Soy protein concentrate, textured soy protein concentrate, basil, methylcellulose, hydrolyzed soy and corn protein, caramel color, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, modified vegetable gum, autolyzed yeast extract, natural butter flavor, whey, guar gum, natural smoke flavor, soy lecithin, calcium chloride, ferrous gluconate, textured wheat gluten, corn oil, calcium caseinate, artificial flavors, caramel color.

Wait… I’m sorry, I thought I was buying VEGGIE patties?

Some store bought “vegetable” patties shouldn’t even legally be able to use the word “vegetable” (or “food” for that matter) on their packaging. Some patties are loaded with sodium, unrecognizable chemical ingredients, and fillers that barely constitute as food.

Celebrate Memorial Day Weekend right! You owe it to your body to feed it natural whole foods. Skip the frozen veggie patties and opt for a homemade black bean burger instead! These patties are easy to make and can be kept in the freezer for quick easy meals. Use these black bean patties for any burger or meal that calls for “beef!”

For a low carb option, try serving your Black Bean Burgers on Portabella Buns!
Simply remove the gills and stem from 2 large portabella mushroom caps and grill over medium heat.
Dress your burger with your favorite toppings such as fresh lettuce, tomato, onion and avocado.
Use the Portabella Buns as you would with a regular hamburger bun!

Black Bean Burger
Serves 4

2 cups black beans (no salt added or low sodium)
1/2 chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup finely ground flaxseed
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
2 Tbsp freshly chopped cilantro leaves
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp black pepper

Thoroughly rinse and strain black beans. Chop the yellow onion, garlic, and cilantro leaves. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until well mixed. Transfer the contents to a food processor and pulse until it reaches a smooth yet firm consistency. Add water 1 Tbsp at a time to help reach your desired consistency.
Note: The mixture should be moist and smooth but still firm. It should not be crumbly.

After the mixture has reached the proper consistency, divide it into 4 patties. Place a pan over medium/high heat and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. Place patties in the pan and cover and grill for about 4 minutes on each side. Spray the pan with cooking spray in between flips to prevent sticking. Continue cooking and flipping until they become firm and browned but not dry.
Note: If storing the black bean patties in the freezer; follow all instructions and precook patties before freezing. Let the patties cool. Place wax or parchment paper in-between each patty to prevent from sticking together. Store the patties in a ziplock bag, and freeze. Reheat each patty in the microwave before eating!

Have a safe and fun Memorial Day Weekend!
Grill those veggies, and go rabbit!
xo

31 Comments on Black Bean Burgers

  1. kathryn
    May 28, 2012 at 12:15 pm (12 years ago)

    i have been looking for a recipe! (i have been trying to convince my parents that yes, i can be a healthy athlete AND a vegetarian!) one question-can you make with anything other than flaxseed? like would wheat germ or anything work? thanks!

    Reply
    • Catherine
      May 28, 2012 at 12:48 pm (12 years ago)

      There are tons of athletes that are vegetarian and even vegan! As long as you are eating balanced meals and the right portions of protein for your activity level, being a vegetarian shouldn’t be a problem 🙂 I have not tried black bean patties without flaxseed, so I am not sure how it would work. The flaxseed acts as an egg or wheat which usually bonds most veggies patties, so it could be worth a try to use an egg or wheat germ in it’s place! Let me know if you try it!

      Reply
  2. Jenny
    May 29, 2012 at 12:36 pm (12 years ago)

    I’ve always wanted to try black bean burgers. I think I might make some for myself this week!

    Reply
    • Catherine
      May 29, 2012 at 2:15 pm (12 years ago)

      They are so delicious! I don’t even know how to describe them, but the texture if so different. They are my favorite type of burger 🙂

      Reply
  3. Kristen
    June 24, 2012 at 6:13 pm (12 years ago)

    Are the black beans in this precooked??

    Reply
    • Catherine
      June 24, 2012 at 8:47 pm (12 years ago)

      Yes, I used canned black beans and then rinsed and strained them before measuring and transferring to a food processor. You could cook your own beans too! Either way works 🙂

      Reply
  4. Marisol
    June 26, 2012 at 5:53 pm (12 years ago)

    I am going to have to try these again. The texture (for me) came out on the moist side…..STILL, the flavor is great!

