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
- Zucchini Fritters or Corn Fritters
For even more inspiration here are 15+ summer dinner ideas!
PrintThe 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 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 (60g) bread crumbs or oat flour
- 1/2 cup (70g) 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 1/2 cup (130g) of mixture each, about 3/4-inch thick.
- 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.
- 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.
This was my first time making a black bean burger. It tasted delicious! I am glad I chose your recipe. I plan to make these on a regular basis. Thanks!!
Had to add twice the amount of bread crumbs to get the consistency I wanted for forming the patties, but it turned out great! Our batch made 9 nicely sized ones and were great with some potatoes and green beans. Great recipe with some leftovers!
Can I substitute red or pinto beans for black beans?
Hi Andi, we haven’t tested this recipe with other beans. Let us know if you do!
These are fantastic. I added a cup of thawed corn kernels and omitted the feta cheese. I made them with dried black beans that I cooked in the Instant Pot (unsoaked 25 minutes on High, 10 minutes natural release) then proceeded with the recipe. I made them using 1/3 per burger, formed them in a burger press and froze them individually. Perfection!!
My boyfriend (typical meat eater) and I both loved these burgers. Great flavor and texture. One thing I wondered though is because I used homemade black beans, maybe I shouldn’t have baked them in the oven for quite as long because they turned out a bit dry. Next time I’ll just bake the beans for 5-7 minutes..? (Canned beans are oddly hard to find where I live). Otherwise, these were perfect! Thanks!!
Fab tasting recipe just great burgers. I just could not get them to bind. Any ideas where I went wrong
Hi Breda, did you happen to make any ingredient changes or substitutions? They are a slightly delicate burger. Mashing the beans a bit more next time will help them bind with the other ingredients. Glad you enjoyed them!
I looked but did not find the calories/burger patty. How many calories are in each burger? It is delicious. I tried it today with a Dave’s Killer Bread bun and I feel satiated but not stuffed. Next time I will just use 1 egg. Also I did not have any bread crumbs nor oat flour, so I used quick 1-minute oats. Yummy! Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Ces, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients, and many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients. However, there are many great online calculators where you can plug in your exact ingredients like this one: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Best black bean burger ever! I used ingredients on hand, red peppers and jalapeños , and mozzarella cheese instead of feta. I was careful this time not over bake the beans. Light mash with a wooden spoon instead of the food processor gave the mixture a nice texture. Very delicious and they freeze well. Served on lettuce with pepper jack cheese and red pepper jelly sauce. Thank you for the recipe!
These did not disappoint! I followed the recipe exactly except I omitted feta cheese because I didn’t have any on hand. So far I’ve just had them plain with a side of salad but I can tell they will be equally delicious dressed up as a burger with all the trimmings.
Can you use panko bread crumbs?
Definitely!
We love these as a family. I skip the chilli as my little one doesn’t eat a lot of spice yet but use more paprika instead.
I am going to use these as a veggie option for a Kofte dish my mom makes by making them smaller like meatballs. I think they will be delicious like that too. Will let you know how it works.
Nathalie, how did the Kofte version work out for you?
I have A LOT of canned kidney/dark red beans, would it change anything much at all if I swapped out the black beans for canned red beans? I know that there will be a different set a date, but what about tasty? I’m getting probably not, but I am wondering if you’ve ever tried this with red.
Hi Samantha, you can definitely switch up the kind of beans. We still encourage you to dry them out as you do with the black beans in the instructions. We haven’t personally made these with red beans, but if you enjoy red beans then they should be delicious in these burgers!
I am trying to get my family to cut back on meat and we have one vegetarian. I made these in the oven without the Feta Cheese and just BBQ sauce. I thought they held together really well. Even my husband and my pickiest daughter liked them.
I’m a meat eater, but I’m aiming to include more beans in my diet. I have made these about 3 times, & they are SO satisfying & delicious! I love to pre make the bean mixture to keep in the fridge for quick assembly/cooking. I use my own milled flour from steelcut oats & cheddar cheese powder instead of feta, then pan fry them on medium heat in my cast iron pan. To assemble, I use Ezekiel english muffins as the bun, plus lettuce, super crispy Hooray vegan bacon, mayo, ketchup & heirloom tomato – and they come out so yummy!! These are my fave home made veggie burgers!!
Making these for a second time as they were a big hit the last time. One quick quibble. The listed cooking time (15 mins) is the time just for drying the black beans, while the bake time for the burgers once formed is another 20 minutes, and the total grilling time is ~16 minutes. Perhaps that 15 minutes is supposed to be part of prep time, but that still isn’t right unless you’re grilling at a slightly higher temp. I won’t question the prep time. I might be a little more finicky or slower than most folks, but prep time for me is almost always at least 50% longer.
Did I miss the breakdown of nutrients?
Hi Liz, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Wow, the spice combination is a wow , thank you. I made to your recipe except, I replaced eggs with egg replacer, used store bought breadcrumbs( instead of making my own), dried beans which I soaked the night before, cooked this morning, then used in the recipe tonight, they were well dry by tonight and I used dairy free cheese, oh my Buddha awesome with one hang up , I couldn’t get them to bind together well. Any suggestions? Maybe I blotted too much moisture out, or maybe I didn’t have the full amount of beans only 300 grams not 400. But the taste made up for it.
