredient. Next time I’ll try adding a flax egg or some quick oats or bread crumbs. Otherwise, it’s an excellent recipe. I will definitely make these burgers again!

  3. Maddie says

    This looks delicious! I love all the veg in it, and can’t wait to try it. Question: do you think you could swap out quinoa for lentils? Thanks!!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Maddie! We haven’t tried that, but it might work! It might not hold together as well, but we aren’t sure. Let us know how it goes!

  4. Kathy says

    Loved this recipe!! I did add one egg and one third cup of panko to help bind it. I cooked mine in my George foreman grill for fifteen minutes at 375 and they came out beautiful!! No need to flip,crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Thank you for sharing this healthy recipe.

    • Gail Miller says

      I followed this recipe to the word because it was the first time I made beet burgers. My husband and I eat whole food plant based diet. No meat, fish, chicken, dairy. These burgers have good ingredients and taste good but they DO NOT stay together. I see a comment that someone added an egg but that is not vegan nor plant based. I can’t do that so my comment is this recipe is missing something.

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        Hi Gail, we’re so sorry to hear that was your experience! These are a bit delicate and benefit from mashing the beans well and flipping carefully. A flax egg could help with additional binding!

  5. Kathy says

    BEST VEGGIE BURGER I HAVE EVER EATEN!!
    The modifications I made were, I added one egg and 1/3 cup (any) oats, 1/3 cup panko.
    I added 1/3 cup mashed chickpeas and mashed 1/2 the can of black beans and left the rest whole.
    I whirled about a cup of the mixture then added it back to the rest.
    Now here is where I really changed it up…. I refrigerated the well mixed ingredients for a couple of hours.
    I heated a cast iron skillet with olive oil, let it get hot then cooked.
    I mean dropping the heat back down and letting them do a slow cook. I flipped them after about 15 minutes and they held together nicely.
    THESE TURNED OUT BETTER THAN ANY VEGGIE BURGER I’VE TRIED. …they were absolutely delicious and moist.
    THE KEY IS THE SLOW COOK IN A FRY PAN ON TOP OF THE STOVE!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yum! Thanks so much for the great review and for sharing your modifications, Kathy! So glad you enjoyed!

    • Mary AK says

      Sounds delicious! What can I use in place of the mushrooms? I can eat some but probably more like half a cup. Add more quinoa or…?

      Thanks!!!
      Mary

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        Hi Mary, we would sub additional walnuts, onions, and beets for the mushrooms. Hope that helps! If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes.

  6. Anthea Batchelor says

    This tasted delicious and I loved the ingredients It needed more binding however. I’ll add something extra next time but love this recipe.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thank you for sharing, Anthea! These are a bit delicate and benefit from mashing the beans well and flipping carefully. But a flax egg could help with additional binding!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Chelsea, we haven’t tried it with cooked beets, but it might work? It probably won’t have quite the same texture, but you could try shredding it. Let us know if you try it!

  7. Rachael Stassen says

    I just made this recipe and it turned out great! This is actually a very frugal recipe which I appreciate! I used half a packet of a microwaveable pre-cooked brown rice and quinoa blend just to save myself a step. I added about 1/4 cup of panko bread crumbs to help bring the mixture together. I ended up with 12 burgers so I have plenty leftover to freeze. The peanut butter lid trick is fantastic! Thanks for that! I enjoyed this a lot and look forward to trying other recipes from your blog.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Awesome! Thanks for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Rachael! xo

  8. Suparna says

    Super delicious, one of the best vegetarian burgers I have eaten in a while. My family loved it, but I think I baked it a little too much so it dried out. We ate it with smashed avocado. Will definitely make it again! Thank you, this is a definite keeper….

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Woohoo! So happy to hear the burgers were enjoyed by all, Suparna! Thanks for the lovely review. xo

  9. Sara says

    Wonderful recipe. I used lightly fried eggplant instead of mushrooms (mushrooms hurt my stomach) and replaced the walnuts with hemp hearts (I have a child with nut allergies). I pulsed all the vegetable ingredients in the food processor, then mixed in the quinoa, hemp hearts and seasoning be hand. Since there are no eggs in the recipe, I tasted before cooking and adjusted the seasoning accordingly, adding some Cheyenne pepper for kick. In regards to flipping. The recipe says to GENTLY flip. I noticed it was too delicate to flip when I took the burgers out of the oven. I waited a few minutes for them to cool slightly and they flipped beautifully, with a careful hand.

