Delicious and meaty, these vegan black-eyed pea burgers are seasoned with just a touch of barbecue sauce for a spicy, smoky flavor.
Move over, African-Inspired Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers! I have a new favorite veggie burger, and it’s ridiculously easy to make.
It was inspired by a burger at our local vegetarian restaurant called the “Good Burger,” a black-eyed pea burger that lives up to its name. When a local newspaper recently printed the recipe for Good Burgers, I couldn’t wait to make them.
Of course, I had to play with with the formula a little, put my own personal stamp on it. There were a few ingredients in the recipe that I wanted to avoid–relish, which my husband hates, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, which I hate, and Panko bread crumbs, which I try to avoid because they’re more processed than I like.
But mainly I wanted to give the burger a flavor boost by replacing ketchup with barbecue sauce (free of high-fructose corn syrup, of course.)
It was a great adaptation, and I knew it while they were baking because of the wonderful aroma that filled the house. The burgers were meaty, firm, and gently seasoned, and oddly, they tasted nothing like black-eyed peas.
While they were baking, I threw some sliced sweet peppers into a hot skillet and cooked them until they were touched with brown.
And, though I would have liked to have served them with Comeback Dressing as the High Noon Cafe does, I didn’t have time to make any, so I compromised by making a quick Sriracha mayo–simply Tofu-Cashew Mayo mixed with a little of the old rooster sauce. The combination was unbelievably good. Make them. You will not regret it.
Barbecue Black-Eyed Pea Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 can cooked black-eyed peas or 1 3/4 cups cooked, drained
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup organic barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos, soy sauce, or tamari
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups rolled oats, panko, or dried bread crumbs (look for certified gluten-free if needed)
Instructions
- Put all ingredients except the oats (or bread crumbs) in the food processor. Pulse a few times, just enough to break up the peas a little but not puree them. Stir in 1 cup of the oats. Check the consistency. It should be moist but not wet. Add more oats to achieve the right consistency.
- Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Form burger patties on the prepared surface using about 1/2 cup of mixture per burger. Bake for 25-35 minutes. Burgers will be hot throughout, but don’t let get too dry. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before serving.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
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Kristin
June 5, 2014 at 3:26 pmI swear, I just cooked some black-eyed peas this morning (I’d gotten them fresh at the farmers’ market and didn’t want them to go bad) and had no idea what I was going to do with them. Were you spying on me?? 😉
Susan Voisin
June 5, 2014 at 3:50 pmWho me? Pay no attention to that sound outside your window. 😉
I hope you’ll give them a try and like them as much as I do.
JT
June 5, 2014 at 3:26 pmWhy do you hate Bragg’s?
Susan Voisin
June 5, 2014 at 3:48 pmHonestly, it reminds me of the cheap soy sauce that came in the Chinese stir-fry kits my mom used to buy in the 60’s, the ones with the veggies in the can. Besides the taste, it contains more sodium than regular soy sauce, yet people act like it’s somehow healthier than soy sauce.
moonwatcher
June 5, 2014 at 9:12 pmWow, I never would have thought to describe Bragg’s this way, Susan, but I have to agree with you–your description is spot on as far as my own reaction to it as well. Now I know what to say about why I don’t like it!!
Susan Voisin
June 5, 2014 at 9:40 pmDo you remember the Chinese food kits I’m talking about, Maria? I think they were made by La Choy or Chung King and they were truly horrible. I mean, stir-fry in a can? Yuck! 🙂
Em
June 13, 2014 at 2:24 pmmy siblings and I remember our Mom singing the jingle…”swing American”- to her it was a night off from cooking and for us a night without well food- to this day two of my siblings won’t try any type of Asian food which is too bad because there are so many good things they are missing. But they were traumatized by those cans- blech and those horrible crunchy noodles too…but I don’t blame her for wanting a night off from cooking. There were 6 of us. It was a change too from all the food covered in Cream of Mushroom soup. I never had broccoli until I had moved out of the house…ok ok I’ll stop I hear the violins in the background…
Larry
June 8, 2014 at 2:16 pmI remember those stir fry kits, they were horrible. All you could taste was salt. As for Bragg’s, I love the way many people are fooled by their 1/2 tsp serving size to give you the illusion of low sodium compared to most soy sauce that uses a 1 tbsp serving size.
The burgers look delicious and am adding them to my list of thing I am cooking for my parents when I’m visiting them on vacation.
Claudia H. Blanton
June 5, 2014 at 4:28 pmI just have to try this! How yummy looking! I have been looking for a great burger my daughter would be able to eat, and I think she would love that!
Thanks
Sally
June 5, 2014 at 5:06 pmYou have inspired me to finally try a burger. I am allergic to oats so will have to go the opposite direction from you. I will get some buns for the burgers, and one of the buns will become bread crumbs. Thanks Susan.
