Who says you can’t enjoy a good burger on a vegetarian diet? This protein-packed mung bean burger hits the spot and leaves you wanting more!

Made with mung beans, this burger recipe is vegetarian and vegan-friendly, so it’s perfect for your plant-based friends or if you want to start incorporating more plant-based meals in your diet.

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Why you’ll love this mung bean burger

• It’s healthy. The burger is made with nutritious mung bean patties. Mung beans are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They can also lower bad cholesterol levels, reduce blood pressure, help with digestion, and promote weight loss.

• It’s delish. Mung bean burgers may not sound exciting, but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. These burgers are tasty and super satisfying!

• It’s budget-friendly. Mung beans are an inexpensive protein source, so mung bean burgers are a great choice for when you’re on a tight budget but still want to incorporate healthy meals in your diet.

Other bean recipes

• Pachai Payaru Kanji (Sweet Mung Bean Porridge)

• Chickpea Curry Without Coconut Milk

• Honey Roasted Chickpeas In Air Fryer

Mung bean burger ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make mung bean patties and burgers:

Mung beans

My mung bean burger recipe uses ½ cup of mung beans that are soaked overnight, drained and rinsed before using. This makes 4 mung bean burger patties. If you’re serving more than 4 people, just double the recipe accordingly.

Aromatics, herbs and spices

Along with mung beans, the patties are packed with flavor through the use various aromatics, herbs and spices, namely:

• Red onion

• Garlic

• Ginger

• Green chili

• Curry leaves

• Fresh cilantro

• Turmeric

• Ground cumin

• Ground coriander

Burger buns, veggies and condiments

All the must-haves to build a delicious burger! I use regular sesame topped burger buns from my local supermarket. Feel free to experiment with other choices such as charcoal buns. To make a low carb vegan burger, opt for low carb burger buns instead.

For veggies, I love using lettuce, tomato and onion slices. In terms of condiments, I use spicy mayo and chili sauce to amp up the heat and give my burgers a nice, spicy kick.

How to make mung bean burger

Here’s how to make my mung bean burger patty recipe:

1. Soak the mung beans.

Soak the mung beans in water overnight before using. This help to soften the mung beans and reduce its cooking time. After soaking, drain the water and rinse the mung beans under running water.

If you haven’t got time to soak the beans overnight, you can soak them in hot water for one hour before using.

2. Boil the mung beans.

Add the mung beans to a pot along with enough water to cover the beans. Bring the water to a boil on the stove before lowering the heat to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Once the mung beans are cooked, drain the water and set aside to cool.

3. Prepare the aromatics and herbs.

Meanwhile, add the onion, garlic, ginger, chili, curry leaves, and fresh cilantro to a food chopper. Finely chop these ingredients and set aside.

4. Mash the mung beans.

When the mung beans have cooled down, transfer them into the food chopper and blitz the beans to get a rough mash.

5. Combine the ingredients.

Combine the beans and the finely chopped ingredients from before in a bowl. Add turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, oat flour, salt, and pepper before mixing everything together well.

6. Refrigerate the bean mixture.

Keep the mixture in the fridge for about 15 minutes so that it firms up. Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 190 C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

7. Form mung bean patties.

Divide the mung bean mixture into 4 equal portion. One at a time, form a compact ball before gently pressing down to form patties.

8. Bake the mung beans patties.

Arrange the patties on the lined baking tray. Spray EVOO on the patties with an oil mister before cooking in the oven for 25 minutes, stopping halfway to flip the patties and spray more EVOO on the other side.

9. Assemble your mung bean burger.

Finally, assemble the burger with your favorite veggies and condiments and enjoy!

Pro tips for making the perfect mung bean burgers

1. Make sure to add a binder to your bean mixture

A binder is the ingredient that helps to keep your burger patties together, preventing them from falling apart. Typically, eggs are used as a binder for burger patties, but oat flour can be used as a vegan alternative.

