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!
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.
- 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.
Keywords: black beans, black bean burgers
Haven’t made this yet but looks amazing! A1 sauce makes a great vegan sub for Worcestershire sauce.
★★★★★
Just made these, so tasty, might be my favorite veggie burger. I made them without a food processor and used a potato masher to mash the beans. Came together so easily. Thank you, Sally, for another winner.
★★★★★
I love this recipe!! Would it work to mix the filling and then refrigerate for a day or two before forming/cooking the patties, as a make-ahead strategy?
Hi Sarah, that should work, although you may find the mixture a bit drier at that point. If you can already form into patties and then refrigerate, that would be best!
Thank you so much for the recipe, I made them this afternoon and I’m having a tough time getting them to not stick to the baking sheet (lined with a sheet of oiled aluminum foil) They sort of get a little burnt on one side and then the outermost layer sticks to the foil, leaving me with a bit of a mess. Any tips or suggestions?
Hi Sean, when baking in the oven, I recommend parchment paper. If using aluminum foil, it’s best to grill these. A little extra oil on the foil could help, too.
This was my first time making black bean burgers and they were great. The recipe was easy and they tasted better than store bought.
★★★★★
These are without a doubt the best black bean burgers! I also tried them with vegan blue cheese in place of the feta and left out cumin and chili powder.
★★★★★
These are without a doubt the best black bean burgers! I also tried them with vegan blue cheese in place of the feta.
Absolutely delicious!! Thank you for the recipe ❤️
★★★★★
This is an excellent black bean burger recipe. I did add some red chili flakes
and some lime rind.
★★★★★
Thank you!!!Love it!!So easy to make too!!!
★★★★★
Have not tried this yet. Have a friend that does not eat onions. Could i substitute mushrooms? and how far in advance can i make the patties. thanks
thanks
Hi Catherine, that should work just fine to swap the onions with chopped, sautéed mushrooms. (Be sure to blot out the moisture, too.) Patties can be made and frozen (baked or unbaked) for up to 3 months. See recipe Notes for more make ahead details. Enjoy!
Hi, how does this recipe work with dried beans?
You’ll want to soak and cook the dried beans first, and then dry them out before proceeding with the rest of the recipe. Hope you enjoy the burgers!
Haven’t tried yet. Is there nutrition information for this recipe? It would help me out if there were. Thank 2
Hi Mike, 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
I just made these. Recipe name checks out. The best non-meat burger of any kind I’ve ever had. Divine.
I used oat flour and sweet potato in place of eggs because I had one and it sounded good, and it definitely was good!
I’ll be making these weekly. Thanks for another amazing recipe.
★★★★★
Absolutely lovely
★★★★★
The burgers turned out good! Not too crumbly, lots of flavour, pretty easy recipe with a small food chopper. Thank you. Will make again!
★★★★★
These are my favorites I serve with spicy mayo
My go to “burger” recipe. I usually prepare as written and it’s delicious and sometimes I will do one can of black beans and one can of chickpeas. Easy to customize spices if necessary. Don’t skip the step of drying your beans in the oven first. It makes all the difference.
★★★★★
Can you substitute ground flax seed for eggs?
Hi Mary, we haven’t tried it, but it should be fine!
These are the best black bean burgers I have EVER had!!
★★★★★
I love this recipe, first one I tried for Black Bean burgers and it’s so amazing, I’m not looking for any other recipes.
I did a meatless month in April and this was one of the recipes I tried out. Was a bit skeptical, but ended up really liking them.
★★★★★
An absolutely great recipe. I am so happy i’ve found this. It is amazing as is, but i have added mushrooms and spinach and found that it is wonderful as well. I share this with anyone interested in making their own black bean burgers. They also freeze well which makes it great for meal prep! 10/10!
★★★★★
Wonderful…. But …. I don’t see any nutritional info on these including the calorie count.
★★★★★
Hi Mary, 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
My black bean cakes were pretty wet when I formed Pattie’s. I posted the ingredients in a food processor. Next time I will try and just mix and match the beans with a fork like in the video.
This was amazing. We really enjoyed it. Easy to make. Topped with guacamole and ate with no bun.
★★★★★
These patties are incredible. The texture is similar to ground beef, and the spices make them so flavorful. Definitely a keeper.
★★★★★
I didn’t think I would like a black bean burger! Turns out I was wrong! Delicious!
Another winner recipe from Sally’s.
★★★★★
I’ve tried many black bean burger recipes, and this is truly the best! I love how well they freeze and the flavor and texture are unbeatable.
★★★★★
I might be a little obsessed with these burgers right now. These are really good. I get 7 burgers and makebit as you suggest. I was wondering if you knew how much protien it had per burger?
Thanks bunches!
★★★★★
Hi Debora, we’re so glad you enjoy these! 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
What’s a good substitute for feta cheese? I have everything but the feta cheese.
Hi Gloria, you can simply omit the feta or use another cheese that you enjoy.
I used queso fresco which worked great!