Serves 4 to 6
Grilled Vegan Burger
- Prep Time 1 hour 10 minutes
- Cooking Time 1 hour 20 minutes
- Method Direct
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
- 2 tbsps avocado oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 tbsp chilli powder
- 2 tsps smoked paprika
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup walnut halves & pieces
- 1 large egg (or another vegan substitute)
- 2 tbsps mayonnaise (or another vegan substitute) 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season
- oil or nonstick cooking spray, for the grill grates
- for serving, as desired: burger buns, cheese, lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced onion or pickled red onion, ketchup or mayonnaise or burger sauce as desired, mustard, etc.
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa: Cook about 1/2 cup quinoa according to package directions; you will need 1 cup cooked quinoa for this burger recipe. Set aside, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Line a baking sheet or large plate with parchment paper, wax paper, or aluminium foil. Set aside.
- Black Bean Burgers:
- Toast the black beans: Add the avocado oil to a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Once hot, add the onion. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, until the onion is softened. Reduce the heat to low. Add the black beans to the skillet, stirring to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, until the black beans are toasted. Add the garlic, chilli powder, and smoked paprika to the skillet. Stir to coat the onion and black bean mixture, cooking for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
- Process the oats, chop the walnuts: Meanwhile, as the black bean mixture cooks, prep the oats & walnuts. Add the oats to a food processor. Process until the oats are broken down into a fine, flour-like consistency. Add the walnuts to the food processor. Pulse to chop into small pieces. Set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients: Add the egg, mayonnaise, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce to a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Mix the black bean burgers: Add the cooked quinoa, black bean mixture, oat and walnut mixture, and wet ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Use a spatula to fold, combining the mixture evenly. Take care not to overwork the mixture, crushing the black beans & quinoa, as you fold it together.
- Form the black bean burger patties: Divide the mixture into 4 even portions & shape into 4cm thick burger patties. It’s important that your burger patties are as compact as possible; this will help prevent them from crumbling or falling apart on the grill. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
- Chill: Transfer the black bean burger patties to the freezer to chill for 20-30 minutes.
- Prep the grill: Prepare your grill for medium-high direct cooking, about 230°C.
- Make sure the grates are clean.
- Immediately prior to grilling, grease the grill grates. Generously oil a paper towel (or spritz it with nonstick cooking spray). Use the grill tongs to run the oiled paper towel over the grill grates.
- Grill the black bean burgers: Remove the black bean burgers from the freezer & place on the prepared grill grates, directly over the fire. Grill for 4-5 minutes per side, flipping once halfway through. If desired, place a slice of cheese on each burger with 2 minutes cooking time remaining.
- NOTES
- Vegan substitutions:
- Egg: Swap with your favourite liquid egg replacer or a flax egg.
- Mayonnaise: Use your favourite egg-free mayo.
- Worcestershire sauce: Use a vegan-friendly Worcestershire sauce or do a 1:1 swap for something of similar richness, such as soy sauce, tamari, aged balsamic, miso, or even vegan BBQ sauce. Recipe Credit: Plays Well with Butter
- Preparation Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Braai Time: 10 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Serves: 4 to 6
- Skill Level: Medium
- Cooking Method: Direct
- Braai Temperature: 230 °C