Diane
June 5, 2014 at 5:09 pmThe High Noon recipe says “relish.” Is that sweet pickle relish or dill relish or some other relish like hot dog relish which has mustard in it? Thanks
Susan Voisin
June 5, 2014 at 5:11 pmIt’s probably sweet relish, since that’s so common down here, but it could be anything. I never noticed a flavor of relish or pickles in their burger, so I don’t think it adds a noticeable flavor.
Denise
June 5, 2014 at 5:42 pmThis looks delicious Susan! Do you have a barbecue sauce you’d recommend?
Marie
June 6, 2014 at 4:39 pmI’m wondering about BBQ sauce, as well. The commentary contains a hyperlink to Organicville sauce, but I don’t know if Susan is recommending it or if that’s something that the software inserts into the text.
Susan Voisin
June 6, 2014 at 4:44 pmHi Denise and Marie, yes, I recommend the Organicville sauce or Annie’s. Or, if you have the time, I have several recipes for BBQ sauce that you can make yourself. Just search the site using the search box on the top right.
Tom
June 5, 2014 at 6:09 pmI am having the hardest time finding a NO OIL BBQ sauce. Annie’s has one, but I have yet to find it in my new home in Buffalo NY. No Whole Foods Markets here YET (but there will be in 2016!!! I cant wait). I guess I can make my own BBQ sauce. Just extra steps. But this looks delicious and i love black eyed peas!!! Thanks Susan
Aimee B.
June 5, 2014 at 6:47 pmThese look amazing! Is there something I can use in place of the vegan Worcestershire sauce? It’s something I never have around and can’t find locally. Thanks. 🙂
Dazzle59
June 7, 2014 at 9:44 amHi Aimee, here’s an easy recipe for vegan worcestershire sauce. It keeps well in the fridge. Blessings from Dazzle
http://www.food.com/recipe/vegan-worcestershire-sauce-394975
NancyB
June 5, 2014 at 6:59 pmHave you ever made vegan burgers with Purple Hull Peas? The color is very much like hamburger and they taste fabulous with barbecue sauce.
Esther J
June 5, 2014 at 7:32 pmSusan, you definitely read my mind. I’ve been craving black eyed-peas and I spied a recipe using them on Whole Foods’ website that I thought I might try early next week. Well, a veggie burger (especially a fave of yours and a super easy one, too) is right up my alley, so that’s gonna take a back seat to this one. These will definitely make an appearance on my menu very soon, so thanks in advance!
moonwatcher
June 5, 2014 at 9:19 pmHi Susan–These look wonderful. I, too, have some dried black-eyed peas I’ve been “eyeing”–haha–and wondering what to do with them. I think this would be great to have when the kids come to help me move. Thanks! (Love the sauteed peppers as an addition too. xo
dyannne
June 5, 2014 at 11:35 pmI’ve printed the recipe and will make them soon. But I want to know why you don’t like Bragg’s Aminos? Is it the taste or something else?
Susan Voisin
June 6, 2014 at 6:22 amIt’s both the taste (see the comments above where I describe how it tastes to me) and the fact that it contains more sodium than regular soy sauce yet people buy it thinking they are getting less salt.
Heather
June 5, 2014 at 11:56 pmWow! I had everything to make these on hand, so I was able to make them for dinner. To be honest, I measured nothing. Just tossed it in the blender, hoping for the best. This was literally the BEST veggie burger I’ve ever had (including store bought and restaurant). I made the patties a little larger than yours and had five huge burgers. My kids and I each had one, and my husband had two. Did not expect that. My 6yo rarely finishes anything. No leftovers, which was exciting (until my husband asked for another batch so he could take a few to work tomorrow).
Anyway, thanks! I’ll never buy another veggie burger again! No more frozen patties that cost approximately the same per burger as these cost per batch. And I love that I can actually make them large enough to fit the bread! (Not a fan of hamburger buns.)
Millie l Add A Little
June 6, 2014 at 2:21 amThis looks amazing!! Can’t believe it’s vegan – definitely going to try this out as I’m sure even meat eaters would love this!
http://youtube.com/addalittlefood
kellie@foodtoglow
June 6, 2014 at 3:32 amLove the flavour profile. I have a favourite West African groundnut stew that we love and after seeing this I will attempt to adapt it for burgers. Thanks for the fantastic idea, Susan. A really winner.
LindaV
June 7, 2014 at 12:27 pmNot only does the recipe sound great, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a prettier picture of a burger! The peppers are a gorgeous (and no doubt tasty) addition. I hear you about Braggs, I prefer low sodium Tamari. I never experienced the stir fry kits though, thank goodness!
caralyn @ glutenfreehappytummy
June 7, 2014 at 8:48 pmwhat a perfect recipe for summer!
