The Simple Trick To Prevent Black Bean Burgers From Falling Apart

A black bean burger will always hit the spot, providing a neutral base that takes on any and every one of your favorite flavors while delivering a moist and meaty texture. But, none of that makes up for the fact that every time you bite into one it falls apart, sending the patty and all of your toppings straight onto your plate — or worse, the floor. There is one thing that can make up for it, though. According to Veggiekins' Remy Park, Vegan Recipe Developer and Author of "Sesame, Soy, Spice," preventing your black bean burgers from falling apart comes down to one simple trick.

"A hack I like to use is freezing the formed patties before I cook them so they hold their shape a little bit better," she told Tasting Table. If you're not one who plans ahead, on the other hand, Park recommends adding an ingredient to help bind everything. "A great vegan ingredient you can add to hold things together is the classic breadcrumb to thicken up the mixture. You can also add a flax or chia egg!" she explained. You can even reach for other binders for vegan burgers, such as quinoa or quinoa flour, oats, or JUST Egg.

With a sturdy foundation, you can focus on ways to add flavor to your vegetarian burgers. But, before you cook them up, there are some other things to keep in mind.

Even with Remy Park's precautions for preventing black bean burgers from falling apart, you can't just throw them on the grill like any other old burger. No matter if there's a binding ingredient, you froze them the night before, or both, the biggest mistake that people make when they cook bean burgers is putting them straight on the barbecue grill. That's because being made with beans and veggies, veggie and bean patties don't hold up as well as meat patties do — and they'll almost surely fall through the grates, creating a more than frustrating situation before you even get to taste them. But, there are techniques you can lean on.

Most people recommend cooking black bean burgers on a griddle or in a pan, using a wide and thin spatula that will securely lift and (gently) flip the patties. What's really important, however, is that they're cooked on a flat, solid surface that will support their shape as they cook. So, if you do not want to separate from the group at the next BBQ, here's a grilling hack you wish you knew sooner: You can turn your grill into an outdoor oven by cooking with indirect heat. Not only does this mean you can cook different things at once, but you can actually place things like your bean burgers on a sheet pan or a skillet and watch them cook up on the grill without falling apart.