  10. Darma says

    Pretty good and very burger-like, in a crumbly veggie burger kinda way. Great nutrition with all the luscious ingredients but this is a one-timer for me as the flavor didn’t live up to the work involved and I really developed a hearty mushroom onion sauté. Although the patty texture seemed perfect, baking was a bomb for me as they fell apart — saved them by transferring to a grill pan.

    • Rebecca says

      I looove so many of your recipes and I can’t deny that the flavour of these were fantastic mind you i added cajun mixed seasoning and garlic to it as well as smoked paprika and s and p. However the ones I baked turned into a pile of baked crumbs when i tried to take them out after 35 minutes. I feel like this recipe does not create actual burgers, perhaps it would benefit from something binding like a flax egg or two? I added one chicken egg (I’m not vegan) and bread crumbs to the second half of my mixture that I’d luckily saved, i then fried them in canola oil in a steel pan on medium heat 5 minutes on each side and they turned out perfectly. Like I said I really do love so many of your recipes but I struggled to make this one work and I followed it to a tee

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        Sorry to hear these gave you trouble, Rebecca! We’ll revisit this recipe and see if we can make improvements!

  11. Nicole says

    Delicious! Felt like they took awhile but worth it. Looking forward to giving them another go one day when I have leftover quinoa to make it speedier.

      • Sharon says

        These are delicious. I’ve made this recipe three times now. I cook them for about 30 minutes before flipping them as, in my experience, they are too fragile before then. I then cook them for another 20 minutes on the other side. They are crispy on the outside but moist on the inside. I serve them on rye buns with sliced avocado and yogurt sauce. They are so good!

  12. Diana Fishman says

    I didn’t have walnuts so I used a combination of pecans, oats (quick steel cut for texture) and flax meal, and added a splash of vegan Worcestershire sauce and nutritional yeast as suggested elsewhere. I thought these were incredible and while a bit time consuming not difficult. Thank you!

  13. maren says

    Can’t wait to try this later today, I’m planning to add a bit of vegan bbq sauce for flavor, and I’m using red quinoa since thats what I have I’ll let you know how it turns out

    • maren says

      wow, I just made these and they turned out so good! this was my first try making my own veggie burgers and I don’t think I’ll go back to buying them, it was easier and quicker than I expected. Like I said I added some bbq sauce, plus a dash of liquid aminos and a couple shakes of chipotle flakes. I also added some chopped sun-dried tomatoes, which I highly recommend. I served two patties on a bun with mashed avocado, mustard, chopped green onion, greens and a little of this sweet vidalia onion sauce and it was the best vegan burger I’ve had in a while.

  14. Kerry says

    This recipe looks great except I cannot stand mushrooms. Can I make it and just skip the mushrooms or substitute with something else? Thank you.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Kerry, we would sub additional walnuts, onions, and beets for the mushrooms. Hope that helps! If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes.

  15. Ari says

    Hello! I don’t have quinoa and I don’t really like it. Are there substitutes for the 3/4 cup quinoa in this recipe? Thank you!

  16. Kate says

    I don’t know if I did something wrong but The burgers fell completely apart when I cooked them. They were also really bland. :( but the walnuts in there were a really wonderful addition.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Sorry to hear that happened, Kate! Is it possible you used 3/4 cup dry quinoa instead of 3/4 cup cooked (measured after cooking)?

  17. Judith says

    This is now my favourite burger recipe. The beets give a delicate sweetness, and complement the smoked paprika and chili flavours beautifully. They’re even great cold out of the fridge the next day!

  18. Jennie says

    This is the second burger I’ve made from your blog and I had a lot more success with this one! After reading through the comments I made a few modifications to ensure they didn’t fall apart:
    1) On step four I added a flax egg, a bit of ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce.
    2) I put the whole thing in a food processor and pulsed for step 5, adding the walnut mix little by little. I wanted to ensure I had a mush that resembled ground meat in consistency.

    Note 1: This recipe is time-consuming if you don’t have a few things pre-made already. I was prepared for that and made it a fun Saturday night project, but it goes a lot faster if you have canned beans and pre-made quinoa ready to go.
    Note 2: I put both parchment paper AND a little oil on the baking sheet to ensure the burgers flipped easily. They were soft for the flip but after the final 25 minutes they were great, stayed together in the bun, and went well with a little homemade slaw. Thanks for the recipe!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed this one! Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Jennie. xo

  19. Wyatt B says

    These are love on a plate! I’m absolutely serious – long time follower here and these came out fantastic, I love beet burgers and these are a new staple meal for me :)

  20. SF says

    Thank you for the recipe. I followed everything and measured the 3/4 cup quinoa cooked; however, it was disappointing that the patties didn’t stay together upon flipping. I think emphasis needs to be placed on gently flipping in the instructions. Also, I think it would be helpful if you put in a bold note somewhere that the 20 minutes of prep time does not include cooking the quinoa. This recipe took me well over one hour to make – probably two overall, understanding that everyone’s prep time will be a little different depending on what they have at their disposal and how good their knife skills are. I found the taste to be bland – I’m glad I tried it and it was an interesting experience. This wasn’t a winner for me but again, I appreciate the recipe!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re sorry to hear that was your experience! But thank you for the constructive feedback. We’ll take another look.

