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.
These were the best and well worth the steps to make them. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Hi! Would I be able to substitute the feta for something else – maybe a different cheese? Or omit it altogether?
Thanks!
I used shredded parmesan and it worked great! I also added corn . Love this recipe!
These were delicious! Will be making again
When a family of meat lovers decides to regularly include this in a weekly rotation you know it’s a winning recipe!
Made these burgers yesterday . The BOMB! They have great flavor, texture and hold together. We’ve been looking for a really great recipe for a long time. We modified them a bit using cooked dried beans instead of can, because that’s what we had on hand. We also held 3/4 cup of beans out and mixed them in at the end, to create a more whole food texture. A must try and they were really easy to make.
P.S. We’ve been craving black bean burgers. We travel the world house and pet sitting and we are always wanting recipes that are “must haves to make over and over” because they keep us from missing home (USA). Thanks for this recipe. We’ve shared your great recipe on our travel facebook page.
Awesome burger!! Thanks for sharing!!
Made these today Sally! They are so versatile and forgiving and taste amazing! I didn’t have any feta or peppers but I decided to try them anyway and boy am I glad I did! I used BBQ sauce and a bit of HP sauce, as I ran out of “wooster” . I pan fried one just now and ate it! I’m gonna eat one again when I cook one up for DH!
These are so worth the extra step to dry the beans. Thanks so much Sally!
Oh just incase anyone wonders…I pan fried (with a tiny bit of oil) on med high for about 2 minutes or so on each side…till they had a nice somewhat charred look.
LOVED this recipe. I usually think black bean burgers are too dry, but this one was creamy and delicious. Crispy outside and creamy inside. Its going in my favorites file. Stick with 20 minutes and no longer to bake as it could get too dried out any longer, but with 20 min exactly, its perfect
Good idea to just use a fork! It’s way too easy to pulverize them to mush in the food processor (speaking from experience).
Just made these up and they are delicious! ( I’ve only tasted the mixture so far but loved the flavour) .I’m so excited because the chipotle black bean burgers I have been buying from Costco are no longer available. They where the best I have ever tasted. Was ready to drive from north of Toronto to buffalo and stock up. But read a report that they have a lot of additives in them!
I am so excited because I ate these all the time. Even diced them up and put in burrito or salad! Can’t wait till dinner tonight! Mmmmmmm
I have been searching for a good bean burger made one recently I couldn’t even eat it was so bad this one was delicious I will definitely make again I wrapped mine on a lettuce leaf my topping was shredded cabbage very thinly sliced cucumber apple and tomatoes mixed with a t mayo and T balsamic vinegar I made this ahead so the flavors would blend , this is now my new favorite
Made these for the first time tonight, loved them. My BF who is nothing but meat meat meat, loved them too. Have to tweak it a bit more but my first try was yummy. Topped it with American cheese I think it needs something more.
So delicious!! Had these on homemade bread rolls with silverbeet and halloumi. Will definitely become a regular!!
Hi, I just made your burgers I love them and will be adding them to my weekly meal list.
They are easy to make and they cook and hold together well. I had one with salad and some sauerkraut to add some zing. I will probably put less chilli in next time only because I’m personally not keen on too much heat Thank you!
These were amazing! The flavor and the texture were both great and everyone in the family loved it. Definitely a keeper!
Its official! They are the best veggie burgers I have ever had homemade, from a restaurant or store bought. They are everything a bad veggie burger is not. My meat-eater boyfriend ate three of them! I left out the worcestershire sauce but recommend putting sliced avocado on top when serving! Thank you!
Made these last night for dinner. They are really good. I substituted sweet potato for the eggs. The flavor was great and I see them as part of my regular dinner rotation. They were not at all mushy and when I was looking over other recipes to decide which one to make, I chose Sally’s because hers did not have a preponderance of filler like flour, cornstarch, etc. The breadcrumbs were minimal and since I used sweet potato rather than eggs, I used slightly less.
I made these tonight and everyone loved them!! Thank you!!
Just made these and WOW! They really are the best I ever ate! I made them exactly like the recipe, didn’t change anything. This is a keeper. Try them.
I made these tonight for the first time. I was skeptical since I’ve had so many so-so bean burgers. Wow—easy and delicious! This will be added to our meal rotation (and even our pickiest eater asked to have these again!).
Wow! I just started learning how to cook and this recipe is fantastic! Followed your instructions to the letter. Thank you.
Next time I am going to add some red pepper flakes for a little more zest.
These definitely are the best! I served these the other night with friends. Everyone loved them. They all wanted the recipe! Just made another batch – froze half of them and cooked some up to have with a salad for lunch this week. Thank you for the great recipe!
I added cilantro from previous recipe,but forgot to add the ketchup/ barbecue sauce/ worchester sauce. They were a little crumbly, but you are supposed to get a little burger on your shirt if it is a good one. You were right on about keeping all ingredients dry.
Thanks! We loved it!
I made these last night and they were fantastic! I only had Italian seasoned bread crumbs but it didn’t make a difference. My only comment is, why do recipes always breeze over “squeeze the moisture out” like it’s no big deal? That alone makes this recipe a labor of love. Maybe there is a ether way than going through twenty paper towels? If so please let me know.
Hi Kim! Thanks for trying these black bean burgers. You don’t have to squeeze all the moisture out of the pepper/onion mixture, just gently blot with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel.
Pretty outstanding and overall pretty fast.
We used dried black beans made in an instapot with no soaking (35min pressure and then 20 before venting, but use only 3 cups water per pound of beans, credit to Erin Clarke at Wellplated.com) and they were perfect for your recipe since they started off drier than canned. Since we didn’t have to soak them and could skip your baking step, it probably only added 45 minutes to your recipe to start with completely dry beans, and most of that was totally hands off.
Thanks.
Flavor is AMAZING! I’m wondering if I didn’t blot the onions, garlic, and pepper enough because the inside was pretty mushy. I will be trying again though because the flavor is just too good! my 3 year old devoured it.
Made these a bunch of times now and they are awesome! Wouldn’t change a thing, the family loves them!
made as directed sans the feta cheese and put in the air fryer, such a crispy outside
So easy and delicious!