Vee@VeesEasyVegan
June 7, 2014 at 10:09 pmI am always looking for decent burger recipes with a variety of beans. They are such a great option for not only BBQ’s but as a main. I like to find ones which will stay together. This one looks great and I love the added BBQ flavours and vegan Worcestershire sauce. Look forward to making these.
Corrin Radd
June 8, 2014 at 12:11 pmI made these for lunch today–nice and firm and delicious. I’m not a fan of the rolled oat texture in my burger, so I ground it into flour and it worked wonderfully. I also added a little minced kale.
2da4est
June 8, 2014 at 2:36 pmI had just given up trying to make a decent veggie burger when this recipe came to my email. I have been having trouble lately making one that I am satisfied with. I you have finally given me one that suits me! It is moist but holds together well. And no fuss or muss which is always good. I may tweak the seasonings a bit to suit my own taste next time but they are great without any tweaks too. This is a keeper!
Thanks Susan!
Cheryl
June 8, 2014 at 5:45 pmSusan, what a trip down memory lane. I not only remember those, but as a child we were pretty poor. One Christmas all we had was, donated from a food pantry type place, some of that canned chow mein with those hard chow mein “noodles” for our Christmas dinner. My toys that year were a couple pencils and candy canes.
Every year now as an adult I donate holiday type food to our north texas food pantry.
Needless to say, I’ve never eaten chow mein again 🙂
Carole
June 8, 2014 at 5:59 pmCheryl, you bring back my memories too. Just Beans and Mashed potatoes, no butter for our Christmas dinner but we did have hard candy in our stocking with a mandarin orange. In 1950 I was 13 and my gift was a Purity cookbook which I still have, use all the time and will give to my granddaughter when she is 13. I think it is great to have grown up poor, makes one appreciate what you have.
Cheryl
June 8, 2014 at 9:28 pmCarole,
Thank you for sharing that. I would have to agree. 🙂
Sophie
June 8, 2014 at 9:24 pmI made these for brunch today and enjoyed them (I served mine with pico de gallo and a slice of avocado.) I have only found a couple of veggie burger recipes that I will make again and this is one of them. Thanks, Susan.
Jill
June 8, 2014 at 11:01 pmThese look terrific and I can’t wait to try them. What buns do you use that are McDougall friendly? I also might try the BBQ sauce from Amazon, I’m getting tired of using HFCS BBQ sauces from Safeway. 🙂
Tracy
June 9, 2014 at 5:46 amMade these for dinner yesterday, they are delicious! Didn’t want to heat up the house with the oven so we wrapped them in foil and put them on the grill for about 20 mins, they cooked up great and browned! I’ve never made anything from your site that isn’t delicious! Thank you so much Susan 🙂
Donna little
June 9, 2014 at 9:18 amI was dreading a trip to the store today and saw this burger pop up on my news feed. I have everything on hand other than…… Black eyed peas. I do however have a bag of mixed beans (15 bean soup kind of thing) and some of them are soaking. Sooooo, I’m going to make these burgers with that and hope for the best. Dinner may be a wonderful surprise or a lesson learned in what not to mix together. Wish us luck!
Jenbilkvn
April 24, 2015 at 12:15 pmDonna – how was the mixed bean version? How could not have let us know? Shall I take the “no comment” to be a not having anything nice to say, so don’t say anything at all , or was it that you cannot stop prepping and eating them to let us know?
Joanie A
June 9, 2014 at 6:57 pmWow! Delicious–I made Potato and Green Bean Salad with Lemon-Basil dressing to go along side. What a delightful summer meal. Thanks.
Lisa
June 9, 2014 at 10:14 pmI made these tonight, but I substituted black beans for black eyed peas. We cooked them on the grill and they were delicious! A little crispy on the outside and firm on the inside. My favorite home-made veggie burger so far. I’ve also made several of your other recipes and they’ve all been fabulous. Thanks!
naya
June 11, 2014 at 4:32 pmive been toying with becoming vegan for awhile. just watched a news vid of cows dairy cows in horrific abusive treatment. that sealed the deal. thanks for the start up of great recipes.
Valerie
June 11, 2014 at 4:42 pmAfter reading recent reports of how bad Boca and all the other frozen patties actually are, I’d like to try making these. Has anyone made them in advance and then frozen them? We are family on the run with two littles, and its very convenient to just grab them and heat them up for a quick dinner:-)
Loraine
June 12, 2014 at 1:40 pmI always double the recipes and make my husbands burgers a little bigger. He won’t eat 2 burgers (always watching his intake) but he will eat one bigger one if that is what I make him. I freeze the rest for another night or for a cookout at friends house. Never had any problems freezing them.
