Red Bean and Black Rice Burgers are hearty, flavour-packed vegan burgers with a satisfying texture that doesn’t fall apart. Made with red beans and nutty black rice, these vegan bean burger patties are easy to prepare and freezer-friendly, making them perfect for meal prep. You can pan-fry, grill, or bake them, then serve them in burger buns, as a protein-rich main, or alongside a simple salad for an easy plant-based meal.
A few weeks ago I made a batch of these red bean and rice burgers that we shared with a few friends who absolutely loved them. Bean burgers are one of the most convenient foods to keep on hand, and these ones freeze well too. In fact, they are much nicer when cooked after being frozen. One of the problems with bean burgers is that they tend to fall apart, but not these ones; they hold well on the grill too!
A few points to note when making these Red Bean and Black Rice Burgers
Dried vs canned beans
I prefer using dried beans as it gives more control over the cooking. For the burgers to hold their texture without turning mushy, the beans should be cooked until just tender — soft enough to eat, but not overcooked.
If using canned beans, drain them very well and mash them only coarsely so the mixture doesn’t become pasty.
Bean variation
Red beans are used here, but black beans work just as well.
Texture
The combination of black or brown rice and shiitake mushrooms adds bite and a subtle meatiness that balances the softness of the beans.
To save time, leftover rice works perfectly — cold black or brown rice is ideal.
If substituting white mushrooms for shiitake, cook them first with a pinch of salt and allow their moisture to evaporate fully in the pan.
Flavour combination
What really makes these burgers shine is the flavour balance. Cumin brings out a savoury, almost meaty note, while miso paste and soy sauce add depth and umami. Paprika, black pepper, and chilli sauce provide gentle warmth without making the burgers overly spicy.
Binder
In previous vegan burger recipes on this blog, I’ve experimented with a variety of binders, each offering slightly different results. These include oats (used in these Chickpea and Eggplant Burgers), a combination of chickpea flour and starch (in these Vegan “Tuna” Patties), potatoes (in these Lentil Burgers), and brown rice flour (in these Vegan TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) Meatballs).
All of these options work well and help the patties hold their shape, while keeping the texture balanced rather than dense or pasty.
During a more recent experiment, I used a gluten-free flour mix to keep these burgers gluten-free and found that the patties held together exceptionally well. This is likely due to the xanthan gum in the flour mix. I haven’t tested this recipe using xanthan gum on its own, so I can’t advise on specific quantities.
If you prefer to avoid gums, you can simply use a gum-free flour mix or substitute with oats — the burgers will still hold their shape nicely.
Freezer-friendly
This recipe makes a generous batch that’s perfect for freezing. Separate each burger with parchment paper before freezing to prevent sticking. Having these on hand makes lunches and dinners incredibly convenient. Feel free to halve the recipe if you’d like a smaller batch.
Red Bean and Black Rice Burgers
Red Bean and Rice Burgers are hearty, flavourful with nice texture, and one of the key factors is that they don’t fall apart. This freezer-friendly bean burger recipe is relatively easy to make. Pan-fry, grill or bake the red bean burgers, and enjoy on a bun, on their own, or with a side salad.
Ingredients
- 500 g (2½ cups) dried red beans (or 1500 g/7½ cups boiled and drained), black beans are also good to use.
- 200 g (1 cup) dried black rice, or brown rice (600 g/3 cups cooked black/brown rice)
- 12 - 15 medium-size shiitake mushrooms
- 1 medium zucchini, grated
- 60 ml (4 tablespoons) crushed tomato or pasta sauce
- 1 tablespoon miso paste, or substitute with 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, use tamari for gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon powder (or ½ teaspoon vegetable bouillon paste), I used this one
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chilli sauce or ½ teaspoon chilli powder, optional (I used sambal oelek)
- 50 g (½ cup, packed) chopped fresh coriander (cilantro), including stems
- 120 - 160 g (¾ - 1 cup) gluten free flour mix with xanthan gum, more as needed
- Salt to taste
- Gluten free flour or rice flour, as needed, for coating
- Cooking oil, for pan frying or baking
Instructions
To prepare the beans:
- If using cooked red beans, skip to step 4 within this section. Rinse and then place the red beans to soak in plenty of water for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- After this time, drain the soaked beans and discard the soaking water.
