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    BLANK » Recipe Index » Main Entree

    Vegan Kidney Bean Burger (Gluten Free)

    Last Updated June 18, 2023. Published June 18, 2023 By Charla 20 Comments

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    Delicious meat free burger is made from red kidney beans and make the best appetizer ever
    Delicious meat free burger is made from red kidney beans and make the best appetizer ever

    This Kidney Bean Burger is a totally meatless pattie consisting of carrots, gluten free oats and packed with an abundance of herbs and spices. They are so delicious, effortless and are perfect to snack on or as an addition to a healthy dinner. Make them in your oven or stovetop!

    Kidney bean burger in a burger bun
    `

    If you're a fan of legumes then you will love this kidney bean burger. Although, I am not a vegan I would like to transition to a plant based lifestyle at some point.

    Moreover, I do enjoy eating plant based foods quite often. I would say that 70% of my food habits are centred around veganism/vegetarian.

    There isn't a week that goes by without Charla eating something plant based.

    I remember as a teenager, eating meat free food, courtesy of my mother. My mother who isn't a vegan would cook meat free substitutes which were so foolproof.

    One delicacy that comes to mind was a homemade veggie burger. I think at the time she used soy, though I don't quite recall what it was. Nevertheless, it was a household hit, one that we requested numerous times.

    As an adult, this kidney bean burger is inspired by my fond memories. Legumes are a great source of protein and make the perfect meatless patties.

    The reason being is there ability to bulk up the formation of a pattie when crushed and shaped.

    Since first ublishing this recipe I decided to tweak it and give it a slightly makeover, because I feel that these changes yield even better results.

    I no longer make the pattie mixture using my potato masher, instead I use my food processor for better consistency.

    Also, I don't saute the onion and garlic separately, instead, I add both to the food processor during the first steps.

    And another change which I have implemented is to chill the patties once I have shaped them, again, this is a crucial step which helps to uphold their shape a lot better.

    Half a bun on vegan kidney bean burger with onions

    Ingredients you will need

    • Red Kidney Beans: The beans are what make the recipe, it's much more convenient and handy to use canned beans!
    • Onion & Garlic: These are base ingredients that build the foundation for most recipes.
    • Oats: Make sure to use oats that are certified gluten free if you are sensitive to trace. I now prefer to use jumbo oats instead of quick cooking oats because jumbo oats give a better texture.
    • Carrots: Shredded are a great addition for adding texture and flavour.
    • Coconut Aminos: This is a soy(a) free alternative, again used for added flavour but you can use organic soy(a) if you want to.
    • Tomato Paste: I like to use pureed tomato for this particular recipe as it's so much easier to work with.
    • Seasonings: Cumin, ground coriander, chilli all of these spices are used in their ground form.
    • Thyme:  This is only herb I used fresh sprigs with the stem removed.
    • Pink Salt and black pepper : For flavour
    • Olive oil: Used for cooking, albeit coconut oil works well too!

    The steps

    Steps 1-4 pureeing the kidney beans and other ingredients
    • Blot the kidney beans so they are completely dry.
    • In a food processor, fitted with an S blade, add half of the red kidney beans, onion, garlic, tomato puree/coconut aminos/soy(a) sauce, cumin, chilli powder, ground coriander, thyme, pink salt and black pepper.
    • Pulse until the texture is smooth (scraping down the sides as you go along).
    • Add the remaining kidney beans, grated carrot and jumbo oats.
    • Pulse a few times, using a stop and start motion, until the beans are slightly broken down, you want them to be still chunky and have some texture to them, remember to scrap down the sides too.
    Steps 5-8 forming the burgers and cooking them
    • Once the texture is right, do a quick taste test and adjust if needed, use your hands to mould and shape the mixture into patties (about ½-3/4 inch in thickness).
    • Lay each pattie on a dish lined with parchment paper and repeat.
    • Chill the patties for 30 minutes or until completely firm in the refrigerator.
    • Preheat a large non stick skillet or frying pan with olive oil.
    • Cook the patties until golden on each side (this should take several minutes per side)
    • Repeat the above 2 steps with the remaining patties.

    Oven baked version

    Burgers baked in the oven
    • Preheat the oven at 180C/356F.
    • Line a baking tray with parchment paper and lightly coat with olive oil.
    • Place the patties on the lined baking tray and coat the topside with oil.
    • Bake in the oven for roughly 20 minutes or until golden (turning over half way through).

