These black bean quinoa burgers have garnered rave reviews at every summer BBQ I’ve made them over the past 10 years! Bursting with savory flavors, bold spices, and a juicy texture, these vegan burgers are protein-packed, convenient and delicious. So, whether you’re meal prepping, or simply looking for meatless grilling options, this freezer-friendly vegan recipe is your go-to burger for any occasion!
This post contains helpful tips and tricks! If you’re in a rush, please use the “Jump to Recipe” above!
💭 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Full of flavor. These black bean quinoa burgers are bursting with flavor thanks to the bold spices, and have that perfect juicy texture you want from a burger.
- Easy to make in advance. These burger patties are freezer-friendly and easy to make in advance as a meal prep for the week ahead.
- Packed with protein and fiber. This plant-based burger uses only wholesome ingredients. It’s full of protein and dietary fiber and will keep you healthy, full, and satisfied.
📋 Ingredients and notes
To make these black bean quinoa burgers, you’ll need sweet potatoes, quinoa, black beans, onions, garlic cloves, chipotle paste, ground cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, fresh parsley, gluten-free quick-cooking oats, extra virgin olive oil. You’ll also need burger buns and your choice of burger toppings like tomatoes, pickles, and cheese (vegan cheddar works great!)
Notes and variations
- Sweet potatoes. Choose a smooth sweet potato that’s free of soft spots and bruises. If you don’t have sweet potatoes on hand, you can also use yams, butternut squash, or pumpkin. Need them quick? Check out this microwave sweet potato recipe.
- Quinoa. If you don’t have quinoa, you can also use brown rice, bulgur, farro, or couscous as an alternative for similar texture.
- Black beans. As a substitute, you can use kidney beans, pinto beans, or cannellini beans. Learn more about the differences between black beans and pinto beans.
- Chipotle paste. You can also use canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, smoked paprika, or a blend of cayenne pepper with tomato paste to add a smoky and spicy flavor.
- Regular oats. If you don’t have quick oats on hand, you can use regular oats as a substitute. Simply place them in a food processor or blender and pulse briefly until they are broken into smaller pieces. Be careful not to blend them into a fine powder; the texture should be coarser than flour.
- Spices and seasonings. Adjust the spices and seasonings according to your taste buds! We use ground cumin, paprika, oregano, sea salt, fresh parsley for this recipe. Feel free to add red chili flakes, chili powder, or jalapeño peppers for a spicier version!
📖 Make black bean quinoa burgers
Place the sweet potatoes in a medium pot with water and salt. Cook them until fork-tender, for about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set them aside to cool.
Once the sweet potatoes have cooled down, remove and discard the skin. The skin should easily come off. Roughly chop the sweet potato insides.
In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa and water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Let it simmer, uncovered, until all the water is absorbed. This should take approximately 11 to 14 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, cover it, and let the quinoa steam for 10 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cooled sweet potatoes and cooked quinoa. Add the black beans, onion, garlic, chipotle paste, cumin, paprika, oregano and salt.
Mix the ingredients well using a potato masher or large spoon, or the paddle attachment of your mixer.
Sprinkle the oats over the mixture and mix thoroughly with a large spoon until the mixture holds together when shaped into a patty.
Next, add the chopped parsley and mix with a large spoon.
If you don’t plan to make the burgers immediately, cover the mixture and refrigerate it for later use.
Cooking the vegan black bean burger
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Prepare a large, rimmed baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper if desired.
When you’re ready to cook, shape the burgers. Measure out ½ cup of the mixture using a measuring cup. Gently shape it into patties about 3 ½ to 4 inches in diameter. Use your hands to flatten the burgers and smooth out any uneven edges. Repeat this process to make around 8 patties.
Generously brush both sides of each patty with olive oil. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each quinoa veggie patty.
Bake the patties until they turn deeply golden brown on the outside. This should take approximately 35 minutes, flipping them halfway through the process.
Assemble the burgers with your preferred toppings and enjoy!
👩🏽🍳 Tips for the best black bean quinoa burgers
Make the best black bean burger recipe by following these expert tips!
- Roast the sweet potatoes for more depth of flavor! Cube, toss with a bit of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 400°F for 20 minutes, or until tender.
- Make sure black beans and quinoa are well-drained. Drain and pat-dry black beans and quinoa with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- Toast the oats to give it a nutty flavor. Spread oats in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast at 350°F for 5 minutes, until lightly browned.
- Chill the mixture. Chilling the burger mixture for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator will help firm it up and make it easier to form into patties.
- Chill the burger patties. Alternatively, you can also chill the black bean patties before cooking to make sure they stay together.
