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Grillable Veggie Burger. No Nuts. Easy Sunflower Seed Black Bean Burger with Veggies and spices. Pan fry, Bake or Grill. Serve with BBQ Sauce and other fix ins. Vegan Burger Recipe. Gluten-free option. Nut-free. Soy-free option
It is time to fire up the grill and flip some veggie burgers. These hearty burgers are made up of black beans, brown rice, sunflower seeds and amazing seasoning. You can grill or pan fry the patties.
Veggie burgers can be overly squishy (too many beans, too much moisture), or too crumbly (not enough binding, big unmashed ingredients such as whole beans or large chunks of onions, peppers, veggies). Both these issues can be solved with vital wheat gluten in the patties. I don’t like the texture of the patty with vital wheat gluten, so in these burgers just the right balance of cooked grains, beans and some breadcrumbs work well to make a sturdy grillable patty. With any veggie burger, mash the ingredients well and pack them well for sturdier results.
Black beans work really well in these burgers. You can also use kidney beans. The toasted sunflower seeds make these hearty. Whole coriander seeds, smoked paprika and lemon add complex flavors. These patties are a must make.
See 35+ Veggie Burger options here, no fake meats! Which beans/lentils are your favorite in a veggie burger?
More Veggie Burgers from the blog
- Lentil Quinoa āMeatloafā Burger
- Peanut Carrot White Bean Burger
- BBQ Veggie Burger with Mango Carrot Cabbage slaw
- Lentil Walnut Burgers.
- Red Lentil and Cauliflower Burger with Onion rings and Chipotle Habanero Mayo
- Grill-able Artichoke Cauliflower Spinach Bean Burger
1 year ago today: Sweet and Spicy Gohujang Chickpea Wraps
2 years ago today: Vegan Gluten-free Blueberry Muffins
Everyone has a favorite black bean burger. When in a rush, I process up black beans with rice or quinoa and some spices and grill them up. Squishy or just right, they all go into the tummy when hungry. I think the first time I made a black bean burger version from the simple burger recipes on the web, I found that it needed some, or wait a lot of flavor. So this one puts the basic elements of the bean burger with some toasty coriander seeds, zesty lemon, old bay seasoning, bbq sauce, caramelized onions that have been spiced with smoky paprika and of course love, to make a fantastically flavorful patty. The ingredient list becomes long, but most of it is spices and herbs.
Do try this burger, and let me know in the comments if this replaced the usual black bean burger!
Toast the sunflower seeds and process with spices to a coarse meal. 
Process 1 cup black beans, rice and other ingredients until well combined. Transfer to a bowl. Mix in the remaining black beans and breadcrumbs. I use white basmati rice in the patties pictured. Brown rice adds a bit more chewy texture which also works well. But brown rice doesnt work well in my tummy. Use whichever rice works best for you.
Shape into patties.
Grill.
Assemble and serve!
mmm mmmm
Grillable Veggie Burger _ Black Bean Sunflower Seed Burger
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds or pepitas or heaping 1/2 cup nuts such as walnuts or pecans if you are ok with nuts.
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/4 tsp fennel seeds, optional
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 large onion
- 1 hot green chile, such as Serrano, finely chopped or 2 tbsp green bell pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1.5 tsp old bay seasoning , Or 2 tsp cajun/taco/chili powder blend of choice
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 cup cooked brown or white rice, I prefer white in these patties
- 15 oz can black beans drained well, or 1.5 cups cooked
- 1/2 tsp salt, more or less depending on if the beans and rice are salted
- 2 to 3 tbsp bbq sauce
- 1.5 tbsp flax seed meal
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, use gluten-free if needed
Toppings:
- tomato slices, onion slices
- sprouts or baby greens
- bbq sauce, , mustard, mayo etc
Instructions
- Toast the seeds : add sunflower seeds to a skillet over medium heat, toast for for 2 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid burning. Add the coriander seeds and fennel seeds and toast for a minute. Take off heat and set aside to cool.
- Make the smoky caramelized onions: Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion , green chile, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp sugar. Cook for 5 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Add the smoked paprika and mix. Add a splash of water if the pan is drying up. cook for another 3 mins. then use.
- In a food processor, add the sunflower seeds, fennel and coriander seeds and spices. process until coarse meal. Flavor variation: add some oregano, add cayenne for heat.
