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 let’s 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, sauté 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 done—you 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 sautéed 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 burgers—instructions 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, get creative with the toppings: mashed avocado + caramelized onion, pepper jack cheese + spicy mustard + sweet pickles, herbed goat cheese + roasted red peppers, sriracha + sautéed mushrooms, mozzarella + pesto, corn salsa + cheddar cheese, or even chunky guacamole. 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
- Sausage Stuffed Peppers
- Honey Garlic Shrimp
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Lemon Thyme Chicken
- Baked Chicken Meatballs
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 finely chopped bell pepper (1/2 of a pepper)
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (1/2 of a large onion)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 Tablespoon)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs or oat flour
- 1/2 cup feta cheese (skip if vegan)
- 2 large eggs (see note for vegan substitution)
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (see note for vegan & vegetarian version)
- 2 Tablespoons ketchup, mayo, or BBQ sauce
- pinch salt + pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Spread beans evenly onto a lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until slightly dried out.
- Meanwhile, sauté 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 1/3 cup of mixture in each.
- To bake: Place patties on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F (191°C) 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 350°F (177°C) – 400°F (204°C).
- 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.
- 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.
Keywords: black beans, black bean burgers
These are delicious! I’m planning to take them to my next gathering as bite-sized gluten-free sliders, served atop a round of polenta and topped with a bit of melted cheese.
★★★★★
Excellent ! I made mine and garnished with homemade guacamole, shredded carrots chopped fresh Mango and mandarin dressing ! Delicious in a wrap
Made these the other night and my kids loved them. I didn’t have any feta so I substituted with some shredded pepper jack. Made a sauted onion, mushroom and parsley garnish.
Thanks the recipe.
★★★★★
These are so good, I’m going to make more next time and freeze them up.
Just a question…is that 14oz before draining the beans or after draining the beans?
★★★★★
Sounds great! The 14 ounce is before draining.
These WERE the best black bean burgers I’ve ever had!!! Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
My 10yr old made these tonight – thumbs up from everyone. The fussy 14yr old even had a 2nd one on its own. We didn’t have the feta to add in, so next time we’ll add that it.
★★★★★
I made a few minor tweaks (mostly due to what I had available) and these turned out great! I used crushed crackers instead of bread crumbs (because I didn’t have breadcrumbs) and left out the onion. I also used shaker parmesan cheese instead of feta (again, because I didn’t have feta at home). Very moist and super easy! Will make again for sure!
★★★★★
Absolutely the best black beans burger I’ve ever had!!!! Thank you!!
★★★★★
Thank you for this recipe, it’s delicious and I didn’t even add cheese or bell peppers as I didn’t have any in the house!
I did add an extra kick with some chili lemon seasoning, piri piri sauce and spicy bell pepper paste. I found only 1 egg was needed.
Tasted lovely, baked nicely in the oven as instructed and held together. Next time I will add the pepper and feta. Thank you for the clear instructions and clear presentation.
★★★★★
Followed exactly and they were fabulous! Even my hubby loved them. Thank you.
★★★★★
Great for those on Weight Watchers. O points. They have become our Thursday night dinner.
★★★★★
These black bean burgers were great! I have tried making them before using other recipes and they were always mushy or would fall apart. The tip to dry the beans out first was spot on! Thank you!
★★★★★
I really enjoyed this recipe!
★★★★★
We love these. They are also adaptable with flavorings/additions/subtractions based on personal preference. The texture from drying the beans and baking in the oven on both sides help these shine!
★★★★★
Should I only use black bean? I have few garbanzo n pinto beans can left in my pantry..can I use them for this recipe?
I haven’t tested this recipe with other beans. Let me know if you do!
I made them with 1can black beans& 1can of tri( kidney,pinto,& black beans. Turn out great.
★★★★★
I am a vegetarian and gluten free and it can be challenging to find a variety of healthy and good tasting veggie burgers at the store or at restaurants. Just made this recipe this evening and wow it was really wonderful. Will be using this recipe frequently for sure. It is an easy recipe to add things to- I used mushrooms, carrot, peas, and corn in with the other vegetables as well. It was easy to make and tasted wonderful.
