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
Very disappopinting to not see a nurtritional breakdown. How much protein per burger? How much fat? How many calories?
Hi TPF, 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’ve been making this regularly for the past 2 years – this is a great recipe! Have used whatever veg is on hand (carrots/sweet potatoes instead of bell peppers) and it works just as well.
★★★★★
This is the best bean burger, and bean loaf we’ve made. This is our 4th time. This time, today, my only addition will be 1tsp of hot Chinese mustard powder. It is unnecessary to chop finely. A blender will take little time with a rough chop.
★★★★★
★★★★★
You mentioned no Worcestershir for vegans because of the fish in it. Here is a VEGAN type of worcestershire. https://www.karissasvegankitchen.com/vegan-worcestershire-sauce/
If I only have oatmeal, can I use it instead of breadcrumbs or would it make the burger to dry?
Hi Jo Anne, you can use your oats to make oat flour and use the same amount in place of the breadcrumbs. Enjoy!
These black bean burgers were delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
★★★★
This is the best black bean burger recipe I have used. I am surprised that I have never read another recipe that suggested baking the beans for a few minutes to reduce the moisture. It did wonders to produce a burger that was moist but still held together. This recipe yielded 7 generous burgers. I do recommend freezing them before cooking them (much like Sally’s scone recipe). I tried two frozen and two that had been in the refrigerator for several hours. The frozen ones held together perfectly.
★★★★★
I’m making these today-can’t wait to see how they turn out! Thanks for the recipe.
Hope you love them, Charlene!
This recipe is so delicious!!
Everything was going so well until I baked them. One really critical thing the recipe fails to mention is that even the parchment paper (or in my case, a silicone mat) should be greased lightly with a little oil. When I flipped the patties at the 10 minute mark, they did not flip cleanly. I am waiting now for the patties to cool after the 20 minutes mark to see if I can salvage the stuck-on bits. I would have given this recipe a 5-star rating otherwise, but it’s the finished product that got stuck on the pan, that brought it down to a 2-star.
★★
Hi Jennie! Parchment paper should be non-stick. Make sure you’re using parchment, and not wax paper or something else. Thank you for giving these black bean burgers a try – they’re a favorite.
These were so flavorful and made a great sandwich. I’m so excited that the recipe made so many…now we have a couple more tasty meals prepped in the freezer!
Definitely going in my roster. Really good!!! I used mushrooms instead of bell peppers and upped the garlic and spices a little bit it didn’t need it. Critical step is the right balance of mashed beans with processed beans. Next time I’ll hand mash more. Delightful. Can’t wait to make again. And they worked great in the air fryer. 375° 5-10 minutes, flipped halfway. (Start shorter time and adjust needed. Air fryers vary)
★★★★★
I’m curious about this recipe I can’t wait to make it. Not sure what I’m supposed to do with the BBQ or Mayo though. It doesn’t really say to add or just as a condiment maybe?? Please advise. Thanks so much.
Hi Charlotte, you can use BBQ or Mayo in place of the ketchup if you wish. Some sort of condiment like this is needed so the burgers hold their shape.
Can you use almond meal or coconut flower? I always have those.
Hi Pam! Almond meal should work fine here.
Best recipe for a killer black bean recipe ever. Picking 14 yo daughter begged for a good BBB & Sally did not disappoint – thank you!
Everyone take note; THIS is how you make a black bean burger! For years I tried and failed to make them and I consider myself an above average cook. Partial dehydration is the key! I found I like to let my beans stay in about 15-20 min. The suggested seasoning for these is on point too. Feta cheese works as a fantastic additional binder without getting too melty. The feta also absorbs the seasonings well. I also like to make bacon to top these with and blacken them in some of the bacon grease. I’m obviously making the recipe for the flavor and not because I’m vegetarian. But now I have something I can cook and impress my vegetarian friends with too!
Hi! I was wondering if you had nutritional info for this recipe (i.e. calories, fat, etc.) Thanks!
Hi Helen! 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
This is a truly delicious recipe. It holds up and tastes wonderful!
★★★★★
My husband loves this recipe so much! I’ve made with mayo one time, and bbq sauce one time. I like the bbq the best!
I made these and while they were tasty, I did find them mushy. When I reheated them, though, 2 days later, the texture was much firmer. I think I would do them again, and just not eat them without that initial cook and second day reheat.
★★★★
I was blown away by how good these were.They were super tasty. The only thing I changed was I didn’t have any smoked paprika so I had some southwest Chipotle Mrs dash I put in for the smokey flavor other than that I followed the recipe as printed.I now have.it pinned to my yummy board it will be my go to from now on..thanks for sharing this great recipe
★★★★★
I absolutely love these black bean burgers.. they are, indeed, the best I have ever had!! Do you happen to have nutritional facts for them?
Hi Stacia, 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 go to recipe now, the only different thing i do is i put black beans in food processor only and then add all the rest and mix by hand , love love love this recipe !!
Fabulous recipe! Love the flavour of the Worcestershire sauce in them. You rocked it. No changes needed, contrary to what has been writen.
Have been making this recipe for 2 years, since daughter became vegetarian and we absolutely love it! The recipe is perfect and I don’t change a thing. Thank you! I am interested though, would you recommend any other type of bean to replace black beans if theyve run out?
★★★★★
Hi Vi, so glad these are a favorite for you! You can absolutely use other types of beans–use your favorites!
Trying out your bean burger for my veggie hubby
This recipe truly is the best! Just made them yesterday, loved the burger. I topped mine with guacamole, tomato, lettuce, mustard and ketchup. Easy to make. Thank you for your recipe.
★★★★★
These burgers are incredible! We take them camping for an easy meal. One question: can you eat them after 5 days in the fridge? I forgot to freeze the leftovers!
Hi Dee, we recommend consuming the burgers within 5 days of storing them in the refrigerator. So glad you enjoyed them!
I make a good amount of Veg/Bean “burgers.” I did try the original recipe, and I cant say these are the best. I do have a few suggestions. I’d leave the cheese out and add “your favorite cheese” to the top first of all. And, these do not need 2 eggs. They come out too mushy, IMO. You also need to add the beans to the processor first (yes they need much more that mushing by hand) and then the rest of the ingredients minus the eggs. I suggest one taste for seasonings first. Yes, you can microwave or just eat it as is to test it. I’d rather not. When i made your recipe it need so much more seasoning. It was very, very bland. I added 4 times the smoked paprika plus way more garlic as well as garlic powder and i added onion powder. I only added mustard to mine and also added liquid smoke. I also added quick cooking oatmeal, much more garlic and skipped the Worcestershire sauce in my batch. With the tang of the mustard and ketchup on to of Worcestershire it had an off taste to me. Of course these can be made Greek with Greek spices or Italian etc. I add a sharp Cheddar, garden tomatoes, pickles and sweet thinly sliced onion. I add the ketchup on one side of the bun and mustard on the other side. I add lettuce, too. I grilled my buns naked with no butter. I just made 2 batches to freeze. My recipe is sturdy. It was a winner.
★★