In my grad school days, I attempted my first homemade veggie burger with less success than I hoped. Now, five years later, I’m married to a veggie burger enthusiast who prefers them bean-based and spicy. That led me to create this wild rice burger recipe using wild rice from a previous meal, combined with beans and spicy peppers.

Tools Needed For This Recipe

Food Processor
Measuring Spoons
Large Skillet

Ingredients

Wild Rice (or brown rice)
Black Beans
Peppers
Egg
Onion
Garlic
Herbs
Breadcrumbs
Salt and Pepper
Avocado oil (olive oil works too)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prepare the Black Beans

Pour off the water from the soaked black beans and transfer them to a pot on the stove.

Cover with water and cook for 40 minutes on medium heat. After cooking, set aside to cool.

Sauté Onion and Garlic

In a pan, sauté the finely diced onion and minced garlic in 1 tbsp avocado oil until they are translucent. Allow them to cool.

Prepare The Burger Mixture

In a food processor, combine the cooked wild rice, cooked black beans, sautéed onion and garlic, chopped jalapeños, oregano, fresh parsley, eggs, and bread crumbs. Pulse until thoroughly combined.

Season the mixture with the salt and black pepper.

Forming the Burger Patties

Using clean hands, shape the mixture into patties of burger size, making 7-9 patties. If the mixture appears too moist, consider adding additional breadcrumbs to enhance binding.

Cooking the Burgers

Heat 1 tbsp avocado oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook the patties for about 4-5 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown and cooked through. (Use 1 tbsp avocado oil for 4 patties.)

Serve

Serve the Wild Rice and Black Bean Burgers on your favorite bun with your preferred toppings and condiments. Consider adding lettuce, tomato slices, avocado, or your favorite sauce.

Serving Suggestions

For my Wild Rice and Black Bean Burgers, I keep it classic but add a kick with fresh jalapeños. Load up your burger with lettuce (butter lettuce if available), thick slices of red onion, seasonal heirloom tomatoes, raw jalapeño, avocado, and a smear of mayo.

Don’t skimp on the toppings—go for big, thick slices of red onion and farm-fresh tomatoes. And of course, always toast those burger buns for that perfect crunch!

Freezing Wild Rice and Black Bean Burgers

Wrap Individually:
- Individually wrap each burger in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Alternatively, you can place pieces of parchment paper between the burgers to prevent them from sticking together.
Place in a Freezer Bag:
- Transfer the wrapped burgers into a freezer-safe, airtight container or a zip-top freezer bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn.
Label and Date:
- Label the container or bag with the date and contents. This helps you keep track of how long the burgers have been in the freezer.
Freeze Flat:
- If you have space, freeze the burgers in a flat layer. Once they are frozen solid, you can stack them more efficiently.

Reheating Frozen Wild Rice and Black Bean Burgers

Oven or Toaster Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Place the frozen burgers on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.
Microwave: Remove the plastic wrap or foil, place the frozen burger on a microwave-safe plate, and microwave on medium power for 3-4 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Stovetop: Thaw the burgers in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in a skillet over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes per side.

Pro Tip: Opt for Soaked, Dried Beans

Consider using soaked, dried beans instead of canned ones in this burger recipe. Why? It’s all about the texture!

Enjoy This Recipe? Try These with The Burger!

Easy Herb Focaccia

Pickled Beets with Mustard Seeds

Horseradish Aioli

Wild Rice and Black Bean Burger

Sarah Harper MS, RD, LDN

This Burger will wow even those beef loving burger fans! It's not loaded with weird ingredients, and it's not trying to mimic a beef burger! It's yummy and delicious in its own creation.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 10

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 252 kcal

Equipment

1 Food Processor
1 Measuring spoons Set
1 large skillet

Ingredients

½ cup cooked wild rice or quinoa, brown rice etc
1½ cups dried black beans, soaked for 24hours in the fridge
¼ onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large eggs
2 jalapenos
½ tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
½ cup bread crumbs
¼ tsp kosher salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
3 tbsp avocado oil, divided