  21. Anna says

    Can these burgers be frozen? If so, would you recommend freezing them raw or cooked? Thanks in advance for answering, Anna

  22. Sue says

    Hi- I love your website by the way. I totally appreciate the minimal and healthy ingredients in your recipes. I can’t wait to try this. One question before I do, your recipe calls for raw beet. Can you use cooked beets that come in a vacuum sealed package instead and if so how do you think it will change your recipe? This is what I have at home, otherwise can get raw beets if it makes a huge difference. Thanks!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Sue, we haven’t tried it with cooked beets, but it might work? It probably won’t have quite the same texture, but you could try shredding it. Let us know if you try it!

  23. Stepheney says

    Loved this recipe. I did half the batch on the stovetop and half in the oven. I will definitely do them all in the oven from now on just because they held up the best that way. But the ones that did crumble I put on top of salads and they were just as delicious.

    • Adrienne says

      Not one of these survived flipping! Probably had to much quinoa in them… Also subbed in panko crumbs for walnuts. Prob gonna have to convert to burritos (not the worst thing in the world)

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        So sorry to hear that happened, Adrienne! Did you make sure to use 3/4 cup COOKED quinoa or is it possible you measured 3/4 cup dry?

  24. Joanne says

    I don’t eat nuts can you please tell me what to use in place of walnuts that’s fat free/ oil free and the amount I would use. Thanks

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hmm, you could sub sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds, but they naturally contain fats. Otherwise, maybe a lesser amount of breadcrumbs. Won’t have the same texture though.

      • Olivia says

        I tried making some as written, and then made a few tweaks that made them more flavorful and flip-able! I sautéed the beets down a little in the pan with the onions and mushrooms, just until they got a bit soft and juicy, and then added a few tablespoons of oat flour until it came together. It flipped much easier than the original. Also highly recommend adding a few dashes of liquid aminos (I added when sautéing the mushrooms)!
        I put the burgers close together and added some cubed sweet potatoes to the baking sheet for the last half of the baking time for burger + fry vibes without adding more time or dishes.

  25. Jonathan says

    Hey! The recipe asks for a certain amount of cooked quinoa. Is this the amount of quinoa one should have before adding the water to cook it or do you mean completely finished quinoa (so already including the water it “soaked up” while cooking)?
    Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Jonathan, for this recipe, we recommend 3/4 cup cooked quinoa which would be ~1/4 cup uncooked/dry. Hope that helps!

  26. Ethan says

    Very good. I would recommend adding some vegan Worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce and nutritional yeast as it’s a bit bland otherwise. Super healthy too which is great

  27. Mackenzie Brown says

    This is a wonderful recipe! I used to live on Oahu and had black bean beet burgers from Down to Earth at least weekly (they are incredible!) Since moving away I haven’t found anything that satisfies that craving until now. This will be my go-to veggie burger recipe from now on.

  28. Megan says

    This was a really great recipe, I loved it! Easy to make, no blending required, and the burgers have enough structural integrity to not fall apart. They tasted amazing! I ate 2 and froze the rest. I added some coconut flour to the mixture to make them a little less moist, but other than that stuck to the recipe. I had them on potato rolls with tomato, pepper jack cheese, ketchup and Sir Kensington’s special sauce. I’m bookmarking this so I can come back to it. :)

  29. Jillian says

    Great veggie burg recipe! The texture is great and they are much less time consuming to make than other beet burg recipes I’ve come across. I used flax meal instead of walnut and added 1 Tbsp of cornstarch based on other reviews that they were too crumbly — I put them in the freezer for 2 hours and then grilled them and they held up great. I did not add worcestershire sauce but wish I would have as they could have used a bit more flavor. Thanks MB– will definitely

  30. M says

    Hi just a quick question- the recipe calls for 1/2c walnuts. Is this 1/2c measurement meaning before or after it has been grounded into walnut meal? (Trying to figure out what amount to sub if using oats, flaxseed, or sunflower seeds instead. Am I wanting to add a 1/2c grounded meal of these things if subbing, or i’m guessing it will be less right? You meant 1/2c of the ingredients before grinding?) Thank you so much for all your recipes. This looks great- I can’t wait to try this!

