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If you're like me, the idea of making a bean burger recipe is new and novel. I typically only ever get my veggie burgers from the frozen section at Wegmans. Or, I get my fill of bean burgers when I go to a restaurant. Either way, I have only just considered cooking up my own; recipes online looked too complicated, with too many steps, and the process of mashing everything together seemed too messy to result in a crumbly, mushy burger.
I decided to just go for it with this one. I didn't want to spend so much money on frozen burgers that are packed with soy, and I already had all of the ingredients at home for this recipe.
Avoid bean mush
Homemade veggie burgers can turn out mushy if not done properly. That's why you need to drain and rinse the beans before mashing. You'll also want to make sure to not overdo the mashing process. Leaving whole beans intact gives the burgers a heartier texture, and prevents the burgers from turning into dough.
How to make this Bean Burger Recipe
- Cook rice according to the directions on package.
- Drain and rinse the black beans and chickpeas. Add both to a large mixing bowl and mash: leave some beans whole. Avoid creating a smooth paste.
- Heat a few tablespoons of the olive oil and lightly cook the garlic and onion until fragrant. Add this to the bean mixture. Add honey and BBQ sauce.
- In a separate bowl, blend together the breadcrumbs, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.
Adding rice and a bit of breadcrumb to the mix also helps tremendously, but you can substitute chopped toasted walnuts, some cooked quinoa, or mushrooms instead of the breadcrumbs. With no walnuts on hand, breadcrumbs a drop of honey did the trick nicely for this demonstration.
Add some color
One thing I'd do differently would be to add some other veggies to the mix. A diced and lightly browned zucchini would have been a good option, as would spinach or roasted and chopped blanched red peppers for a little color, beets can add color and flavor to this recipe.
Combine cooled rice into the bean mixture, add in the breadcrumb mix.
Thoroughly combine the bean and breadcrumb mixtures. Take a handful of the mixture and shape into a burger. Make the burgers small for sliders or larger for a full meal.
Forming the burgers with your hands, then flattening them with a flat hand makes them the perfect burger shape.
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and brown the burgers for 4-5 minutes per side. This black bean burger was easy to make and It was surprising just how much this recipe made, a LOT more than I expected, but that meant that I had plenty left over to freeze. Less work for me in the future!
Serve with your favorite toppings on a bun or in a wrap.
Spice up this black bean burger recipe with honey
We always encourage you to play with our recipes and make them your own. These burgers are so easy to mix up and make your own! Here are some of our suggestions:
- Add chopped spinach or sweet corn to the bean and rice mixture
- Blend in chopped roasted tomatoes and peppers
- Replace the rice with cooked quinoa
- Add beet to the mix for color and flavor
- Substitute the breadcrumbs for finely chopped and toasted walnuts or minced and browned mushrooms
- Use a different blend of seasonings-double the garlic, add in Worcestershire sauce and use chopped basil and oregano instead of cumin and paprika
Did you grill up our Black Bean Burgers with Honey? Post a picture and use the hashtag #beeinspired on Instagram. We love seeing your photos!
