Hearty, and delicious with a bit of a kick, Black Bean Walnut Burgers with Saucy Sweet Onions are mixed in a food processor, rested in the refrigerator then grilled or pan fried. Like my BBQ Chickpea Burgers, these burgers are make ahead ready, freezer friendly, grillable and easy to pull together.
Top with saucy sweet onions, guacamole and pickled peppers to take this burger over the top! This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and easily gluten free.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Recipe Review: “Just made this today and LOVE it ! My husband and I are not vegetarians but are trying to cut down on meat so this is now our go to burger!” ~ Jeanne
My Best Black Bean Walnut Burger Recipe
Easy to pull together since they’re mixed in a food processor and perfect for meal prep, these hearty vegan black bean veggie burgers are full of whole food ingredients and with ones you can pronounce. Homemade veggie burgers are the ultimate comfort food.
This recipe has a similar flavor profile to my vegetarian Classic Black Bean Veggie Burgers, but of course, this Black Bean Walnut Burger recipe is egg free and vegan relying on different binders for firmness and texture. If you compare the two, I’d love to hear your take!
How They’re Egg Free
Some veggie burger recipes utilize eggs to hold the burgers together. However, since these burgers are egg free and vegan, I use naturally sticky ingredients to hold this vegan black bean veggie burger together while also providing texture and flavor. Ingredients like:
- Black Beans – sticky by nature, black beans provide bulk and structure.
- Short Grain Brown Rice – starchy and texture rich, short grain is a must in this recipe because they aid in binding. I do not recommend subbing with long grain brown rice because it’s not quite as sticky as short grain.
- Tomato Paste – a umami ingredient – it adds flavor and is another ingredient to aid in binding.
- Rolled Oats – adds bulk and aids in binding as well as moisture management, since they soak up excess moisture.
At a Glance: How to Make Black Bean Walnut Burgers
While the ingredient list appears long, these walnut burgers are simple to pull together and with pantry staples. The food processor does most of the work!
- First, dry toast the walnuts in a pan.
- Second, sauté the onions that’ll be used in the patties.
- Third, toss the ingredients are in a food processor, then mix those ingredients with some of the whole ingredients. Use your hands to mix/mash them all together.
- Fourth, shape, chill then cook the patties in a skillet or grill.
If you love veggie burgers, try my Vegan BBQ Chickpea Burgers!
How to Store Your Veggie Burgers
Refrigerator: After cooking the burgers, store them in the fridge for up to three days.
Freezer: The patties can either be frozen raw or after cooking for the ultimate convenience. For frozen patties, simply thaw in the fridge overnight and either reheat in a warm oven or cook/grill as directed.
About those Saucy Sweet Onions
These onions are totally mouthwatering. A must make if time permits! The recipe calls for bourbon, however the onions can be made boozy or not, subbing veggie broth if needed.
Bourbon plays off the sweet of the onions and the tangy subtle bite of balsamic vinegar without being overpowering. And it’s fabulous in the BBQish caramelized onions; a natural fit.
Serving Suggestions
This burger holds up well to any condiments you can throw at it. Try some variations to see what makes your toes curl!
- As the Recipe Goes: Mayo or a quick aioli (mayo mixed with minced garlic and lemon juice) with mashed avocado, saucy sweet onions and sweet/spicy pickled peppers is classic for this burger.
- Go Old School: Simply dress with mayo and/or mustard and top with lettuce, pickle and tomato.
- BBQ Sauce: Slather with a bit of mayo or mustard, add Swiss cheese just before pulling off the grill or pan and drizzle a bit of homemade Smoky Bourbon BBQ Sauce over the top for some amazing BBQ burgers!
Traci’s Tips
- Brown Rice: These vegan black bean burgers call for short grain brown rice. I do not recommend subbing this ingredient as it’s sticky and texture rich making it an important component to the success of these burgers. I cook extra when making other recipes then freeze the leftovers for a future batch of these burgers.
- Chill the Veggie Patties: Resting the patties in the fridge does take a bit of pre planning, but is essential to hydrate the oats and help hold the burgers together. It also marries the flavors. Don’t skip it!
- Grillable: The burger patties are grillable. Handle with care for delicious results!
Boring but important! Take a look at the recipe notes if you’re new to making egg-free veggie burgers.