  31. Becky says

    Made these last night exactly as the recipe is written – did add a healthy dash of Worcestershire sauce! The patties got nice and crispy in the oven, and stayed together even when eating. Super delicious. Seriously one of the best veggie burgers I’ve had! I see the frozen reheating instructions, but we had a couple of left over patties (fully cooked), was wondering your recommendation for reheating next day? Thanks for the recipe!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad they turned out well, Becky! Thanks for sharing! We’d say reheating in the oven would be ideal, but stovetop should also work.

  32. adrienne says

    This recipe will be my go-to recipe from now on to make my own veggie burgers! I ended up not having time to saute the mushrooms and onions, so I skipped that step. I am sure this would add extra delicious flavor, but I’ve got a 1 y.o. at home and extra steps are all optional. In the spirit of Minimalist Baker I opted for the prepackaged cooked beets you find in those vacuum-sealed packages. I used a blender and starting with the walnuts, pulsed them into a meal. Then, I added the whole package of beets, 1 can of beans, 2 flax eggs, and spices and mixed on low. Then I took that mixture and added cooked (red) quinoa until the mixture could form patties (*this is the key to the burgers sticking together – the mixture has to ‘look right’ and the ingredients all need to be pretty finely chopped or ground). I then baked them. They turned out so delicious! Easy-peasy 1-2-3. Even my dad said they were “okay” which is a glowing recommendation from someone who scrunchies his nose at anything that isn’t meat and potatoes! For a little extra punch next time I may add some fresh herbs and garlic into the blender. Easy clean up too – less dishes and prep than the original recipe. I took one star off because although the original recipe is simple, there is a lot of different prep work involved.

  33. Rachel says

    I made this using red quinoa, and canned beetroot. Aware the recipe called for white quinoa, so I had to cook the red quinoa for extra 8 mins. To prevent it from crumbling when cooking it (so many negative comments that the patty doesn’t hold) I add in some cornstarch and swap walnuts to grounded flaxseed to make sure it hold ! It was a success !! Will definitely be making this again 😀

  34. Erin Miller says

    My favourite Beetroot and Black Bean patty recipe to date! Super yum! have just printed the recipe to make again!!!

  35. Amanda says

    Your burger recipes are always a hard FAIL. They need stay together, always fall apart. So disappointing

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Amanda, sorry to hear that’s been your experience! If they are having trouble staying together, that typically means they are too dry. We’d suggest mashing the beans more, adding a bit of BBQ sauce to the mix, and cooking a little less.

  36. Kimberley Lieberbaum says

    I made these delicious burgers last night! Wonderful! I used a grill pan and they came out perfect! Added a few dashes of cayenne to recipe.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for sharing, Kimberley. 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

  37. Luann says

    These were delicious! I baked mine and added extra Worcestershire sauce. They did break a little when I flipped them halfway through the cooking time, but became more firm when the cooking time was done (but were still fragile). I have a guess as to why some people’s fell apart and others’ did not—WHITE quinoa can act as a binder if you stir it for one minute after cooking it. The grains break apart and become glue-like. It only happens with white quinoa. I’m going to give that a try next time I make these. I learned this from Feasting at Home’s Quinoa Cakes recipe.

  38. Heather K says

    Mine also fell apart and crumbled when cooking. Did like the ingredients and if that could be fixed I think I would have enjoyed it.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Heather, thanks for sharing your experience! Next time, we’d suggest adding a bit of BBQ sauce to the mix, and cook a little less. Hope that helps!

  39. Yuko says

    Hi,

    I was super excited to try these burgers and followed the recipe, but when I pan fried it – the burger totally fell apart. Any suggestions? Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Yuko, If that happens again next time, add a bit of BBQ sauce to the mix, and cook a little less. Hope that helps!

  40. Alice says

    Delicious burgers, although they were quite crumbly at the end despite adding a flax egg. Slowly turning my meat-loving boyfriend vegan with your recipes! Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you both enjoyed them, Alice! Next time, you could try additional BBQ sauce and/or cooking slightly less time to help them stay together better.

  41. Brooke says

    I love this recipe and continue to recommend it to friends and family!

    I’m not vegan, just trying to eat a little less meat. I love this recipe because it’s easy, it’s great for meal prep and I find I can add and substitute ingredients if I do not have everything listed. We haven’t been going out for as many groceries lately. For example, instead of the walnuts, I just added some oats. I added a little bit of broccoli because that was going to go bad and an egg to help keep them from falling apart. I really love the peanut butter lid trick as well!

    It’s a new family favourite.

  42. Amy says

    First recipe I have tried from your site and I loved it!
    Just due to quarantine and working with what we had, made a few changes.

    Instead of quinoa, swapped for farro.
    Instead of a finely, grated beat, swapped for cut beets in a can. I just diced them up.

    I used the first patties for tacos! I used a flour tortilla, added greens, pineapple, salsa, and a little bit of dijon mustard. Plan to use the rest of the patties for an actual burger. Also, your peanut butter lid trick worked liked a charm.

  43. Lizzie says

    I love love love this recipe!! I’ve made it twice now and both times it’s been a massive hit. I swapped the walnuts for oats that I finely chop. I even added a cube of cheese into the middle of the patties.
    The second time round I made lots of smaller patties and they go much further yet one is still plenty filling. I put them in wraps with lettuce and capsicum and it goes well with bbq sauce or mayo.
    Thank you!!

  44. Felicity Crisp says

    I liked these burgers but I found they really fell apart! I think I probably made them too thick for baking… next time might spread in an even layer and then cut into squares. Also felt like an extremely fine chop was needed for the onions and the mushrooms and that really helped create a more even flavour. Maybe I could also mash them a bit better next time.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Felicity, that should help! Or you could also try additional BBQ sauce and/or cooking slightly less time.

  45. Donna Luna says

    I prepared and used all the ingredients as listed. I chose and recommend shiitake mushrooms. I added extra chili powder and smoked paprika for a stronger flavor. (I tasted the mixed before forming the burgers).

    I was worried about them being crumbly, so took all the steps mentioned to help with that- mashing the black beans as much as I could, doing a little less walnut meal, and adding in Worcestershire sauce (3-4 glugs, yum)! I also added in 1 “vegan egg” for more binding from a package I never use in my pantry.

    I got 6 good sized patties from the mixture. Next time I will maybe double the recipe to have more food for the effort! Used the jar lid method for forming, which worked well. I tried pan frying the first 4 in cast iron to get that nice grill effect. They were very tasty.

    Flavor is great but when I bit into the burger it was a bit mushy and came out of the burger. So, for the other 2 patties, I tried the baking method as described in the recipe. Much better result! The patties held up better. The drying out while baking probably helped with all that moisture I added. So if you can wait, I recommend baking them. You can always finish on the stovetop or broil for extra crispiness/browning.

    Had leftover burgers with a fried egg for brunch the next day, yum!

  46. Bethany Reed says

    Wow! This is exactly what I was looking for. I happened to have the ingredients on hand, and I wanted to make a vegan shepherds pie. I made 1/2 the recipe as directed for freezing, and the other half I crumbled into a pan with olive oil on med/high heat, tossing every few minutes until the mixture formed crumbles. The flavor was perfect and I ended up with satisfying crisp “meaty bits”.
    Deglazed pan with wine and assembled pie. Turned out BEAUTIFUL with the deep red beets, and very yummy!

    This will be my go-to for patties and crumbles from now on. Thanks for the great recipe!

  47. Ash says

    These were really good! They did fall apart on me, but the flavor was nice. Maybe next time I will mash the beans up more to help them hold together?

    • aaron says

      I ccoked them in a baking tray as a flat slice then cut them into squares. Make it thicker and push down to get them into a rounder shape when eating.

  48. Anh says

    Hello, when I made this recipe 2 years ago, I don’t remember the onions needing to be cooked and there was smoked liquid in the recipe. Did you update it? I just want to make sure I’m not going crazy.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Anh, we haven’t modified this recipe. Perhaps you are thinking of a recipe from one of our e-books? Hope that helps!

  49. Kathryn says

    My husband really liked them, but I wasn’t too crazy about them. I am not a huge fan of mushrooms and I felt like that’s all I could taste. However, I could have subbed with more black beans or other ingredient. I also added a touch more salt as I tend to favor salty over savory. Again, my husband thought these were great! He is watching carbs so he ate it without the bun.

    No, they are not as sturdy as a hamburger meat patty, but they did not fall apart on me.

  50. Martine says

    Hi! These look delicious but I’m wondering what I could use instead of walnuts to make it nut-free… assuming they are used to bind the patties, do you think wholemeal flour or besan would work? Thanks :)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Martine, we haven’t tried those, but they may work. We think bread crumbs or oats would be good substitutes for the walnuts!