    Notes and tips

    • It is very important to blot the kidney beans completely dry before adding them to the food processor.
    • The amount of patties you make will be subjective to size, I made 3 but you should be able to make up to 4.
    • Do not grill the burgers as they will not hold up well.
    • Refrigerate any leftover burgers for up to 3 days or freeze (sandwiched between parchment paper) for up to 3 months.
    • Feel free to add mushrooms, bell peppers, beets, zucchini etc...
    • You can make the recipe by hand using a potato masher but I do recommend using a food processor for better results.
    • It is very important to CHILL THE PATTIES, this will help with the formation and structure.
    • Once the patties have chilled, cook them straight away, again this will help with the firmness.
    • DON'T over process the pattie mixture, especially when adding the second batch of beans, pulse, stop and start, scrap and check the texture until you are satisfied.
    • Do a taste test of the pattie mixture, add any additional spices or herbs, if required.
    vegan pattie on a bun with red onions

    Recipes made with legumes you may like

    • Jamaican Refried Gungo Peas
    • Stewed Kidney Beans
    • Vegan Bean Salad
    • Curry Chickpeas
    • Curried Butter Beans
    • Jamaican Rice and Peas
    • Black Bean Curry
    • Jamaican Stew Peas
    • Vegan Cuban Black Beans
    • Air Fryer Black Eyed Peas

    Sauces to serve the burgers with

    • Escovitch Sauce
    • Curry Sauce
    • Jerk BBQ Sauce
    • Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce
    • Mango Pineapple Hot Sauce
    • Eggless Mayonnaise

    **Please comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Support my website by leaving a donation through Buying Me a Coffee. A site to show your appreciation of my hardwork over the years.  Let's be friends and engage on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**

    Vegan Kidney Bean Burger (Gluten Free)

    This Kidney Bean Burger is a totally meatless pattie consisting of carrots, gluten free oats and packed with an abundance of herbs and spices. They are so delicious, effortless and are perfect to snack on or as an addition to a healthy dinner. Make them in your oven or stovetop!
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Entree
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 3 people
    Calories: 428kcal
    Author: Charla

    Ingredients

    • 1½ cups red kidney beans (or use a 15oz/400g canned kidney beans,drained)
    • 1 medium onion
    • 4 garlic cloves
    • 1 tablespoon tomato puree
    • 1 tablespoon coconut aminos soy free alternative (can use soy sauce)
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • ½ teaspoon of chilli powder
    • 1 ground coriander
    • 8 sprigs of thyme stems removed
    • ½ teaspoon pink salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 cup jumbo oats make sure they are gluten free
    • 1 medium sized carrot grated
    • olive oil for frying

    Instructions

    To make the patties

    • Blot the kidney beans so they are completely dry.In a food processor, fitted with an S blade, add half of the red kidney beans, onion, garlic, tomato puree/coconut aminos/soy(a) sauce, cumin, chilli powder, ground coriander, thyme, pink salt and black pepper.
    • Pulse until the texture is smooth (scraping down the sides as you go along).
    • Add the remaining kidney beans, grated carrot and jumbo oats.
    • Pulse a few times, using a stop and start motion, until the beans are slightly broken down, you want them to be still chunky and have some texture to them, remember to scrap down the sides too.
    • Once the texture is right,do a quick taste test and adjust if needed, use your hands to mould and shape the mixture into patties (about ½-3/4 inch in thickness).
    • Lay each pattie on a dish lined with parchment paper and repeat.
    • Chill the patties for 30 minutes or until completely firm in the refrigerator.

    To cook the burgers (on the stovetop)

    • Preheat a large non stick skillet or frying pan with olive oil.
    • Cook the patties until golden on each side (this should take several minutes per side).
    • Repeat the above 2 steps with the remaining patties.

    To oven bake the burgers

    • Preheat the oven at 180C/356F.
    • Line a baking tray with parchment paper and lightly coat with olive oil.
    • Place the patties on the lined baking tray and coat the top side with oil.
    • Bake in the oven for roughly 20 minutes or until golden (turning over half way through).

