Return to top
featured in… The Huffington Post CookingLight Reader's Digest Women's Health BuzzFeed Glamour Whole Foods Oprah Winfrey Network CNN Food Network Healthline Shape

Hello! I’m Anjali. I’m a board certified health coach, author, wife, mom and food lover from the SF Bay area (now living in Seattle, WA!); with a passion for delicious food and a desire to make healthy eating easy, tasty and fun! Learn more about me here and stay for a while!

Anjali Shah

Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.

These vegetarian black bean quinoa burgers are easy and quick to make, so they are perfect for a healthy and affordable weeknight meal. Your whole family will be impressed by how tasty and hearty the burgers are! The best part? They’re ready in under 30 minutes and can easily be made gluten-free and vegan, too!

Black bean quinoa burgers on a white plate served with roasted potatoes on the side.

If you are looking for a healthy and tasty way to mix up your weeknight meals, I’ve got a great recipe for you that’s sure to please even the pickiest eaters! 

These healthy black bean quinoa burgers are packed full of nutrients and fresh ingredients. And, even better, these burgers are super affordable if you’re looking to eat healthy on a budget. They can also easily be made vegan by substituting the egg for a flax egg.

👩🏽‍🍳 Why You’ll Love These Quinoa Black Bean Veggie Burgers

  • Customizable: You can easily adapt this quinoa veggie burger recipe to your diet whether you need it to be low-carb, gluten-free, or vegan. 
  • Easy: With just a handful of steps, this recipe comes together quickly and smoothly.
  • Healthy: These healthy veggie burgers are packed with wholesome ingredients, and are full of plant-based protein as well as fiber. With a whole wheat bun you’ll get plenty of whole grains, too!
  • Family-Friendly: This is a kid friendly veggie burger recipe, so the whole family can enjoy a wholesome lunch or dinner!

🥘 Ingredients

It only takes a few simple ingredients to make this black bean quinoa burger recipe. Top a sprouted whole wheat bun (or bun of choice) with quinoa black bean patties and toppings!

Ingredients for black bean quinoa burger recipe on a white background.

Burger Patty

  • Red Onion: Roughly chop the medium red onions into even-sized pieces for this black bean and quinoa burger recipe! You can also use onion powder, but for best results stick with chopped onion.
  • Garlic: While I prefer to use fresh garlic, you can use jarred minced garlic if you prefer. If you want more garlicky flavor, add in a few dashes of garlic powder.
  • Black Beans: Be sure to rinse and drain the canned black beans before you use them. Divide them before you begin so that they are ready when they need to be added. 
  • Cilantro: Fresh cilantro adds fresh flavor to the burgers.
  • Parsley: Fresh parsley leaves add herbaceousness to the patties. 
  • Egg (or flax egg): This is necessary to help bind the mixture together. For vegan black bean quinoa burgers, be sure to use the flax egg!
  • Cooked Quinoa: Be sure to follow the package directions for how to cook the quinoa.
  • Breadcrumbs: Whole wheat bread crumbs are another binder that holds the mixture together.
  • Salt, Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes: A pinch of salt, fresh ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes helps to balance the quinoa bean burger’s flavors and enhance the overall taste. Nobody wants bland veggie burgers!

Burger Toppings

  • Tomato: Bright, juicy tomatoes complement these black bean quinoa veggie burgers.
  • Red Onions: Sliced onions add crunchy texture and vibrant color.
  • Baby Spinach: Add even more nutrients by using spinach leaves instead of iceberg lettuce.
  • Ketchup: Add this classic topping to your quinoa and black bean burgers for a bit of sweetness.

🍲 Ingredient Substitutions

  • ​Bun: You can use any type of burger bun you want! We used sprouted wheat buns, but you can use regular whole wheat or white burger buns. For an upgrade, try using a brioche bun instead of a typical hamburger bun. 
  • Beans: If you don’t have black beans, canned pinto beans would also work.
  • Flour: Instead of whole wheat flour, use almond flour, oat flour, or your preferred alternative flour.
  • Cilantro: Instead of using cilantro, substitute Thai basil or add more parsley.

🔪 How To Make Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

Even if it is your first time making vegetarian black bean burgers, there is no need to worry! Here’s how to make this easy quinoa black bean burger recipe. For more detailed instructions and nutrition facts, see the recipe card below.

Prep The Aromatics: Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse onion and garlic until finely chopped.

Red onion and garlic in a food processor

Make Black Bean Mixture: Add a portion of the black beans, cilantro, parsley, egg, and red pepper flakes and pulse to combine.

