3 Ingredient Bean Burgers (High Protein, Vegan, GF)

Need a last minute lunch or dinner in minutes? Try my 3 ingredient bean burgers! You most likely have the ingredients–canned beans, rolled oats, and barbecue sauce– in your pantry right now.The burgers are high in protein, vegan, gluten-free and oil-free.

The upside of going out to lunch with friends is just that: going out to lunch with friends! The time feels even more precious when you have a babysitter on the clock

The downside: I am too full to think about, let alone make, dinner. Or at least it feels that way up until it is actually dinnertime. Then, I am starving.

But I pulled together a new treasure of a recipe last night (following, yes, a lunch date with friends), one that (even) my carnivorous husband thought was mighty fine:

Bean Burgers. Before you can say release a yawn or “ho-hum,” let me add this:3-Ingredient Vegan Bean Burgers.I am guessing I have your attention now!

These burgers also happen to be hearty, smoky, versatile, naturally gluten-free & vegan, and all-around solid. Boom.

I get it, DIY veggie patties can be disappointing. The first time I ever attempted making vegetarian burgers, I ended up with the world’s most time-consuming pilaf instead. What I had wanted was something with more panache, more “oomph” than frozen veggie burgers. What I got was a sink-full of dirty pots and pans and a mountain of grains and lentils that resolutely resisted patty formation (in spite of my frenzied manipulations).

I swallowed my pride–but not the pilaf–and accepted temporary defeat.

It took several more years before I gave it another go-round. I began by foregoing the fuss–if I couldn’t make a meatless burger in minutes, forget it. That made the choice of “base” ingredients straightforward. No long-cooking grains, no lentils, no arms-length list of vegetables to be chopped and sautéed.

The answer was sitting in my cupboard: beans, oats & barbecue sauce.

Recipe Benefits

• Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
• Oil-free
• Gluten-free
• High in protein (7.8 grams per burger patty)
• High in fiber
• Quick and straightforward to make

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.Toggle betweenUS Customary(volume) andMetric(weights) for preferred measurement option.

• rolled oats (certified gluten-free, as needed)
• 1 15-ounce (425 g) can low sodium/ low salt beans, rinsed, drained (e.g., black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans / chickpeas)
• barbecue sauce (certified gluten-free, as needed)

Step by Step Instructions

Note that the complete instructions are also in the recipe card below.

1. Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large food processor; process the oats until chopped, but not a fine flour.
3. Add the drained beans; pulse until blended but beans are still slightly chunky.Do not over-process into a paste. You want to maintain some texture to the beans. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and stir in the sauce.
4. Using moistened hands, shape bean mixture into four 1/2-inch thick patties. Place on prepared sheet.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 7 minutes. Open oven and, using a spatula, turn over patties. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes longer until golden brown / browned and crispy at the edges.
6. Serve with any of the suggested accompaniments (see below, or the notes in the recipe card), as desired. Don’t forget some sweet potato fries, french fries, roasted potatoes or salad on the side!

Suggested Toppings for the 3 Ingredient Bean Burgers

• lettuce leaves, spinach or other greens
• sprouts
• vegan cheese slices (e.g., vegan cheddar or vegan Swiss slices)
• sliced pickles
• avocado slices or guacamole
• hummus
• mustard, ketchup, relish, and/or more barbecue sauce
• vegan pesto
• sautéed mushrooms or onions

FAQ

Can I make the 3 ingredient bean burgers ahead of time and store them?Yes! You can meal prep the burgers by preparing the mixture of ingredients and shaping into patties. Separate the patties between layers of plastic wrap or parchment paper and place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 dat or the freeze in the freezer for up to 6 months.

What can I use in place of barbecue sauce?You can an equal amount of thick salsa in place of the barbecue sauce. You can amp up the Tex-Mex flavor by adding a teaspoon of ground cumin or chili powder.

I cannot eat oats. Any substitutes?Yes! You can use almond flour, or try my DIYsunflower seed flouror DIY pumpkin seed flour (or grind up any nuts or seed you have on hand, raw or roasted). Begin by adding about 1/2 cup of the nut or seed flour, add more as needed to make a cohesive burger “dough” that can be shaped into patties. You can also use a little bit of flaxseed meal (i.e., about 1 to 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal + 1/3 cup almond flour or seed flour, add more of the latter as needed).

Help! I do not have a food processor or blender. Do you have a low-tech option?Yes! Here you go:

• (1)For the beans:Place the beans in a large bowl (so that you have plenty of room). Grab a fork and start mashing. Mash really well, breaking up the beans, but don’t venture into hummus-texture territory (you want some texture for meatiness)
• (2)For the oats:You could use premade oat flour (75 grams / roughly 2/3 cup). If you have whole rolled oats, spread them on a cutting board and use a large chopping knife to finely chop (use your elbow grease!). You can also forego the oats and use one of the nut flour or seed flour options I mention above.
• (3)Mix it all up:Add the oats (or oats option of choice) to the bowl of beans. Add the barbecue sauce and mix until blended. Proceed as directed in the recipe for shaping and baking the burgers.