    Notes

    • It is very important to blot the kidney beans completely dry before adding them to the food processor.
    • The amount of patties you make will be subjective to size, I made 3 but you should be able to make up to 4.
    • Do not grill the burgers as they will not hold up well.
    • Refrigerate any leftover burgers for up to 3 days or freeze (sandwiched between parchment paper) for up to 3 months.
    • Feel free to add mushrooms, bell peppers, beets, zucchini etc...
    • You can make the recipe by hand using a potato masher but I do recommend using a food processor for better results.
    • It is very important to CHILL THE PATTIES, this will help with the formation and structure.
    • Once the patties have chilled, cook them straight away, again this will help with the firmness.
    • DON'T over process the pattie mixture, especially when adding the second batch of beans, pulse, stop and start, scrap and check the texture until you are satisfied.
    • Do a taste test of the pattie mixture, add any additional spices or herbs, if required.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 428kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 1383mg | Potassium: 875mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5623IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 7mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @ThatGirlCooksHealthy or tag #ThatGirlCooksHealthy!
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    About Charla

    I'm Charla. Caribbean foodie & Certified Health Coach. Welcome to the heaven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jane

      October 24, 2021 at 9:02 pm

      5 stars
      So, I just made these. I didn't have fresh thyme, so I threw in some dry. I'm trying to do things a little differently. So, I heated the oven to 420 and baked them. I then put them in wraps with my fixings.
      I really enjoyed them. Not only that, but my picky adult son enjoyed them. They feel healthy, and they are tasty. I just had to stop myself picking at the rest.
      A little extra note, I only have Indian chili on hand. So, mine had a nice little kick to them. Yum.

      Reply
      • Charla

        October 24, 2021 at 9:50 pm

        Thank you so much Jane for your wonderful feedback. I'm always happy to hear when picky eaters in particular enjoy my recipes, it's perfectly okay to tweak the recipe or use alternative ingredients. Even I do it from time to time!

        Reply
    2. Trish Ford

      May 29, 2021 at 8:49 pm

      5 stars
      what can I use instead of oats. the gluten free are so expensive. can I use gluten free bread crumbs?

      Reply
      • Charla

        May 29, 2021 at 8:52 pm

        Yes, gluten free breadcrumbs should work just fine. Do keep in mind that oats themselves are free from gluten, it's the cross contamination that causes sensitivity. If you aren't sensitive to trace/cross contamination then regular oats are just fine. I hope that helps.

        Reply
      • Trish Ford

        June 04, 2021 at 8:43 pm

        Yes it does thanks you, I'm going to try with the crumbs first and then if that works out I mite try next time just normal oats .1 cup should't hurt . Ill let you no .

        Reply
        • Charla

          June 04, 2021 at 8:43 pm

          No problem and you are very welcome.

          Reply
    3. Becca | Rabbit Food Runner

      June 29, 2018 at 2:19 pm

      Where do you get coconut aminos?? I've only tasted them once at an expo.

      Reply
      • Charla

        June 29, 2018 at 4:48 pm

        Local health stores are now stocking it but this does depend on your geographical location so the easiest place to purchase it from would be Amazon.

        Reply
    4. Josal

      May 23, 2018 at 8:38 pm

      2 questions please. 1 1/2 oats is that cups or ounces & chili is that powder or what Thank You

      Reply
      • Charla

        May 23, 2018 at 10:18 pm

        Apologies Josal. It should be 1 1/2 cups of oats and chilli powder is what I used. I have updated the recipe to reflect this.

        Reply
    5. Jaime

      February 24, 2018 at 3:50 pm

      5 stars
      I love veggie burgers and am always trying new recipes. This one looks amazing!

      Reply
      • Charla

        February 24, 2018 at 3:56 pm

        I appreciate the love Jaime 😉

        Reply
    6. Traci

      February 24, 2018 at 3:37 pm

      Always looking for a bean burger as an alternative to meat. This looks easy enough...and looks like it satisfies too! YUM

      Reply
      • Charla

        February 24, 2018 at 3:41 pm

        Thanks Traci. It's definitely filling, I can tell you that much and tasty too!

        Reply
    7. linda spiker

      February 24, 2018 at 2:45 pm

      5 stars
      I know what I am making on Meatless Monday!

      Reply
      • Charla

        February 24, 2018 at 2:54 pm

        Yay! Linda that's what I like to hear 😉

        Reply
    8. Silvia

      February 24, 2018 at 2:19 pm

      5 stars
      I'm a big fan of legumes. I eat a plant-based diet, with meat occasionally, but homemade vegetarian burgers I love so much!!

      Reply
      • Charla

        February 24, 2018 at 2:28 pm

        Definitely Silvia. They are the way forward!

        Reply
    9. Julia

      February 24, 2018 at 1:47 pm

      5 stars
      Yes yes we like legumes and meat alternatives 🙂 I have a jar of kidney beans in the pantry so definitely trying this!

      Reply
      • Charla

        February 24, 2018 at 2:01 pm

        Thanks Julia, enjoy!

        Reply

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