All ingredients for the burgers in a food processor

Check The Texture: The mixture is ready when it looks like this:

All ingredients after blending

Add Remaining Ingredients: Transfer the black bean mixture to a large bowl, and add the remaining can of black beans, quinoa, and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and mix until a pasty mixture forms. (It should still be a bit chunky)

Blended ingredients in a bowl with breadcrumbs

Form Black Bean Patties: Divide mixture into 6 portions and form patties.

Six bean burger patties on a wooden chopping board

Cook The Burgers: Place burger patties on a hot oiled grill (or in a frying pan) over medium heat and cook about 6 minutes a side or until heated through.

black Bean burgers being cooked in a frying pan

Prep The Buns: Toast hamburger buns on a grill until golden brown. Place a burger on the bottom of each bun. 

Add Toppings & Serve: Top with baby spinach (or lettuce), tomato, onions, and ketchup. Cover the burgers with the top of the bun and serve with regular fries or parmesan truffle fries!

Black bean quinoa burgers on a white plate served with roasted potatoes on the side.

💭 Expert Tips

  • Don’t over-process your ingredients. You want the mixture to be chunky, not a full puree, otherwise, it will be mushy on the inside after you cook it.
  • Use alternate tools. If you don’t have a food processor or blender, you can use a potato masher or a fork!
  • Grease the pan. You can use olive oil cooking spray for the grill pan if you need an easy way to grease it before cooking the burgers.
  • Make the burgers meaty. One tip to make your burger even chunkier and meaty is to partially dry out the black beans in the oven before adding them to the burger mixture. I got this tip from Serious Eats. All you have to do is spread the rinsed/drained canned black beans onto a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 15 minutes in the oven before adding them to the mixture.

📖 Variations

​Put your own spin on this hearty veggie burger recipe with your own favorite ways, or try one of these!

  • Lettuce Wraps: Use lettuce wraps as a handy way to hold the black bean burger with quinoa while also eliminating some carbs.
  • Vegetables: Incorporate sauteed mushrooms to add more nutrients and a wonderful meaty texture. Try red bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, or jalapeño peppers for a pop of color and a little crunch. Making sweet potato black bean quinoa burgers is the ultimate move for the fall and winter season! Who doesn’t love sweet potatoes?!
  • Heat: To add a spicy kick to these homemade veggie burgers, incorporate chili powder, cayenne pepper, or jalapeño peppers.
  • Worcestershire: Impart umami by adding a few dashes of Worcestershire when mixing. 
  • Adobo Sauce: For a more complex flavor profile in the bean and quinoa burgers, add a little bit of adobo sauce to the mixture.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

When topping these quinoa cowboy veggie burgers, I stayed classic and used tomatoes, red onions, and baby spinach and finished them off with some ketchup. You can add your own favorite toppings or try some of these: 

Then, on the side, you can serve side dishes like: 

Black bean quinoa burgers cut in half, stacked on a white plate served with roasted potatoes on the side.

🙌 Dietary Adaptations

  • Gluten-Free And Low-Carb Option: For gluten free veggie patties, replace the breadcrumbs with oat flour or gluten-free breadcrumbs. You can look for gluten free vegan burger buns or use lettuce wraps instead. This will make the burgers low-carb, too.
  • Vegan Option: To make vegan quinoa burgers, use the flax egg versus regular egg. It’s also important to check your bread to make sure it’s vegan, as many buns have egg, dairy, or honey.

🫙 Storage Directions

Here is how to store and keep this black bean quinoa burgers recipe:

  • To Refrigerate: Store these homemade black bean burgers in the refrigerator for 4-6 days in an airtight container.
  • To Freeze: These budget-friendly burgers freeze really well. The patties can be frozen before or after cooking; just stack them with parchment paper, separating each. Then, store them in a ziplock bag.
  • To Reheat If Frozen Before Cooking: Thaw them in the fridge and then cook burger as per the recipe below.
  • To Reheat If Frozen After Cooking: Thaw in the fridge or on the countertop and warm them up on a skillet just to re-crisp the outside.

❓Recipe FAQs

ARE BLACK BEAN BURGERS ACTUALLY HEALTHY? 

Yes!! Black Beans are one of the healthiest, vegan, and vegetarian-friendly proteins, as they are low in calories and packed with protein, dietary fiber, potassium, and folate. These burgers are a great meat-free alternative that you can easily incorporate into your weekly meal plan.

HOW DO YOU KEEP BLACK BEAN BURGERS FROM FALLING APART? 

