Pinto Bean Burgers

These delicious pinto bean burgers are packed with flavor and vegetarian protein. Perfect as a tasty weeknight dinner or for your summer BBQ!

Jump to:

• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 How to make pinto bean burgers
• 💭 Top tips to make the best veggie bean burgers
• 🥗 Serving suggestions
• 🍲 Leftover burgers
• 🍴 You might also like these recipes..
• 📋 Frequently asked questions
• Recipe

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If you like a good veggie burger, you will definitely love this one. It's nice and crispy on the outside, but soft on the outside. And, unlike many other bean burgers, this one won't fall apart as soon as you bite into it!

Not into veggie burgers? Try my Baked Turkey Burgers instead!

In fact, these burgers will destroy all common veggie burger "myths":

• They CAN be grilled without falling apart.
• They are neither mushy nor dry, and have a great texture.
• Despite not containing any meat, they are FILLING. Even with my huge appetite, there is not way I can finish more than one!
• They don't have the dreaded flour-y flavor as they don't contain any flour at all.

I've previously shared my favorite spicy beef burgers, and Greek turkey burgers, and it was about time I also showed you my all-time favorite veggie burger! These pinto bean burgers have the perfect texture, taste fantastic, stores really well, and come together so easily.

Made with protein rich vegan ingredients, they are healthy and delicious burgers which make a great alternative to traditional beef burgers. Although they happen to be vegetarian, these guys can definitely be enjoyed by anyone!

🥘 Ingredients

To make these tasty burgers, you will need canned pinto beans, cooked quinoa, breadcrumbs, and seasoning. This recipe is perfect to use up any leftover quinoa or pinto beans!

For seasoning we use paprika powder, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. You can omit, add or substitute the seasoning to suit your personal preferences or dietary requirements.

You will also need some burger toppings, and whatever you want to serve them with.

🔪 How to make pinto bean burgers

You will need cooked quinoa for this recipe. You can find precooked quinoa in most supermarkets (or here on Amazon), or you can buy dried quinoa and cook it yourself following package instructions. Boiling quinoa is easy, and only takes about 15 minutes.

Drain and rinse canned pinto beans, then place them on a sheet pan or baking tray. Bake them in the oven at 180 °C / 355 °F for about 5 minutes, or until the beans are slightly dried. This step will ensure that the burgers have a nice, solid texture.

Combine the breadcrumbs, roasted pinto beans and cooked quinoa in a food processor along with the seasoning. Process until the beans are mostly mashed, but not so much that the mixture is pasty. You'll want to keep some chunks in there!

Use a spoon and your hands to shape the bean mixture into burger shaped patties. You can make them small or big to suit your preferences. Make sure to shape them in similar sizes to allow them to cook evenly.

Place the burgers on a baking sheet covered sheet pan or baking tray, and bake for about 10 minutes. Flip, and bake for another 10 minutes. The burgers are ready to serve when they are golden and slightly crispy on the outside, and warm throughout.

Serve them immediately while they are still hot!

💭 Top tips to make the best veggie bean burgers

Here is how you can make delicious veggie burgers:

• Dry the beans before use! This will prevent the burgers from having a soggy and mushy texture.
• The breadcrumbs help all the ingredients bind together. If necessary, you can use gluten free breadcrumbs.
• Change up the seasoning however you want. Add some chili powder or red pepper flakes for a spicy pinto bean burger, or add curry powder for an Indian version.

🥗 Serving suggestions

Here are my favorite ways to serve these delicious pinto bean burgers:

• The traditional burger: Serve the pinto bean patties in brioche buns or burger rolls with ketchup or burger sauce, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes and jalapenos.
• With toppings: Top your burgers with delicious sides such as caramelized onions!
• As a summer BBQ: Serve with all your favorite BBQ sides like avocado egg salad, mozzarella stuffed mushrooms, Air Fryer Corn on the Cob or pear and walnut salad.
• As an easy weeknight meal: Make it a meal by serving it with garlic parmesan potato wedges, air fryer rutabaga fries, or a light tomato and cucumber salad.
• With a delicious burger sauce: Use your favorite burger sauce! I love serving them with guacamole, cheesy Tex Mex sour cream sauce or ketchup.

🍲 Leftover burgers

Here is how you can handle your leftover pinto bean burgers:

• Storing: Store the burgers in airtight containers in a fridge for up to 4 days.
• Freezing: Freeze the burgers individually wrapped in freezer safe containers for up to 6 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight before use.
• Reheating: Leftover burgers are best served warm. Reheat them at 180° C / 355 °F in an oven or air fryer for 5-10 minutes, or on a grill until they are heated through. I don't recommend reheating the burgers in a microwave, as they tend to dry out and become mushy.

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If you love hearty vegetarian main courses, you should try any of these recipes:

📋 Frequently asked questions

Does this recipe suit my diet? - This recipe is suitable for many diets, including weight watchers and slimming world. It is also egg free, dairy free, vegan, low calorie, nut free and soy free.

Can I use any other beans? - Absolutely. You can substitute kidney beans or black beans for the pinto beans if you prefer.

Recipe