These hearty jackfruit burgers are full of texture, flavor, and protein thanks to black beans, walnuts (or seeds), and TVP. A touch of BBQ sauce gives the patties an irresistible, sweet-and-smoky flavor that tastes great on a bun, on salads, or atop your favorite grain! Nut-free and oil-free options.
The Key to Using Jackfruit
Jackfruit is low in calories, but burgers definitely aren't! So it helps to pair jackfruit with ingredients like beans and nuts or seeds to create a final dish that's more satisfying, flavorful, and rich in protein.
Honestly, I was slow to come around to jackfruit. But once I got the hang of its flavor profile and the types of dishes where it works best, I became a real fan!
Young (unripe) jackfruit is very versatile and adds a soft, tender meaty texture to everything from Vegan Tuna Salad (reader favorite!) to these amazing Seitan Buffalo Wings.
A lot of people are turned off by the acidic, brine flavor of canned jackfruit. In my experience, the key is to either use the jackfruit in a dish that benefits from that slightly acidic flavor, like a mock seafood recipe, or in something heavily spiced or flavorful that hides it, like BBQ Seitan Ribs.
In this veggie burger recipe, the jackfruit adds another interesting texture to contrast the black beans, chunky walnuts, veggies, and bits of TVP.
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Ingredients
- jackfruit - look for canned young jackfruit in brine NOT syrup. If you happen to live near a Trader Joe's, their jackfruit is great and reasonably priced.
- black beans - you'll need one (15 oz) can, rinsed and drained, or about 1 ¾ cups cooked beans. Feel free to use another variety of bean like pintos or garbanzo beans.
- nuts or seeds - I love the rich flavor walnuts bring to meaty vegan recipes; if you need a nut-free option, raw sunflower seeds work well.
- TVP - you can usually find textured vegetable protein in the bulk bins at well-stocked stores or order online. I use this TVP from Anthony's.
- onion, garlic & bell pepper - I used a yellow onion and yellow bell pepper; feel free to use what you have on hand. A yellow, orange, or red pepper adds nice color to the burgers.
- dried thyme and smoked paprika
- BBQ sauce - any store-bought variety works here, or try my healthy BBQ sauce recipe.
See recipe card below for quantities and full recipe.
How to Make Jackfruit Burgers
- First, prepare the jackfruit by draining it and rinsing with water. Place on a lint-free towel. Gather up the ends of the towel, and firmly squeeze to remove as much brine as possible. Roughly break up large pieces with your hands. You should end up with about 1 ⅓ to 1 ½ cups of jackfruit. Set aside.
- Saute the onion and bell pepper in oil for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, and smoked paprika to the pan, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the prepared jackfruit to the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Stirring occasionally, work the seasonings into the jackfruit, and cook for about 5 minutes or until the mixture is dry and hot. Set aside for a few minutes to cool.
- Add walnuts to the bowl of a large food processor. Pulse just 3 or 4 times.
- Add the beans, sauteed mixture, and BBQ sauce. Pulse just until incorporated but still chunky. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, and fold in the TVP.
- Scoop up ½ cup per patty. Place on a large, parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 30 to 32 minutes, flipping the patties after 17 minutes.
Hint: since these veggie burgers are gluten-free, they are a bit fragile when hot, straight from the oven. They will firm up as they cool, especially after chilling overnight.
Substitutions
- black beans - these jackfruit patties are also great with chickpeas, pinto beans, or kidney beans.
- jackfruit - if you don't have jackfruit, use canned hearts of palm or artichoke hearts. Just be sure to rinse them well and squeeze out the brine, as you would with jackfruit.
- TVP - I haven't tested this combo yet, but I think chopped soy curls and gluten-free panko breadcrumbs would make a great substitute for the TVP!
FAQs
Since these veggie burgers contain TVP, textured vegetable protein, they are not soy-free. But with a bit of experimenting you could likely substitute gluten-free panko breadcrumbs and additional nuts/seeds for the TVP.
Feel free to chop the walnuts and other burger ingredients by hand. It helps that we're keeping the mixture somewhat chunky. In other words, a food processor isn't necessary but it does make prep faster and easier.
It can be tricky to create a veggie burger that isn't soft on the inside. The key with this recipe is in the varying textures of the ingredients and baking the patties in the oven to remove excess moisture. Also, make sure the patties aren't too thick so they cook through. Since these are gluten-free they aren't the sturdiest burger in the world, but they aren't mushy either!
Store jackfruit-black bean burgers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They may be reheated or enjoyed cold on salads or sandwiches. Or freeze the patties for up to 2 months.
Top Tip
Don't over-process the jackfruit-black bean mixture! The patties are best when you preserve some of the chunkiness and varying textures of the walnuts, black beans, onion, bell pepper, and jackfruit.
More jackfruit recipes:
If you try these jackfruit burgers I would love to hear your feedback!
Comment below and rate the recipe to let others know how they turned out.
📖 Recipe
Black Bean Jackfruit Burgers (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (20 oz) can young jackfruit in brine - or about 1 ⅓ cups
- 1 tablespoon oil, optional - omit for oil-free diets; use a small splash of water for the saute, if needed
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 small yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- scant 1 teaspoon fine sea salt or mineral salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ cup raw walnut halves
- 1 (15 oz) can cooked black beans, rinsed and drained well - or 1 ¾ cups cooked black beans
- ⅓ cup barbecue sauce
- 1 ¼ cups textured vegetable protein (TVP), dry
Instructions
- First, prepare the jackfruit by draining it and rinsing with water. Place on a lint-free towel. Gather up the ends of the towel, and squeeze it over the sink, removing as much brine as possible. Roughly break up any large pieces with your hands. Feel free to discard any hard bits or seeds. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, and preheat a large saute pan over medium heat.
- Cook the onion and bell pepper in oil, if using, for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, and smoked paprika to the pan. Stir frequently and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the jackfruit to the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Stirring occasionally, work the seasonings into the jackfruit, and cook for about 5 minutes or until the mixture is dry and hot. Set aside for a few minutes to cool.
- Place walnuts in the bowl of a large food processor. Pulse just 3 or 4 times. Add the black beans, jackfruit mixture, and BBQ sauce. Pulse just until incorporated but still chunky, about 6 or 7 times. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, and use your hands to fold in the TVP.
- Pack the mixture into a ½ cup measuring cup. Dump into your hand, and use your palms to flatten into patties about 3 ½-inches in diameter. Place on a large, parchment-lined baking sheet. You should end up with 8 burgers.
- Bake for 30 to 32 minutes, flipping the patties after 17 minutes. They will be somewhat fragile when piping hot but will firm up as they cool. Serve on buns with your favorite toppings or atop salads or grains.
Notes
- black beans - try chickpeas, pintos, or kidney beans.
- jackfruit - if you don't have jackfruit, use canned hearts of palm or artichoke hearts. Just be sure to rinse them well and squeeze out the brine, as you would with jackfruit.
- TVP - I haven't tested this combo yet, but I think chopped soy curls and gluten-free panko breadcrumbs would make a great substitute for the TVP.
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com.
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