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
Sally, you’ve truly outdone yourself. These are AMAZING! I omitted the feta because I’m on Weight Watchers and it cut the points in half (I calculated 2 points per burger when I made 6 patties), but regardless they were soooo tasty and I’m so glad I tried them! My boyfriend loved them as well, and next time I’ll make a double batch to keep some in the freezer. Thank you for this recipe!
★★★★★
Hi! I was wondering if I can use dry black beans that I cooked instead
Of canned black beans. If I do, do I need To Still Dry them in the oven?
Hi Jane! You can use dried black beans. Cook the beans first, then proceed with this recipe by partially drying them out.
So tasty!!
★★★★★
This is my new go-to burger recipe. I was very hesitant because I’ve tried countless other recipe’s and the texture was always just…not good. But Sally has never disappointed so I took the plunge. These are amazing!! Even my carnivorous hubby said, “wow, huh, these are actually good.” And no soy! Thank you Sally, keep up the good work.
★★★★★
Ultimately, these turned out really good! However, I did need to refrigerate for several hours because I over mixed the beans in the food processor and my mix was too loose. I don’t think they would make it on the grill, so sill need to grill on stove top.
★★★★★
Recipe looks amazing, but I don’t like feta. Can I make them without the cheese or can I substitute with something else?
Hi Marissa, you can leave out the cheese or replace with another cheese you like. Goat cheese or white cheddar are two other favorites.
These black bean burgers are amazing!!! I made a batch a few weeks ago for dinner, only cooked one and froze the other uncooked patties. I’ve been grabbing one from the freezer and popping them in the oven 1-2 nights per week since! Just ate the last one tonight, so I had to come on here and share my gratitude! This is definitely my favorite dinner meal at the moment! Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
My entire family LOVE these! That includes a 7 year old and a picky 3 year old! Thank you for this I’ll be adding it to our family recipe book.
★★★★★
Ok, so, these burgers are legit amazing. One of the people in our friends group is vegetarian, so I whipped up a batch of these bad boys and threw a couple of the grill for him. My husband, the meat lover, accidentally grabbed one, loaded it up with stuff, and took a bite. I was concerned he wouldn’t like it. But then he smiled and said it was better than the beef burgers and ate more. Like, 4 of them. Our vegetarian friend immediately asked for the recipe and I sent him here. We’ve been making this burger exclusively now for all our get-togethers and there’s never a spec of them left when it’s over. Once winter hits, we are going to keep this recipe and make it meatloaf style (thanks to the other comment above asking if that would work). Thank you so, so much for this amazing recipe!
★★★★★
I LOVE the flavor of these! But, I’m having trouble keeping them together…any tips? I am staying away from meat, poultry and dairy so I switched a few ingredients as you suggested for the vegan burger. What do you think if I made it into a meatloaf style?
★★★★
Hi Marie! Meatloaf style is excellent (and delicious!). Pack it into an 8×4 inch or 9×5 inch loaf pan.
This bean burger is to die!! Thank you from someone who sincerely dislikes eating things with faces
★★★★★
Definitely the BEST! Thank you! I looked up calorie/nutrition info for those who want it. I made 5 large patties from this:
Quantity is for 1/5 of original recipe:
CALS: 310
CARBS: 39.4 g
FAT: 10.7 g (Sat Fat 3.3 g)
PROTEIN: 16.5 g
Cholesterol 87.3 mg
Sodium: 315.8 mg
Dietary Fiber 39.4
Sugar 5.3 g
Calcium: 28.7%, Iron 36.5%,
Potassium: 729.9 mg
Vitamin A 11.1%
Vitamin C 28.8%
Source: Myfitnesspal
★★★★★
The smell in my house right now is amazing. I absolutely am thrilled with these black bean burgers! I used a masher and they turned out perfect! I will make these at least once a month! Thank you so much!!!
★★★★★
This black bean burger is DELICIOUS!!! I am transitioning into a plant based eating lifestyle, and this really helped with my latest craving, hamburgers. It’s flavorful, hearty, and holds together very well. This will definitely be my go to for lunch and dinner on days like this!
