Gluten Free Bean Burger

These Burgers are so satisfying, and they taste so close to the real thing. Sure I could have made a bean burger that was special in its own way, but my goal here was to get it as close as I possibly can to a beef burger. It is super simple, delicious, and satisfying, and there is no binding flour involved.

Ingredients: 

– 2 cups dry red beans 

-½ cup chickpeas 

-2 tablespoons baking soda 

-2/3 cups rolled oats 

-1 tablespoon salt 

-1 teaspoon garlic powder 

-1 teaspoon onion powder 

-1 teaspoon black pepper 

-1 tablespoon parsley flakes 

-2 teaspoons Cajun Spice 

-1 tablespoon all-purpose adobo seasoning 

-1 teaspoon liquid smoke 

-1 thinly diced medium onion 

-2 teaspoons smoked paprika 

-1 egg 

-Coconut or vegetable oil for frying 

-Cheese for topping 

Utensils 

– Large pot 

– Large bowl 

-Measuring cups 

-Measuring spoons 

-chopping board 

-Sharp knife 

-Potato masher 

-Wooden spoon 

-Flat spatula 

-Medium or large frying pan 

-Colander 

Directions 

I am super sensitive to beans of all sorts. So I follow a ridged, but very effective technique in preparing beans to aid in digestion. If you are not as sensitive, you can prepare your beans whatever way you are used to, but if you are like me have a difficult time digesting beans, then you’ll probably want to prepare them the way I do.

I have included the directions in the printable recipe as well.

The first thing that I like to do is to soak my beans overnight. Same goes for chickpeas or any type of dehydrated legumes. I also add a couple tablespoons of baking soda to the beans while they are soaking.

The baking soda aids in reducing the gases produced by the beans during the digestion process, it also plays a huge roll in the cooking process. Adding baking soda to the beans as they soak helps in braking down the pectin that is on the outer layer of the bean which will in terms helps it cook faster and without bursting.

I find that it is not enough to soak the beans for a few hours even though you can cook them after a couple hours of soaking. However, if you want to have optimal bean digestion, you’ll want to soak them overnight. The longer they soak the longer that baking soda can work on braking down the pectin that occurs on the outer layer of the bean.

I do the same with chickpeas as well. So in this recipe, I am soaking my red beans and chickpeas together in one bowl. They also both take about the same time to cook to the desired texture which is soft on the inside, but still hold their outer shape.

Once you have cleaned, soaked, and cooked the chickpeas and beans, you’ll want to drain them thoroughly. Any excess liquid will affect the outcome of the recipe. The more liquid there is, the less likely the bean burgers will hold their shape. You will then be forced to add a form of binder to the recipe.

What types of binders can you use?

For binders, I would suggest using my baking mix, oat flour, or rice flour. I would assume that any of these binders would work. I cannot promise you this however, as I have not tried them in this recipe because I did not find the need to, but I have tried them in other similar recipes.

Once you have drained the beans and chickpeas, place them in a large bowl and add in the rest of the ingredients.

The rolled oats play the binder roll here. They also add great flavor and wonderful vitamins and minerals to the recipe.

The egg also plays the roll of binding the ingredients together as well as adding some heartiness to the dish. If you wish to make these burgers into vegan burgers, you can omit the egg. I believe though, that the burgers may be on the dryer side and more crumbly if you do omit the egg, but it can be done.

The liquid smoke and smoked paprika add that real burger flavor that you’re craving, but instead of meat, you’re eating veggies. Which makes this dish perfect for a meatless night. If you are a vegetarian looking for a great satisfying burger, I promise, this is definitely worth it.

All the other seasonings and ingredients are essential to give this burger its meaty flavor. If you are looking for a vegetarian bean burger that doesn’t taste anything like a meat burger than I suggest you use other spices, or look for a different recipe.

I created this recipe because I wanted something that tastes like meat, that is filling like meat because I knew that my husband would appreciate it, and he did.

Normally after eating a vegetarian dish my husband would say, “I am hungry”, but this time he said, “This is very filling and satisfying, and it is delicious!” So win – win for me. I like meat, but not that much, and having a recipe that is full of healthy vegetables or legumes that my husband and kids devoured, they’re tummies were filled, and they loved it is a win senario for this wife and mama.

For the frying process, you will need the oil next to you at all times as these bean burgers do absorb quite a bit of oil. You do not want to place tons of oil in the pan, but add a little bit at a time as necessary to prevent the burgers from burning and to give them the crispy texture that they so desperately need.

Before you begin, preheat a medium or large pan on medium heat. Once the pan is slightly hot, add about a tablespoon or two of the oil of your choice. I like to use coconut oil, but vegetable oil works as well.

You’ll want to put some oil on your hands before you begin shaping the burgers as you may find yourself in a very sticky situation. I like to place a small bowl filled with a little bit of oil next to me as I shape these burgers. This way, I can easily dip my hand in it, and spread it between my palms and fingers every time I am about to make a new burger.