These are so yummy. I opted to not use an egg or flax egg and they held up just fine. Great idea to bake the beans first so the patty isn’t too mushy. I added Ortega diced green chiles and roasted walnuts. Add the walnuts at the end of mixings and hand stir. So good. Thanks
These ARE the best black bean burger I’ve ever had, and I’ve tried many! Flavorful, hold together nicely and great texture. My new go to recipe, thank you!
Made this for the 1st time yesterday for the family and I love it. Thank you.
These burgers were delicious! I made them for the first time yesterday and will be making another batch this weekend. This is the best black bean burger (vegan style) I’ve made. I added nutritional yeast and dill jalapeños slices to the mixture along with the other ingredients. Soooo good!
Thank you!
Oh my gosh! This really is the best bean burger recipe ever, flavour and consistency wise! I made this multiple times and it always was a huge hit, also among meat eaters! This is really is such a game changer, thank you soooo much! The first time I baked them in the oven and was really happy, however I think they are even better when grilled. AMAZING!
Has anyone tried cooking these in a pan on stovetop?
Hi Rose, we find the centers don’t cook very well when cooked on the stove. You might start them in a skillet then transfer to the oven to finish baking. Let us know how they turn out for you!
I make these all the time in a non-stick pan sprayed with Pam on the stove. I start it at medium high heat for a couple of minutes, flip and reduce the heat to medium low and put a lid on for another couple of minutes. I take the lid off, flip and put bbq sauce and cheese on top of the burger, then turn off the heat leaving the hot pan with the burger on the stove while I prepare the bun. The entire cooking time is probably around 6-7 minutes. I’ve yet to have an undercooked burger. And I won’t turn on the oven or start the bbq for one burger.
I love love love this recipe! I’ve played with the seasonings, but this is a perfect burger as is.
It was 1988 and I felt my tummy rumble. Shivers crawled down my spine. I knew immediately I had to bolt to the toilet!!! It was a terrible night and I remember that Momma gave me black beans the other night!!! Anyways, This was so good! However due to my severe black bean allergy. I used Green peas straight from momma’s garden! Delish!
These are even good raw out of the food processor! Can they be cooked frozen in a nonstick pan???
Hi Marie! You can cook them from frozen (see recipe notes for make-ahead instructions). We prefer baking or grilling these burgers, but let us know if you try pan frying them!
I’m not sure if you meant raw as in uncooked but I believe that uncooked dried black beans are poisonous just like red kidney beans. They have to be soaked and cooked before use.
Do you have a conversion/method for making these with dried black beans?
Hi Katie, if using dried beans, follow the soaking instructions to soften them up before using. You’ll cook the beans as you usually do, then dry them out in the oven before using (per our instructions in this recipe). There’s roughly 1 and 1/2 cups of black beans in a can, so you’ll need about 3 cups total.
I used dried beans, cooked as usual,a poblano pepper, whole wheat bread crumbs, and jalapeño ketchup, these are fantastic! I’ve been looking for a keeper black bean burger recipe, thank you!
Would love to have been able to see the macros on this!
can I have all the time I spent scrolling ALLLLLLL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE just to see the recipie I clicked on….
Feel free to use the “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page next time.
I haven’t tried the recipe, yet. I rarely, I mean hardly ever read an entire recipe. I usually go straight to the recipe. But this time I found myself reading the whole thing because the information was so interesting and enlightening. My daughter eats vegan and I always like to “impress her” with my Vegan foods! Thanks
So rude, Pissed, when you’re getting something for nothing?
A side note. Vegans and vegetarians can look for kosher Worcestershire sauce, which does not contain any fish.
Hi! Thank you Sally’s for this recipe. @Lyns- how else can you veganize this – like what to sub for feta cheese and eggs? Thanks!!
Oops I saw the vegan section too late – but I do wonder if I can still sub the cheese for nutritional yeast and egg for “flax egg”? Unsure if that would drastically affect the flavor.
These are the best! I put avocado and salsa on top to make them absolutely delicious! I think I could live on them!!!!!
Maybe I’m missing it I can’t see well but do you have the serving size and calorie info, I can’t wait to try this recipe and make my own fresh black bean burgers looks amazing thank you
I absolutely love this recipe. I top it with red onion, feta and guacamole. Yum! And to the person that spent more time commenting than scrolling, I love the jump to recipe button….
IMO this is a rude comment and totally unnecessary. Just saying . . . BTW the scroll down to recipe tab is quite visible to those not so pi$$ed off. Sally as well as so many other great cooks/chefs/bakers spend a lot of time posting recipes for us to try. Most of us are grateful for the opportunity to profit from their expertise. Love your recipes Sally–I make the chicken/noodle recipe at least once a month. Doubtless these bean burgers will be eaten even more often since I cook for one and can freeze a few for additional meals. Thanks again for the recipes.
Absolutely fabulous, even the husband loved them enough to ask for another. So flavorful!
This delicious recipe satisfies any craving for a hamburger. Used Ezekiel English muffin and piled on fresh dill pickles, tomato and onion! Perfect dinner … hubby approved!
I loved this recipe so much. I used oat flour and added about and 1/4 cup more but after cooking them I wish I didnt as the firmed up alot. The flavor is tex-mex delicious. I dipped them in Cholula hot sauce to give them a bit of a kick. Next time will play around with adding spices. Absolutely a keeper.