Red Kidney Bean Burgers or patties are quick, easy and economical. They can be made ahead, freeze well and the prep time is just 10 minutes! This version has a touch of spice and the kidney beans give these veggie burgers a delicious texture. They hold together well, can be baked or fried, and are a great source of protein.
I've served these red bean burgers at many BBQs where meat eaters have enjoyed them as much as vegetarians. They make a great meal all year round, can be enjoyed hot or cold, and are ideal for lunch boxes.
For a colourful side dish, why not try my Vegetable Couscous and Feta Stuffed Peppers or an Easy Fruity Couscous Salad.
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Ingredients
This recipe uses really simple ingredients.
- Chilli powder - I've used a mild chilli powder to give just a hint of spiciness and a bit of kick. Adjust the amount you use as you wish.
- Red Kidney Beans - use a pre-soaked variety, tinned or canned in water. If your kidney beans are soaked in anything else, it will alter the taste of the burgers significantly.
- Breadcrumbs - these are easy to make yourself and a perfect way to use up any leftover bread. Just put a slice of bread into a food processor and whizz for a few seconds. One slice of bread will give roughly 50g of breadcrumbs. You can also freeze breadcrumbs for use next time.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onion over a medium heat for 3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and chilli powder and fry for a further 2 minutes then tip into a large bowl.
Drain and rinse the kidney beans. Put them in a food processor and pulse them a few times. They should be mashed, not mushed. Alternatively, add them to a bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher.
Add the breadcrumbs, whisked egg, one-quarter of the salsa, half the coriander or cilantro, and the red onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper and mix it all together.
Divide the burger mix according to the number of people. Wet your hands and shape into burgers or patties about 2cm thick. They can be frozen at this point.
Hint: You don't need to chill these burgers before cooking as they hold together well. Don't overhandle them and they will retain their shape.
How to Pan Fry or BBQ
To cook, heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry over a medium heat for 2 -3 minutes on each side. On a BBQ, cook them for 2 - 3 minutes on each side. Pan-frying your bean burgers in a little oil will give the crispiest finish. Make sure your heat is medium when frying the burgers so that they cook all the way through without burning on the outside.
How to Oven Bake
You can easily oven-bake red bean veggie burgers and as this method uses less oil, it's also healthier. Lightly spray a cooking or baking sheet with a little oil to prevent your burgers from sticking or line with parchment paper. Bake at 190°C / 375°F for 12 - 15 minutes, then turn them over and bake for another 12 -15 minutes on the other side. The burgers won't change colour very much, but they will be cooked.
Substitutions
- Red kidney beans - you can also make these burgers with black pinto beans or butter beans or cannellini beans. Use tinned or canned beans, pre-soaked in water only. The colour will be different if different beans are used.
- Spices - instead of a mild chilli powder, you could also use smoked paprika.
- Herbs - coriander or cilantro has quite a strong flavour. If this isn't for you, use fresh parsley instead.
Toppings
Toppings are so important when it comes to burgers. These bean burgers go well with the usual ketchup, mayo, BBQ sauce, or mustard relish. You might also like to try a few slices of avocado or tomato and lettuce or guacamole, pesto, hummus, or cheese slices.
Lime and Coriander Dressing
A lime and coriander dressing is a delicious topping for kidney bean burgers. Just mix the remainder of your coriander with the yoghurt and juice of half a lime and a dash of black pepper. Serve the remaining lime half with the burger
How to Serve
Surely the best way to serve burgers is in a burger bun. Lightly toasting the bun first really improves the texture. You can also serve them without a bun at all with a green side salad or some fries or sweet potato fries.
Equipment
You don't need any special equipment for this bean burger recipe. A food processor makes mashing the ingredients easier, but you can use a potato masher or a fork. The consistency should be 'chunky' and not puree.
