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This grillable veggie burger is packed with flavor, holds up beautifully on the grill, and is easy to make ahead. No mush, no crumble, just a hearty, smoky, satisfying bite every time. Nutfree Black Bean Sunflower seed burger. This post was originally published on june 6 2017
Table of Contents
It is time to fire up the grill and flip some veggie burgers. These hearty burgers are made up of black beans, brown rice, sunflower seeds and amazing seasoning. You can grill or pan fry the patties.
Veggie burgers can be overly squishy (too many beans, too much moisture, too much mashing), or too crumbly (not enough binding, big unmashed ingredients such as whole beans or large chunks of onions, peppers, veggies). Both these issues can be solved with vital wheat gluten in the patties, but I don’t always like the texture of the patty with vital wheat gluten. So instead, I use just the right balance of cooked grains, beans, and some breadcrumbs to make a sturdy grillable patty. Like with any other veggie burger, mash and pack the ingredients well for sturdier results.
Black beans work really well in these burgers, but you can also use kidney beans. These patties are packed with flavor, paprika, Old Bay, coriander, and fennel seeds bring depth, while toasted sunflower seeds add a satisfying, hearty bite. These patties are a must make!
I think the first time I made a black bean burger version from a recipe on the internet, I found that it needed some, or wait a lot of flavor. So I set out to create my own. This version, takes the elements of a classic bean burger, but gets an upgrade with the spices and smoky caramelized onions to make a fantastically flavorful patty.
Do try this burger, and let me know in the comments if this replaced the usual black bean burger! You can find more 35+ Veggie Burger options here, no fake meats!
Why You’ll Love Grillable Veggie Burgers
- Easy to make.
- You can actually grill them and they won’t fall apart.
- Can be prepared ahead and frozen.
More Veggie Burgers
Grillable Veggie Burger ( Black Bean Sunflower Seed Burger)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds or pepitas or heaping 1/2 cup nuts such as walnuts or pecans if you are ok with nuts.
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/4 tsp fennel seeds, optional
- 2 tsp oil
- 1.5 cups chopped or sliced onion,, white or red onion
- 1 hot green chile, such as Serrano, finely chopped or use 2 tbsp green bell pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1.5 tsp old bay seasoning , Or 2 tsp cajun/taco/chili powder blend of choice
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 cup cooked brown or white rice, I prefer white in these patties
- 15 oz can black beans drained well, or 1.5 cups cooked
- 1/2 tsp salt, more or less depending on if the beans and rice are salted
- 2 to 3 tbsp bbq sauce
- 1.5 tbsp flax seed meal
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, use gluten-free if needed
Toppings:
- tomato slices, onion slices
- sprouts or baby greens
- bbq sauce, , mustard, mayo etc
Instructions
- Toast the seeds : add sunflower seeds to a skillet over medium heat, toast for for 2 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid burning. Remove from skillet annd let cool. Add the coriander seeds and fennel seeds and toast for a minute. Take off heat and set aside to cool.
- Make the smoky caramelized onions: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion , green chile, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp sugar. Cook for 5 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Add the smoked paprika and mix. Add a splash of water if the pan is drying up. Cook for another 3 mins, stirring occasionally .
- In a food processor, add the sunflower seeds, fennel and coriander seeds and spices. process until they become a coarse meal. Flavor variation: add some oregano if you like, add cayenne for heat.
- Add the two thirds of the rice and 1 cup of black beans, salt, 3 – 4 tbsp of the smoky caramelized onions, flaxmeal, bbq sauce. Process until most of the beans have broke down.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Mix in the breadcrumbs, remaining black beans and rice, Taste and adjust salt, heat and seasoning. Add more seasoning and bbq sauce if needed and mix in. Add flour or breadcrumbs if the mixture is too moist.. Chill for 10 minutes in the fridge.
- Shape into patties using a cookie cutter or by hand. (press mixture into a cookie cutter until packed. Tap to release. Even out the top). Heat up the grill over medium high heat. When hot, grill for 3 to 5 mins per side. Or pan fry in a skillet over medium heat with a little oil. Brush some bbq sauce or a mix of bbq sauce and hot sauce, on both sides and grill half a minute, then remove from grill.
- Dress with the smoky caramelized onion, tomato slices, bbq sauce or ketchup and mustard, or vegan mayo/ranch between toasted burger buns or lettuce!
Video
Notes
Use ketchup + sriracha instead of bbq sauce.
Add more smoked paprika for smokier onions. Storage: These burger patties uncooked or cooked can be stored in the fridge for upto 4 days. Reheat on the skillet or grill. they can be frozen uncooked for months. Grill directly from the freezer. Grill a minute or so longer
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients
- Sunflower seeds- add texture and volume
- coriander, and fennel seeds: The seeds add flavor to the burger.
- Black beans: Black beans work really well in these burgers, but you can also use kidney beans.
- White Rice: You can use brown or white rice, but I prefer white rice for this.
- Spices: Smoked paprika, Old Bay seasoning, and lemon add complex flavors.
- BBQ Sauce: The bbq sauce adds a hint of sweetness and moisture
- Breadcrumbs: The breadcrumbs help bind the burger patties.
💡Tips
- Toast the sunflower seeds to add a hearty umami flavor to your burger.
- If the onions begin to stick to the pan when you’re caramelizing the onion, add a splash of water, and cook for another 3 mins.
- Mash and pack the ingredients well while forming your pattie for sturdier results.