Black Bean Walnut Burgers with Saucy Sweet Onions
Ingredients
For the Patties:
- 1/2 C (60g) Walnuts, shelled
- 1/2 C (50g) Rolled Oats, not quick cook or instant
- 2 Tbs Tomato Paste
- 1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce*
- 1 tsp Adobo Sauce, 2 for extra spicy, gluten free if needed
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 3/4 tsp Garlic Salt
- 2 tsp Yellow Mustard
- 1 tsp Vegan Worcestershire Sauce, regular or gluten free (Tamari may be used instead)
- 1/4 tsp Liquid Smoke, gluten free if needed
- 2 1/3 C (420g) Cooked Black Beans, drained & rinsed (2 cans or homemade), divided
- 1/2 C (100g) Cooked Short Grain Brown Rice, divided (be sure to use short grain, it makes a difference – not instant)
- 1 tsp Vegetable Oil, coconut or olive oil + more for cooking the patties
- 1 C (100g) Yellow Onion, diced
For the Saucy Sweet Onions:
- 3 Tbs Vegetable Oil, I like coconut or olive
- 3 (745g) Large Sweet Onions like Walla Walla or Vidalia, sliced into thin 1/2 moons
- 1/3 C (75g) Bourbon*, or sub veggie broth
- 1 1/2 Tbs Maple Syrup
- 1 1/2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
Optional, but Suggested Toppings:
- Mashed Avocado, with a pinch of salt
- Pickled Sweet & Spicy Peppers
- Mayo
- Pickled Banana Peppers
Instructions
For the Patties:
- In a nonstick pan, dry-toast the walnuts on medium heat, tossing and flipping them for about four minutes. Remove from heat and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add the oats, tomato paste, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, sea and garlic salt, mustard, worchestershire sauce, and liquid smoke. Process until pasty. A few chunks are fine. Add 1/2 the black beans, and 1/2 the rice. Pulse until the mixture comes together, scraping down as needed. Set aside.
- Heat the coconut oil in a pan on medium. When shimmering, add the diced onion and cook on medium for about three minutes. A bit of charring is okay. Remove from heat and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining 1/2 of the black beans and rice to the mixing bowl. Into the large mixing bowl, add the processed bean/spice mixture. Using your hands, mix thoroughly squeezing and pushing the mixture together.
- Use a 1/2 cup (130g) scoop (this yields 6 patties – the last patty is slightly smaller) or 1/3 cup (82g) scoop (this yields 8 patties) to portion the patties. Roll them into a ball. Using the back of a metal measuring cup, press each ball into a patty using gentle pressure about 1/4"- 1/2" (.6 – 1.2 cm) thick.
- Place the patties flat on a parchment lined sheet pan in refrigerator for at least one hour. To Freeze (optional): slide the pan in the freezer for one hour then stack the patties between pieces of parchment paper and into a freezer bag for longer storage. Now is a good time to get the boozy onions going (see below).
- Preheat the oven to 200F (95C) and line a sheet-pan with parchment paper. Place the pan in the oven. This will keep the patties warm after they’re cooked.
To Cook:
- In the Skillet: Add two to three Tbs of coconut oil to a cast iron skillet on medium heat. Heat until shimmering. Add three patties. Be sure to give them plenty of room. Cook for 3 1/2 – 4 minutes on each side, being careful when flipping the patty. Slide the patty on the parchment lined sheet pan in the oven. Sprinkle with sea salt. Finish cooking the remaining patties adding more oil as needed.OROn the Gas Grill: Clean grill and oil with vegetable oil (like canola or olive oil). Heat gas grill on highest setting. Brush both sides of the veggie burger with oil and gently transfer to the grilling grates or a grill pan (use a grill pan if the grates of your grill are thin). Cook for about four to five minutes on each side, taking care when flipping the burgers. Adjust heat as needed so that the burgers don't burn.
- To keep warm, transfer the patties to the preheated oven.
For the Onions
- In a large pan, add the coconut oil and heat until shimmering. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook on medium-low for about 35-40 minutes, to caramelize them, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as necessary so they don't burn. When done they'll be golden and very soft.
- Turn off heat, remove from heat (we do not want alcohol near an open flame) and stir in the bourbon (or veggie broth), maple syrup, vinegar and mustard. Stir. Bring to a simmer on medium low for about two minutes, to simmer off the liquids. Remove from heat and put a lid on the pan until ready to serve.
To Store:
- After cooking the burgers, store them in the fridge for up to three days, or in the freezer for up to three weeks. When freezing the patties, freeze first on a parchment lined sheet pan. Once frozen, stack patties between parchment squares and place in a freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat at 400F (200C) for about 15 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
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This post and these burgers make me miss the years my husband was a vegetarian. Every week I used to make a different kind of burger using different beans, grains, vegies… no recipe needed. And he love them all. Not being a huge meat eater myself, I also enjoyed them. Love the onions on this. Gorgeous photos.