  51. Susan Anspaugh says

    Mind if I use this in my cookbook with credit like this?
    If you want to make your own veggie burgers, below is a great one from Minimalist Baker.

    I will make it myself first, and make sure I love it first!

  52. Lee says

    The flavour of these patties is just wonderful. I made my batch using previously oven-baked beetroots and otherwise followed the recipe. I made the patties only about 1cm thick, baked them in the oven and finished them off in the fry pan to make them extra crunchy on the outside. People then chose whether to have one or two patties, according to the amount of extra salad they were putting on their bun. I was really happy how they turned out. They were moist on the inside but not overly. Because I had such success using the pre-baked beetroots I’m nervous to try raw beets. I’ll keep you posted. thanks again!

  53. Gabriel Branch says

    I have made this recipe several times and it is always amazing. This is hands down the best veggie burger I have ever had. It is smoky and flavorful, it never fails to impress. You can’t beat the bright red color that the beets give the burgers either. It has become one of my regular recipes.

  54. Natalie says

    I made this for the family tonight and it was delicious! I removed the walnuts (my daughter is allergic) and it came out great. Thank you for all the wonderful recipes :)

  55. Gary says

    Many comments stay they are time consuming….I use a food processor starting with the walnuts. This cuts prep time considerably.

    This is a tasty recipe, and I’m not too bothered about the falling apart. They are best I find well chilled before cooking. If you are not wanting to keep them vegan….add an egg……

  56. Steph says

    We loved this recipe! I made it last night for my husband and our 9 month old baby and it was a win all around —-flavorful and still mild enough for the little one. I didn’t have walnuts on hand, so I used pecans instead and the result was delicious! They fell apart a bit- so I might try to add a bit of flax next time around. These were so easy and quick to make- only took me 20 minutes to whip up a double batch and now we have extra for the freezer. Thank you so much for this recipe!!

  57. Jenna says

    Fantastic! Prep time is underestimated though. Lots of fine chopping, took me 45 to prepare. Will do it again with less stress but results are fab!!

  58. Micayla says

    Overall I really enjoyed this recipe! I had a black bean beet burger at the Mustard Seed Cafe in Kent, Ohio and have been trying to recreate it. My only complaint is that it fell apart easily and was a little dry but the flavor and texture were fantastic!! I’ll keep working on it but thanks for getting me off to a great start!!!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Micayla, thanks for sharing your experience! If that happens again next time, add a bit of BBQ sauce to the mix, and cook a little less. Hope that helps!

  59. Kathleen says

    These were tasty, but a little dry- I live in the SW, so cooking always requires more moisture. I probably overlooked the quinoa, so next time, I’d add a little water. They are a little time consuming, but good! Thank you for sharing, I look forward to trying to make them again!

  60. Wendy says

    How far in advance can recipe be made prior to cooking? Considering these for 7/4 BBQ and wondering if I can make mixture on 7/3 and bake when guests arrive on 7/4.

  61. Ubuntera says

    Dear Minimalistbaker,

    I myself am a “minus sugar omnivore” (with a strong tendency towards being a serious carnivore), but these beet and quinoa burgers are on my top fav food list since the first time I spotted them on your blog and tried them out. It’s been five years now since then and I still make them, and I even prefer them to the regular burger. So, thank you for this bliss of taste and texture and keep doing the awsome work!! ?

  62. Sandra Tilley says

    My daughter (vegan) made juice from carrot, beetroot and celery, I did not have the heart to throw away the pulp, carrots and some of the celery went into the home made dog food with chicken and rice and the beetroot went into these burgers, was a little concerned that without the “beetroot juice” they may be a little dry but I added a little of the pumpkin soup I made yesterday. Burgers turned out beautifully, full of flavour, particularly liked the walnut flavour. Have tried quite a few of your recipes and never been let down.
    thank you Minimalist Baker, appreciate your tried and true recipes.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Sandra. 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

  63. Cris Smith says

    thank you, Dana for this wonderful recipe. I am new to vegan burgers but loved the combination of black beans, quinoa, mushroom and spices. My only addition was a flax egg, following what some of the reviewers suggested.

  64. Darlene Dennison says

    I want to try this recipe, it looks really good. Also, today a lady and I were talking about the benefits of beets, but she refuses to eat them, so I want to make this and show her how delicious and versatile beets are. BUT, I do not eat mushrooms, cannot tolerate the textures, so what can I use to replace them. Thank you.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Darlene, we would sub additional walnuts, onions, and beets for the mushrooms. Hope that helps! If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes.

