These vegan butter bean burgers combine tender baby lima beans, cooked brown rice, ground oats, and caramelized onions. Smoked paprika and chipotle give the patties a smoky flavor with a little heat, and pan-frying gives them a crisp outside with a soft center.
Butter beans, rice, and oats. A good crust and one careful flip.
Real Talk
Burgers are near the top of the things we miss when eating a plant-based diet. These have smoky flavor and a crisp crust, but the patties stay tender. Give the mixture its refrigerator rest and handle the burgers gently in the pan.
This recipe is adapted from Vivian Howard’s butterbean burger. My version uses ground oats, vegan butter, and anchovy-free Worcestershire sauce.
Why This Recipe Works
- Beans, rice, and oats. The mashed portion of the beans, cooked rice, and finely ground oats form the patty mixture without an egg.
- Caramelized onions and smoky spices. The onions add sweetness, while cumin, smoked paprika, and chipotle give the burgers their flavor.
- A crust before the flip. Let the first side become caramelized and crisp before carefully turning the patty.
Ingredients
Beans and Onions
- 4 cups frozen butter beans, also called baby lima beans
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 teaspoons sea salt, divided
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter, divided
- 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons water for the onions, plus water to cover the beans
Seasoning and Binders
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 2 tablespoons anchovy-free, vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ cups cooked brown rice
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats, finely ground
For Cooking
- ¼ cup grape seed oil
Frozen Baby Lima Beans
The recipe uses frozen baby lima beans. Butter bean and lima bean names overlap, but the directions here are for this frozen form. Large canned white butter beans have already been cooked and need different preparation.
Cooked Rice and Ground Oats
Have the brown rice cooked before mixing the patties. The 1½ cups refers to cooked rice. Use the finely ground quick-cooking oats specified in the recipe.
Vegan and Gluten-Free Ingredients
Use vegan butter and anchovy-free, vegan Worcestershire sauce. For gluten-free serving, choose oats labeled gluten-free, check the Worcestershire sauce, and use a gluten-free bun or serve without one. Check your spreads and toppings, too.
Preparation and Resting
The onions cook for about 30 minutes. Cook the beans while the onions are on the stove; they also need about 30 minutes to become completely tender. After adding salt to the bean water, let them sit for at least 10 minutes before draining.
Once the patties are shaped, refrigerate them for about 20 minutes before pan-frying.
How to Make Butter Bean Burgers
Step 1: Caramelize the onions
In a sauté pan, combine the sliced onions, 2 tablespoons vegan butter, 2 teaspoons salt, and 2 tablespoons water. Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions have a honey-like color. Roughly chop the cooked onions into medium dice-size pieces and add them to a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Cook and drain the beans
While the onions cook, place the frozen butter beans in a medium pot and cover with water. Add the bay leaf, black pepper, and remaining 2 tablespoons vegan butter. Bring to a boil and cook until the beans are completely tender, about 30 minutes.
Turn off the heat, add the remaining 2 teaspoons salt, and let the beans sit in the cooking water for at least 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly, remove the bay leaf, and add the beans to the mixing bowl.
Step 3: Mash and season
Use a potato masher to mash the mixture until about half of the beans are mashed and half remain whole. Stir in the garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, chipotle powder, and Worcestershire sauce.
Step 4: Add rice and oats, then shape and chill
Mix in the cooked brown rice and finely ground oats until fully combined. Use an ice cream scoop to portion the mixture, shape it into patties, and place them on a parchment-lined tray. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes before cooking.
Step 5: Pan-fry carefully
Heat the grape seed oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Let the oil get hot without smoking; lower the heat if it begins to smoke. Add only as many patties as will fit without crowding.
Let the first side become caramelized and crisp, then carefully flip and cook the other side. Avoid repeatedly turning the patties, which can cause them to break apart. Serve with your choice of buns and toppings.
Expert Tips
- Drain before mashing. The beans should not bring a pool of cooking water into the mixing bowl.