👩🏽🍳 Troubleshooting FAQs
To prevent mushiness, ensure that both the black beans and quinoa are well-drained and dry. I typically pat the beans dry before adding them to the burger mixture.
Yes, you can prepare the mixture in advance and refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight. This can enhance the flavors and make it easier to form patties.
If the mixture is too wet, add more oats. Chilling the mixture before forming patties can also help them to become firmer. You can also add flax egg as an additional binder.
Yes, this recipe uses only vegan ingredients to make black bean quinoa burgers. Make sure that you are using plant-based binders and that all ingredients, including toppings, are vegan.
🍴 What to serve with quinoa black bean burgers
The best way to serve these vegan black bean quinoa burgers are to assemble them in hamburger buns and to add your favorite toppings. You can serve these burgers with a side of fries, a simple salad or coleslaw, or my favorite – buttery microwave corn on the cob.
🍔 Topping Ideas
There are so many delicious toppings that go well with homemade veggie burgers!
- For basics, you can add tomato slices, lettuce, pickles, red onions to your burger. Or go bold with pickles (like these quick pickled onions, pickled jalapenos or even avocado pickles)
- For additional flavor, you can also add avocado slices or guacamole, mango salsa or pico de gallo, vegan cheese, mustard or vegan mayo, hot sauce, cilantro, cucumber slices, and roasted red peppers.
🍶 How to store black bean quinoa burgers
If you have any leftover quinoa veggie burger, you can refrigerate them for up to 4 days to enjoy later. Alternatively, you can freeze them by placing them in a freezer bag or any airtight container and store them for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to eat them, you can thaw the burgers in the microwave for approximately 1 minute or in a 400-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes until they are warmed all the way through.
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Black Bean Quinoa Burgers
Ingredients
Burger
- 1½ pounds sweet potatoes, washed, sliced into thick rounds
- ½ cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1 cup water
- 15 oz black beans, canned, rinsed and drained
- ½ onion, small, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chipotle paste
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cups gluten-free quick-cooking oats
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
Toppings
- 8 seeded burger buns, optional
- 8 slices vegan cheddar cheese
- 2 tomatoes, large, sliced
- 8 leaves lettuce
- 1 onion, small, sliced into rings
- 1 tablespoon vegan mayonnaise
Instructions
- Cook sweet potatoes: Place the sweet potatoes on a medium pot with water and salt. Cook the sweet potatoes until fork-tender, for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set them aside to cool.
- Cook quinoa: In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa and water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Let it simmer, uncovered, until all the water is absorbed. This should take 11 to 14 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat, cover it, and let the quinoa steam for 10 minutes.
- Once the sweet potatoes have cooled down, remove and discard the skin. The skin should easily come off. Roughly chop the sweet potato insides.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cooled sweet potatoes and quinoa. Add the black beans, onion, garlic, chipotle paste, cumin, paprika, oregano and salt.
- Mix the ingredients well using a potato masher or large spoon, or the paddle attachment of your mixer.
- Sprinkle the oats over the mixture and mix thoroughly with a large spoon until the mixture holds together when shaped into a ball. Next, add chopped parsley and mix with a large spoon.
- If you don't plan to make the burgers immediately, cover the mixture and refrigerate it for later use. If you plan to freeze the burgers, shape them before freezing on a baking sheet so they'll hold their shape better.
- Preheat your oven to 400℉. Prepare a large, rimmed baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper if desired.
- When you're ready to cook, shape the burgers. Measure out ½ cup of the mixture using a measuring cup. Gently shape it into patties about 3 ½ to 4 inches in diameter. Use your hands to flatten the burgers and smooth out any uneven edges. Repeat this process to make around 8 patties.
- Generously brush both sides of each patty with olive oil. Place them on the lined baking sheet, leaving some space between each patty.
- Bake the patties until they turn deeply golden on the outside. This should take approximately 35 minutes, flipping them halfway through the baking process.
- Assemble the burgers with your preferred toppings and enjoy!
Notes
- Regular oats: If you don’t have quick oats on hand, you can use regular oats as a substitute. Place them in a food processor or blender and pulse briefly until they are broken into smaller pieces. Be careful not to blend them into a fine powder; the texture should be coarser than flour.
- Roast sweet potatoes, toast oats for more flavor. Cube sweet potatoes, toss with a bit of oil, salt, and pepper, then roast at 400℉. Spread oats in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast at 350℉ for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Chill the mixture before shaping patties: For a firmer texture, chill the burger mixture in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can also chill the formed patties before cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
