This weeknight-friendly, scrumptious kidney bean burger is bound to become a family favourite! Less than 10 minutes of prep, these chorizo-spiced vegan bean and oat patties are soft and flavourful and delicious served in a bun, a grain bowl or salad.

hands holding burger with plate of salad
These flavourful plant-based kidney bean burgers are what I’ll be eating all summer long!

I straight up refuse to spend 90 minutes making a veggie burger from scratch. There, I said it! 

I may cook for a living, but if I am going to make a burger to feed my family, I am not looking for a weekend project! The recipe needs to be a dump-blend-cook kind of deal. No cooking down mushrooms, or whipping up a batch of rice BEFORE I even get to the burger making. 

Something I can make on a Tuesday, even if I’m tired…because entrepreneurship/parenthood is a heady cocktail of exhaustion sometimes. So I love using beans as the base for a soft, flavourful burger, like my falafel burger patties or my cumin lime black bean burgers…no dried out veggie burgers here!

This dietitian wants to show you that plant-based recipes are every bit as simple – and delicious – as standard fare. Which is why these vegan kidney bean and oat burgers are as easy as can be: just a quick blitz in the food processor, shape and cook! 

In less than 20 minutes, you have homemade, protein-rich and high fibre burgers that are absolutely packed with flavour. They’re a veggie burger even veggie burger skeptics will love, if my kids are any indication! 

I have to admit that since my kids still eat some meat, they tend to prefer meat-style veggie burgers to my homemade bean varieties…but they absolutely LOVE these ones.

Which is a huge freaking relief because my kids actually do complain about my recipes. With them by my side, I’ll never have to worry about getting an ego, ha! So there you go, these kidney bean burgers are so good, even my kids will eat them. High praise!

Love an umami-packed veggie burger? You also need to try the Umami Burgers from Good For Your Gut cookbook!!

How to make these simple kidney bean burgers!

I LOVE these burgers because they’re entirely made from pantry staples so there is zero chopping and it’s easy to keep the ingredients on hand so you can whip up a last minute meal. It’s like 10 min of prep!

kidney beans in bowl, oats in bowl, spices
Don’t let the ingredient list fool you: it’s mostly spices! 4 core pantry ingredients + a handful of basic spices so they’re packed with flavour.

Like I said, I love a simple dump-blend-cook type of veggie burger! And because I like them soft + moist…the key to keeping bean burgers from falling apart is to have a moisture-absorbing ingredient like bread crumbs or oats. I like oats because they add more texture. 

kidney beans in food processor
Important!!! Only use ONE can of beans in the first blending step.
veggie burger mix in food processor
THEN add remaining beans and oats and pulse 4-5 times until a thick dough forms so there is more texture.

You also want to take care that A) you drain beans really well so they don’t add too much extra moisture (you can pat dry with a paper towel if worried!) and B) that you don’t over process them. That is why we blend the first can of beans with the flavourings and then simply pulse the second can with the oats. 

hand with veggie burger patty
scoop 1/3 cup dough and form into a 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick patty
veggie burgers in skillet
Cook 4-5 minutes a side until cooked through with a nice crust. Turn down heat if cooking too fast!

And if you did overblend, save it by adding another ½ cup of oats, stir in by hand and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before making patties. The oats will help absorb moisture and firm things up.

burger with cheese on brown plate
Highly recommend serving with a slice of melty vegan cheese and my spicy vegan mayo!

Kidney Bean Burger Tips, Tricks and Substitutions

  • If using home-cooked beans, ensure they are cooked until as soft as canned beans! Dry beans will create a dry, crumbly burger.
  • Want the burgers even firmer? Make the patties ahead of time, and refrigerate them so the oats will bind the dough more. Place kidney bean burger patties on a parchment-lined plate and refrigerate 30 minutes or up to a day in advance.
  • Yes, you can freeze these burgers! Just freeze in between parchment so they don’t stick together. Cook from frozen on medium low until warmed through.
  • Don’t skip the spicy vegan mayo! It takes just a few minutes to stir up and makes these burgers super crave-able.

More vegan burgers and wraps

bean burger on bun with cheese

Mashed Kidney Bean and Oat Burger Patties

6 patties
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
These weeknight-friendly, scrumptious kidney bean burgers are bound to become a family favourite! Less than 10 minutes of prep, these chorizo-spiced vegan bean and oat patties are soft and flavourful and delicious served in a bun, a grain bowl or salad
5 from 1 rating
Leave a Review »
Pin Print

Ingredients

  • 2 14 ounce cans kidney beans, rinsed and well drained, or 3 cups of cooked beans
  • 1 cup rolled oats, regular or gluten free
  • 3 Medjool dates, pitted
  • 4 cloves garlic, grated or crushed
  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil, or olive oil
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika, sweet or smoked, mild or hot!

For serving, optional

  • 6 burger buns, whole grain, gluten free, potato-style choose your fave!
  • 6 vegan cheese slices
  • spicy vegan mayo, highly recommend you don't skip this!
  • baby arugula
  • 1 tomato, sliced
Imperial – Metric

Equipment

  • Food Processor although you could get away with mashing and mixing by hand

Instructions 

  • Add 1 can of beans to the food processor, along with the dates, garlic, oil, salt, and spices. Process until it looks like a thick, chunky hummus with some visible bean.
  • Add the remaining can of beans and the oats and pulse, just 4-5 times, until the beans and oats are chopped up a bit but NOT pureed. It should look like a thick, chunky dough. You might need to scrape the processor once.
  • Portion out ⅓ cup of the dough, form into a ½ inch (1 cm) thick patty and repeat with the remaining dough so you have 6 patties.
  • Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat with a drizzle of oil. Turn heat down slightly and then add burgers, in batches if necessary.
  • Cook 4-5 minutes a side, turning heat down to medium low as needed so they don’t burn before the time is up and then flip and cook 4-5 minutes on the remaining side. You want to cook the interior of the burger thoroughly so they aren’t mushy.
  • Serve as a side dish, or on buns with your favourite fixings!
Cuisine: American
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Author: Desiree Nielsen, RD

You'll Also Love: