Between homemade, restaurant, and store-bought, these are the best black bean burgers I’ve ever tried. With great reviews from taste testers around the world, I’m confident you’ll be satisfied with this bean burger recipe. They’re big, thick, hearty, and flavorful. The trick is to partially dry out the black beans so the burgers do not taste mushy. Grill or bake the black bean burgers and enjoy on a bun, plain, or on a salad.
A few weeks ago I made a batch of what I believe to be the best black bean burgers ever. Or at least the best black bean burgers I’ve ever had. These were a massive hit with the family. We couldn’t believe the hearty texture, incredible flavor, and overall ease of preparation. I was expecting good, but not this good.
These Black Bean Burgers Are:
- Easy
- Healthy
- Hearty
- Satisfying
- Big + thick
- Compact
- Garlicky
- Juicy
- Spicy
- NOT MUSHY
I feel the need to shout that these black bean burgers are not mushy, one of the common problems with homemade black bean burgers. On the other hand, these black bean burgers are not crumbly either. They hold their shape beautifully!
Quick Video Tutorial
How to Make My Best Black Bean Burgers
The full printable recipe is below, but letโs walk through it quickly so you understand each step before you get started
- Partially dry out the black beans. I learned this from Serious Eats. Spread out the canned black beans onto a lined baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes. This prevents the black bean burgers from tasting like mush.
- While the black beans are in the oven, sautรฉ some garlic, onion, and pepper together. This will be the flavor base of the entire burger. Make sure you blot the garlic, onion, + pepper when they’re doneโyou don’t want its moisture in the black bean burger.
- Food processor or fork! Your choice. Whichever you choose, make sure you don’t completely mash the black beans. We want a bulky and satisfying texture. Larger chunks of beans are the best part!
- FLAVOR. A black bean burger would simply be a patty made from beans if we didn’t add some pizazz. The sautรฉed garlic, onion, + pepper combo is a great start, but a little cumin, worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, feta cheese, and chili pepper turn black beans into the BEST black bean burger.
Now let’s talk about binders.
And not the kind you bring to school. How do the black bean burgers hold their shape?
- Breadcrumbs. I used gluten free bread crumbs to keep the burgers GF, but any bread crumbs are great. You can use crushed crackers, almond flour, or even oat flour instead.
- Ketchup. I love ketchup so the more the merrier, but you only need 2 Tablespoons. Some sort of condiment like this is needed so the burgers hold their shape. Instead of ketchup, try mayo or BBQ sauce. (I used a tangy BBQ sauce in the 2nd batch and the burgers were incredible.)
- 2 eggs. Best burger binder you’ll find.
All of this stuff, plus the baked black beans, goes into 1 big bowl. Lightly mash it all with a fork to combine. It’s too easy.
How to Shape & Cook Black Bean Burgers
Shape the black bean burgers however large or small you want, keeping in mind that the larger they are, the more unevenly they’ll cook. From what I tested, the sweet spot is about 1/3 cup of mixture.
You can bake or grill the burgersโinstructions for both included in the printable recipe below. You can also make the burgers ahead of time and freeze, which is what I did for our trip. Stack them between parchment paper in a freezer container or zipped-top bag. You can even bake/grill the frozen burgers if you forget to thaw them.
As one of my favorite Memorial Day recipes, I always make a batch ahead for the grill!
For a light lunch, skip the bun and eat on a salad. For a seriously impressive supper, serve on homemade ciabatta rolls and get creative with the toppings: mashed avocado + caramelized onion, pepper jack cheese + spicy mustard + sweet pickles, herbed goat cheese + roasted red peppers, sriracha + sautรฉed mushrooms, corn salsa + cheddar cheese, or even chunky guacamole. For a summertime favorite, use the toppings from my caprese pesto chicken burgers. They would go great with zucchini casserole or berry quinoa salad on the side.
The last time I made them, I piled the black bean burgers high with BBQ sauce, Swiss cheese, and grilled pineapple. Best thing I’ve eaten all week. And my week included s’mores made with peanut butter cups. SO THAT’S A GOOD BURGER.
More Favorite Dinner Recipes
- Maryland Crab Cakes
- Vegetarian Shepherdโs Pie
- Sausage Stuffed Peppers
- Honey Garlic Shrimp
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Lemon Thyme Chicken
- Baked Chicken Meatballs
- Zucchini Fritters or Corn Fritters
For even more inspiration here are 15+ summer dinner ideas!
Print
The Best Black Bean Burgers I’ve Ever Had
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6-7 burgers
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Between homemade, restaurant, and store-bought, these are the best black bean burgers I’ve ever tried. These burgers are not vegan or vegetarian. (See recipe note to make adjustments if necessary.) With great reviews from taste testers around the world, I’m confident you’ll be satisfied with this black bean burger recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 (14-ounce) cans black beans, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup (100g) finely chopped bell pepper (1/2 of a pepper)
- 1 cup (130g) finely chopped yellow onionย (1/2 of a large onion)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 Tablespoon)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons groundย cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 cup (60g) bread crumbs or oat flour
- 1/2 cup (70g) feta cheese (skip if vegan)
- 2 largeย eggs (see note for vegan substitution)
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (see note for vegan & vegetarian version)
- 2 Tablespoons ketchup, mayo, or BBQย sauce
- pinch salt + pepper
Instructions
- Preheat ovenย to 325ยฐF (163ยฐC). Spread beans evenly onto a lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until slightly dried out.
