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Anyone else on a veggie burger-kick? Black bean tofu burgers are one of my favorites to make. Because anything with bread, sauce, and a burger patty is always a delicious idea in my book.
These black bean burgers are loved by both meat-eaters and vegetarians alike and are perfect for a kid-friendly weeknight dinner meal.
Made with affordable plant-based,whole-food ingredients including tofu, black beans, and mushrooms - they have a "meaty" texture without the meat.
Another upside? These burgers have quite a bit of protein and plant-based fiber. Meaning, these burgers are satisfying and filling.
Note: this recipe has been improved and updated.
Got cannellini beans? Try out this simple cannellini veggie bean burger with just 8 ingredients.
Recipe Notes
- If you're not into the spice mix (smoked paprika + garlic), go for any spice combination you prefer. The burger has a mild flavor from the beans, tofu, and mushrooms - so it's completely fine to dress it up with the flavors you enjoy most. Some spice blends you can think about include onion powder, garam masala, cumin, chili powder, cayenne powder, black pepper, and curry powder.
- The texture of the burger mix when all the ingredients are combines should be slightly sticky, but dry enough to work with it. It shouldn't create a thick coat around your fingers. If the mix is still sticky, add more oat flour and combine well with a silicone spatula.
- To make oat flour, simply take raw old fashioned oats and blend them in a blender until flour-like and powdery. This will be our gluten-free ingredient used to help bind the burgers.
Why Are My Burgers Crumbly?
Veggie burgers are a different beast - they cannot be handled with the same kind of care that meat-based burgers are met with.
Because they are made with vegetables and plant-based ingredients, they will be drier and the texture will be more delicate.
However, this is where binders come in and how important they are in creating a solid hold for meatless burgers.
In this recipe, we’re using the magic of chia seeds and water. This combination creates a gel-like texture, similar to eggs.
It’s crucial not to skip out on these two ingredients. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a vegan burger that won’t hold together well, especially when being cooked.
Chia seeds can be found at stores like Target, Walmart, and Costco. They are usually places with other nuts and seeds. If you can’t find them at a physical store, Amazon sells them too.
In addition to using “chia egg,” the oats in this recipe will also help with bringing in ingredients together.
Oat flour helps soak up some of the dampness from the burger mix and serve as an additional ingredient to create a solid bind for the burgers.
What To Eat With Veggie Burgers
On very lazy days, I just grab whatever is around my kitchen to serve with my veggie burgers.
But hands down my favorite side to pair with these burgers are homemade potato chips or zucchini fries. I can also use them as a topping - which adds more crunch and flavor.
Here are more exciting options that are kid-friendly:
- Mac & Cheese
- Corn On The Cob
- Potato Salad
- Fries
- Coleslaw
- Salad
Also, don’t forget about the toppings! Go for any topping you love. The standard for me is a few slices of tomatoes, onion, a sauce, and pickles if I have them.
Other burger toppings to consider include lettuce, avocado, sprouts, vegan cheese, and veggie bacon.
As for sauces, you can go for a traditional ketchup sauce, or make your sauce from scratch. Guac, salsa, and hummus are also great ideas.
Want more burger ideas? Check out our list of plant-based burgers with gluten-free, oil-free, soy-free, high-protein, low calories options!
Black Bean Tofu Burger Recipe
Ingredients
Chia "Egg"
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 3 tablespoons water
Veggie Burger
- 1 cup firm tofu pressed, drained
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 cup cooked or canned black beans drained, rinsed
- ⅔ cup baby bella or common mushrooms rinsed, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (33 grams)
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ cup oat flour
- 1 tablespoon oil
Instructions
Chia "Egg"
- In a small bowl, stir together the chia seeds and water. Allow sitting until it’s time to use it in the recipe. Stir it a couple of times.
Veggie Burger
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, crumble the tofu with your hands and mix in soy sauce.
- Arrange and spread the tofu, black beans, and common mushrooms on the baking sheet in a single layer. Cook the tofu, beans, and mushrooms in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Transfer black beans to a bowl and smash with a fork. Add the tofu, mushrooms, tomato paste, garlic powder, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, and salt. Mix until well combined with a spatula.
- Add chia "egg" and oat flour to the burger mix and combine well. It will be a bit sticky, but dry enough to handle without sticking to your hands. If too wet, add more oat flour.
- Divide the burger mix into 4 equal portions, then form into burger patties. Place the burger patties onto a plate and cover. Allow to firm up in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Cook burger patties over medium heat in a lightly oiled non-stick pan or skillet for 5 minutes on each side, carefully flipping.
Notes
- To make oat flour, simply take old fashioned oats and blend them in a blender until flour-like.
Nutrition
Did you try out this Black Bean Tofu Burger Recipe?
