This Better Bean & Beet (BBB?) Burger patty is a winner. It’s inexpensive to make as beans and rice are the primary ingredients, and the work to put them together isn’t too much, but results in several meals. You freeze the patties to help them hold together well while cooking, so you can prepare a bunch of them in advance, ready for a quick meal at any time. These burgers also incorporate a good amount of spice, which adds a ton of flavor. But the big deal here is the texture: it’s moist without being too “squishy” – what I find to be a problem with a lot of vegan patties out there. Yet it still holds together inside a burger, and is nice and crunchy on the outside. Try them out!
To prepare the burgers, you will first create the patty mixture and then it is best to chill it overnight. Then you form and freeze the patties. This helps the patty form, and it’s less likely to crumble when you cook or eat it. If you don’t have a chance, do try to at least refrigerate it for awhile. This is a time consuming recipe, however that is why it is presented in bulk. You will make a large number of patties that you can then store frozen and make when desired. I try to keep patties in my freezer most of the time so I always have a quick and easy meal available.
Update: These burgers can also work on a grill. While I don’t have one, a friend made these for a sizable event and had them grilling on the BBQ.
These are time consuming, so make a large batch! It’s totally worth it, and makes later meals super easy — pull them out of the freezer for a super quick dinner!
Better Black Bean Patty for Vegan Burgers
Ingredients
- 5 cups brown rice (cooked) cooked rice (then chilled)
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups black beans drained and chopped – save the liquid
- 1/3 cup black bean liquid from above (aquafaba)
- 1/3 cup parsley chopped
- 1/3 cup yellow onions chopped
- 3 ounces beets cooked, peeled and chopped
- 1/5 cup coconut aminos Sub soy sauce, tamari
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard
- 12 prunes chopped
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp chipotle peppers Pureed, or 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 tsp Tajin seasoning or sea salt
- 1 tsp cayenne
Instructions
Make the patties
- Combine all ingredients, and then blend in a food processor until ingredients hold well together. Put into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
- Divide into 12-16 portions (depending on the desired size of patty), and then form into patties using a hamburger press, or a burger ring. (Example) Pack well and press firmly so the burger ingredients do not crumble.
- Freeze the patties. This helps set them, and will also help the patty keep its form (no crumbling) in your burger! Burgers are best cooked from frozen.
Cook the patties
- Preheat oven to 375F. Cover a pan or sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
- Bake for 15 minutes, flip, and then bake patty for another 15 minutes. Burgers should be slightly crunchy on the exterior (cooking times may vary). You may also adjust the time to cook in your air fryer, and you will not need to flip the burger.
Notes
Forming a burger patty
We found a burger press at Canadian Tire locally that looks the same as the “Patty Caddy” below. We really liked the (Starfrit) model we found, because it allows you to store a stack of patties all at once and provides reusable pieces to separate each patty.
If you use a burger press, separate each patty with a piece of parchment paper.
You can order different kinds of burger presses online from many different retailers. There are some options on Amazon – the Paddy Caddy (affiliate link, see footer) looks the same as the one we found in the store and used for this recipe. You can also search for “burger press” or “slider stacker” to find additional options.
Alternative ingredients
Although this recipe calls for black beans, you can substitute different types of beans such as navy or pinto. You can also play around with the exact type of rice or grain you use, but we do recommend sticking with whole grain for a more healthful meal.
The spices are up to you of course. We do like a spicy burger, but did not make this one too spicy – I always add some hot sauce on top as it is (and not everyone around the table wants the heat!). Do add some more heat to your burger if you wish!
Your photos are beautiful and professional! Well done 🙂
Thank you Anna! Much appreciated.
Could I use something in place of the prunes? The only dried fruit I have is raisins and dates.
Yes, other dried fruit like raisins or dates should work just fine.
Is the aquafaba nessesary? Or can I replace that?
Yes if it wasn’t reserved from the black beans, then you could substitute with a flax or chia egg. 1 part seeds to 2 parts water. Combine and let sit for about 5 minutes until it’s gel-like.
(Also note you can use the liquid from any can of beans/chickpeas if you have some!)