A scrumptious, grill-worthy and nourishing vegan Bean and Oats Burger that is packed with all the goodness you can imagine from oats, two kinds of beans, and carrots. There are no added oils in this veggie burger patty and it's hefty and sturdy enough for your Memorial Day grill. Also a gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free recipe.
Some of your favorite veggie burgers on this blog, and mine, have long been these vegan bean and oats burgers. It's easy to see why. They are full of flavor and yet they are utterly healthy with carrots, oats and red beans and pinto beans. A veggie burger simply does not get any better than this.
This is a really easy burger to make and it's full of texture from the beans and oats, which makes it wonderful to bite into. It easily makes it to the griddle and back, and is sturdy enough to throw on a grill.
Table of Contents
Why you'll love this recipe
- Delicious.
- Made with beans and oats and carrots--all foods that are good for you.
- Sturdy enough for the grill.
- Free of any added fats or nuts, so they're great if you're looking for a waist-friendly option.
- Tried and tested, over and over, by dozens of Holy Cow! readers, so you don't have to take my word for it.
I just made your Oat and Bean burgers and I am delighted with them!!! They are so delicious on a sesame bun with spicy brown mustard, ketchup and dill pickles. Thank you!!!
-Karla S.
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Ingredients
- Onion
- Garlic
- Quick-Cooking Oats (or rolled oats, run through a food processor to break them down a bit, are fine)
- Pinto beans
- Red beans
- Carrots
- Ground cumin
- Cayenne
- Tomato ketchup
- Dijon mustard of whole-grain mustard
- Tamari (optional if soy-free)
- Salt, as needed
- Cooking spray for coating the pan or grill
Steps for making the veggie burgers
- Mash the beans: Place the beans in a bowl and mash them together. You should mash them well so the burgers hold together, but it's okay if a few beans remain whole, as they will add more texture.
- Cook the veggies: You will need to cook the carrots, onions and garlic first before adding them to the rest of the ingredients. This helps get rid of any moisture that could make your burgers fall apart when you cook them, and it also gives you an opportunity to cook the veggies with the spices, helping them marry together. This is not a long-drawn process--it takes just about five minutes.
- Prep the oats: Quick-cooking oats, which are usually cut into smaller pieces than rolled oats, are great in this recipe. I don't usually have quick oats on hand so I just use rolled oats and run them through the food processor to break them down further.
- Mix in the remaining ingredients: Mix in the onion-carrot mixture, oats and seasonings and mix it all together really well.
- Form the patties: I get eight hefty burger patties from this recipe. You can make them thicker, as I did this time, or shape them thinner as you see in the photo below from the last time I shared this recipe.
- Cook the burgers: I recommend cooking these burgers on a skillet first, with a bit of cooking spray, before you throw them on the grill. That will also take care of any worries about the burgers sticking to the grill.
- Serve the burgers: These burgers are great with this whole wheat burger buns. Serve them layered with hummus, like this eggplant hummus, greens, and a vegan coleslaw.
Bean and oats burger FAQs
You can use either. I have made this burger with both and it doesn't make a difference and you really can't beat canned beans for convenience. For the burgers you see in the photos this time I used canned pinto and red beans. The 14-oz cans yielded just over a cup of beans each after they were drained.
If starting with dry beans, use half a cup of red beans and a half a cup of pinto beans, soak them overnight, then cook them in enough water until really tender.
Yes and yes. If you want to make these with only pinto beans or only kidney beans that is fine. You can also use other kinds of beans--black beans would be great here.
You can store them in the refrigerator, after cooking them, for about a week. For longer storage I'd separate the burgers with parchment and store in the freezer in freezer-safe containers. To reheat, throw on a hot griddle or grill coated with cooking spray.
More veggie burger recipes
Recipe card
Vegan Bean and Oats Burgers
Equipment
- Griddle
Ingredients
- 1 large onion (finely minced)
- 4 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 1 medium carrot (grated)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon cayenne (use more or less based on your preference)
- 14 oz canned or cooked pinto beans (drained)
- 14 oz canned or cooked kidney beans (drained)
- 1 ½ cups quick-cooking oats (I ran regular rolled oats in the food processor for a minute)
- 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard (or whole grain mustard)
- 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
- 2 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce. Leave out if soy-free and use more salt)
- Salt to taste
- Cooking spray
For serving
- Whole wheat burger buns
- Baby spinach or other greens
- coleslaw
Instructions
- Heat a skillet and saute the onion and garlic with a tiny bit of salt (no oil) for a few minutes until translucent but not brown.
- Add the carrots, cayenne, and cumin and cook a couple minutes or until carrot is tender. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Mash the beans in a large bowl. Add the carrot mixture, mustard, ketchup, tamari and oats.
- Mix well, then shape the mixture into eight patties. You can make more, smaller patties, or fewer, larger ones. For the grill shape the patties thicker.
- Heat a nonstick or cast-iron skillet and coat with cooking spray. Cook patties over medium heat for four to five minutes on each side, or until golden brown. I like mine a little charred for extra flavor or you can char them on the grill.
Nutrition Information
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Joan
I am not fond of cooking, but made these twice. Both times they turned out great and delicious!
Vaishali
So happy to hear!
Alice
Hi Vasti, I do not have a grill so please tell me the best way to cook these please
Vaishali
Hi Alice, you can cook them on a griddle or skillet.
Alice
Thank you, do I suppose to pour off the liquid off the beans or rinse them off?
For how long do I fry them
Vaishali
If you use canned beans rinse them off. If you cook the beans, strain out all the cooking liquid. Fry until brown spots appear on each side.
Lila Burnett
Could these burgers be baked in the oven?
Terri
Made these tonight for dinner. Meatless Midday, used black and kidney beans. Hubby enjoyed it(shocking). 4 went into the freezer for another couple of quick meals. Thanks!
Stace
Do these burgers hold together when cooked? I've tried 3 different vegan recipes now and once I started cooking them they fall apart. They are soft in the middle and don't hold up once on a bun. Is this recipe different? Thanks for your help!
Vaishali
It holds together!
Anonymous
Yesss! Thank you!!! ❤️
Diane Pantelis
The holy cow vegan And oatmeal hamburger was absolutely delicious. We have been buying impossible burgers but these are much better. Very easy to make
Kara
This is my first time making a homemade bean burger and it turned out awesome! For the finishing touches, I put grilled onions on my burger so that with ketchup and mustard, it really didnt taste too much different than a meat based burger! Consistency is obviously softer and not as formed but also not as heavy as meat is which I love. Definitely a saved future recipe. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Meg
Can you use gluten free steel cut oats? Is there a way to substitute?
Diane Pantelis
The holy cow vegan And oatmeal hamburger was absolutely delicious. We have been buying impossible burgers but these are much better. Very easy to make
Sarandar
Thanks for the great recipe. Can they be frozen?
Vaishali
Yes! Best to flash freeze the burgers first by placing them side by side on a baking sheet. Once they've frozen, store in a freezer-safe bag or container.
Matthew
I made this recipe for dinner tonight, but used black beans. Best black bean burger recipe I've ever tried! It was perfect.
Vaishali
Awesome, so happy you loved it!