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.
Anything I could substitute for the feta?
We made these today but didn’t have feta in stock so we just omitted it. They still turned out great and were quite tasty! I look forward to making them again with feta to see the difference.
The whole family enjoyed these very much!
Ok this recipe is AMAZING!!!! I’m so going to be sharing this recipe. It’s going to be my go to. I honestly just threw it all in my food processor and pulsed it. I didn’t sauté anything. It’s so so delicious. Thanks so much!!!!
These were great. I keep a frozen veggie combo of onions and peppers on hand so i used that and topped my burger with a fried egg.
Wow! These are awesome. I think drying out the beans is the key. And btw, I’m a chef and a meat eater. Thank you, I’m going to run with this as the base recipe for other combinations.
This recipe was very easy and the instructions were very clear. I made them vegan using liquid aminos, flax egg and left out the cheese. I used oat flour over breadcrumbs because that’s what I had on hand. I think drying out the beans and blotting the extra moisture from the sauteed veggies are important steps. These burgers had great flavor, held together very well and were not mushy like some recipes I’ve used. I baked a few per instructions but preferred them cooked in a pan with a little oil. I will be saving this recipe to make again.
Hi Sally, I loved this recipe, but instead of grilling the patties, I shallow fried them for a quick meal. They were great, didn’t fall apart and turned crispy on the outside, which I liked. Will definitely make again and again!
This is a great recipe! So easy and quick to make.. I adjusted the spice and garlic quantities a little (upwards) to suit our taste buds. My family loved the burgers and wanted seconds!
Easy to make with ingredients (I had to substitute a couple things due to the lockdown) I had on hand & delicious. It made my 17 year old vegetarian happy.
SO delicious and easy. I substituted the bell pepper for a large jalapeno for some spice.
Hi Sally! These were so delicious! I’ve been wanting to try these, and now was the perfect time. We are limiting our time out and some grocery stores are low on meat, having this wonderful alternative is great! I am going to make more this week. Everyone should try these, healthy and delicious!
AMAZING. BURGERS. I’ve been trying veggie burger recipes for most of my adult life. I can’t believe I’ve finally found the one! Drying out the beans-Brilliant! now I can’t wait to try to make more variations…..bbq pinto beans, white bean “chic” patties……. thank you so much!!
Gahlia
The best! I had to bake longer than instructed, but I will never buy a veggie burger again! This beats every one I have tried! Thank you!!
Definitely the best black bean burger recipe! I’ve shared with multiple people and I’m making them again tonight! Love love love!
Thank you kindly!
I made this for my family, I’m vegetarian they are not. THEY LOVED IT. I was worried they would fall apart and they didn’t. Amazing and pretty easy! TIP: make it on the grill!
I just made these for the hubby and all I can say is WOW. They are going to be on heavy rotation in our house. You weren’t kidding when you said these are the best black bean burgers.
This was delicious. I will definitely add to my fave list. Next time I think I’d like to try baking the beans less time, for a more moist burger, as it was a bit dry. Yummy nonetheless! Passing on to my friends. Thank you.
Delicious…the whole family from my meat loving husband to my picky toddler loved them.
These were DELISH! We served them on brioche buns with tomato relish, lettuce, colby cheese, red onion and lots of avocado. Amazing! Thank you 🙂
delicious and simple. perfect toddler meal thank you!
I rarely leave comments on recipes, but this was absolutely delicious! I put caramelized apples and onions in my burger, it was delightful!
We’ve tried many Veg burgers. These are really very good indeed. I added some chopped mushrooms to the onion and garlic to add more depth. Really great burgers! Thanks.
Love this … have made the often, and all my kids eat them. Had to bell peppers, so added some egg plant instead, which worked out very well. Yum!
I just made these and they turned out really delicious. I did make them vegan with flax seed eggs and deleted the cheese but otherwise followed the recipe. Thank you, good recipe!
Absolutely delicious!! Did not fall apart and very tasty. Great recipe.
The best! Thank you!
Of the chart. Hard to believe beans can taste like beef.
Easy and delicious alternative to meat burgers. We loved them, even my meat-eating son. Thanks for the recipe Sally, we’ll definitely be making these again.
These were absolutely delicious! I added some shiitake mushrooms.
I made these & it was awful, I ate three right out of oven, I do not use bread, so no filler, I made with the panko bread crumbs instead of flour. Thank you for the recipe it took longer & I use cooked dried not canned! My daughter accused me of buying from store & not homemade, they came out brown instead of black! But this is probably the only recipe I’ll use again as usually never find them stayed together & very moist!! I use A1 as no Worcestershire sauce !!! BEST EVER
These were delicious! My husband and I enjoyed them very much! I’m making more in a few days and will freeze some! YUM!! Thanks for a great recipe!