Smoky, spicy black beans and quinoa burger, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, exactly what a veggie burger should be. Made with black beans, quinoa, bell pepper, red onion and more.
This recipe has been updated and it’s even better than the original.
I apologize up front for torturing you with these mouthwatering pictures of our spicy black bean quinoa burgers. However, it was the only way I could think of to get your attention. Now that I have it, let’s talk about these delicious veggie burgers.
They are perfect grilling burgers. Yep, for real, you can grill these, flip them, and not have to worry about them falling apart and disappearing between the grates. Unusual, I know. We experimented with a lot of binding agents to get to this point, and we did it!
The secret to getting these black bean veggie burgers to stick together and stay solid is tapioca starch. Surprised? Don’t be, if anything you should ask us why it took us so long to figure this out.
The idea came to me a few weekends ago when we were eating Chik’n and Waffles in Denver, CO at the AMAZING Watercourse Foods. I asked our charming server what the chef used as an egg replacer, because the waffles were so perfect. He so kindly went and asked, then proceeded to tell me it was tapioca starch.
This totally triggered a light bulb moment. I mean, I’ve used tapioca starch to make vegan mozzarella and it was the ingredient that turned watery cashew cream into thick and stretchy mozz. Of course it would make a fantastic binder!
This is a game changer, my friends. It works better than flax eggs, aquafaba or any other binding agents I’ve used in veggie burgers. Life just keeps getting better and better.
You’re going to love our homemade spicy black bean burger recipe. They’re perfect for summer BBQ season and they’re also great if you make them in a hot skillet in your kitchen. You can prepare them ahead of time and freeze them, and they’re sturdy enough to wrap up and take to a party at a friend’s house.
All right, enough talking, let’s start cooking!
HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE VEGAN SPICY BLACK BEAN BURGERS
First – Finely chop or pulse the veggies in a food processor until they look like confetti. Cook them in a hot pan (no oil needed) for approximately seven to ten minutes, or until they soften and release their water.
It’s important to dry out the veggies so the burgers don’t crumble. Even with the excellent binding agent in this recipe, wet vegetables make a mushy and wet burger. Yuck!
Second – While the veggies are cooking, drain and rinse the beans and put three-quarters of them in a food processor and process until they form a ball. Put them in a large mixing bowl with the remainder of the beans.
Third – Mix the tapioca starch with water and whisk until smooth.
Fourth – Add the vegetables, quinoa, breadcrumbs, spices, salt and pepper and tapioca mixture to the beans and fold until completely combined. Let it chill for an hour so it sets.
Fifth – Form into patties and grill or sear in a skillet. Build it into an epic burger and dig in.
Serve these delicious spicy bean burgers with our home fries and a fresh cucumber, tomato and mint salad. If you’re cutting back on carbs, wrap up that burger in a large piece of crisp lettuce or top it with smashed avocado and a drizzle of sriracha.
Make our spicy vegan black bean and quinoa burgers and let us know what you think. Don’t forget to take a picture of your delicious creation and tag us @veganosity on Instagram.
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VEGAN SPICY BLACK BEAN QUINOA BURGER
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of avocado oil optional, it will help to prevent sticking to the grill or pan
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 30 ounce black beans drained and rinsed well
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 medium red onion cut into quarters
- 1 red chili pepper seeded
- 1 orange bell pepper seeded and cut into quarters. A red or yellow pepper will do
- 4 stalks of cilantro
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
- 2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper omit if you don't like it too spicy
- Pepper to taste
- 1 cup plain gluten-free breadcrumbs
TOPPINGS
- Hamburger buns
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Avocado slices
Instructions
- Prepare the quinoa according to the instructions on the package.
- Finely chop or process the bell pepper in a food processor and put in a hot skillet. Spread evenly throughout the pan. Finely chop or process the onion, garlic, chili pepper and cilantro and add to the pan. Stir to combine with the bell pepper and cook for approximately 7 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables release their water and they begin to dry out. You don't want wet and mushy vegetables in the burgers or they will fall apart and the texture will be mushy.
- Put ¾ of the beans in a food processor and blend until they begin to form a ball. Put in a large mixing bowl with the whole beans. Transfer the vegetables to the bowl with the beans. Add the quinoa, breadcrumbs, spices and liquid smoke to the bowl.
- Combine the tapioca starch and water and stir until it’s a thick and sticky consistency. Pour into the bowl with the beans, veggies, quinoa and breadcrumbs and stir well to combine. The texture should be thick and very sticky. Scoop out a ½ cup of the mixture, roll into a ball, then pat into a patty.
- Heat large skillet on medium-high heat, add the oil and spread it evenly throughout the pan. Add the burgers (as many as will comfortably fit the pan, you may have to cook in batches) and cook for approximately 3 to 4 minutes or until they’re nicely browned. Use a spatula to gently flip and cook the other side for the same amount of time. For best results cover the burgers with a lid.
- Put on a bun and top with the lettuce, tomato and avocado slices.
Notes
Nutrition
Ashley Hedican says
What if I don't have a food processor?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Ashley, you could try using a blender or a potato masher. 🙂
Misty says
These are the best black bean burgers I've ever had. They grilled up perfectly!! Crispy on the outside, moist and decadent on the inside. Even those in my family who prefer cow burgers liked these better! Absolutely to die for!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much!!! This totally made our day. We appreciate that you took the time to let us know, and for the 5 star rating.
Misty says
Your note says you can freeze the patties for up to a month. Do you have to thaw them before grilling or can they just go straight on the grill? If so, would the cooking time be the same?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Misty, Thaw them in the refrigerator and cook according to the instructions. 🙂
Misty says
Thanks Linda!! That worked perfect! They were just as good as when they were freshly made.
