Perfect veggie black bean patties that hold together and never get dry!
The one thing I feel the need to tell the world about these black bean patties is that they’re never going to fool you into seeming like meat. With the exception of some modern (and highly processed!) products, this is true of pretty much all vegetarian / vegan meat substitutes. As soon as you can get over the idea that it’s supposed to “trick” your senses, you’ll enjoy them much more for what they are. What you do is you eat them like you would meat. Put them between two buns for something you would eat in the same manner as you would a burger. Eat them on the side of breakfast like you would a sausage. It’s a substitute, not a decoy.
The quest to the perfect black bean patty was a laborious one, and the road was paved with crumbly bean piles and soggy vegetables. Although this is sort of one of those “by feel” recipes, I have whittled down the amounts to as specific as possible.
This recipe makes a fairly sizable batch (about 12-16 burgers, depending on the size you want them) but fortunately they freeze very well. If planning to freeze, cool completely after forming them into patties. Once cool, place them in a single layer on a piece of wax paper and pop into the freezer- no need to cook them first. They will store in the freezer for at least 3 months. When you’re ready to use one, you can cook them directly from frozen in your preferred cooking fat (I usually use butter or ghee) with no need to defrost.
There’s a few other tips to make sure you have black bean patty success:
- When you are squeezing the vegetables to get rid of water, really squeeze them. Like REALLY squeeze them. You want to get a measurable amount of water out of your vegetables. Moisture is the enemy of bean patties, and they will fall apart if you have too much.
- If you would like to make these vegan-friendly, simply replace the egg with your favorite egg replacer. Personally, I like to use the chia seed and water method: mix 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water and let it sit for 20 minutes until it becomes a gel. That’s 1 egg!
- This recipe is wide open for substitutions! You can substitute the corn for any similarly-sized vegetable “chunk”: frozen carrots, peas or bell peppers would all work. Same goes for the shredded zucchini: you could use shredded summer squash, carrots, or cabbage if shredded fine enough.
- Your finished product (before forming into patties) should be similar to ground beef. Add bread crumbs until you reach a consistency that is not too sticky and is easy to form. This will be entirely contingent on how much liquid you get out of the vegetables, but for me it’s almost always about a cup and a half.
There’s a lot of ways to serve these besides just burgers. I like to fry one up and have an egg over it for breakfast. You can also break them into pieces and have them in a breakfast hash. I also enjoy them in a sandwich or wrap with some dark greens and other sandwich toppings.
Looking for other meatless recipes? Don’t skip my Black Eyed Pea Veggie Burgers, Punjabi Rajma Masala, and Mediterranean Tofu Scramble recipes!
Best-Ever Black Bean Patties
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry black beans, or 4 15-oz cans black beans
- 1 medium zucchini (about 1 3/4 cup after shredding)
- 1 white onion (about 1 cup before squeezing out liquid)
- 1 jalapeno
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1.5 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp garlic
- 1 egg (or equivalent vegan substitute)
- 1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (approximately)
- 2 tbsp chia seeds (optional - helps hold the patties together)
Instructions
- If using dry beans, soak overnight. The next day, cook according to package instructions. If using canned black beans, skip this step.
- Shred the zucchini and onion. Place in a fine mesh strainer and use a paper towel to squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the vegetables. The more liquid you remove, the more likely your patties will remain intact while cooking!
- Drain the beans of all liquid and place in a large mixing bowl. Add drained zucchini and onion.
- Fine dice the jalapeño. Add jalapeño and corn to black beans. Add all spices (salt, pepper, cumin, paprika and garlic) as well.
- Stir thoroughly to combine, making sure to mash most of the beans in the process.
- Add egg, or egg substitute, to the black bean mixture. Stir thoroughly again.
- Add panko bread crumbs and optional chia. Eyeball the amount added until you reach the consistency of a burger patty. I typically need about 1 1/2 cups.
- Let the black bean mixture sit for 5 minutes so the seeds and crumbs can absorb the moisture.
- Form into patties and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the patties in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to help them hold together. Lift from the parchment paper once or twice during this time to prevent sticking.
- If planning to freeze: after refrigerating, place cookie sheets in the freezer. Freeze in a single layer, lifting occasionally to make sure they don't stick to the parchment paper, for 8-12 hours. After they are completely frozen, you can place them together in a large freezer bag and store for 4-6 months.
- If planning to cook: heat oil of choice in a frying pan. Cook patties for 3-4 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Serve in a bun with your favorite burger toppings!
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