We’re warming up here in LA and I’m finally into putting together some recipes for summer. Queue the dancing lady emoji! These black been patties are the first ones because they are a common alternative to the traditional hamburger and I wanted to make sure I had you guys covered for any upcoming backyard hangouts.
Given there are a bunch of black bean patty recipes out there already, my main goal with this recipe was to provide something that would hold together to the last bite (black bean patties are notorious for falling apart when eaten and it’s always bothered me!). I also wanted something that had good flavor on it’s own and would take well to the classic hamburger fixings.
This isn’t a grill recipe so it won’t hold together over grates, but it can be either pan fried (oil-free of course, so get out that non-stick pan) or baked up in the oven if you want to make a larger batch, though I personally don’t think they come out quite as good; the browning you get from pan-frying them helps to amplify their great flavor.
These patties are also gluten free, using oat flour as the flour-binder rather than traditional wheat flour. I also highly recommend the added flax eggs to really hold these things together, but they do well without it if you don’t have ground flax seeds handy or available.
In terms of flavor, I’ve kept it simple but effective. One of the major things I see missed in other bb patty recipes is not grilling up the onions and garlic before folding them into the batter – I’ve never understood this! Taking that time to brown them up in a pan first brings out all of their good caramelization and flavor, rather than the raw, blander flavor you get from softened or baked onions and garlic.
Other than that, we’ve got a simple mix of spices to set us up with a solid and dependable patty that is:
- Flavorful
- Balanced
- Mild
- Well-textured
- Hold-together tested!
I’m excited to share more summer recipes as we continue to warm up here, but this one is perfect to throw between to buns with some mustard, ketchup, relish, tomatoes, lettuce and red onions for a classic take, or fancied up with some grilled onions and mushrooms, or grilled red bell pepper and jalapenos, or even barbeque sauce and grilled pineapple.
If you try out this recipe, let me know how you fix it up in the comments here or on my YouTube channel, or even tag me in a photo on Instagram @plantsnotplastic. I read every comment and love hearing from you. Enjoy!
Black Bean Patties
Equipment
- Non-stick frying pan or baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 small white or yellow onion finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1.5 cups black beans 1/2 cup dry, cooked or 1-15oz can, rinsed and completely drained
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4-1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4-1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato paste or ketchup
- 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
- 0.5-1.25 cups oat flour see directions
Serving Options
- Hamburger buns
- Lettuce
- Pickles
- Sliced tomato
- Avocado or fresh guacamole
- Sliced red onion
- Sautéed sliced red bell pepper or chopped jalapenos
- Grilled onions and mushrooms
- Barbeque sauce, ketchup, mustard and/or relish
- Vegan cheese [note#1]
- Other favorite toppings!
Instructions
- In a medium nonstick frying pan, sauté onions and garlic until fully caramelized and softened, about 8-10 minutes. Use 1-2 tbsp of water to deglaze the pan as needed as the bottom browns to get the caramelization back into the onions while they're cooking.
- Optional [note#2]: In the meantime, mix together a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax seeds & 3 tbsp water) and let it rest for a few minutes.
- Mash beans in a bowl, then add sautéed onions and garlic, the flax egg, all of the spices, the soy sauce, and ketchup (i.e. all ingredients except the oat flour) and stir to combine [note#3].
- Add the oat flour (starting with the smallest amount) and mix until you get the right texture; you're looking for the patty batter to stick to itself and be able to form a patty without falling apart (too dry) or being too sticky or running a not hold it's shape (too wet). Add more flour until the right texture is achieved.
- Form into four even patties and transfer to the non stick frying pan if cooking stovetop or the baking sheet if baking [note#4]
- Cook per below directions (or store patties for later) and serve with toppings of choice.
- Enjoy!
Stovetop
- Fry patties 2-3 at a time (or all four if you can fit them) in nonstick pan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes a side, or until browned.
Oven
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Video
Notes
- If you're using vegan cheese, melt a piece over the top of the patty after you've flipped it.
- The flax egg will help your patties to hold together better, but isn't necessary if you don't have it on hand.
- Alternatively, you can combine everything together in a food processor and pulse rather than using a bowl to mix.
- If you don't drain and rinse your beans well enough, you may need to add more oat flour to get them to the right texture. They still turn out fine if this is the case, but you may also end up with enough batter to make five patties rather than four.
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