To keep homemade burgers from falling apart, you need binders. Two key ingredients (binders) hold these burgers together: breadcrumbs and eggs! As mentioned, you can easily use gluten-free breadcrumbs for a gluten-free binder or flax eggs for a vegan binder!

WHY IS MY BLACK BEAN BURGER MUSHY?

Mixing the ingredients too much and too long can produce mushy burgers. Only mix as much as is necessary to combine the ingredients. Be sure you cook the burgers long enough so that they firm up and get crispy on the outside. If made as directed you will have the best veggie burgers with great texture.

How do you make black bean burgers for kids?

Veggie burgers are always a big hit with my kids because they love the burger bun and all of the toppings! These black bean burgers are super mild, not too spicy or strong in flavor, making them perfect for kids. 

For more of a toddler black bean burger (or even a black bean burger for baby) I recommend serving up a “deconstructed” burger. The way you do this is: cut up the patty into bite-sized cubes with ketchup for dipping and serve the bun + toppings in small cubes on the side! This is a great blw black bean burger option to introduce to your little one after they have started solids. Just leave out the red pepper flakes, and possibly the garlic and onion too.

Black bean quinoa burgers on a white plate served with roasted potatoes on the side.

🍔 More Vegetarian Burger Recipes!

Want to Save This Recipe?

Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

Save Recipe

By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Picky Eater.

Love this plant based burger recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating 🌟 in the recipe below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page!

You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family-friendly food, and if you have any questions, I’m here to help!

📋 Recipe Card

Black bean quinoa burgers on a white plate served with roasted potatoes on the side.
Print Recipe
5 from 28 votes

Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

These vegetarian black bean quinoa burgers are easy and quick to make, so they are perfect for a healthy and affordable weeknight meal. Your whole family will be impressed by how tasty and hearty the burgers are! The best part? They're ready in under 30 minutes and can easily be made gluten-free and vegan, too!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Total Time27 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, vegetarian
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 6 burgers
Calories: 250kcal
Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

For The Burgers

  • ½ medium red onion roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp chopped garlic
  • 30 oz canned black beans rinsed and drained, divided
  • 2 tbsp freshly chopped cilantro leaves
  • 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley leaves
  • 1 egg or 1 flax egg
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • cup cooked quinoa
  • ½ cup whole wheat bread crumbs or oat flour
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • 4 sprouted wheat burger buns

For The Toppings

  • sliced tomato
  • sliced red onions
  • baby spinach leaves
  • ketchup

Instructions

  • Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse onion and garlic until finely chopped.
  • Add 1 can black beans, cilantro, parsley, egg, and red pepper flakes and pulse to combine.
  • Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl, add the remaining can of black beans, quinoa, and the bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and mix until well combined.
  • Divide mixture into 6 portions and form into patties.
  • Place on hot oiled grill over medium-low heat and cook about 6 minutes a side or until heated through.
  • Toast hamburger buns on a grill. Place a burger on the bottom of each bun. Top with baby spinach (or lettuce), tomato, onions, and ketchup.
  • Cover the burgers with the top of the bun and serve.

Notes

Top Tips for Making Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

  • To make these burgers vegan, replace the egg with a flax egg.
  • Don’t over-process your ingredients! You want the mixture to be chunky, not a full puree, otherwise it will be mushy on the inside after you cook it.
  • If you don’t have a food processor or blender, you can use a potato masher or a fork!
  • You can use olive oil cooking spray for the grill pan if you need an easy way to grease it before cooking the burgers.
  • One tip you can try to make your burger even chunkier and meaty is to partially dry out the black beans in the oven before you add them to the burger mixture. I got this tip from Serious Eats. All you have to do is take the rinsed/drained canned black beans and spread them onto a lined baking sheet — baking them for 15 minutes in the oven before adding them to the mixture.
Notes: Nutritional values are based on one black bean burger patty. Recipe modified from Food Network.

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 544mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 1.1mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 3.5mg

50 responses to “Black Bean Quinoa Burgers”

  1. I’ve been trying to eat less meat, so I made these burgers last night and OMG were they delicious! Definitely adding it to our regular rotation!5 stars

  2. One of my favorite kind of burger and love the tip of partially drying out the black beans. Will be trying it out when I make it next time.5 stars

  3. This looks really healthy, I’m all for healthy recipes so I would love to give this a shot, will I achieve a different texture or the same with the normal burger recipes?5 stars

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Subscribe to newsletter

Copyright 2024 The Picky Eater®, LLC. All rights reserved.