- Keep some bean texture. Use a potato masher and leave about half the beans whole.
- Allow the refrigerator rest. The shaped patties rest for about 20 minutes before pan-frying.
- Give the crust time to form. Wait until the first side is crisp before the careful flip, and cook in batches rather than crowding the pan.
Storage
Refrigerate cooked patties in a covered container within 2 hours and use within 3 to 4 days. Store buns and toppings separately. When reheating cooked patties, the USDA recommends heating leftovers to 165°F. Add fresh toppings after reheating.
FAQs
Yes. Frozen baby lima beans are the beans used in this recipe. Butter bean and lima bean names overlap, but large canned white butter beans have already been cooked and need different preparation from the frozen beans used here.
The mashed portion of the beans, cooked rice, and ground oats form the patty mixture. There is no egg in the recipe. The refrigerator rest and a careful flip help with handling, but these remain softer and more delicate than a meat burger.
Use vegan butter and vegan, anchovy-free Worcestershire sauce in the patties. For the assembled burger, also choose a vegan bun and vegan spreads. Tomato, red onion, and lettuce are simple topping options.
Choose quick-cooking oats labeled gluten-free and check that the Worcestershire sauce meets your gluten-free needs. Use a gluten-free bun or serve the patty without a bun, and check any sauces or spreads you add.
What to Serve with Them
For a vegetable side, try sautéed collard greens.
If you prefer a whole mushroom as your burger, my air fryer portobello burgers use a balsamic-Dijon marinade and pesto mayo.
Did you make these butter bean burgers?
Please leave a star rating and tell me how it turned out!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Butter Bean Burgers with Rice and Oats
Ingredients
- 4 cups frozen butterbeans (aka baby lima beans)
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 4 tsp. sea salt divided
- 4 Tbsp. vegan butter divided
- 2 large yellow onions thinly sliced
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 2 Tbsp. anchovy-free Worcestershire sauce
- 1.5 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats finely ground
- ¼ cup grape seed oil for cooking
Instructions
- In a sauté pan, cook the onions in 2 Tbsp. vegan butter, 2 tsp. salt, and 2 tablespoons of water over medium heat for about 30 minutes (until caramelized with a honey-like color), stirring frequently. Then roughly chop into medium dice-size pieces and add to large mixing bowl.
- Meanwhile, in medium-sized pot – cover frozen butterbeans with water, add bay leaf, black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of vegan butter. Bring to boil and cook until completely tender (about 30 minutes). Once done cooking, turn off heat and add 2 tsp. salt and let sit for at least 10 minutes. Then drain beans and add to large mixing bowl.
- Using a potato masher – Mash until mixture is about ½ whole beans and half mashed beans. Add chopped onions, spices, and Worcestershire sauce to beans and give a good mix. Then add rice and oats to bean mixture and mix until fully combined. Then, using an ice cream scoop – make patties and place them on a tray lined with parchment paper. Move the tray to the refrigerator and let rest for about 20 minutes. (These can also be frozen and saved for a later date.)
- In a nonstick pan, heat grape seed oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering without smoking. Lower the heat if the oil begins to smoke. Add as many patties as the pan can hold without being crowded. Let burger cook until caramelized and crispy, then carefully flip and repeat on other side. You really only want to flip them once because they may fall apart if you flip too many times.
- Serve with your condiments of choice. Enjoy!
Mike
Way too much salt. It was inedible. Salt has to be cut drastically.
Rita
Why do much salt?
Chef Gary
It's not quite as much salt as it seems. 2 tsp of salt is added to water that is later drained. The remaining 2 tsp salt is divided between 12 burgers, which is 1/6 tsp of salt per burger.
Nicole
What is the okra recipe with it please???!
Chef Gary
I did a twist on this recipe: https://www.rachaelrayshow.com/recipes/23534_vivian_howard_s_okra_oven_fries/
Becky
Great taste and a wonderful option to make when craving a burger!
Katie
Great recipe! Even my non-vegan husband loved these!