In addition to keeping your patties together, oat flour also absorbs excess moisture from the patties and prevents them from becoming mushy.

To make oat flour at home, just add some rolled oats to a blender and blitz until it turns into a fine powder.

2. Refrigerate your bean mixture

This helps to firm up the bean mixture, making it easier to form patties that hold their shape without falling apart. It also allows binders such as oat flour to absorb any excess moisture from the bean mixture.

3. Toast your burger buns

Be sure to toast your burger buns with some butter in a frying pan until golden brown before assembling your burger. The taste and texture of burger buns are enhanced by lightly toasting and of course, butter makes everything better!

How to serve mung bean patties

These mung bean patties make a mean veggie burger!

Here’s how I assemble my burgers: In a pan, add butter and toast your burger buns until they are golden brown. Spread spicy mayo on the bottom bun before topping with lettuce, tomato and onion slices. Add the mung bean patty before spreading some chili sauce on top. Add the top bun and dive in!

This vegetarian mung bean burger goes great with fries and/or a salad on the side.

How to store leftover mung bean patty

Leftover mung bean patties can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.

To reheat these patties, place them on a frying pan over medium heat for a few minutes, flipping halfway, until they are warmed through nicely.

More vegetarian recipes

• Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes

• Dal Without Pressure Cooker

• Mushroom Curry Kerala Style

Frequently Asked Questions

Are bean burgers better for you?

Bean burgers are lower in calories, saturated fat and cholesterol compared to regular cheeseburgers. They are also higher in fiber. However, canned beans can be high in sodium. Draining and rinsing canned beans before making bean patties helps to reduce their sodium content.

What is a bean burger made of?

Bean burgers are made with beans such as black beans, mung beans and garbanzo beans along with other ingredients such as onions, garlic, spices, and herbs to pack additional flavor into the burgers.

What holds a bean burger together?

Binders are what hold burger patties together and keep them from falling apart. Eggs are typically used as a binder for burgers, but there are also vegan alternatives you can use such as flax eggs, oats, and breadcrumbs.

How do you make bean burgers stick together?

Adding a starchy ingredient such as oat flour can help your bean patties stick together without using eggs. You can make oat flour at home by blitzing rolled oats into a fine powder using a blender.

Why are my bean burgers falling apart?

This could be because your burger doesn’t have a binder. Without a proper binder, your bean patties will fall apart and won’t hold together. Oat flour is an excellent vegan-friendly alternative to eggs that you can use as a binder for your bean burgers.

How do you substitute eggs in bean burgers?

If you’re making a vegan bean burger, you can use flax eggs instead of regular eggs as a binder for your patties. Mix 1 tablespoon of flax seeds with 2-3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl and set aside for a few minutes, and you’ve got yourself a flax egg.

Why are my bean burgers mushy?

This is likely due to excess moisture in your patties. To avoid mushy bean burgers, you can add oat flour to your bean mixture and refrigerate the mixture before forming patties. The oat flour will absorb some of the moisture, helping your patties to stay together and preventing them from becoming mushy.

Why do you soak mung beans before cooking?

Soaking mung beans reduces their cooking time and makes them easier to digest. Soak in cold water overnight before using. You can also soak mung beans in hot water for an hour if you’re short on time.

How long should mung beans be soaked?

Soak your mung beans in cold water overnight. If you’re short on time, you can also soak them in hot water for an hour to soften the beans and reduce their cooking time. Either way, drain the soaking water and rinse the beans thoroughly before cooking.

How long do you boil mung beans for?

Boil mung beans that have been soaked overnight for 15-20 minutes until they are cooked and tender. Unsoaked mung beans will take longer to cook.

Conclusion

These mung bean burgers are healthy, rich in fiber, and vegan-friendly. If you’re trying to incorporate more plant-based meals in your diet, be sure to give this yummy recipe a try.

With a side of fries or salad, this burger makes the perfect meal that always hits the spot. Enjoy!