Spicy cheesy bean burgers, coated in breadcrumbs and fried until golden and crispy. A brilliant fast-food style dinner that’s meat-free and tastes so good! Serve it up to the meat-eaters and they’ll be asking for seconds!

A tall, close-up shot of Veggie Bean Burger. The burger is on top of a square of red and white checkered baking parchment. In the left-hand side of the background, you can slightly see a second burger. In the right of the background, you can see a white sauce bottle filled with ketchup. The burger is placed on a wooden cutting board, which is on top of a navy blue surface, This is all set on a navy blue background.
Want to save this recipe to your email?
Just enter your email and get it sent straight to your inbox!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Having worked at fast food restaurants through school, college and university, I tried everything on the menus over about 6 years!

I’m not a vegetarian, but certain veggie burgers on the menu were so good, I often chose them over beef or chicken burgers.
Now, when I say ‘veggie’ – I mean vegetarian – not vegetable (if you want a vegetable-filled veggie burger, this cheesy vegetable burger is my favourite).

These bean burgers are reminiscent of the old-style Burger King® and Wimpy® bean burgers, given an upgrade with the addition of cheese IN the burger (inspo from the veggie burgers from the fried chicken place I also used to work at!).

I’m even going old school with the lettuce, tomato, mayo and ketchup toppings. None of the fancy dips and unusual additions here!

📋 Ingredients

  • Tinned beans – Kidney beans and black beans
  • Gram (chickpea) flour – to help bind the burgers without making the mixture heavy or gluey
  • Seasonings – tom puree (paste in USA), Cajun spice, garlic powder, onion pwder, salt and pepper
  • Cheese – for obvious cheesy reasons
  • Coating – flour, eggs, golden breadcrumbs, plus oil for frying
  • Burger buns and fixings

How to make Spicy Bean Burgers

***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post***

  1. Pulse the beans in a food processor and pulse until you have a lumpy paste. Then transfer to a bowl
A wide, overhead prep shot of Spicy Bean Burger. The image shows a clear bowl with the bean mixture. This is on top of a wooden background.
  1. Add the seasonings and cheese and mix, then form into four patties
  2. Coat each pattie in flour, then egg, then the golden breadcrumbs. See the breadcrumbed and not-yet-breadcrumbed burgers here:
A wide, overhead prep shot of Veggie Bean Burger. In the centre of the image, there is a large white plastic cutting board which has four circular veggie burgers on it. The two veggie burgers on the left-hand side of the cutting board have breadcrumbs on the outside, the other two do not. This is all on a wooden background.
  1. Fry in oil until golden.
  2. Pile up with cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo and ketchup in burger buns and serve.

Pro Tip

Make sure you use enough oil in your pan to come at least halfway up the sides of the burgers when frying. This means the burger will be uniformly cooked and golden by frying and turning once during the frying process.

Now let’s have a look at that burger on the inside….😍

A tall shot of Veggie Bean Burger. The burger is on top of a square of red and white checkered baking parchment. This burger has a large bite taken out of it. In the left-hand side of the background, you can slightly see a second burger. In the right of the background, you can see a white sauce bottle filled with ketchup. The burger is placed on a wooden cutting board, which is on top of a navy blue surface, This is all set on a navy blue background.

Pin this now to find it later

Pin It

🍽️ What to serve it with


Would you make this for your next meat-free dinner?

A tall, very close-up shot of Veggie Bean Burger. The burger is on top of a square of red and white checkered baking parchment. This burger has a large bite taken out of it. In the left-hand side of the background, you can slightly see a second burger. The burger is placed on a wooden cutting board.

🍲 More fantastic meat-free meals

Can I oven-bake or air fry instead?

They are a bit drier when baking or air frying, but yes, you can if you prefer.
Brush/spray the burgers with oil then air-fry for 10-12 minutes at 200C/400F, until golden and cooked through. Alternatively oven-bake on a tray at 200C/400F (fan) for 15-20 minutes until golden and cooked through.

Can I make ahead?

Yes, make up the burgers (but don’t cook) then refrigerate or freeze in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper between each burger to prevent them sticking together.
Fry straight from the fridge – adding an extra minute to the cooking time.
Or fry straight from the freezer – adding an extra 2-3 minutes to the cooking time. Check they’re piping hot throughout before serving.

Storing/Reheating leftovers

Quickly cool the cooked burgers, then refrigerate or freeze in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper between each burger to prevent them sticking together.
Reheat straight from the fridge, uncovered, in a single layer, on a baking tray, in the oven at 180C/350F (fan) for 15-20 minutes, until piping hot throughout.
Or reheat the straight from the freezer, uncovered, in a single layer, on a baking tray, in the oven at 180C/350F (fan) for 22-24 minutes, until piping hot throughout.

