If you are anything like me, meal prepping is a bit of a daunting task that I will gladly put off to binge watch pretty much anything (I’m lookin at you, trashy reality shows!). It just seems like a LOT of work. With that in mind, I set out to make the best black bean burger recipe that you can make in under 20 minutes and freeze! If you set aside 30 minutes a week, you can enjoy this absolutely delicious and easy chipotle black bean burger with oats too!
Frozen veggie burgers at the store are expensive, and you don’t really know EVERY ingredient that goes into them. These homemade veggie burgers are made up of mostly whole foods. They are healthy, tasty and the perfect make ahead meal! So continue reading to learn how to meal prep frozen bean burgers!
How To Make The Black Bean Burger With Oats Mixture:
If you have a good blender or food processor, you will LOVE this recipe…Why? Because everything goes into it, its blended and boom! You’re pretty much done! If you do not have a blender, you can use a potato masher to mash the ingredients together. Or if you are REALLY getting your hippie on, use your hands! The important thing to remember is to save some of the ingredients from being mashed, and mix them into the bean paste at the end. This provides the burgers with important textural components that our mouths crave.
I recommend toasting the beans and walnuts briefly before blending, as this dries the beans out and adds a beautiful velvety toasted nut flavor that is just perfect.
These glass meal prep containers are PERFECT for storing your vegetable burgers, and any other meal prep ideas you have! I like that they are glass and not plastic to limit the toxins.
Tasty Black Bean Burger Prep:
- Once you have completed making the veggie burger paste (or batter), line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Grab a hand full of batter and begin to form a patty. I did about the size of the palm of my hand (I can almost palm a basketball, so you might need to go a little larger if you have tiny hands!).
- Place them on the baking sheet, and lay the sheet flat in your freezer for 1 hour.
- At this point, cook all of the veggie burgers and then freeze them by stacking them on top of each other with a piece of parchment paper between each burger. OR you can do the same stacking method, but place them in the fridge overnight and pan sear them tomorrow. You can also place the burgers in a large zip lock bag, using the same technique.
Once cooked, you can store this easy lunch idea in the freezer for up to 3 months!
Tomato Paste & Chipotle Pepper Hack!
You will also see in my meal prep photos that I had previously frozen my tomato paste and chipotle’s in adobo! Most recipes only call for 1 tbsp of tomato paste and 1 chipotle pepper, yet the jars come with a lot more than that! Instead of wasting the extra, I like to freeze it in small zip lock bags! This minimizes waste and is super convenient. When you want to use it, pop it in a glass of hot water for 5-10 minutes and its good to go!
Thrive Maket
Have you checked out ‘Thrive Market’ yet?! It’s an online grocery store that specifically sells quality items that are vegan, vegetarian, organic, paleo, whole 30 and much more! And everything is so inexpensive because they get the items straight from the manufacturer. It is a $60 membership fee (same as Costco and BJ’s), but most members say they make that money back in the first few orders. Afterwards, if you DON’T make it back, Thrive Market will refund you the difference! So what are you waiting for? Click the image below to learn more!
How To Re-Heat The Chipotle Bean Burgers Once Frozen:
Whether you are a busy mom on the go or enjoying a relaxing vacation at home, these veggie burgers can be made to suit any lifestyle. To re-heat, you can thaw them in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours before pan searing. You also have the option to speed up the process by placing the frozen patty in the microwave for 30 seconds each side before pan searing or baking,
OR you can put the patty in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes prior to pan searing. Pan searing provides that crispy exterior while the inside stays moist, but baking is okay too!
When To Eat Chipotle Black Bean Burgers:
If you are looking for home school lunch ideas, this is your holy grail! It is a healthy lunch option that kids will love (I won’t tell them it is veggies, promise!). If your children don’t like spicy food, just omit the chipotle pepper and sauce and substitute that smokey flavor with a tsp of liquid smoke. These burgers are also the perfect make ahead burger for cookouts, bbq’s or tailgates! You never know when a friend or family member will decide to omit meat from their diet, so keep these in your back pocket (or freezer) just in case!
