It’s slider season! This time of year, we eat veggie burgers at least a few times a week. It’s the summer meal that I’m always in the mood for: burger with all the fixin’s, baked beans, and a slaw or salad of some sort. It’s easy, delicious and everyone in my family loves it.

I’ve been making homemade burgers for as long as I can remember. A little bit of this, a little bit of that, the combinations seem to be endless. The base is always a bean of some sort, and I’m partial to S&W Black Beans for their satisfying texture and delicious flavor. Black beans also seem to pair well with smoky spices that I want in my burgers, like chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika.

I’m partial to homemade sliders as I find that they are perfectly sized for kids, and I like the idea of eating two mini burgers that I can customize in different ways. I’m such a nut for toppings — I want so many things on my burgers, and sliders let me mix and match to my heart’s content. I usually do one with BBQ sauce, a little mayo and cheddar and then one with pickles, hot peppers, lettuce, tomato and mustard. Is there anything better than a good burger with plenty of toppings? It’s what I live for in the summer.

We’re still trying to head to the grocery store once a week. While we’ve ventured out a bit more than we did earlier this spring, I’m still pretty cautious and prefer to avoid places if I can. As someone who used to go to the grocery store 4-5 times a week (crazy! I know), the weekly trip has made me stock up on pantry staples and be better at meal planning.

It’s one of the reasons I’m crazy about canned beans. I can grab a half dozen cans each week to use as needed. I love canned beans in my chickpea salad, in chili, in 10 minute black-bean tacos or rinsed and tossed into a salad. Canned beans are an inexpensive pantry-staple and a must for my weekly grocery list.

How to make Black Bean Sliders

I include a few different plant-based foods in these sliders. Sautéed mushrooms and onion in a splash of soy sauce for a boost of umami plus quinoa and walnuts for heft and sturdiness. Black beans contain 10g of fiber and 7g of protein per serving, which means these sliders are not only delicious, but filling and healthy as well. It’s just another reason I love canned beans so much!

For easier shaping, I recommend chilling the mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes first. This will help the patties come together easier, but if you’re in a rush then you can skip this step.

I prefer to bake these patties over frying as they crisp up perfectly in the oven. It takes a little bit more time, but I think the texture trade-off is worth it. If needed, you can make these patties ahead of time and then reheat in the microwave or oven.

Plant-based eating is so easy using canned beans! If you’re looking for a healthy, delicious veggie burger recipe for the summer— this is it. Hope you enjoy these black bean sliders as much as we do.

For my St. Louis friends, you can find S&W Beans at local Dierbergs and Schnucks. For more healthy recipes using S&W Beans, make sure to check out their website. You can see me making this recipe over on Show Me St. Louis last week! 

What are your favorite ways to enjoy canned beans? If you try this recipe, make sure to come back and rate it and leave a comment! Seeing you make my recipes makes my day!