Make actually-worth-it Red Bean Burgers from scratch! Ditch the store-bought ones, make a batch, and enjoy throughout the week in burgers, bowls, and salads.
These bean burgers are healthy, hearty, and flavorful with a nice compact, meaty texture. Packed with sauteed onions, garlic, spices, mustard, and feta cheese, these will be your new favorite veggie burgers!
Gluten-Free & Vegetarian. Can be made Dairy-Free by removing the feta cheese.
The Best Red Bean Burgers
Look, I love a veggie burger but not the store-bought kind. The flavor is almost never fully satisfying and, for some reason, they turn me into a hot air balloon (why?).
What I like about these is that I can make a batch and then enjoy them throughout the week so I always have lunch sorted out. I usually throw them in a burger but you can also eat them chopped in a salad or a rice bowl or whatever you can come up with!
Why this recipe works:
- Packed with flavor: sauteed onions, garlic, spices, mustard, and feta cheese are there to give you all the flavor!
- Compact and meaty. These burgers aren’t mushy and won’t fall apart, they have a nice texture that can be enjoyed even by picky meat eaters (I’ve tried). The secret? Lightly roasting the beans.
- Easy to make. All you have to do is throw the ingredients in a bowl, shape into patties, and bake!
- Meal-prep. Make a batch and store them in the refrigerator or freezer to enjoy throughout the week!
- Versatile. Enjoy as hamburgers, chopped in salads or rice bowls, crumbled for a veggie bolognese sauce, as fillings for wraps and tacos, or shaped into meatballs.
Ingredients for Red Bean Burgers
Red beans, canned. The secret to a compact meaty bean burger is to drain and lightly roast the beans until the skins are slightly crunchy and most of the beans split open. I highly recommend you do it but you can technically skip this step, if desired, the catch is that you’ll have to add in lots of crushed cornflakes (or flour) to get a similar texture.
Olive oil, for sauteing the veggies.
Onion. You can use any.
Garlic, fresh.
Cumin, for flavor.
Paprika, I like smoked but regular will also work.
Cajun seasoning, optional, for flavor. This is really just an extra ingredient, if you don’t have it, skip it. But if you do have it and love it, I recommend it, it adds a nice touch
Feta cheese, optional. This can be removed if you’d like a dairy-free version of these burgers or if you just don’t have or like feta cheese. If using feta, I recommend goat-milk for that nice rich tang!
Mayonnaise, this adds flavor and a bit of structure.
Dijon mustard, for flavor. Regular mustard will also work. Alternatively, you can do BBQ sauce or both.
Cornflakes. This is what makes this burgers gluten-free while providing structure and texture. You can also use all-purpose or GF all-purpose flour instead but in different quantities.
Eggs for structure and flavor.
How to make red bean burgers at home
STEP ONE: Roast the canned beans for the perfect meaty texture. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the beans in a single layer onto your prepared baking sheet. Roast until slightly dried out (10-15 minutes) or until the skins are slightly crunchy and most of the beans split open. While roasting, saute the veggies.
STEP TWO: Saute the veggies. Add the olive oil to a medium skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the onion and saute until softened (4-5 minutes). Once softened, add in the garlic and saute until fragrant (another 2-3 minutes). Remove from the heat, transfer to a clean dish, and blot with paper towels to remove any extra oil and moisture.
STEP THREE: Make the burgers. In a large food processor or bowl, add the sauteed onions and garlic, eggs, feta cheese, crushed cornflakes, mayonnaise, cumin, paprika, cajun, salt, and pepper. Pulse (or mash with a fork if not using a food processor) until combined. Finally, add in the roasted beans and pulse (or mash) until combined, leaving some larger chunks of beans for extra texture.
STEP FOUR: Bake. Scoop out about 1/3 cup of the mixture and shape into a patty and place each patty onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350F (180C) for 10-15 minutes or until the outsides are crispy, flipping the burgers halfway through baking time.
Storing Instructions
These red bean burgers keep so well when stored which is why they’re great for meal-prepping!
Store covered with plastic wrap or in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5-6 days. Or in the freezer for up to 6 months (no need to thaw unless you want to, baking from frozen may take a few extra minutes though).
HAPPY COOKING!! I hope you'll love this Red Bean Burger Recipe as much as I do!
PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ if you make it! Your comments make my day!! You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy 🌈💘
More vegetarian recipes you’ll enjoy:
- Ecuadorian Cheesy Potato Patties
- Sticky Teriyaki Tofu Rice Bowl
- Taro Fritters with Yogurt Dip
- Sweet Potato Fries with Aioli
The Best Red Bean Burgers (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 2 (14-oz) (790 g) red kidney beans (drained, rinsed, and patted dry with paper towels)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 1/2 large onion
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup (70 g) feta cheese (crumbled)
- 1 cup (30 g) cornflakes (crushed into a fine powder using a food processor or a rolling pin and a ziplock bag)
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked or regular paprika
- 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning (optional)
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Bake the canned beans for the perfect meaty texture. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the beans in a single layer onto your prepared baking sheet. Roast until slightly dried out (10-15 minutes) or until the skins are slightly crunchy and most of the beans split open. While roasting, saute the veggies.
- Saute the veggies. Add the olive oil to a medium skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the onion and saute until softened (4-5 minutes). Once softened, add in the garlic and saute until fragrant (another 2-3 minutes). Remove from the heat, transfer to a clean dish, and blot with paper towels to remove any extra oil and moisture.
- Make the burgers. In a large food processor or bowl, add the sauteed onions and garlic, eggs, feta cheese, crushed cornflakes, mayonnaise, mustard, cumin, paprika, cajun, salt, and pepper. Pulse (or mash with a fork if not using a food processor) until combined. Finally, add in the roasted beans and pulse (or mash) until combined, leaving some larger chunks of beans for extra texture.
- Bake. Scoop out about 1/3 cup of the mixture and shape into a patty and place each patty onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350F (180C) for 10-15 minutes or until the outsides are crispy, flipping the burgers halfway through baking time.
Notes
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Maher says
How much feta cheese did you add? I did not see it in your recipe ingredients. Also, your description at the top of the recipe states that the burger is filled with mustard, but I do not see that in the recipe either
Bianka says
Hi Maher, that would be 1/2 cup or 70 g feta cheese and 1 tsp mustard. Hope that helps!