- To cook the beans, add them to a thick bottom pot with plenty of fresh water. Bring the water to a boil on medium-high heat, then partially cover the pan and cook on medium heat, until the beans are al dente or soft but not mushy.
- Once beans are cooked, drain the water and let the beans cool before coarsely mashing them with a fork. You may also pulse them in a food processor, but take care not to blend them to a paste.
To prepare the rice and shiitake mushrooms:
- Rinse and then place the rice and shiitake mushrooms, in a large bowl, and soak for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- After this time, drain the rice and shiitake mushrooms, and discard the soaking water.
- To cook the rice, place them in a pot with the shiitake mushrooms. Add 480 ml (2 cups) of water. Cover or partially cover the pan, and cook until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked through.
- Once the rice is cooked, remove the shiitake mushrooms and set aside. Fluff the rice with a fork and let cool.
- Finely chop or mince the shiitake mushrooms.
To make the burgers:
- Squeeze out some of the excess water from the grated zucchini.
- Mix all the ingredients together (mashed beans, rice, minced shiitake, zucchini, crushed tomato, miso paste, soy sauce, vegetable bouillon powder, black pepper, ground cumin, paprika, chilli sauce/powder, coriander/cilantro), except the gluten free flour mix.
- Once you obtain a bean mixture, add the gluten free flour, starting with 120 g, and then adding more as needed to adjust the consistency, so that the mixture is neither too wet nor too dry. When forming the patties, they should hold well.
- Place some gluten free flour in a flat bowl, like a pasta bowl, and make it into a little heap in the centre.
- Take a ⅓ cup measurement and fill with the bean mixture. Drop the mixture into the flour in the bowl. Roll it onto itself to completely cover with the flour and form a ball.
- Pick up the ball and shape into a patty with your fingers and in between your hands.
- If the patty seems to be too wet, add a little more flour to the mixture until you are able to handle the mixture better.
Note: Bear in mind that the binding agents (starches and xanthan gum) in the gluten free flour will activate with heat, when the patties are cooked. This will make the patties firm up and hold their shape. So, the uncooked patties may seem a little fragile to start with, but try cooking one and see how it holds first before adding more flour. You don’t want too much flour in there as this will alter the taste and texture. - Once the patties are formed, you may either pan fry them or bake them.
To bake the patties:
Brush them with some oil and place on a baking tray. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F for about 25 - 30 minutes, flipping them on the other side halfway through the baking.
To pan fry the patties:
Simply heat some cooking oil in a frying pan. Once oil is heated, gently place 2 - 4 patties at a time (depending on the size of the pan) and cook for about 5 minutes. Flip on the other side and cook for another 5 minutes. Flip again and cook for another 2 - 4 minutes on either side until patties are cooked through.
To cook patties on the grill:
I suggest you pan fry the patties for 5 minutes on each side first, until they are firm. Then, remove from the pan and allow to cool. You may then cook them further on the grill.
Serve in a bun with your favourite toppings or on their own with a side salad.
Notes
The recipe yields a big batch that's great for freezing. Having these burgers on hand make lunches or dinners very convenient. Feel free to halve the recipe if you want to make a smaller batch.
To store the patties:
I suggest freezing them to keep them for longer. You may half-bake or half-cook them in the pan in this case and store in a freezer-proof container, separating each layer stack with a piece of parchment paper, so that they don’t stick to one another when frozen.
To cook from frozen, no need to defrost, just toss them in a pan, or on the grill, and cook on either side for about 5 - 7 minutes. Or bake in the oven for about 15 - 20 minutes until cooked through.
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I will definitely make this yummy looking burger