- Meanwhile, sautรฉ olive oil, chopped pepper, onion, and garlic over medium heat until peppers and onions are soft, about 5-6 minutes. Gently blot some of the moisture out. Place in a large bowl or in a food processor with the remaining ingredients (cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, bread crumbs, cheese, eggs, worcestershire, ketchup, salt, and pepper). Stir or pulse everything together, then add the black beans. Mash with a fork or pulse the mixture, leaving some larger chunks of beans.
- Form into patties, about 1/2 cup (130g) of mixture each, about 3/4-inch thick.
- To bake:ย Place patties on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 375ยฐF (191ยฐC) for 10 minutes on each side, 20 minutes total. To grill: Place patties on greased aluminum foil and grill 8 minutes on each side. Heat temperature is personal preference as all grills differ. Generally, black bean burgers should grill on medium-high heat about 350ยฐF (177ยฐC) – 400ยฐF (204ยฐC).
- Serve with your favorite toppings. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Cooked or uncooked black bean burgers freeze wonderfully for up to 3 months. Stack between parchment paper in a freezer container or zipped-top bag. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat to your liking or, if uncooked, cook according to instructions. If desired, you can skip thawing and reheat/cook from frozen for an extra couple minutes.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheet | Parchment Paper | Glass Mixing Bowl | Food Processor
- Vegan & Vegetarian: Worcestershire sauce is not vegan or vegetarian. For vegetarian burgers, leave it out or replace with your favorite vegetarian condiment such as BBQ sauce. For vegan burgers, make the following 3 changes: (1) leave out the Worcestershire sauce or replace with your favorite vegan condiment such as BBQ sauce, (2) leave out the cheese, and (3) replace the eggs with 1/3 cup mashed sweet potato.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Ive made this a few times. Love the recipe, im going to try turning these into stuffed hamburgers next
I left a one star review for this recipe yesterday. The mixture was very liquid and difficult to form into patties, hence the review.
However, after 2 hours in the refrigerator the mixture firmed up enough to form the burgers.
Served in ciabatta rolls with home made pickled red cabbage and home made hot chilli sauce-they were delicious!
So I apologise for my earlier review.
Truly the best veggie burger I’ve had at home or in a restaurant! And we skip the feta. We make double or triple batches and keep them in the freezer. Reheat easily in the microwave or toaster oven. My toddler loves them too!
I have made these and
Substituted the peppers for corn. They are amazing and my family doesnโt want hamburgers anymore. I make 2 batches and freeze them. You will love them
I just made these and they are outstanding. I used Panko bread crumbs. I omitted the worcestershire sauce but used ketchup. Next time I will add homemade BBQ sauce. I also brushed with oil after flipping. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Thanks for the Black Bean Burger recipe. I tried making it, and it was a smash for everybody! I finally found something to add the black beans to make a tasty meal that everyone would enjoy. It was delicious!
Rita
Can you use panko bread crumbs for the bread crumbs?
Sure can, Cherie!
This is the first time cooking homemade burgers didn’t crumble and taste great.
Excellent -followed the recipe except brushed the burgers with a bit of oil before baking. Stayed together -did not break apart. Agree it is the best Vege bean burger recipe I have ever tried.
These were phenomenal!
I substituted Mexican cheese in place of the feta, as I thought it went well with the cumin, garlic & chili powder.
I served them with a side of guac & chips, and toasted some slider buns and added cheddar cheese, lettuce & onions.
Huge hit- thank you!
The list ingredients included feta cheese, but it doesn’t mention the feta cheese in the instructions? I’m assuming this is a typo, but does it get mixed in or melted on top. Either way, I just love your recipes!
Hi Ronda, the cheese is listed in step 2 between the eggs and breadcrumbs. Enjoy!
Hi S. B. T.:
Can this recipe be processed a different way? As I don’t have a food processor or blender.
Thank you
You can absolutely mix this by hand!
I had the best bean burger of my life about 11-12 years ago and to this day havenโt forgotten it. So I finally decided it was time to try my hand at one in hopes I could relive that wonderful burger.
I love so many of your recipes and as this was claimed to be โthe best โฆyouโd ever hadโ, I decided it was a good place to start.
Unfortunately I found it rather underwhelming and in comparison to making a regular burger, much more time consuming. The texture was dry and crumbly, falling apart as we bit into them. The flavor was rather muted and bland.
I followed the recipe to a T. No subs. No omissions. Idk what could make it better, but Iโll keep looking.
Since you have to dry the beans some beforehand can I just use refried black beans?
Hi Jeanne, We havenโt tested that but fear there would be too much liquid in the refried beans.
I was so pleased with this recipe. User-friendly directions; great outcome. Omitted the feta since didnโt have any on hand. Will make again & try with the feta. Cooking for two so made a half recipe. Made 5 burgers, each 1/4 cup of mixture. Will definitely make again! Satisfied my burger craving.