We have been craving some homemade black bean burgers but had never cooked them on the pellet grill. So one weekend, we decided instead of grilling some meat, we decided to make some homemade black bean burgers on the Pit Boss. They came out so good, we had to share the recipe with you.
If you’d rather have some great beef burgers, check out my tips on How to Grill Hamburgers on the Pit Boss.
Pit Boss Homemade Black Bean Burgers Ingredients
- 1 Cup – Panko Bread Crumbs
- 6 Tablespoons – Water
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- ½ Cup – Chopped Red Bell Pepper
- ½ Cup – Chopped Red Onion
- ¼ Teaspoon – Kosher Salt
- 1 Can – 15 Ounce Black Beans (Organic Sodium Free)
- Pita, Sandwich Thins or Hamburger Buns
- 2 Tablespoons Ground Flaxseed
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Making The Black Bean Burger Mixture
Make The Blackbean Mixture
Start out by combining boiling water with the flaxseed in a small bowl. Set the bowl aside to let it cool for later.
The flaxseed mixture will be used to turn the black beans and vegetables into a paste, making it easy to form patties before putting them on the grill.
Drain the Black Beans
Use a can opener to open and remove the lid from the black beans. Place the colander in the sink and give them a shower under cool water, while stirring a couple of times to ensure all the beans get a good rinsing.
If you purchased sodium-free beans, you want to rinse them off long enough to remove the thick goopy liquid that surrounds the beans. Sodium-free beans, won’t have as much of the starchy liquid as beans with sodium.
Regardless rinse the beans until the thick liquid is gone and shake the colander around in the sink, to remove the excess water from the beans.
Chop the Vegetables
Grab a clean cutting board and sharp knife to chop the onion, red bell pepper, and parsley. I personally used my Vitamix 5400 to chop the vegetables.
Instead of spending several minutes chopping the vegetables, I cut them into smaller pieces before putting them in the Vitamix.
Don’t forget to peel the garlic cloves to add to the mixture.
Use A Food Processor or Blender
Once the vegetables have been chopped, combine the flaxseed mixture, garlic cloves, beans, and salt in a food processor or blender. As mentioned, I used my Vitamix to pulse the mixture until it was smooth.
Once smooth, add the onion, bell pepper, and parsley and pulse until combined. Use a rubber spatula to transfer into a large mixing bowl.
I had a hard time getting all the mixture out of the Vitamix because of the blade on the bottom of the container. Next time I prepare this meal, I’ll definitely use my Cuisinart food processor.
Mix In the Bread Crumbs
Once the mixture is transferred into a large mixing bowl, stir in the bread crumbs.
Use a spatula to combine the bread crumbs into the mixture.
Shape the Patties
Just like how you shape beef patties, you shape the black bean burgers. If you prefer sliders over burgers, the mixture will make 32 (1 inch) patties.
We shaped ours into bigger patties since we had 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins we wanted to finish off. If you don’t have any bread or hamburger buns, you can purchase mini pita rounds that work great for black bean sliders.
To shape the patties, grab some mixture in your hands and shape them into patties. Place them on an aluminum-lined baking sheet.
These burgers can be cooked in the oven, but we chose to cook them on the pellet grill.
So let me share how I cooked them on the Pit Boss. These are the settings I used, but you can always experiment with different settings.
How To Make Homemade Black Bean Burgers on the Pit Boss Pellet Grill
Preheat the Pellet Grill
Pull the grill away from the house or any combustible items. Open the lid and ensure the flame broiler is closed, you’re cooking the burgers over indirect heat.
Preheat the grill to 400°F/204°C and let the grill reach the desired cooking temperature, before putting the burgers on the grill.
P-Setting
Unless you’re cooking the burgers on a cold day, I recommend leaving the grill at the default P-4 setting. I never change that setting and everything I’ve cooked on the Pit Boss has been great.
I’ve written an article to help you determine the different P-settings for cooler temperatures.
Place the Black Bean Burgers on the Cooking Rack
Once the grill reaches the desired cooking temperature, place the patties directly on the grill. The patties won’t stick to the grill unless you put them on the grill while it was cold.