Linda Meyer says
Awesome! So happy you liked them. 🙂
Jennifer Baker says
I forgot to use the liquid smoke and cilantro, but this black bean burger recipe still came out well. Mind you I did stray slightly from the recipe, with the spices I had on hand. I also made my own breadcrumbs from some toast and walnuts with the food processor. Multi step recipe, but easy enough. I used frozen/ defrosted mire poix mix. What a time saver, not veggies to chop. I served the burger between toast with barbecue sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and avocado. This recipe tastes like the sproutwich. A delishious black bean burger I order for $12 in Hawaii @ sprout.
Thanks for the awesome recipe. Definitely a keeper! Great way to use those pantry ingredients before they expire. Also, this recipe makes so much. You can share, or freeze for later!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Jennifer! Wow, we love how you made it your own! Thank you for the kind comment, we really appreciate it.
Cheers,
Linda and Alex
Joshua Howard says
Hi! Your recipes are really wonderful! I love black beans and quinoa and I'm always looking for new recipes! Yesterday I made this burger and I liked it. Thank you for the share!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, Joshua! We're so happy you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
KLG says
These look delish and I can't wait to try. The recipe came up when I searched for flaxseed recipes, but I don't see flaxseed in the ingredient list. Am I missing something?
Linda Meyer says
Hi! Thank you! These don't have flax seed for the egg replacer, we use tapioca starch. They must have shown up in your search because I talked about how we used tapioca starch in place of flax seed. You can certainly add a flax egg to the ingredients if you like. It shouldn't change the results as long as you don't omit the tapioca starch. It really makes them stick together so well. Enjoy!!!
Peter says
Thanks very much! These were sensational. I had no quinoa so i used hemp seeds instead🙂
Alex Meyer, MA says
Hey Peter, Thank you so much! Hearing that they worked and that you enjoyed them has made our day! Hope you come back and try some more of our recipes : )
Cathy says
Oops, I type faster than I think 😉 I mean 4 cans.
Linda Meyer says
Hi Cathy, great question! We use 2 (15 oz) cans or one 30 oz. If you only have 8 oz cans, then 4 would be just fine. Enjoy!
Cathy says
Looks good. In the middle of making this, I realized the recipe says 30 oz black beans? I think I am missing something. There is only 8 oz in a regular can, so that means 5 cans?
Alex says
I made these this past Sunday and it was amazing! I added some spices (I like spicy) and paired it with a vegan cream cheese I made and the flavors complemented each other nicely.
Amazing recipe! Thank you for posting this.
Linda Meyer says
Hi Alex! Yay, we're so happy to hear it. We love that you're a fellow spicy food lover. If we wrote our recipes with the amount of spice that we use in our own food, most of our readers would hate us-lol! Thanks for taking the time to let us know how much you liked them.
Tania | Fit Foodie Nutter says
What a great looking burger Linda! I'm totally bookmarking this recipe to make it for later. I'm sure the whole family will love it!
Linda Meyer says
Hey Tania! Thank you so much! Please let us know what you and your family think.
Nicole Dawson says
I'm going to have to try tapioca starch next time. I haven't used it as a binder in my burgers either...will keep you posted.
Linda Meyer says
You'll love it! It's really the best binder I've used yet.
Brittany Roche says
Oh, hello veggie burger HEAVEN! Wow! This recipe is everything I love in a great veggie burger; I can't wait to try it out this summer!
Linda Meyer says
Hey there! Thanks so much, Brittany. Let us know what you think. 🙂
Alena @ nutriciously says
Seriously love your recipes, ladies... and the pictures are so perfect, as always 🙂 Really craving this burger now!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, Alena! We're so happy you like the recipe and appreciate your kind words.
Cadry says
That's great that you can actually grill these burgers! Usually when I make homemade burgers, I have to stick with the indoor grill pan. How interesting about the tapioca starch. I love Watercourse! I'm envious that you got to go recently. I haven't been there in a few years.
Linda Meyer says
Hey Cadry! We've grilled veggie burgers in the past, but you have to be so careful when flipping them. These work perfectly, thanks to the tapioca starch. Yes!! Watercourse is awesome, I can't wait to go back.
Jasper says
No where in this recipe did it mention WHEN to add the quinoa used in the burger.
Linda Meyer says
Hey Jasper, sorry about that. You add it with the beans and the breadcrumbs.
Melissa says
Do we put all the quinoa in the mixture?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Melissa,
Yes, put all of the cooked quinoa in the mixture. Let me know how you liked them. 🙂
chrissy says
What are the nutrition values?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Chrissy,
I don't post the nutritional values on my recipes because the calculators aren't completely accurate. Here's a link to one if you want to plug in the ingredients and their measurements. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator
Sarah says
I made these burgers and the flavor was great, however they were really crumbly...They formed well, but when flipped cracked and nearly fell apart. Not much of a patty, more like sloppy joe style. What is the trick in a firmer patty? Thanks!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Sarah, I'm sorry that happened. You have to process the mixture until it forms a ball, it should be really sticky. However, like most homemade bean burgers, they need to be handled with care or they will crack. Also, canned beans can be inconsistent in texture. Some are super dry, so if that's the case you should add a little water to make the patty more cohesive.
Al Smith says
Tasty. Would have preferred firmer bite but they held together nicely. Use Minute Tapioca instead of regular tapioca starch. Just had to add a bit more water to the Tapioca at the end to make a paste instead of solid globe. Thanks for the recipe.
Linda Meyer says
Hi Al, thank you for your comment. Bean burgers are always going to have some softness in the center, it's just the nature of the bean. 🙂