BBQ Black Bean Burgers (no crumble)

Name: BBQ Black Bean Burgers
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 (15oz) cans black beans, drained, rinsed & dried; 1/2 cup oat flour, gluten free as needed; 1 carrot, about 1/2 cup, grated & dried (or 1/2 cup juice pulp); 4 Tablespoons tomato paste; 1/2 cup cooked quinoa; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1/4 teaspoon paprika; 1/4 teaspoon chili powder; 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon cumin; 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt, or to taste; 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke; 1 Tablespoon vegan worcestershire sauce; Handful of fresh cilantro; Fresh avocado, mashed; BBQ sauce of choice; Red onion, sliced; All-seasons salt

Published: Jan 29, 2016 · Modified: May 22, 2024 by Marlena Luna · This post may contain affiliate links. · 36 Comments

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No Crumble BBQ Black Bean Burgers are a perfectly crave-able vegan burger that won’t fall apart! Grill them on the BBQ at your next summer party or bake them in the oven for an oil-free dinner. Top with mashed avocado, red onion slices, and your favorite BBQ sauce for an amazing meatless meal.

Vegan no crumble black bean burger on a wheat bun topped with mashed avocado, red onion slices and bbq sauce.

I’ve had my fair share of crumbling black bean burgers. I've tried everything from flax eggs to excess amounts of oat flour trying to keep my burger patties together. Yet, I was always left picking bits of crumbled black bean patty off the pan.

The 'messy burger' was tasty, but that doesn’t outweigh the annoyance of a crumbling vegan burger!

What's the secret to NO crumble black bean burgers?

This is the same vegan burger recipe I have been using for years so the taste has been perfected. The only difference is they don't crumble now!

The secret to these no crumble BBQ black bean burgers is––NO excess moisture!

These vegan burgers are exactly what I have been dreaming about. So, I was ecstatic to flip them over without a burger crumble on the pan.

What helps bind these black bean burgers?

My original recipe used ketchup which I swapped out for tomato paste since it has less moisture.

Drying a few of the ingredients also helps bind the burgers by removing excess moisture. Shredded carrots release a ton of unwanted moisture so they must be dried. And the rinsed black beans also need to be dried.

Together, the carrots and beans only take a minute to dry and it's absolutely necessary if you don't want fall-apart, nuisance burgers.

How to remove the excess moisture from the carrots

Place the shredded carrot on a paper towel and press out all the moisture. The carrot shreds should be dry to the touch after pressing. You may need to repeat the process 1-2 times.

Tip: If you're into juicing and have leftover juice pulp, now is a perfect time to use it! Sub the carrot for ½ cup juice pulp.

How to dry the black beans

These are a little harder to completely dry, but that's ok. I grab about 2-3 paper towels and gently squeeze the beans. Do this until most of the water is absorbed and the beans are at least 80% dry.

How to make the perfect black bean burger patties

Set aside ¼ cup of the black beans. Mash the rest of the beans in a large mixing bowl. Once the beans are mashed add the remaining ingredients to your bowl and mix.

A bowl with black beans, shredded carrots, cooked quinoa, fresh cilantro, tomato paste, oat flour, and seasonings

Finish mixing the ingredients with your hands until it comes together.

Once well combined, divide the mixture into 8 even portions. Roll each portion into a ball.

To shape the patties

Flatten each ball into a patty.
To keep a round shape, cup your hands around the sides of the patty and gently press back into a circle.
Again, flatten the patty to an even thickness. Flip it over and shape the sides again, if needed.
Repeat with each patty.

To grill the burgers

One great thing about this recipe, there is no rest or chill time needed. Place these patties straight onto an oiled pan or grill. Cook for about 10-13 minutes on each side or until brown.

I love my grill/griddle combo (affiliate link). I can cook all 8 patties at once so there is no waiting!

Assemble the perfect BBQ burger

Place your patty on a toasted bun.

Generously top the patty with your favorite BBQ sauce and a few red onion slices. Add the mashed avocado to the top bun and sprinkle with all-seasons salt.

Place the top bun on your patty and devour that BBQ burger you've been craving! I am guilty of eating 2 at a time!

To freeze black bean patties

Place each patty between parchment paper and store it in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the freezer. To reheat, cook the patty in a pan over medium heat until heated throughout. Or bake the patty in the oven at 400º for 15-20 min. Flip half-way through.

Try the patties in one of these recipes

Vegan Copycat In-N-Out Burger

Grilled Huli Huli Burger

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See ya there!

BBQ Black Bean Burgers

Yield: 8 patties

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Stoke up the grill this summer for these crave-able vegan burgers. They won’t fall apart!

Ingredients

2 (15oz) cans black beans, drained, rinsed & dried
½ cup oat flour, gluten free as needed
1 carrot, about ½ cup, grated & dried (or ½ cup juice pulp)
4 Tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup cooked quinoa
1 teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon liquid smoke
1 Tablespoon vegan worcestershire sauce
Handful of fresh cilantro

Topping

Fresh avocado, mashed
BBQ sauce of choice
Red onion, sliced
All-seasons salt

Instructions

Rinse the black beans, then lay them flat on a towel to dry while you prep the other ingredients. (For a quicker way to dry the beans; use a tea towel or paper towels and gently squeeze the beans) They should be at least 80% drier than they were after rinsing.
Next grate and dry the carrot. Dry the grated carrot by pressing it between a few paper towels. They should be dry to the touch after pressing. You may need to repeat this step 1-2 times.
Add the the beans to a large bowl (reserving ¼ cup). Mash the beans with a potato masher or fork. The beans should be crumbly/pasty.
Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl, including the reserved beans. Using a spoon, mix all the ingredients together. Finish mixing with your hands to completely combine everything. At this point you can taste the bean mix and adjust seasonings if needed.
Divide the bean mix into 8 even portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Carefully flatten each bean ball using your hands.
To shape, cup your hands around the sides of the flattened patty and gently press it back into a circle with the sides of your hand and pinky. Flatten the patty, again, to an even thickness . Flip it over and shape the sides again, if needed. Repeat with each patty until they are all formed.
Lightly oil to your pan or grill and heat over medium-high. Once heated, carefully place the patties down one at a time. Cook for 10 min on each side, or until browned. (For an oil free option, these can be baked at 400º in the oven. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes on each side.).
Top each burger with a generous amount of BBQ sauce, red onion and mashed avocado sprinkled with all-seasons salt.

Notes

Freezing Note: Any leftovers can easily be frozen. Place each patty between parchment paper and store in an airtight container in the freezer. To reheat, cook the patty in a pan over medium heat until heated. Or bake the patty in the oven at 400º for 15-20 min. Flip half-way through.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 burgers Serving Size: 1 burger
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 138Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 86mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 5gSugar: 4gProtein: 5g

**Nutritional info is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients I used and for convenience and as a courtesy only.**