- Add the rice and 1 cup of black beans, salt, 3 - 4 tbsp of the smoky caramelized onions, flaxmeal, bbq sauce. Process until most of the beans have broke down.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Mix in the breadcrumbs, remaining black beans. Taste and adjust salt, heat and seasoning. Add more if needed and mix in. Add flour or breadcrumbs if the mixture is too moist.. Chill for 10 minutes in the fridge.
- Shape into patties using a cookie cutter or by hand (press mixture into a cookie cutter until packed. Tap to release. Even out the top). Heat up the grill over medium heat. When hot, grill for 3 to 5 mins per side. Or pan fry in a skillet over medium heat with a little oil. Brush some bbq sauce or a mix of bbq sauce and hot sauce, on both sides and grill half a minute, then remove from grill.
- Dress with the smoky caramelized onion, tomato slices, bbq sauce or ketchup and mustard, or vegan mayo/ranch between toasted burger buns or lettuce!
Notes
Use ketchup + sriracha instead of bbq sauce.
Add more smoked paprika for smokier onions.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Not gonna lie – they are a bit of work to prep and put together… but they are SO worth it! What sets these apart from other veggie burgers is the spice combo and caramelized onions. I freeze the extras between parchment paper for quick weeknight dinners. Thanks Richa!
thank you, yes caramalizing the onions takes it to another level!
Great recipe, I like ’em even better when baked: 25 minutes per side, on parchment paper, at 375 degrees. Thank you for sharing your talents, you’re a gem.
If I don’t have coriander seeds, will ground work? and how much
yes
My daughter and I made these at a recent family gathering that included avowed carnivores, and everyone loved them! My only question is if I could substitute navy beans, as I have leftovers from another meal.
i don’t see why not
Hey Richa!
I read your answer to Tracy re: grilling for this particular burger, which I copied here. My question is would I follow the same rules you mention in your answer for any of the wonderful looking burger recipes in your Everyday Kitchen cookbook? I want to use my friendās outdoor gas grill: what setting is best for burger grilling?
Was pondering: I wonder if some readers default to the oft stated rule of NOT overpacking ground animal meat mixtures when making burgers and this is why they donāt remain cohesive. Itās just another paradigm shift way of thinking when cooking vegan. š
Tracy says
May 3, 2018 at 4:35 pm
Can you actually grill these? Iād love to find a burger that you can grill.
REPLY
Richa says
May 4, 2018 at 7:33 pm
yes. Just use smaller chopped ingredients and pack them well. A well packed patty does fine on the grill. Add more flour if needed for binding.
Yes with veggie burgers, you need well packed burgers. The veggie, bean, grain burgers cook differently that meat. The veggies leak moisture. Larger pieces interfere with keeping the patty together and so on. So you just have to feel the mixture while packing into a patty and adjust it then, with more flour/breadcrumbs, if the patty is squishy/soft, with a flax egg, if the patty mixture is dry and crumbly and so on. Different beans behave differently as well. black beans are squishy and need other hardy ingredients like rice, chickpeas tend to dry out more, so need moist ingredients such as quinoa, veggies etc. You can pretty much grill any patty if you adjust the mixture to make sturdy patties.
Thank you, Richa, that is most clarifyingā¼ļøI love food science, so itās fascinating learning how ingredients react to each other and their varied cooking environs!
Wow these were the best black bean burgers yet!! Thank you so much for a fabulous, tasty recipe!! Definitely a keeper šš½šš½
awesome!
Had these for dinner–used walnuts in them. Fabulous taste and texture. Stayed together when grilling it on the grill pan. Served with spiralized baked sweet potato fries and a cuke/tomato/onion salad. So good! Thanks so much. I have no desire to try ready-made vegan burgers when I can make healthier and more delicious ones at home.
those are amazing sides! so fun!
Dear Girl, I absolutely love your Lentil Quinoa Meatloaf Burger and have made them 3 different times, keep them in the freezer for my go to. Thank you for sharing your beautiful recipes. God Bless!
Can you actually grill these? Iād love to find a burger that you can grill.
yes. Just use smaller chopped ingredients and pack them well. A well packed patty does fine on the grill. Add more flour if needed for binding.
Can I freeze them?
Looks delicious!
yes, most beany burgers work well in the freezer. i usually shape and freeze then panfry or bake later.
Can you grill after freezing and then defrosting or should you grill from frozen?
grill from frozen after spraying grill with non-stick spray or wiping with oil
are you saying that if you take them from the freezer then you must panfry or bake vs grill?
it depends on various factors with the moisture and the patty being tightly packed or not etc whether they get crumbly on the grill or not. try grilling a few
Do you have to thaw before cooking?
nope