Please leave a comment below, share it, rate it, or tag a picture @plantbasedandbroke on Instagram and hashtag it #plantbasedandbroke. Show off that creation with us
Oil-Free Vegan Fried Rice
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KathyFM
This looks great! I will be trying it.
plantbasedandbroke
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it!
Kim
What if you don't have or can't use nutritional yeast
Aly Michell
You can opt out of using it.
Izzy
These were good! I don't want to make all 5 at once though... How do you recommend storing these? Should I make them all and then keep them in the fridge or is it possible to just put the leftover uncooked patties in the freezer or something?
plantbasedandbroke
Hey!!! Yes, you can store them in the freezer. Use a freezer-safe bag and remove as much of the air out.
Felicia
Can you use other flour instead of oat, I don't have oats?
Aly Michell
Yep, you can use any type of flour you prefer! 🙂
HaleyGee
forgive the comment, but i'm not a chef/cook--am I supposed to cook the oats first because I tried this and it came out dry, the patties wouldn't stick together
Aly Michell
Hi Haley, I am sorry to hear the burgers did not come out right. Also, the oats should be raw. I would be happy to troubleshoot this with you. Please email at [email protected].
Millie
Do you have calorie breakdown? This recipe looks GF yet you don’t label it as such.
Aly Michell
Yep, it's gluten-free! I don't have a calorie breakdown, but if I had to guess, probably around 180-200 kcal per burger patty. The individual ingredients can be logged into a calorie calculator to get an estimate.
Abbie Elizabeth McCusker
Hello, mine didn't come out very crumbly but they were very mushy. Any tips to help with that?
Aly Michell
Hi Abbie! Thank you for trying out the black bean tofu burgers! It may have been too wet - I suggest adding more of the oat flour, make sure to pat-dry the beans thoroughly, and removing as much of the liquid from the tofu.
Sarah
How long do you press your tofu for?
Aly Michell
I press the tofu for at least 20 minutes! You can press for even longer if you like.
Vineca
I am very excited to try these. I am not entirely plant-based, I will crumble some local sheep feta cheese to these, and serve with caramelized onions and black olives. The prep texture is fantastic, I know they will cook up well! Thank you.
Aly Michell
Thank you for trying out the black bean tofu burgers! Caramelized onions and black olives sound like a delicious idea.
Rebecca Ramirez
Can you use canned black beans? Would you have to cook those first or can you use them as is?
*press tofu for 20 minutes? I never cooked with tofu so what does this mean?
Aly Michell
Pressing tofu just means getting out all of the liquid you can from it. This blog post shows how to do this. Also, yes, use canned beans! Just be sure to drain and rinse the beans.
Kim
Hi Aly, I made these burgers tonight for the first time. I only did 1 tsp garlic powder and added 2 cloves chopped garlic and 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/2 a jalapeno that I deveined and seeded and 1 tbls chopped poblano that I had frozen then sauteed in a skillet for a few minutes and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. It was so good. Thanks for sharing. I'm a new to vegetarian/vegan cooking and this recipe was very easy to follow. Thanks for sharing!
Aly Michell
The burgers with jalapeno sound amazing! I am glad you loved the recipe!
Kimberly Lusk
I loved them so much I made a double batch to freeze, this time. I also added 2 cups of corn cut off the cob as well. With the addition of the corn and doubling of the recipe it made 11 patties. Do you think these would work for grilling?
Aly Michell
Yay!!! I am glad you loved them. I haven't tried them on the grill, but it should work.
Shanna
How many cups are in a block of extra firm tofu?
Aly Michell
It depends on the size of the block. 1/2 to 2/3 of a tofu block should yield about 1 cup of tofu.
Linda
I am not vegan and wondering if adding an egg instead of the chia egg would work? And if so, just one egg or more? Thanks, can't wait to try these!
Aly Michell
Hey Linda - it should work just fine with egg. One would be enough for this recipe!
Tami
We love these burgers and have made them numerous times. We like them best with BBQ sauce on top.
Aly Michell
With BBQ sauce sounds AMAZING! Happy to hear that you love the burgers!
Dena Dupuie
Can you bake these instead of cooking in oil?
Aly Michell
I haven't tried baking these burgers, but it should work.
Richard Hardy
I just made this along with your potato salad recipe. The burgers were fantastic and held together well. The potato salad was even better. I love your recipes…so well thought out and totally healthy! 😃
Aly Michell
Hey Richard! Very glad you enjoyed the black bean tofu burgers and the potato salad! Definitely a great combination for the impending summer season!
Jeff
Hi Aly,
Have you tried adding all to food processor and just adjusting Oat Flour for Dry/Wet? I am always looking for quick and easy and the ingredients seem great for this method? Thanks
Aly Michell
Yes, that's totally fine. I didn't have a food processor at the time of creating this recipe. But I do now - and veggie burgers broken down by a food processor/pulsing works great. Give it a try!