That said if you have problems with things sticking to the grates, I recommend investing in some non-stick grill mats.
I’ve heard some great things about the Frogmats and Q-Matz brands.
Close the lid and allow the burgers to cook.
Monitor the Black Bean Burgers
After about 5-8 minutes on one side, open the lid and flip the burgers using a spatula. Be extremely careful, so the patties don’t fall apart.
It’s not necessary to flip the burgers, but if you want those beautiful grill marks, you’ll want to flip them.
How Long Does It Take to Cook Black Bean Burgers on a Pit Boss?
Total cook time will be around 10-20 minutes, depending on the number of patties, grill temperature, and outside temperature.
The important thing to remember is the black beans are already cooked, you just want to leave the patties on the grill long enough until they are firm and heated through.
If you overcook them, you risk them burning. Undercooking them will leave you with cold patties that fall apart easily.
Best Pellets to Use for Cooking Black Bean Burgers
Use whatever pellets you have leftover in the pellet for cooking the homemade black bean burgers. They won’t be on the grill long enough to make a huge difference.
If you want a stronger flavor of smoke, opt for hickory or mesquite flavored pellets. I used the Pit Boss Competition blend for the burgers.
Since it only took 15-20 minutes for the burgers to cook, we really didn’t notice a huge smoky flavor. So it won’t make a huge difference if you cook them over a gas or charcoal grill.
Can You Smoke the Black Bean Burgers?
I’m sure you could smoke the black bean burgers for 20-30 minutes before turning up the heat. We chose not to, as we were hungry and didn’t want to wait.
We’re firm believers that just because you can smoke most foods, doesn’t mean you always have to. No matter what type of food we cook on the Pit Boss, we always notice a hint of smokey flavor.
Resting Period
When the patties come off the grill, put them on a plate or cooling rack to allow them to cook for 5 minutes. The resting period will allow the burgers to firm up and prevent your guests from burning their mouths.
While the black bean burgers are resting, you can heat up the bread and slice an avocado for the toppings.
What to Do With Leftovers
If you know you’ll eat the burgers in the next day or two, you can cook them all at once. Put the patties in an airtight container and place them in the refrigerator. They’ll hold up fine for 2-3 days.
When you want to double the mixture, you can freeze the patties and put them in the freezer. Follow the steps above and instead of cooking all the patties, vacuum seal the leftovers.
Then you can pull them out of the freezer and cook them while they are frozen. It’s no different than buying store-bought frozen patties and cooking them on the grill.
The biggest difference is the homemade patties have fresh ingredients and do not have any artificial flavors or coloring preservatives or other ingredients that can be found in most store-bought frozen patties.
Final Word
If you feel like your family needs a night away or you’re trying to eat differently because of the high cost of meat, consider cooking some homemade black bean burgers.
These black bean burgers are so easy to make, and your family will love them, they won’t even miss the meat!
Homemade Black Bean Burgers on the Pit Boss Pellet Grill
Ingredients
- 1 Cup - Panko Bread Crumbs
- 6 Tablespoons - Water
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- ½ Cup - Chopped Red Bell Pepper
- ½ Cup - Chopped Red Onion
- ¼ Teaspoon - Kosher Salt
- 1 Can - 15 Ounce Black Beans (Organic Sodium Free)
- Pita, Sandwich Thins or Hamburger Buns
- 2 Tablespoons Ground Flaxseed
Instructions
- Combine boiling water and flaxseed in a small bowl and set aside.
- Preheat pellet grill to 350°F/204°C and wait till it gets hot before putting the patties on.
- Combine beans, flaxseed mixture, parsley, salt, and garlic in a food processor or blender, and mix until smooth. Add parsley and bell pepper and pulse until combined.
- Use a spatula to remove the paste and pour it into a large mixing bowl.
- Stir in bread crumbs.
- Shape the patties into the preferred size.
- Bake on pellet grill for 10-25 minutes or until firm and heated through.
- Serve the patties on the bread of your choice, we used whole wheat Sandwich Thins.
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