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This Vegan Mexican Burger is a hearty veggie burger with black beans, quinoa, and delicious southwest flavors. Eat it on a bun or with a fork and top it off with my homemade Spicy Mayo and all your favorite garnishes! Gluten-free!
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Burger night just got more exciting! These homemade veggie burgers are healthy, inexpensive and pack a ton of flavor! They have great texture, too! Husband and kid approved!
Similar to my Mexican Risotto and Mexican Sloppy Joes, this another mashup recipe that infuses Mexican-inspired flavors into American cuisine. So good!
Make a double batch of these vegan Mexican burgers and freeze leftovers for an easy dinner on busy weeknights!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Beans ~ I like black beans as their dark color tends to resemble that of traditional burgers. I used canned for convenience, but feel free to use cooked dried beans.
You can swap in any bean you like here – kidney beans, chickpeas, pinto beans. I would stay away from cannellini beans as they tend to be softer and creamier and may make a mushier burger. - Quinoa ~ I love the texture of quinoa. The key is to cook it until al dente. I find the cooking instructions on most packages list far too much liquid and it becomes mushy. I suggest 1 ¼ cups liquid per cup of quinoa cooked for about 12 to 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
For this recipe, you need 1 cup of cooked quinoa, so start with ⅓ cup dry quinoa and ½ cup water (or veggie broth).
Leftover quinoa works great if you have some. If you are cooking same day, let it cool before adding it to the burger mixture. If you don’t have or don’t want quinoa, you can use 1 cup of cooked rice, barley, or other grains. - Flax meal ~ I use them here for their binding abilities, helping the burger to stay together.
Breadcrumbs, cornmeal, flour, or rolled oats can be used in place of flax meal. Choose gluten-free, if desired. - Pumpkin seeds ~ Walnuts or sunflower seeds would be good choices if you don’t have pumpkin seeds.
- Mayo ~ I like Just Mayo or Vegenaise for store bought brands of vegan mayonnaise. You can also make your own homemade vegan mayo.
If you don’t have or don’t want to use mayo, try subbing with tahini or almond butter. - Spicy Mayo ~ I use Spicy Mayo (recipe below) as a condiment. It complements the flavors the Mexican Burger perfectly.
If you prefer, you can go with traditional burger toppings, like ketchup or mustard. My southwest flavored Vegan Ranch Dressing would be dynamite for this dish. Or try a creative spin on salsa and try my Fresh Peach Salsa. Of course, guacamole is always a good choice, as well!
How to make the recipe
Please scroll down to the recipe card for exact ingredient measurements and instructions.
To make a good veggie burger patty, you need a combination of legumes, grains, veggies, and flavorings. The mixture needs to be moist enough to stay together and not crumble, but not too moist to cause a mushy texture.
Cooking the liquid out of aromatics and certain veggies before adding them to the mixture helps reduce moisture. As does draining any canned beans really well and patting them dry.
- Step 1: Sauté the onions in a skillet until soft and translucent. Set aside.
- Step 2: In a food processor coarsely grind the pumpkin seeds.
- Step 3: Add the spices, diced green chiles, mayo, and sautéed onions. Pulse a few times to combine.
- Step 4: Add the cooked quinoa, black beans, and flax meal.
- Step 5: Pulse until combined, but not completely puréed. You still want some chunks in there for texture.
- Step 6: Form the mixture into patties and plate them on a large plate. Chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes (optional, but helps them firm up to create a sturdier burger).
- To cook: For this recipe, I find oven baking to the best method if you plan on serving them on a bun. It makes for a firmer, sturdier burger. Line your baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper and you can cook them oil-free!
If you plan on eating them patty-style with a fork, pan-frying will work just fine. Cook them on medium to medium-low and be patient. Cooking them on too high of heat will cause the outsides to burn before the inside is fully cooked. If you don’t have a non-stick pan, you’ll need a teaspoon or two of oil for this method. If, when you attempt to flip the burgers, they are sticking to the pan, they need a bit longer to cook.
You could also grill the burgers, but I wouldn’t recommend grilling them right on grill grates. If you have a grill pan, however, that would work wonderfully. Or you can place a baking sheet onto your grill if you don’t want to turn on your oven or stove.
More vegan burger recipes
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the star rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment with your feedback. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Vegan Mexican Burger
This Vegan Mexican Burger is a hearty veggie burger with black beans, quinoa, and delicious southwest flavors. Eat it on a bun or with a fork and top it off with my homemade Spicy Mayo and all your favorite garnishes! Gluten-free!
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Servings: 4 Burgers
Calories: 423kcal
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
For the Vegan Mexican Burgers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles drained
- 3 tablespoons homemade vegan mayonnaise or your favorite store-bought vegan mayo
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans drained and rinsed; or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
- 1 cup cooked and cooled quinoa leftovers work great (see note for cooking instructions)
- 4 tablespoons flax meal plus more as needed
For the Spicy Mayo
- ½ cup homemade vegan mayonnaise or your favorite store-bought vegan mayo
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- squeeze of fresh lime juice to taste
- pinch of salt optional, to taste
To serve, optional
- 4 burger buns gluten-free, if desired
- Spicy Mayo see above
- red onion slices
- tomato slices
- avocado slices
- fresh lettuce or greens
- chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add the diced onions and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and sauté 1 more minute. , chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano and sauté 1 to 2 more minutes until fragrant and all of the liquid is absorbed. Let cool.
- Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor, pulse the pumpkin seeds until they resemble coarse sand.
- Add to the food processor with the pumpkin seeds, the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, diced green chiles, mayonnaise and sautéed onions and garic. Pulse until combined, but NOT puréed.
- Add the black beans, quinoa, and flax meal and pulse again until just combined.
- The mixture should hold together well and not crumble when pressed with your fingers. If the mixture seems too wet, add another tablespoon or two of flax meal.
- Using your clean hands, form the mixture into 4 burger patties.
- Place the patties on a plate in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes to firm up. This step is optional, but helps to create a sturdier burger.
- Bake the burger patties on the prepared baking sheet for 25 to 30 minutes, carefully flipping after 15 minutes.
- While the burgers are baking, make the Spicy Mayo, if using. Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve on burger buns with the Spicy Mayo, if using, and any toppings of choice.
Notes
~ To cook quinoa, rinse ⅓ cup dry quinoa well. Add to a pot with ½ cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until al dente and the liquid is absorbed.
~ You can swap in any bean you like – kidney beans, chickpeas, pinto beans.
~ Breadcrumbs, cornmeal, flour, or rolled oats can be used in place of flax meal. Choose gluten-free, if desired.
~ Walnuts or sunflower seeds would be good choices if you don’t have pumpkin seeds.
~ If you don’t want to use mayo in the burger mixture, try tahini or almond butter instead.
~ To pan fry the burgers, add a tablespoon of oil to a skillet. When the oil is hot, add the burger patties and cook for 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat. Flip the burgers and cook another 10 to 15 minutes until cooked through. Resist the urge to increase the temperature, as this will cause the outside of the burger to be done before the middle has set. Please note, pan frying results in a more delicate burger than oven baking.
This recipe makes 4 good size burgers. You’ll get 6 or 8 burger if you make them smaller slider size. Nutritional facts calculated for burger patties only, not including the Spicy Mayo, buns, or any toppings.
This recipe makes 4 good size burgers. You’ll get 6 or 8 burger if you make them smaller slider size. Nutritional facts calculated for burger patties only, not including the Spicy Mayo, buns, or any toppings.
Nutrition
Serving: 1burger patty | Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 650mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 1g
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
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