Stay updated with new recipes!
Subscribe to the newsletter to hear when I post a new recipe. I’m also on YouTube (new videos every week) and Instagram (behind-the-scenes stories & beautiful food photos).

5 from 1 vote

Veggie Bean Burger

These Spicy Veggie Bean Burgers taste amazing!! Coated in breadcrumbs and lightly fried until crisp. They're meat-free and easy to make ahead!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 burgers
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: British

Ingredients

  • 400 g (14 oz) tin kidney beans drained – but reserve the liquid
  • 400 g (14 oz) tin black beans drained
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree (paste in USA)
  • 20 g (1/4 cup) gram flour also known as chickpea flour or besan
  • 1 tbsp cajun spice
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 150 g (1 1/3 cups) grated mature cheddar cheese
  • 60 g (1/2 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 100 g (2 cups) fine golden breadcrumbs (I use Paxo – you can replace with panko + 1 tsp paprika if you can't find golden breadcrumbs)
  • 240 ml (1 cup) oil for frying

Toppings:

  • brioche buns sliced in half and toasted
  • slices of burger cheese (i.e Kraft slices)
  • ketchup
  • tomato slices
  • shredded romaine lettuce
  • mayonnaise
Save This Recipe!
Just enter your email and get it sent straight to your inbox!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Instructions 

  • Place the kidney beans and black beans into a food processor and pulse a few times until you have a lumpy paste (I like it with a bit of texture).
    400 g (14 oz) tin kidney beans, 400 g (14 oz) tin black beans
  • Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the tomato puree, gram flour, Cajun spice, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, grated cheese and two tablespoon of the drained liquid from the Kidney beans (or use water if you forgot to save it). Stir with a spoon until combined.
    20 g (1/4 cup) gram flour, 1 tbsp cajun spice, ½ tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 150 g (1 1/3 cups) grated mature cheddar cheese, 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • Place flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs in three separate shallow bowls.
    60 g (1/2 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour, 2 eggs, 100 g (2 cups) fine golden breadcrumbs
  • Split the bean mixture into four portions and shape into four patties. Coat each pattie first in the flour, then the egg (make sure it's fully covered), then in the breadcrumbs.
  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan or skillet over a medium-high heat and fry the burgers for 3-4 minutes each side) until golden and crispy.
    240 ml (1 cup) oil for frying
  • Assemble the burgers by placing the burgers on the base, followed by the burger cheese, ketchup, sliced tomato, lettuce and mayonnaise. Add the top half of the bun and serve.
    brioche buns, slices of burger cheese, ketchup, shredded romaine lettuce, mayonnaise, tomato slices

Notes

Can I oven-bake or air fry instead?
They are a bit drier when baking or air frying, but yes, you can if you prefer.
Brush/spray the burgers with oil then air-fry for 10-12 minutes at 200C/400F, until golden and cooked through. Alternatively oven-bake on a tray at 200C/400F (fan) for 15-20 minutes until golden and cooked through.
Can I make ahead?
Yes, make up the burgers (but don’t cook) then refrigerate or freeze in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper between each burger to prevent them sticking together.
Fry straight from the fridge – adding an extra minute to the cooking time.
Or fry straight from the freezer – adding an extra 2-3 minutes to the cooking time. Check they’re piping hot throughout before serving.
Storing/Reheating leftovers
Quickly cool the cooked burgers, then refrigerate or freeze in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper between each burger to prevent them sticking together.
Reheat straight from the fridge, uncovered, in a single layer, on a baking tray, in the oven at 180C/350F (fan) for 15-20 minutes, until piping hot throughout.
Or reheat the straight from the freezer, uncovered, in a single layer, on a baking tray, in the oven at 180C/350F (fan) for 22-24 minutes, until piping hot throughout.

Nutritional Information is approximate, per veggie burger – NOT including bun, cheese slices and sauces.

  • Adding 1 brioche bun, 1 slice of burger cheese, 1 tablespoon of ketchup and 1 tablespoons of full-fat mayo for each burger will add approx 300 calories per burger. Which is a hefty calorie amount, but it’s a filling burger.
  • *Note* I’ve calculated for 1 tablespoon of oil, being absorbed into each burger during the frying process. This may vary for you.

Nutrition

Calories: 623kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 1014mg | Potassium: 680mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1423IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 373mg | Iron: 6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

Welcome to Kitchen Sanctuary

Hi, I'm Nicky and I love to cook! I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

Other Recipes You Might Like:

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate the recipe




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Nancy says:

    5 stars
    I can’t wait to try this. My kids are vegetarian, and I am always trying to find something different. The only change I suggest for air fryer or baking is that I add a couple of tablespoons of oil to my egg mixture for coating. 🙂

  2. Seán says:

    Obvious question, can I sub the gram with wheat flour?

  3. Maria says:

    THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH for sharing this recipe! I have loved the Burger King Bean Burgers and so disappointed that they discontinued it!