Say hello to your new favorite veggie burger.
It’s gluten-free, BIG on flavor, infused with smoky BBQ flavor, and perfect on the grill or stovetop. Let’s do this!
This burger is easy to make, requiring simple methods and 10 wholesome ingredients you likely have on hand right now.
It all starts with black beans that are cooked down until dry and cracked, which helps keep the burgers from being mushy. Then comes toasted pecans, which are pulsed into a meal.
Then we add quinoa, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, cumin, chili powder, BBQ sauce, and salt. Quinoa adds moisture and also binds the burgers, and the rest is all about flavor: sweet potatoes for sweetness, mushrooms for “meatiness” and texture, and the spices and sauce for smoky BBQ flavor.
For these burgers, it’s best to sear both sides on the stovetop and then finish baking in the oven, where they will dry out and firm up a bit. But they are firm enough for the grill as well!
Once cooked, it’s all about the toppings. We went for vegan buns, lettuce, cabbage, red pepper, pickles, and more BBQ + a little hot sauce. Swoon.
We hope you all LOVE these burgers! They’re:
Smoky
Tender
Hearty
Satisfying
Customizable
Easy to make
& SO delicious
These burgers would make the perfect weeknight meal for you and the family or for hosting! Serve with Crispy Baked Fries, Garlicky Kale Salad, or Garlicky Guac and Plantain Chips!
If you’re into veggie burgers, also be sure to check out our Chickpea Sun-Dried Tomato Burgers, Grillable Veggie Burgers, Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger, Black Bean Beet Veggie Burger, Simple Veggie Sliders, and Green Chili Veggie Burger.
If you like this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Smoky BBQ Black Bean Burger
Smoky, hearty black bean burgers with sweet potato, mushrooms, quinoa, and pecans. Wholesome, satisfying, BIG on flavor, and just 10 ingredients required! The ultimate veggie burgers for the grill or stovetop. Print SAVE SAVED
from votes Prep Time 1 hour Cook Time 45 minutes Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes Servings 4 (burgers)Course EntreeCuisine Gluten-Free, VeganFreezer Friendly 1 monthDoes it keep? 3-4 Days
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Ingredients
US Customary – Metric
BURGERS
1 cup cooked + cooled quinoa (divided // see notes for cooking instructions)1 15-ounce can black beans (rinsed and dried)2/3 cup raw pecans1 Tbsp coconut or avocado oil (plus more for cooking burgers // or water)1 heaping cup sliced and peeled sweet potato (cut into 1/4-inch rounds)2 heaping cups thinly sliced cremini or button mushrooms2 Tbsp coconut aminos (optional)1/2 tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)2 1/2 tsp chili powder2 1/2 tsp cumin powder3 Tbsp vegan-friendly BBQ sauce (I like Annie’s organic original BBQ sauce // plus more for glazing)
FOR SERVING (optional)
Vegan-friendly hamburger buns OR lettuce wraps (and gluten-free if needed)Veggies of choice (i.e. onion, cabbage, tomato, pickles)
Instructions
If you haven’t yet, cook quinoa and set aside to cool (see notes for instructions).Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and spread rinsed, dried black beans onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake beans for 6 minutes. Then add pecans to the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes more. The nuts should be fragrant and golden brown (be careful not to burn), and the beans should appear dry and cracked open (this way, they do not become mushy in the burger mix). Set aside to cool. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 C).In the meantime, heat a medium to large cast-iron or metal skillet over medium/medium-low heat. Once hot, add oil (or water) and the sweet potato. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes, turning heat down if the potatoes are browning too quickly. Once browned on the underside, flip and cook for 3-4 minutes more or until tender and golden brown. Remove from the pan.To the still-hot pan, add the sliced mushrooms and coconut aminos (optional – sub a little salt otherwise) and cook on medium/medium-high for about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until they’re browned, fragrant, and cooked down to half their size. Set aside.To a food processor, add beans and pecans and blitz/pulse into a loose meal (some texture is good – you don’t want a powder).Next, add cooked sweet potato, mushrooms, half the quinoa, sea salt, chili powder, cumin, and BBQ sauce and pulse a few times to combine (again, some texture is good here – you’re not going for a purée).Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in the rest of the quinoa. Then taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more cumin for smokiness, chili powder for heat, BBQ sauce for sweetness / depth of flavor, or salt for saltiness.If the mixture appears too wet, add more quinoa. If it looks too dry, add more BBQ sauce (or a little coconut aminos) to moisten.Divide the mixture into four even balls and form into patties with your hands or by lining a 1/2 cup measuring cup with plastic wrap, packing the mixture inside, then lifting the plastic wrap out – mash slightly into more of a disc. Refrigerate burgers for 30 minutes.Once chilled, heat the cast-iron or metal pan from earlier over medium heat. Once hot, add a bit more oil (or water) and the burgers. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Then carefully flip and cook for 4-5 minutes on the other side. Then turn off heat, glaze/brush with a bit more BBQ sauce, and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake at 375 F (190C) for 10-15 minutes more. The burgers should appear browned.Serve as is or with toppings. We enjoyed ours on buns with butter lettuce, shredded red pepper, shredded cabbage, pickles, radish, and more BBQ sauce. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
*To cook quinoa, add 1 part rinsed, drained quinoa to a small saucepan and toast for 3 minutes over medium heat. Then add 2 parts water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 18 minutes or until water is absorbed. Then fluff with a fork and set off the heat uncovered to cool. (As the recipe is written, the amounts should be 1/2 cup quinoa to 1 cup water.)
*Prep time does not include cooking and cooling quinoa.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 burger calculated without optional ingredients.
Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)
Serving: 1 burger Calories: 369 Carbohydrates: 42.1 g Protein: 11.1 g Fat: 18.8 g Saturated Fat: 4.2 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.1 g Monounsaturated Fat: 8.2 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 823 mg Potassium: 713 mg Fiber: 11.9 g Sugar: 7 g Vitamin A: 857 IU Vitamin C: 3.6 mg Calcium: 94 mg Iron: 4.3 mg