Anti Inflammatory Smoothie Recipe
You know what would go GREAT with this chipotle black bean burger recipe? My anti inflammatory smoothie recipe! It is SO easy to make and can be made with frozen fruit!
Frequently Asked Questions
| Is this a vegan black bean burger recipe? | No, it is not. This recipe calls for eggs, which are not vegan. If you would like to make this recipe vegan, omit the eggs and use a vegan egg substitute. |
| Is this recipe considered vegetarian? | That depends. Some vegetarians do eat eggs, however, many don’t. To be safe, use a vegan egg substitute if you are trying to make this a vegetarian black bean burger recipe. |
| Do I have to cook the patties before fully freezing? | Because there is egg in it, you should cook them before freezing. This prevents any potential food illnesses from occurring when you re-heat them later. |
| What toppings do you recommend? | I highly recommend making a guacamole to place on top of this tasty black bean burger! There is nothing like a delicious guacamole to top a burger! Red onion and tomato are also great with this recipe. |
Chipotle Black Bean Burgers With Oats
Ingredients
- 2 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup rolled oats, processed (In my opinion, it doesn't really matter if they are quick cook, steel cut or instant)
- 1/2 cup bell pepper, minced
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 1 cup cooked brown rice (white will also work)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 chipotle in adobo sauce (or more if you love spicy)
- 2 tsp adobo sauce from can
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 1/2 tsp powdered cumin
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (if vegan, use vegan coconut aminos)
- 2 eggs (use vegan eggs if vegan)
- 2 tbsp minced parsley
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, plus more for pan searing
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Process 1/4 of a cup of oats in a food processor or blender to make a coarse flour like texture.
- Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread the rinsed black beans and chopped walnuts along the sheet so they are flat. Bake in the oven for 6 minutes, mix, then bake another 3 minutes. Remove from oven when done.
- While the beans are drying in the oven, start a medium sized pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 1 tbsp of coconut oil (or olive oil). Toss in the minced bell pepper and onion and saute until the onion starts to become translucent, about 6 minutes. (it's okay if they char a little)
- Add the minced/pressed garlic and saute another 60 seconds. Remove from heat.
- In your food processor or blender, toss in the black beans while reserving 3/4 of a cup, cooked brown rice reserving 1/2 a cup, half of the onion pepper mixture, half of the walnuts, half of the parsley and ALL of the following ingredients: rolled oats, tomato paste, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce, dijon, cumin, worcestershire sauce and eggs. Blend until a paste forms, about 60 seconds.
- Empty the mixture into a mixing bowl and toss in all of the reserved ingredients: 3/4 cup beans, 1/2 cup rice, 1/2 onion pepper mixture, 1/2 walnuts and parsley. Mix into the bean paste well to fully combine.
- Now line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using your hands, take a handful of bean batter and form a patty about the size of your palm. Place on the baking sheet and continue with the rest of the batter. There should be about 8 patties in the end. Place the baking sheet flat in a freezer for 1 hour.
- You have two options to cook them: pan sear ALL of the patties and freeze the ones you would like to save for later, OR pan sear the ones you want today, and save the rest in the refridgerator to pan sear tomorrow. To pan sear: Heat olive oil or coconut oil in a skillet and sear on each side for about 4 minutes until cooked through. See Tips for freezing instructions.
Notes
- Once cooked, these patties can be frozen for up to 3 months! To re-heat, thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours before pan searing. You also have the option to speed up the process by placing the frozen patty in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes prior to pan searing. Enjoy!
Did you like this ‘Chipotle Black Bean Burger With Oats’ recipe?! If so, go check out my ‘Sun Dried Tomato Pesto‘ recipe that can also be meal prepped! It would taste AMAZING on top of this burger!
5 Minute Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Recipe
For a recipe that only uses 6 ingredients, this vegan sun-dried tomato pesto recipe really takes you to flavor-town (Guy Fieri voice)! Different from traditional pesto, this bright red condiment known as ‘pesto rosso‘ is chunkier, with more flavor and less drip. It can easily be served as a dip with crackers, as a sauce …
Healthy Zucchini Fritters