  65. Jeani says

    I impressed my friends greatly with this recipe! I made it again with a few tweaks and as I was eating the burgers on a bed of lettuce with tomato and cucumber and avocado I said, “Wow I really love this”! Now I’m adding a few more tweaks on my third time. Take these with a grain of salt but I am very happy with the result:)

    Shitake mushrooms are a must!
    I don’t saute the onions or garlic ahead of time.
    I add a lot more spice than what the recipe calls for. Same ones but in bigger quantities, although I have been unable to get smoked paprika in my town so I just add regular. I added a half of a raw jalapeno finely chopped also. Tonight I added a little cilantro.
    I toast my walnuts after I finely chop them.
    I was having a little trouble keeping the burgers together. I tried egg which didn’t help too much and I have friends who don’t eat eggs. This time I am very happy to report that adding one medium size sweet potato mashed gave the raw burgers a great consistency for forming the burgers and I love adding another healthy vegetable.
    I think I have the recipe now that I love the best. Thank you so much for this great inspiration of yum!

  66. Ann Bennett says

    I found this just recently hopefully I can get a response I made these and they were out of this world!!!! the only thing was they kind of fell apart for me a little bit I got eight burgers …do you think I added too much Walnut or not enough.. thank you

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Ann, it seems like they could use a little more moisture. Maybe try mashing your beans a bit more and scaling back on the walnut meal! Hope that helps!

  67. Lindsay S. says

    Fair Warning: These are so good, they will make it hard for you to enjoy another veggie burger anywhere else, ever! My man LOVES these. He requests them at least once every 2 weeks. So I have made these about 10 times and they only thing that would make them better is if I had a food processor with grating attachment (for grating the beets) and then I could just mix everything in there. I’m quite an experienced home cook and even after making these a LOT, they are a bit labor intensive and there is no way I can do them in the 20 min. of prep time stated. It takes me at least 5 minutes just to form the patties! Just a heads up to allow more like 2 hours from start to finish cooking. Unless you can rope in a helper. ;)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We haven’t tried that, but think it might be worth a try! If you make it as a loaf, we would love to hear how it goes!

    • B says

      I made it as a loaf and put bbq sauce and ketchup on top to bake. It tasted good but the center wasnt as firm and dried out as I would have liked. Maybe I should cover and bake next time.

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        Hi Kristina, we would recommend fresh, as canned would make them too soggy. But if you must, make sure they are thoroughly drained and well grated or chopped!

  68. Cindy says

    These were FANTASTIC! I substituted the walnuts with flaxmeal (nut allergy), and added more spicing with cayenne pepper for some kick. YESSSS! Baked them on parchment paper. Found out I needed more time for my oven to complete the process. Left out the oil (dietary preference). They came out crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside and they stuck together!!! Warmed one up the next day and was thrilled with it all! YUMOLA!
    Thank you for sharing your recipe!!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hmm we haven’t tried and can’t say for sure.. if you try it out, report back on how it goes!

  69. Ren says

    Thank you so much for this recipe! As I was making it I thought that it had too much moisture and that it would break apart (as always) when I bake a veggie burger. But instead it came out juicy and perfect following your instructions step by step ! <3 I love your recipes thank you for sharing and making our life healthier and colorful ;)

  70. Claudia says

    I want to make this as nuggets for my kids’ lunches. Do you think using the same temperature would work? And for how long?
    Thanks!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Claudia! While we haven’t tried this, I think it would totally work! I’d probably recommend checking on them at the 20 minute mark to see how they look, and then deciding whether you want them crispier or not from there. Let us know how they turn out!

  71. Gabriele says

    I have made these several times. Sometimes I used different kinds of beans (whatever I have on hand) like chickpeas or white beans. I have used red beets and golden beets and both taste delicious. I sometimes add Sriracha to help form the patties and make the mixture stickier, I also usually put the mushroom, onion and bean mixture in the food processor for a few quick pulses which helps. It’s my go-to veggie burger recipe. My fiancé and I are not vegan so we usually have it with our favorite sliced cheese (pepper jack), and I always make caramelized onions to top it off. MMMMMM :)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yum! Thanks for sharing your changes, Gabriele! We are glad to hear that you and your fiancé have been enjoying them :D

  72. Lorraine says

    Super easy and tasty, but two tries and I haven’t gotten them to hold together well. I am gong to try subbing rolled oats for the walnuts or adding a flax or chia seed “egg”.

  73. Gail says

    Just made these and they are so easy and really tasty. We aren’t vegan but love a mixture of foods and the flavour was great – thank you!