    Reply
    • Catherine
      June 26, 2012 at 6:36 pm (12 years ago)

      Oh no! I wonder what happened? Did you strain the beans before putting them in the food processor? I’m glad you liked the flavor though 🙂

      Reply
  5. Megan B.
    June 30, 2012 at 9:48 pm (12 years ago)

    I am so looking forward to trying this recipe, and am now obsessed with following your blog! I found you on pinterest and I feel that you have so much to offer my husband and I. I have been looking for information on lifestyle eating changes and have a very similar background to you, I also have a man who loves to eat meat…he has graciously agreed to try veggie meals weekly. I am desperate to loose about 80lbs. I can’t wait to do your bunny cleanse and try so many of your recipes. You inspire me, I am about 2 inches taller than you and am at my heaviest right now at 246lbs. I love food and my life, and that is the biggest reason that I am getting passionate about taking care of my body (and my husbands!). Thank you for all that you share!

    Reply
    • Catherine
      July 1, 2012 at 10:29 am (12 years ago)

      Hi Megan! I am so happy that you found my blog! Everything you just mentioned is exactly what my blog is about: inspiring other to make healthy changes! That’s great that your hubby is on board too! You guys should do “Meatless Mondays” haha Everyone’s caloric needs are different so make sure that you check with a doctor to make sure that you are getting the right amount for your body! I cannot wait to hear about your success xo

      Reply
  6. Michelle Smith
    July 3, 2012 at 3:22 pm (12 years ago)

    I have ground flax meal on hand. Can I use that instead of finely ground flaxseed? Is it the same thing?

    Reply
    • Catherine
      July 3, 2012 at 5:41 pm (12 years ago)

      Hi Michelle! You could definitely use ground flax meal! Ground flaxseed and flaxseed meal are the same thing and consist of whole flaxseed but use different processed to get the “ground” consistency.

      Reply
  7. Jessica
    July 9, 2012 at 7:49 pm (12 years ago)

    Tried these yesterday! I love that there is a kick to it!
    Thanks for the recipe, Catherine! I adore you! 🙂

    Reply
    • Catherine
      July 9, 2012 at 11:54 pm (12 years ago)

      Aww so glad you loved them! xo

      Reply
  8. danielle
    July 17, 2012 at 3:18 pm (12 years ago)

    I don’t have a food processor, only a 12 speed blender. This might be a stupid question, but would the blender work okay for this?

    Reply
    • Catherine
      July 17, 2012 at 4:46 pm (12 years ago)

      Hi Danielle! Not a silly question at all! I have not tried making the burgers in a blender, but I think that it could work, but it may require a lot of scraping down the sides of the blender and blending again to make sure everything gets mixed! A food processor is probably more ideal! xo

      Reply
      • Jeri
        April 17, 2018 at 5:09 am (6 years ago)

        Use a potato masher or forks instead of a processor. A blender is a nightmare without a lot of liquid.

        Reply
  9. Michelle
    July 28, 2012 at 7:40 pm (12 years ago)

    Hi Catherine,

    I am absolutely in love with your blog! I’ve struggled with eating disorders in the past, but recently have gained a lot of weight and am finding that very miserable. I love how honest you are about your struggles to maintain a healthy body and mind at the same time. I’m so inspired by your strength and positive attitude!

    I love this recipe.. I made it the other night (couldn’t find black beans.. they’re not so popular down here in Australia – I used kidney beans instead). I had the funniest interaction with my husband! It went a bit like this:

    I sit down to eat my burger

    Husband: “I didn’t know we had burger buns! you made burgers???? Did you make one for me???”

    Me: *grins* “It’s a bean patty. And this is mushroom. You still want one?”

    Husband: “….errr… no.”

    He’s a total carnivore haha. Anyway THANK YOU I love reading your posts!