Once the pan and the oil is hot, but not smoking, add in the bean burger. You can add in as many bean burgers as you want into the pan, just make sure there is adequate space between the burgers so that you can easily turn them over.

You’ll want to cook each burger until it is crispy on the first side. You might need to add some oil to prevent the burgers from burning. Once the first side is crispy, take a spatula and carefully flip it onto the opposite side. Place a slice of cheese on top and let it cook until it is crispy on the opposite side.

Serve with your favorite toppings as you would with a regular burger. I like to serve mine with tomatoes, onions, pickles, coal slaw, ketchup, mustard, and sometimes lettuce. You could also serve it with my Gluten Free American Bread.

Bean Burger

Chantal

These Burgers are so satisfying, and they taste so close to the real thing. Sure, I could have made a bean burger that was special in its own way, but my goal here was to get it as close as I possibly can to a beef burger. It is super simple, delicious, and satisfying, and there is no binding flour involved.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 1 day d 2 hours hrs

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 10 people

Equipment

• Large pot
• Large bowl
• Measuring cups
• Measuring Spoons
• Chopping board
• Sharp knife
• Potato masher
• Wooden Spoon
• Flat spatula
• Medium or large frying pan
• Colander

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups dry red beans
• ½ cup chickpeas
• 2 tablespoons baking soda
• 2/3 cups rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
• 2 teaspoons Cajun Spice
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose adobo seasoning
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 thinly diced medium onion
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 egg
• Coconut or vegetable oil for frying
• Cheese for topping

Instructions

 

• Place the beans and chickpeas together in a large bowl. Take any rocks or blemished beans/chickpeas out. Rinse thoroughly. Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to the bean mixture. Fill the bowl with cold tap water and let the beans and chickpeas soak overnight. The baking soda will help the beans to get cooked faster. It will also aid in reducing the amount of gas produced by the beans.
• Once the beans have soaked overnight. Rinse thoroughly a couple times. Place in a large pot. Fill with water. Make sure that the water covers the beans by at least 2 inches. Cover and place on the stove over high heat.
• The beans will now produce lots of froth, so keep a close eye on them. Once you see the froth rising to the top. Turn off the heat. Remove beans from heat and drain in a colander. Rinse thoroughly until all the frothy liquid is out. This process will also help in reducing gases.
• Place back into the pot again and fill with water to cover the beans and chickpeas with at least 2 inches of water. Place back on high heat until it reaches a boil. Reduce heat to low and uncover. Let the beans cook for about an hour or until soft and you can easily mush them between your fingers, but they still hold their shape.
• Once the beans are fully cooked, using a colander, drain thoroughly making sure there is no excess liquid left. If you wish, you could reserve the liquid for other uses, but I personally don’t.
• Place the cooked beans and chickpeas in a large pot. Add in the rest of the ingredients. Using a potato masher, smash the beans to the desired consistency. I like to mash my beans until they are partly mushy, but some of the beans still hold their shape.
• Mix thoroughly using a wooden spoon.
• Preheat a frying pan on medium heat.
• Rub some oil between your hands. Take a handful of the bean mixture and place between your oiled palms and shape into a burger patty as big or as small as you would like.
• Place some oil of your choice in the preheated pan, and place the bean burger onto the oil in the frying pan.
• You will notice that the bean burger will absorb most of the oil, so you might need to add some extra oil as the bean burger continues to cook.
• If you notice that the heat is too high and your bean burger is burning rather than crisping on the bottom, reduce the heat to medium low.
• You will need to cook the burger on the first side until it is crispy, but not burned. This may take between 3 to 7 minutes depending on the heat that you are using and the type of pan that you are using.
• Once the first side is crispy and fully cooked, using a flat spatula, carefully flip the bean burger onto the opposite side. If you notice that the pan is too dry, add some oil to help the bean burger in crisping and to prevent burning it.
• If you are using cheese, now is the time to place a slice of cheese onto the burger while it continues to cook.
• Once the second side is crispy and well cooked, remove the burger off the heat and serve with your favorite toppings.
• Repeat the cooking process for as many bean burgers as you like.
• You can save this mixture in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and use it as necessary. You could also store this mixture in a freezer bag in the freezer. Thaw it the night before you are ready to use it, and use it as directed to make the bean burgers. Enjoy!

Notes

If you notice that your mixture is too wet then perhaps you did not drain the beans properly. In this case, you can add some of my baking flour mix to stiffen the mixture, or some oat flour.

You can use canned beans and canned chickpeas in place of the dry ones, just make sure to drain them thoroughly.

Keyword Bean Burger, Black Bean Burger, Burger, Red Bean Burger, Vegetarian Burger, Veggie Burger

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