Sustainability
Vegetarian Bean Burgers have a lower carbon footprint than meat burgers and are a great swap to help reduce meat consumption. You can also buy many of the ingredients as Fairtrade, such as kidney beans, chilli powder, black pepper, and even limes. Fairtrade products are produced in a way that is kinder to the environment and use fewer harmful chemicals. This is to protect not only the land but the farmers themselves.
Storage, Reheating and Freezing.
Kidney Bean burgers will keep in the fridge for 2 - 3 days and can be re-heated.
To reheat cooked bean burgers in the oven, cover with foil and heat at 200°C / 400°F for about 3 minutes. Covering them will stop them from drying out. You could also brush a little oil over the top.
To reheat in a microwave, sprinkle a teaspoon of water over the top of each burger to prevent it from drying out and reheat for one minute on each side.
To freeze the uncooked burgers, place a sheet of greaseproof paper between each one to prevent them sticking together and store for up to 3 months.
📖 Recipe
Red Kidney Bean Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil organic, fairtrade
- 1 red onions organic, peeled and diced
- 2 garlic cloves organic, peeled and crushed
- 2 teaspoon mild chilli powder organic, fairtrade
- 800 g kidney beans organic, fairtrade, canned, pre-drained weight
- 100 g breadcrumbs organic
- 1 egg organic, beaten
- 200 g salsa organic
- 20 g fresh coriander organic, leaves and stalks chopped
- 1 dash salt
- 1 dash black pepper organic, fairtrade, freshly ground
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onion over a medium heat for 3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and chilli powder and fry for a further 2 minutes then tip into a large bowl.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 red onions, 2 garlic cloves, 2 teaspoon mild chilli powder
- Drain and rinse the beans, add them to the bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher.800 g kidney beans
- Add the breadcrumbs, egg, one quarter of the salsa, half the coriander and the red onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper and mix it all together.100 g breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 200 g salsa, 20 g fresh coriander, 1 dash salt, 1 dash black pepper
- Divide the burger mix according to the number of people. Wet your hands and shape until burgers about 2cm thick. They can be frozen at this point.
- To cook the burgers, pour a little oil into a frying pan over a medium heat and fry each side for 2 - 3 minutes until crisp and golden or place on the BBQ 2-3 minutes each side.
- Whilst they are cooking, mix the remaining coriander with the yoghurt juice of half the limes and a dash of black pepper.
- Cut the burger buns in half and spread each half with a little of the yoghurt mixture.
- Add some of the rocket, tomato slices and a spoonful of salsa to the top half of the bun and place the burger in the middle. Serve with the remainder of the salad and the rest of the limes cut into wedges.
Notes
Substitutions
- Red kidney beans - you can also make these burgers with black pinto beans or butter beans or cannellini beans. Make sure they are pre-soaked in water only. The colour will be different if different beans are used.
- Spices - instead of a mild chilli powder, you could also use smoked paprika.
- Herbs - coriander or cilantro has quite a strong flavour. If this isn't for you, use fresh parsley instead.
How to Oven Bake
Lightly spray a cooking sheet with a little oil to prevent your burgers from sticking, bake at 190°C / 375°F for 12 - 15 minutes, then turn them over and bake for another 12 -15 minutes on the other sideStorage
Spicy Bean burgers will keep in the fridge for 2 - 3 days and can be reheated. They also freeze well. Place greaseproof paper between each burger to prevent them sticking together and store for up to 3 months. To reheat cooked bean burgers in the oven, cover with foil and heat at 200°C / 400°F for about 3 minutes. Covering them will stop them from drying out. You could also brush a little oil over the top.To reheat in a microwave, sprinkle a teaspoon of water over the top of each burger to prevent it from drying out and reheat for one minute on each side. To freeze the uncooked burgers, place a sheet of greaseproof paper between each one to prevent them sticking together and store for up to 3 months.
Nutrition per serving
The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.
Rebecca
Making my mouth water, will have to try with the meat eaters to see if they like them!