  74. Amy says

    I’m not a vegitarian but I’m looking to eat less meat. Salads are too boring to keep me interested for long. I was wondering if this black bean burger recipe could work as a taco meat substitute?

  75. Amelia Rose says

    So, so good! Love that each and every ingredient is healthful! Thank you for all of the delicious recipe(s)!

  76. Jules says

    I made these tonight and they held together perfectly and were super tasty! Loved the texture, colour and flavours – only made 6 patties though! Even the meat eaters gave the thumbs up. Delicious!

  77. Natasha says

    I made this tonight and it was excellent. I didn’t measure exactly, and also substituted carrots for the beets as my store was out of beets (!) and used cashews instead of walnuts. The patties held together very well, and the combination of cumin and smoked paprika really made it great.

  78. Danielle says

    These look good but i have a couple of questions. Can you use roasted beets instead of raw? I just roasted my last 2 beets before i found this recipe. Secondly, i DESPISE quinoa, do ypu have any suggestions for an (also) healthy alternative? Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Danielle! We haven’t tried making with roasted beet, but I think could work. Report back on how it goes! As for a quinoa sub, maybe brown rice and pecans? Use this recipe as a guide.

  79. Sarah-Beth says

    I had to walk for half an hour and back in the rain to get the ingredients because it looked so good. Worth it. High effort (I cooked the quinoa from scratch) but I’m so glad our food processor can grate because grating beetroot/carrot is my least favourite thing. I wouldn’t recommend flipping them halfway through cooking because until they’re cooked they’re quite flimsy but they held together well and I have big plans for this burger, bread, another vegan burger, vegan cheese and sweet chilli sauce to make an epic vegan big Mac. Thank you Xx

      • Darlene Dennison says

        Hey-you answered my previous question. I should have read through the questions before I posted mine. Thank you. What portion of each do you recommend as replacement. I’ve been vegetarian for 10 years, but happily moving to vegan…feel better and am learning the benefits of food vs medicine (in tandum with accupuncture and tai chi…I’m in my late 60s).

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          We haven’t tried it and can’t say precisely, but we would think mostly onions and beans and just a little more walnuts. Hope that helps!

  80. Chelsea says

    ah-freaking-mazing recipe! I made one for myself tonight, and I’ll be bringing several for the game tomorrow. Proud to present these beauties!

  81. Ana says

    Oh my God! Thank you for this recipe! Easy and very yummy. Just making a badge of them to freeze them so when I feel lazy I’ll chuck them in the oven and… voilà

  82. Kurt VB says

    I’ve made this recipe three times now and I very much enjoy it, with a single caveat. Cumin is not a subtle spice and I found it was overpowering the rest of the flavors the first time I made this so I have reduced it from 1 tsp. to 1/2 tsp the the second time and a smidge less than a 1/2 tsp the third time. (Call it 3/8 tsp.) Overall this is a really outstanding recipe. The first veggie burgers I actually enjoyed.

  83. Jessica says

    I made these a couple months ago and told my meat lover boyfriend they were lamb and beetroot. I made him two burgers since his complaint about vegan food is the stereotypical “not enough protein” phrase. So didn’t want him to have any ammunition. He was so full after the first one and told me they were one of his favourite meals I had cooked. Asked him the next day if he was going to eat his leftover burger and he said he couldn’t wait! I then told him they were vegan. Haha! Sprung. What a delicious meal! Have just bought more ingredients to make them again and freeze them for on the go meals. Thanks so much.

  84. Be Well Babe says

    I loved this! Unfortunately, my first batch of patties nearly fell apart, haha. Two questions: 1.) Any tips to prevent that and 2.) I was wondering if I can use lentils instead of black beans to make this work, too? This is such a dope blog. Thank you for being here!

  85. Dayana says

    I loved this recipe and made it in the same day as the Pumpkin cheesecake pie, I loved both and I cannot stop recommending your website! Brilliant! Thank you for sharing your wisdom!

  86. Lindsay S. says

    Fave homemade veggie burger so far! I’ve made these 3 times now and each time they’ve been a little different even though I followed the recipe exactly.

    The first time (beginner’s luck maybe!) they turned out PERFECTLY. Held together, crispy on the outside, etc. The 2nd and third times they didn’t hold together as well, but honestly I think it’s because I rushed the cooking of the onions and mushrooms so they still had too much moisture. And my beet was particularly juicy, so I should have pressed it to remove any excess liquid. All I can say is, Stick with it people! Give these another chance if you didn’t luck out the first time. Make sure your ingredients are too moist and bake them, don’t try to fry in a pan. This is one of my boyfriend’s favorite meals, served along the crispy matchstick fries :)