    Reply
    • Catherine
      July 29, 2012 at 6:37 pm (12 years ago)

      Hi Michelle! I am so happy you found my blog! Although it’s never a fun struggle, it’s nice to know that I am not alone! Love the little story about your husband and the burgers hahaha so funny! Health & Happiness xo

      Reply
  10. Sonia
    July 31, 2012 at 8:48 pm (12 years ago)

    Hi everyone. I wouldn’t recommend using a blender instead of a food processor. I had bad luck. I just tried it and it didn’t work well. (I have a Blendtec.) I ended up heating it up for a few minutes and used it as a dip, so that it wouldn’t go to waste. I might try making the rest into a soup by adding some vegetable stock and salt.

    Reply
    • Catherine
      July 31, 2012 at 9:27 pm (12 years ago)

      Oh no, Sonia! I’m sorry to hear that you didn’t have great luck using a blender! I’m glad you were able to turn your burgers into dip so it didn’t go to waste, and love your soup idea! Let me know if you try it! xo

      Reply
  11. Glora
    August 13, 2012 at 12:28 am (12 years ago)

    I love your site. My partner and I have been eating much more like bunnies these last months and we love it. I have made many of your recipes but I had trouble with this one. They stuck to the pan even with copious amounts of cooking spray. We don’t use nonstick pots and pans so maybe that would have made a difference. 🙁 The smoke alarm went off too. I was wondering if they could be baked on a cookie sheet with parchment paper? Thank you for being such an inspiration to us and many others. You are known as the Bunny Lady in our household with the utmost dearest respect. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Catherine
      August 13, 2012 at 1:42 am (12 years ago)

      Thank you so much, you are so sweet! 🙂 Hmm I wonder why you are having sticking problems. I do use nonstick pans so I guess it could make a difference, but I am surprised they are sticking so terribly even with cooking spray! I have not tried baking them, but I think that is a great idea! let me know if you give it a try xo

      Reply
    • Bett
      July 19, 2013 at 2:44 am (11 years ago)

      Hi Gloria, it’s a year later but if you see this, I suggest that you turn the heat to medium or a little lower, oil the hot pan with real oil, then allow the patties to go ahead and stick if they want to and cook until they release. Just nudge them every minute or two and see if they’ve let go. At a certain point, the sticky bits should get cooked enough to let go. This works better on shiny stainless pans than ones with a roughness such as cast iron. Worth a try, anyway.

      Reply
  12. Summer
    September 5, 2012 at 10:00 am (12 years ago)

    After the Skinny Bunny Cleanse, I’m trying to overall eat healthier and in that attempt, my mom agreed to let me cook dinner once a week so I can not only cook healthier, but learn how to cook at all! I’m super excited and tomorrow night is my first night cooking and this is going to be the first thing I make. When I go shopping though, I’m going to pick up some wheat buns because I don’t like mushrooms at all.

    Reply
  13. Brittany
    September 20, 2012 at 6:03 pm (11 years ago)

    I’m going to die! This looks amazing! Why haven’t I ever thought of Portabella buns before? Can’t wait to try this!

    Reply
  14. Rachel
    October 10, 2012 at 8:35 pm (11 years ago)

    Hands down best burgers EVER! Thanks for the amazing recipe, so easy too 🙂

    Reply
  15. Kate
    February 27, 2013 at 6:05 pm (11 years ago)

    I know you posted this awhile ago, but I just made them. Delicious!!! They taste almost like Morningstar’s spicy black bean burgers, without all the added crap! Even my husband liked them! Thanks!!

    Reply
  16. Heidi
    March 21, 2013 at 2:28 am (11 years ago)

    These burgers were fantastic!! I also added a red bell pepper which was really good. Love your blog! Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes out 🙂

    Reply
  17. Emily
    May 12, 2014 at 4:33 pm (10 years ago)

    This was most excellent!! Served with sweet potato fries! The bomb!!!

    Reply
  18. lyn
    May 9, 2015 at 2:06 pm (9 years ago)

    Mine somehow were too moist. I couldn’t do anything w them on stove top, so I finished in 375 degreed oven. Was able to flip them after 5 minutes or so in oven, now I’ll let them cook off the rest of the way. When tasting the mixture pre-cooking it was tasting yummy. I added 3 slices of jalepeno to food processor, as we likje spicy food. Lunch is almost served!

    Reply

Leave a Reply