★★★★★
Of all the meatless burgers I’ve attempted to make these were by far the best! Taste and texture were spot on. I used Panko bread crumbs. The patties really held together well! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
★★★★★
I followed the exact recipe but only quadrupled the amount since I was planning on making around 24 patties. It came out to be exactly 24 after measuring out 1/3 cup of mixture per patty.
It is by far the tastiest, most moist, and delicious recipe for black bean burgers I’ve tried so far!
I added some caramelized onions, the chipotle mayo, some mixed greens and it was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone at my shindig!
★★★★★
I made these last week and put them in the freezer. I would just pop one out in the morning and put it in the frig to thaw. When I was ready for it that evening it was ready to heat in the microwave and an easy supper was ready. I read an article recently that substituting beans for other proteins wouldhelp shed the pounds and it’s really working. Sometimes I have a bun but not always. I never thought I’d enjoy a bean burger but I’m a believer. This is a delicious recipe. Thanks so much for sharing.
★★★★★
These are the best homemade vegetarian burgers ever! I’ve been searching for a recipe that was more flavorful than what I had attempted in the past – this is it! I think my husband (who is a sworn meat eater) was a little envious. After taking a bite of my burger, he said he would gladly help me eat the rest of them this week. I will be trying fermented red cabbage and homemade guacamole to top off the burger!
★★★★★
My husband and I have been going to a great burger place to have their incredible Black Bean burger.
Then I came across THIS recipe and decided to try it myself.
IT WAS FANTASTIC!!
What a great burger, now no more burger place for us!
Thanks!!!
This is now one of my favorite recipes. I made it the first time as vegan because my granddaughter (who is vegan) was coming over. Everyone loved them! We now have them at least once a week and my young grandsons look forward to them to. Thanks for sharing, we love them!
★★★★★
Thank you for sharing. I baked the burgers and they turned out great! The burgers have a nice weight, flavor and they did not fall apart! Looking forward to trying the black bean burgers grilled!
★★★★★
These were great! The flavor was very tasty! I baked them in the oven and the texture was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I added 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs and a 1/4 of Quaker Oats. I mixed everything in the food processor. I ate one on a bun, burger style, and I ate one without the bun. I melted Monterey Jack on top of each one. I really enjoyed these and this recipe is a keeper!
I did 3 different things:
1. I didn’t use onions because I’m only so-so for onions. So, I added about 2 tsp of onion powder to the green pepper/garlic sauté.
2. I didn’t use cumin because I don’t like it that much.
3. I didn’t add any feta cheese to the mix for the purpose of extra calories. However, I will add cheese to the mix for next time because I know it would make them even tastier!
This is a type of recipe that you can add or delete different seasonings and cheeses to make it to our own liking.
★★★★★
I made the black bean burgers and agree they are the best!! Put them in the freezer and they tasted just as delicious as when I cooked them fresh! Thank you for posting !
★★★★★
What kind of sliced cheese did you use in the picture?
Swiss cheese
Thank you, I just made these for a BBQ I am going to tonight. I baked them and will reheat in foil. The taste test was great. Had no feta – next time, added a bit of liquid smoke, tamari – no Worcester and some great habanero sauce I have. Now I shall do some quick pickle onions, my tomatoes are at their peak and so are avocados, yes I am in the Southern Hemisphere.
I dont eat peppers. Is there anything I can use instead?
Finely chopped sautéed mushrooms would be great!
I made with mushrooms tonight and soooo good! Eveyone else had regular burgers and I was full with my black bean burger. Didnt even miss the meat! Thanks for posting! Ill be making more.
First time ever trying a bean burger and my expectations have been exceeded.
These were great! I omitted the feta. I served them with sautéed mushrooms and onion with Swiss cheese I toasted buns. They were lovely and satisfying. An excellent meat swap out. Thank You!