★★★★★
Oh my…these are the most delicious burger…My son – the meat monster, loved them. Thanks so much. Will definitely make them again and just to add – the recipe and cooking instructions were clear and easy to follow. I’m thrilled with this recipe.
★★★★★
I love them made with oak flour and I forgot the ketchup. They are so good.
These were really, really good. Very pleased with the flavor and the way the patties stayed together. Definitely bookmarking this one!
★★★★★
I want to make these for Mother’s day, I have two vegan granddaughters.
Do you think they would be as delicious made with chick peas?
You know, I haven’t tried these with chickpeas before. My guess is that the burgers would be just fine with the substitution though. Let me know how they turn out!
I have been looking for a black bean burger recipe and this is the BEST!!! My picky son, that smokes his own meats, likes these better than beef burgers and my grandsons love them. I’ve never even added the feta cheese and they are sooooo good! Thanks
★★★★★
Very good!
★★★★★
OK, so I wasn’t sure I would eat these, but a guest was coming for dinner, who is a vegetarian, and I saw these on your website and figured they must be o.k., Well, they don’t dissappoint at all. They were absolutely delicious. I made them EXACTLY as the recipe called for and they were just so good. Our guest asked me where I got them from because they were better then any she tasted. When I told her I made them she not only asked for some of the left overs (I doubled the recipe) but she asked for the recipe also. Thank you so much for introducing me to these wonderful burgers. And on the side, they truly are just as delicious as leftovers.
Wish I would have seen the sweet potato substitute at the bottom when I was trying to figure out how to make vegan. I used Neat Egg as an egg replacement but that was like trying to separate playdough with the other ingredients. You also need a substitute for the bread crumbs unless you have specific vegan breadcrumbs. I had no oat flour so I used coconut powder. They stuck together fine but are still cooking……..!
These are great and pretty easy to make. I made mine just a bit thicker so there were 6 good sized patties. Also, I just love how you left out what a sticky mess it is trying to form them by hand. LOL but it’s all good.
★★★★
The directions for baking are garbled and the directions for grilling leave out a setting. I placed first party on foil and realized I should probably oil or spray the foil, which wasn’t in the directions. I was right, first burger stuck horribly. Grill directions cook time at medium was too long, Maybe because of the cooking spray, maybe because cook time was too long, or perhaps because grill temp was estimated my burgers were quite charred.
★★★
Helpful feedback, thanks Mia!
I’m relatively new to the idea of Black Bean Burgers (wasn’t sure what to expect). They are reasonably easy to make, but the recipe only mentions grilling or baked (unless I missed something), but can they be fried? It would save me a lot of time. If so, for how long on each side and at what temperature would you suggest?
Hi Lee! You can sauté the black bean burgers with a little oil over medium heat until browned on both sides.
When I go out to eat a hamburger I recently discovered black bean burgers.. I’ve been obsessed. I wanted to find a good recipe to make them on my own, and I’m sure glad I found this one. BEST BLACK BEAN BURGERS EVER, and sooo easy!
They hold their shape while being the perfect texture. Everyone loved when I made these, I didn’t have any left over!
I didn’t have any feta cheese, still tasted delicious! 🙂
★★★★★
I don’t eat mayo, ketchup or BBQ sauce, so can I use tomato paste or spicy brown mustard instead? Thanks!
Tomato paste would be a great alternative.
During my quest for inexpensive eats, I have subjected my family to countless mushy black bean burgers. My carnivore husband and picky preschooler gobbled them up. THANK YOU. These will be made again! Best ever!
★★★★★
Made these last night, vegan style. I used aquafaba (3T per egg) and left out the cheese. They were delicious! We all love them. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Excellent! I’ve never been a big fan of veggie burgers, but this one I enjoyed. I have a cooking blog that I keep for sailors and I’ve added a post for these referencing your site. Thanks for a great recipe!
Deb
These truly are the best. So flavorful and moist. Everyone liked them and is saying a lot in a family of 13
★★★★★