Lovely burgers
I also put a pinch of psyllium husk to bind, gf vegan so keep away from wheat etc.
I made these last night, and they were exceptionally good! I love that they’re able to freeze well. I teach high school, and go back in two weeks, so I think I’ll make a double batch just to freeze for those long days! Thank you! :)
This burger is ON POINT with all the flavor! It was packed with so much goodness and was super filling! My only complaint was the consistency. I think the next time I’ll add a little wheat gluten for extra stick. Other than that, this burger was astounding!
Thank you for your note, Dannielle! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe and will tweak it to your liking next time!
what are the Macros for 1 burger ?
Hello Carolina! I’m not sure what you’re referring to.
Carolina, I ran this recipe through myfitness pal’s recipe generator. Here is the macro nutrient breakdown for 5 servings with a whole wheat hamburger bun and no toppings. I did not include the 1/3C bourbon called for in the recipe because Iin making it, I excluded it:
66g (51%)Carbs – 21g (36%) fat – 18g (13%) protein. There are 504 total calories for 5 servings
Traci, this is a delicious recipe. Summer grill season presents itself and I am still flipping these walnut burgers in the skillet, liquid smoke and all. A truly delicious burger.
Hey Blair, thank you for your note and including the macro breakdown. So happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipe!
My wife showed me quite a few bean burger recipes and this one stuck out. I could tell by the photo it was gonna be good. We just made it tonight. It took me awhile. But these were way better than any burger I have ever tasted. And Jack Daniels made it taste out of this world. My oldest struggled with it falling apart. She’s not very coordinated and these burgers are a bit delicate. It would be neat if there was an ingredient that would help hold them together better. But without ruining or changing them too much. Because the texture reminds me of a real burger. You did a fabulous job with this one!
Hello Joe! Thank you for your kind words and giving this recipe a go! I’m so happy y’all enjoyed it. Indeed, texture (!!). I think the layering of ingredients really helps – walnuts, oats, rice, beans. I hope you were able to freeze a few for later. I’ve been making veggie burgers for a long time and I find they’re just delicate by nature unless an egg is involved. Adding an egg or two to the mix would help in binding -although I’ve not tested it in this particular veggie burger (I’m curious about aquafaba and it’s binding ability yet, I’ve not given it a go in veggie burgers.) I hope this helps! Thank you again, Joe!
These are sooooo good! I’ve made them twice now and even my kiddos like them and they don’t love all this vegan food we’ve been eating. I think when I made the onions with the first batch, I made way too many and ended up eating most of them myself…they were delicious, but a lot of onions. Looking forward to trying more recipes!
Hi Carissa! Thank you for your note! So happy you and your’s are lovin’ the burgers! The onions can be frozen too.. if you like, along with the burgers :D I hope you find more recipes you AND your kiddos will enjoy!
I made these burgers last night. We could not keep saying how good they were! They looked like meat patties. The crispiness was what I was looking for as well. They take a while to prepare, but are so worth it. I went to a vegan restaurant that had a similar burger and I was trying to copy them. This was better. I used the 1/3 cup measure. Perfect bun size. We just added the grilled onions, BBQ sauce and mayonnaise And toasted the buns under the broiler. Perfection!
I loved reading your note, Susie! Thank you so much! Oh my, yes, the time IS SO worth it. All those little flavor builders make a difference. Good thing they freeze well. I’ve been double batching these because I know there’ll be those nights where my inner lazy girl makes an appearance! lol Hooray for finding the perfect burger! :D
Hi Traci
Can i bake them?
Hi Dimitra! You can. I’ve done this several times, although the burgers tend to dry out a bit (I baked them at 375F for about 15 minutes each side). Be sure to brush both sides with a bit of oil before baking and flip them at least once. Juliana (below in comments) shares how she baked them. I hope this helps and you enjoy the burgers!
These look amazing and I’d like to make them for my vegetarian son for his school lunch. His school has a nut free policy. Is the something else I could substitute for the walnuts?
Hi Katharine! Although I’ve not tried it, you could try subbing tahini for the walnuts. I’d try with maybe 1/4 – 1/3 C . I hope this helps and you and your son enjoy the recipe!
I’ll try it this week. Thank you so much for the quick reply!