- After you’ve formed the patties, let them chill in the fridge for 10 minutes. This will help them keep together while cooking.
How to Make Black Bean Sunflower Seed Burgers
Toast the sunflower seeds for 2 minutes, add the coriander seeds, and fennel seeds and toast for 1 minute. Let cool. Add oil, onion, green chili, salt, and sugar to a skillet over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes.
Add smoked paprika and cook for 3 minutes. Add a splash of water in between if needed
The onions should be a golden brown color.
Add the sunflower, fennel, and coriander, seeds to a food processor.
Grind them into a powder. Add two thirds of the rice and black beans to the food processor.
Add salt, 3 to 4 tbsp of the smoky caramelized onions, flaxmeal, bbq sauce, and process until most of the beans have broken down.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Mix in the breadcrumbs, remaining black beans. Taste and adjust salt, heat, and seasoning. Add flour or breadcrumbs if the mixture is too moist. Chill for 10 minutes in the fridge.
Shape into patties using a cookie cutter or by hand. Heat up the grill over medium high heat, grill for 3 to 5 minutes on each side.
Brush some bbq sauce or a mix of bbq sauce and hot sauce, on both sides and grill for half a minute, then remove from grill.
Dress with the smoky caramelized onions, tomato slices, bbq sauce or ketchup, and mustard, or vegan mayo/ranch between toasted burger buns or lettuce!
What to Serve with
Serve with these baked sweet potato fries, cajun chickpea fries, or homemade jojo potatoes. Or with these chaat masala salad or this Mediterranean quinoa salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this recipe is nut-free and can be made gluten-free with gluten-free breadcrumbs, and soy-free with soy-free bbq sauce.
Yes, the patties can be made ahead and placed in the fridge until ready to use, or they can be frozen. Shape, place between parchment. Place on grill directly from the freezer. Cook a minute or so longer for frozen patties.
Not gonna lie – they are a bit of work to prep and put together… but they are SO worth it! What sets these apart from other veggie burgers is the spice combo and caramelized onions. I freeze the extras between parchment paper for quick weeknight dinners. Thanks Richa!
thank you, yes caramalizing the onions takes it to another level!
Great recipe, I like ’em even better when baked: 25 minutes per side, on parchment paper, at 375 degrees. Thank you for sharing your talents, you’re a gem.
If I don’t have coriander seeds, will ground work? and how much
yes
My daughter and I made these at a recent family gathering that included avowed carnivores, and everyone loved them! My only question is if I could substitute navy beans, as I have leftovers from another meal.
i don’t see why not
Hey Richa!
I read your answer to Tracy re: grilling for this particular burger, which I copied here. My question is would I follow the same rules you mention in your answer for any of the wonderful looking burger recipes in your Everyday Kitchen cookbook? I want to use my friend’s outdoor gas grill: what setting is best for burger grilling?
Was pondering: I wonder if some readers default to the oft stated rule of NOT overpacking ground animal meat mixtures when making burgers and this is why they don’t remain cohesive. It’s just another paradigm shift way of thinking when cooking vegan. 🙂
Tracy says
May 3, 2018 at 4:35 pm
Can you actually grill these? I’d love to find a burger that you can grill.
REPLY
Richa says
May 4, 2018 at 7:33 pm
yes. Just use smaller chopped ingredients and pack them well. A well packed patty does fine on the grill. Add more flour if needed for binding.
Yes with veggie burgers, you need well packed burgers. The veggie, bean, grain burgers cook differently that meat. The veggies leak moisture. Larger pieces interfere with keeping the patty together and so on. So you just have to feel the mixture while packing into a patty and adjust it then, with more flour/breadcrumbs, if the patty is squishy/soft, with a flax egg, if the patty mixture is dry and crumbly and so on. Different beans behave differently as well. black beans are squishy and need other hardy ingredients like rice, chickpeas tend to dry out more, so need moist ingredients such as quinoa, veggies etc. You can pretty much grill any patty if you adjust the mixture to make sturdy patties.
Thank you, Richa, that is most clarifying‼️I love food science, so it’s fascinating learning how ingredients react to each other and their varied cooking environs!
Wow these were the best black bean burgers yet!! Thank you so much for a fabulous, tasty recipe!! Definitely a keeper 👍🏽👍🏽
awesome!
Had these for dinner–used walnuts in them. Fabulous taste and texture. Stayed together when grilling it on the grill pan. Served with spiralized baked sweet potato fries and a cuke/tomato/onion salad. So good! Thanks so much. I have no desire to try ready-made vegan burgers when I can make healthier and more delicious ones at home.
those are amazing sides! so fun!
Dear Girl, I absolutely love your Lentil Quinoa Meatloaf Burger and have made them 3 different times, keep them in the freezer for my go to. Thank you for sharing your beautiful recipes. God Bless!
Can you actually grill these? I’d love to find a burger that you can grill.
yes. Just use smaller chopped ingredients and pack them well. A well packed patty does fine on the grill. Add more flour if needed for binding.
Can I freeze them?
Looks delicious!
yes, most beany burgers work well in the freezer. i usually shape and freeze then panfry or bake later.
Can you grill after freezing and then defrosting or should you grill from frozen?
grill from frozen after spraying grill with non-stick spray or wiping with oil
are you saying that if you take them from the freezer then you must panfry or bake vs grill?
it depends on various factors with the moisture and the patty being tightly packed or not etc whether they get crumbly on the grill or not. try grilling a few
Do you have to thaw before cooking?
nope