A simple veggie burger that is loaded with Latin flavors, these black bean quinoa burgers are a cinch to whip up and are naturally gluten-free!
Being gluten-free has its challenges. But it’s much easier than you may think.
For one, when you’re on a gluten-free diet because you are either allergic (have Celiac disease) or have a sensitivity, you have to carefully monitor every single ingredient that’s going into your body.
Especially when it comes to packaged foods.
Foods that you wouldn’t ever imagine would be made with wheat (or rye or barley) products, actually are — dressings, sauces, ice creams, etc.
All these types of foods maybe aren’t thought of as something that uses flour (or another gluten containing ingredient), but in reality many of them are.
Gluten lurks where you least except it.
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Vegetarian black bean burgers are one of those food items that sadly (for me at least) are made using breadcrumbs.
There’s this awesome black bean burger that I always used to buy and keep in the freezer to have for lunch or a quick dinner.
Just pop them in a pan, heat them and you’ve got a healthy, protein-packed meal.
But they contain gluten.
So no can do for me.
I decided easy black bean burgers were just one of those meals I couldn’t keep missing out on.
I had to create my own gluten-free version of a black bean burger.
I’ve had success using quinoa as a binding agent in burgers and meatballs before, so I figured this would be a pretty simple recipe to recreate.
And guess what? It totally was.
This black bean quinoa burger recipe is definitely going to be on the rotation!
These homemade black bean burgers are loaded with flavor and pack a powerful nutritional punch too.
They’re a perfect lunch or dinner (and actually would be quite good for breakfast as well with a fried/poached egg on top) either served on a bun, in a lettuce wrap, or on a salad.
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Quinoa Black Bean Burger Ingredients
These homemade black bean burgers require just a handful of ingredients to make, many of which I bet are already in your pantry!
- Black beans
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Spices (chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika)
- Salt and pepper
- Lime
- Hot sauce
- Quinoa
- Egg white
How to Make Black Bean Burgers
This 20-minute vegetarian burger recipe is a breeze to whip up.
You first need to gather the ingredients.
Reserve 1/2 cup of black beans and set aside.
Then add everything but the egg white, cooked quinoa, and reserved beans to the bowl of a food processor.
Blend the mixture until it forms a thick, chunky puree.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl, then add in the reserved black beans as well as the quinoa and egg white.
Mix everything together with a spatula.
Shape the mixture into six patties, and let them chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Once chilled, cook the burgers in a skillet until browned on both sides.
Tips for Making this Recipe
Did you know you can quickly cook quinoa in an Instant Pot when you’re preparing this recipe for Quinoa Black Bean Burgers? Head over to my post: How to Make Quinoa in the Instant Pot for all the details!
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How to Freeze Black Bean Burgers with Quinoa
These gluten-free black bean burgers freeze beautifully, so you can keep them in your freezer for those days when you really don’t feel like cooking.
Make a big batch ahead of time to keep on hand in your freezer!
- Gather the ingredients.
- Line a large baking sheet (or two or three, depending on how many burgers you plan to make) with parchment paper.
- Prepare the burgers according to the recipe instructions up to the part where you chill them in the fridge.
- Instead, place the shaped patties on the lined pans.
- Transfer the pan to the freezer and freeze the black bean quinoa burgers until solid.
- Then, transfer them to a freezer quality ziploc bag.
- Remove the air from the bag.
- Label the bag with date and contents.
- Place in the freezer!
More Black Bean Recipes:
These Slow Cooker Baked Beans are made with three types of beans and lots of pepper. If you’re vegetarian, omit the bacon.
Black Bean Hummus is a great party appetizer and can be doubled to feed a crowd.
Unsure what to make for dinner? Try this Butternut Squash Black Bean Chili — you’ll love it!
Chicken, Black Bean, and Spinach Enchiladas are surprisingly easy to make.
These Southwest Protein Bowls are a hearty breakfast or brunch option.
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What’s your favorite way to cook with black beans?
Black Bean Quinoa Burgers
A simple veggie burger that is loaded with Latin flavors, these black bean quinoa burgers are a cinch to whip up and are naturally gluten-free!
Ingredients
- 2 cans black beans, rinsed and strained
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 - 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Zest of 1 Lime
- Juice of 1 Lime
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce of choice
- 1 1/4 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 egg white
Instructions
- Reserve 1/2 cup black beans and set aside.
- Add the remaining beans, shallot, garlic, spices, lime zest, juice and hot sauce into the bowl of a food processor fit with a steel blade.
- Process until the bean mixture is the texture of a very chunky puree.
- Transfer the processed bean mixture to a medium sized mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining beans, cooked quinoa and egg white and stir together to form your 'dough'.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions.
- Then, shape the 6 bean portions into individual patties and chill in the fridge for at least 1/2 an hour, more if you have time.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and grease with your preferred oil.
- Pat the burger patties dry on both sides using a paper towel.
- Once the skillet is hot, add the patties to the pan.
- You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your pan.
- Cook them until browned, about 3 - 5 minutes per side.
Notes
Freezing Instructions
Uncooked burgers can be frozen for later use.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper or wax paper.
- Place the patties on the lined tray and transfer to the freezer.
- Freeze for 45 minutes, or until frozen solid.
- Then, transfer frozen patties to a freezer safe container or resealable freezer storage bag.
- If stacking the burgers, place a small sheet of parchment paper or wax paper between each patty.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 140Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 0mgSodium 82mgCarbohydrates 26gFiber 7gSugar 2gProtein 8g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
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Kelly
Friday 17th of April 2015
Was nervous about all these hot spices and sauce but I actually don't even taste it. Burger looks nothing like the picture mine needed up being burger crumbles cause it just would not cook right.it cooked for 10 minutes or so and is still hardly brown. I am paranoid about that egg in it and am terrified of eating raw egg so I hope it's cooked properly. I mashed it on to my bread and its holding together well. Over all I love this burger just wish it would look more like yours and cook up right. But the flavors is great, thanks for the recipe.
P.s.....my husband who does not like veggie burgers just came over and ate a bit and said it was pretty good.
Emily
Sunday 26th of May 2019
Made these today for lunch, had to halve the recipe because my family doesn’t generally eat veggie burgers. They wouldn’t brown no matter how long I cooked them though, they ended up crumbly and I had to try and squeeze them together when plating them. Taste was great!
Louise
Friday 28th of March 2014
I live in Australia and would love to know what size cans you are referring to?
Amy
Wednesday 28th of August 2013
I love these burgers so much I've made the recipe three times!
Sarah
Sunday 28th of July 2013
I just made these today and they are amazing! Where I live trying to find gluten free vegetarian anything is like trying to find bigfoot. I did use one can of chickpeas, instead of 2 of black and after frying them baked them for around 7 minutes and they stayed together very well.
Sara
Saturday 22nd of June 2013
FYI celiac disease is NOT an allergy. Celiac disease, allergy, and intolerance are 3 separate things. CD is an autoimmune disorder and thus affects people significantly different than an allergy. Gotta be careful how you word things.