Adzuki bean burgers are juicy, healthy vegetarian patties made with canned beans. Burgers with adzuki beans and no breadcrumbs have a great flavour and texture, and they hold together well.
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What you'll love about the recipe
- Adzuki bean burgers are a delicious vegetarian alternative to beef burgers. Even my meat-loving teenage daughter gave them top marks!
- Adzuki beans are the best beans to use in veggie burgers. They have a firm texture and a slightly nutty flavour. You'll have a tasty burger that is sturdy, not mushy. And these vegetarian bean burgers hold together well enough for the BBQ!
- A healthy veggie burger with plenty of protein, fibre and complex carbs. Nutrient-dense adzuki beans are also a good source of several important vitamins and minerals.
- Adzuki bean burgers are suitable for allergy sufferers - gluten-free and dairy-free.
- Budget friendly burgers which are quick and easy to make.
Ingredients
Cooked adzuki beans, also known as azuki or aduki beans. A can of beans is easy to use in the recipe, but you could also use home-cooked beans which are cheaper. (Use up leftover adzuki beans in these delicious healthy bean brownies!)
Note that the recipe weight is for drained, cooked beans. If you are cooking raw beans then 100g will weigh 240g when cooked.
Onion and garlic add an important layer of flavour to adzuki bean burgers. Use red onion if you prefer.
Olive oil - you'll need a little oil to saute the onions and to cook the burgers. Use another healthy oil if you prefer.
Ground oats. These bind the bean burgers together and make them lighter. Use gluten-free oats if needed. You can either grind the oats yourself in a food processor, or use instant oats which have a finer texture.
Eggs are an important binder in the recipe, and they also add protein and texture. I used medium-sized eggs. If you've got extra large eggs you'll end up with too much liquid so beat the eggs in a cup and just use two-thirds of the mixture.
If you want to make vegan adzuki bean burgers, then use flax eggs instead. Mix 2 tablespoons of flaxseed with 5 tablespoons of water. Leave it aside for 10 minutes then use in the mixture in place of the eggs.
Seasoning, mustard powder and Worcestershire sauce. Seasoning is important in burgers, but you can adapt the seasoning to suit your taste. Add spices such as cumin if you like - add them to the sauteed onions for extra flavour.
How to make adzuki bean burgers
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Fry the onions for 10 minutes until golden brown. Add the garlic after 5 minutes.
The onions should be brown and caramelised. This will add extra sweetness and flavour to your bean burgers.
I always cook onions before I add them to burgers (see these lentil burgers or healthy turkey burgers) - I think there's nothing worse than raw onion in a burger, and cooking the onion adds a much better flavour.
Tip the cooked onions into a bowl, and add the oats, eggs, drained beans and seasonings. Either mash together with a fork, or blitz lightly with an immersion blender. Don't over process the mixture as it's good to have some texture.
Divide the mixture into 4 and shape into burger patties with your hands.
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add the remaining olive oil. Fry the burgers on each side for about 5 minutes until lightly browned.
If you'd prefer to BBQ your burgers, brush them with oil before placing them on the grill.
Recipe tips
Make sure that the adzuki beans are well drained so that you don't add extra liquid to the recipe.
If you've got time, refrigerate the adzuki bean burgers before cooking. The texture will be firmer and they'll be easier to handle. I'd especially recommend this if you want to cook the burgers on the BBQ.
Serving and storage
Adzuki beans burgers are ideal for meal prep as they can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
They also freeze well - wrap them and freeze for up to 3 months. Uncooked bean patties can also be frozen.
How to serve a homemade bean burger is very much personal taste. But here's how I like mine:)
- I lightly toast the cut sides of the bun to stop it going soggy. I usually do this in a pan
- Then I add some lettuce as the first layer for further waterproofing
- You might or might not want to add some mayo here
- Then I add the burger
- I like to top my burger with something a little tangy. This healthy apple chutney is perfect, and I also like gherkins. Or you might prefer tomato ketchup (sugar-free recipe), or some slices of fresh tomato.
- And then of course the lid of the bun!
I also like to add some salad on the side - I usually make this healthy coleslaw, or crunchy apple and celery salad. Some slices avocado will add extra fibre, and edamame beans add more protein.
Frequently asked questions
Like all beans, adzuki beans are healthy and a good source of fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals. However, I especially like using adzuki beans in cooking and baking as they have a great taste and texture. They are slightly sweeter than most other beans (but not in an unpleasant way!), and have a mild nutty flavour. They are less mealy than some of the other larger beans and they also hold their texture well, meaning that they don't go mushy.
I use a mixture of ground oats and eggs to bind these adzuki bean burgers, and it makes the burgers hold together really well. Some recipes use breadcrumbs in place of oats. If you want to make bean burgers without eggs, I'd suggest using flax eggs to ensure the burgers bind together well.
Other healthy bean recipes
Beans are a very healthy nutritious food. Why not include more beans in your diet with some of the following recipes?
In addition to using beans in vegetarian recipes, I also often add beans to meat recipes like this beef and bean cottage pie, beef and bean lasagne, or lamb stew with beans.
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Recipe
Adzuki Bean Burgers
Equipment
- immersion blender or fork for mashing
- frying pan
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 400 g can adzuki beans 240g drained weight
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion peeled and finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic peeled and very finely chopped
- 125 g ground or instant oats
- 2 medium eggs
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the frying pan on a medium heat and add the olive oil. Saute the onions for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and saute for a further 5 minutes. The onions should be golden brown.
- Tip the cooked onions into a bowl and add the drained adzuki beans, ground oats, eggs, seasoning, mustard powder and Worcestershire sauce. Either mash together with a fork or lightly blitz with an immersion blender. Don't over-blend the mixture as it should have some texture.
- Divide the mixture into 4 portions and shape into patties with your hands.
- At this point, the burgers can be refrigerated. They are easier to handle when chilled, but if you don't have time it's not essential.
- Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add the remaining olive oil. Fry the burgers for about 5 minutes on each side until lightly browned.
- If you want BBQ'd bean burgers, brush the patties with olive oil before placing on the grill.
Notes
- Either use instant oats or grind the oats in a food processor
- Add some spice if you like. Ground spices can be added to the sauteed onions
- Make sure that the adzuki beans are well drained so that you don't add extra liquid to the recipe
- For spicy veggie bean burgers, add your chosen ground spices (cumin and chilli both go well) to the caramelized onions.
- If you want to make vegan adzuki bean burgers, then use flax eggs instead. Mix 2 tablespoons of flaxseed with 5 tablespoons of water. Leave it aside for 10 minutes then use in the mixture in place of the eggs.
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
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