Needed: Black Bean Burger Help

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CorydonCutie
CorydonCutie Posts: 185 Member
edited April 2016 in Food and Nutrition
I have tried making black bean burgers and I'm having a little trouble. The flavor is great, I just can't get them to firm up. I've tried using bread crumbs but when I put them on the grill they were mushy and I couldn't get them off without making a mess. Today, I added egg to it and I still had issues. Any suggestions on what would make this firm, yet not alter the taste dramatically? I was thinking maybe some oats instead of bread crumbs, but I really have no clue!

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  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
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    I have always baked them. Do you have to grill them?
  • CorydonCutie
    CorydonCutie Posts: 185 Member
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    No, I put them in my ceramic skillet tonight but they were still mushy. Then I think I cooked them too long because they were crumbly.

  • CorydonCutie
    CorydonCutie Posts: 185 Member
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    JanetYellen wrote: »
    I have always baked them. Do you have to grill them?
    would you be willing to share your recipe? I am just using one I found online. Maybe yours is better?

  • faidwen
    faidwen Posts: 131 Member
    edited April 2016
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    For mine I use the following recipe which binds nicely.... I think the egg & quinoa works well with the mashed black beans and bread crumbs....
    1⁄4 cup quinoa
    1⁄2 cup water
    1 (15 ounce) can black beans rinsed and drained
    1⁄2 cup bread crumbs
    1⁄4 cup minced yellow bell pepper
    2 tablespoons minced onion
    1 large clove garlic minced
    1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cumin
    1⁄2 teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Frank's RedHot®)
    1 egg
    3 tablespoons olive oil
    5 whole wheat hamburger buns

    Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes.
    Roughly mash the black beans with a fork leaving some whole black beans in a paste-like mixture.
    Mix the quinoa, bread crumbs, bell pepper, onion, garlic, cumin, salt, hot pepper sauce, and egg into the black beans using your hands.
    Form the black bean mixture into 5 patties.
    Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.
    Cook the patties in the hot oil until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

    ALSO, make certain that they are NOT too thick, and that they get a nice crust on them before flipping. Remember, they will STILL be slightly fall-a-part-ish, it is just the nature of the beast... :)
  • KDar1988
    KDar1988 Posts: 650 Member
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    I just made black bean burgers tonight! I use a recipe from Allrecipes.com. It's Homemade Black Bean veggie Burgers. I have not had them be mushy. I bake them for about 25 minutes at 425 degrees. They hold together nicely with breadcrumbs. I make these often!
  • faidwen
    faidwen Posts: 131 Member
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    Aaaah baking them... that is an EXCELLENT idea!!!
  • CorydonCutie
    CorydonCutie Posts: 185 Member
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    Thank you all for your suggestions!
  • bebeisfit
    bebeisfit Posts: 951 Member
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    I've had the same problem with all kinds of bean burgers. I just read a recipe that you let them sit in the fridge for an hour or two (or overnight) before cooking. Your recipe sounds delicious.
  • creativecritters77
    creativecritters77 Posts: 19 Member
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    Some great tips here! With mine I either use my nonstick griddle to cook them or I bake them. I don't make them as big as regular hamburgers- more like big flat meatballs (I generally serve them over brown rice rather than on a bun- less carbs). I've used breadcrumbs, flour, quinoa, rice, and oatmeal as binders (I make them a bit differently every time) and add an egg as well. Refrigerating them does seem to help them hold together better. I also add lots of veggies for added flavor and nutrition. Sometimes you just have to experiment a bit to find the right combination of ingredients and techniques ;) Best of luck!
  • mistyh10
    mistyh10 Posts: 42 Member
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    I use oats and I also freeze them at least an hour or 2 before cooking on a skillet. They come out perfect little patties! :-)
  • alltheweigh170
    alltheweigh170 Posts: 287 Member
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    http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-best-ever-veggie-burger-96967
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
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    I always freeze them first, and I am absolutely in love with this recipe

    Spicy Black Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayo
  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
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    The easiest way is take a thick, juicy hamburger and put the black beans on top. Yummy.
  • AigreDoux
    AigreDoux Posts: 594 Member
    edited April 2016
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    One recipe I tried had you bake the beans before processing them into burgers to firm them up a bit. I think it worked really well, though the recipe overall is a bit high in calories (I calculated about 400 per burger if you divide this into 6 burgers, so depends on what you're aiming for. A 400 cal burger with a 100 calorie bun, veggies, pickles, and a side salad wouldn't be a terrible dinner)

    http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/03/the-best-black-bean-burger-recipe.html
  • Jupither
    Jupither Posts: 11 Member
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    For me a cornflower-tofu mix helped nicely with the binding, they didnt fall apart at all anymore

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