LindaV
June 13, 2014 at 12:07 amI always freeze my homemade veggie burgers. I put them on a cookie sheet to freeze, then put them in a ziplock baggie with those little pre-cut squares of waxed paper in between them. Better than store bought and just as handy! You can get the waxed paper squares on Amazon – a box of 250 is about $10.
Valerie
June 13, 2014 at 9:42 amDo you cook them before you freeze them?
Sarah
June 16, 2014 at 6:15 amThank you for the recipe! I made these burgers with home fries, corn on the cobb and broccoli yesterday for Father’s Day. My carnivore parents were over for lunch and they approved 🙂 The burgers baked nicely and were very flavorful.
prachi
June 17, 2014 at 9:43 amI love black eyed peas.I was searching for some recipes and came across your site.
This is such an easy and flavorful recipe .I’ll give it a try soon
Jeff @ Cheese-burger.net
June 19, 2014 at 4:53 amI was surprised by how fast it was to prepare this veggie burger. I added relish on mine.
Lesli
June 19, 2014 at 10:20 amSusan:
I made these last week and they are really fabulous! I used a smoky BBQ sauce and got a real good depth of flavor. I agree, they don’t taste like black eyed peas at all. They have a great texture, and even pair well broken up in a salad or in tacos.
Thanks and keep em coming!! Love your recipes!!
Lesli
Tami@NutmegNotebook
June 25, 2014 at 10:48 amAnother winning recipe! They are a big hit at my house – so easy, moist and full flavored!
Sally
July 2, 2014 at 9:00 amI have now made this recipe 3 times. In keeping with Susan’s post on using something besides garbanzas in hummus … one time I used red beans (those big red ones) pretty much otherwise as Susan wrote it. I used dry beans which I had sprouted and cooked, so I had alot of beans and made extra since Susan said it freezes well – OK I didn’t freeze it. We had “bean loaf” made from the leftovers. Very good. I didn’t do much but throw it in a loaf pan, top with some catsup and a couple of bell pepper rings. Then, because I thought I was going to make hummus … I had some garbanzas that I soaked and sprouted and they became burgers. Biggest change I made with the garbanzas was to add a mess of fresh flat parsley because …. :))) Have you seen those gourmet burgers (you know – the ones made with non-vegan ingredients) at the grocery stores that have parsley or whatever in them?
Rebecca Finch
July 8, 2014 at 2:31 pmI’m making my third batch of these today. I double the recipe because my husband likes them so much. I did make a change to the ingredients, adding two tablespoons of chili-garlic sauce to bump up the heat. We eat them on whole wheat toast with a slice of onion and tomato, some lettuce and some pickles (and one or another vegan mayonnaise recipe). My next recipe to try will be the frankfurters you served on July 4. As we are using the Ornish Heart Reversal program, your recipes can absolutely be characterized as lifesaving. Thanks for all you do.
nicole
July 8, 2014 at 9:42 pmHi Susan, I was just wondering, could I use brown rice in place of the oats/bread crumbs?
Susan Voisin
July 8, 2014 at 9:52 pmCooked rice will probably work, but they may turn out a little more crumbly and on the wet side.
Stacy
July 15, 2014 at 2:57 pmI AM IN LOVE!!! Thank you so very much for this great recipe. I was a little apprehensive as to whether I prepped them right, because I added the oats to the processor and the batter was still rather sticky..so I added more oats once I put it in a bowl, just to play it safe. Even though the batch was still sticky, they cooked up WONDERFULLY!!!
Question: Can I freeze them once they are cooked or should I freeze beforehand?
Again, thanks and NO MORE STORE BOUGHT VEGGIE burgers for me!!!!
Rachel
April 29, 2015 at 12:48 pmI agree these are way better than anything store bought!
Susan Voisin
June 4, 2018 at 10:51 amI would cook and then freeze because that will make them quicker to prepare later on. But I think either way will work. Glad you enjoyed them !
Reggie
July 15, 2014 at 5:16 pmI made these this weekend. I love them. I am continuing to eat them for lunch and they are holding up deliciously. Mine are well seasoned by the yummy BBQ sauce I had on hand, the same sauce I used to use on meatloaf. My sandwiches taste like my meatloaf sandwiches of old. Love them! I will be putting this recipe in my favorites pile. Thanks so much, both you and your family.
Reggie
July 15, 2014 at 5:19 pmOh, I put my oats in the processor for a few seconds. I like the finer texture. It worked for me.
Anne E. McGuigan
August 7, 2014 at 7:33 amHi Susan,
I made these burgers for supper last nite. I did not have any BBQ Sauce, so I used ketchup. They were delicious! Thank you!
Anne http://vegangrammie.com/