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 (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 BBQÂ 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.
Ment to say they freeze well
That should read Nutritarian.
I didn’t have enough black beans so I also used navy beans. My family loved the burgers!
I never had a black bean burger, but OMG. That was the best thing I’ve had in a long time. Followed the recipe to a T.
I double the batch so we would have them later. I highly recommend this Black Bean Burger. We did our it on a Potato roll, but I would like to try on a salad .
the best black bean burger recipe ever!
I just tried your black bean burger recipe, it was very tasty! I will be making it again!
This will be my go to recipe to make Black Bean Burgers from now on. To say, this all started because I had lots of leftover Hurricane supplies. I had cans and cans of black beans, I had no idea what to do with them.
Things I’ve learned while making these burgers.
-If you have forgotten to dry the beans out and it’s still moist, bake them for an extra 5-10 minutes in the oven. They will still turn out great and the texture didn’t seem moist to me.
– If you don’t have chili powder on hand cayenne pepper will make a great substitute. It adds a little kick, but in a good way.
-Also, I don’t use a food processor when mixing the ingredients. I just dump everything into a bowl and use my hands to mix everything together. I do wear gloves to keep everything clean. I just find mixing with my hands better.
I hope this helps and happy cooking!!
I don’t care so much for peppers so I left those out, but this recipe tastes amazing! Thank you!
I loved this recipe. Just started my plant free lifestyle.
This recipe is fantastic! Made it on burger night for my MIL who is a vegetarian and she ate 2. Even my carnivore partner thought this was great! 100% recommend!
These held together well which was great, but tasted way too “taco-y” to me to just be a burger. If I make again, I will do less cumin or substitute it for a steak seasoning or something.
Can you give me the nutritional info on these please, calories etc
Hi LaLa, 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
Thanks for the speedy response! I’m going to try these.
Delicious!!!!
I added cheese and bacon served on brioche buns! My teens gobbled them up!
This is the second time making these, excellent!!!!
I’ve made these several times and really like them. Do you happen to have the nutrition information for them?
Hi Debbie, so glad to hear that! 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 love this recipe! Flax meal can be used in place of bread crumbs, too, and seems to help hold them
together. I also make this recipe with twice the amount of bread crumbs or flax meal, ketchup and about a tablespoon of mustard for the best plant-based meatloaf ever. I put it in a small Dutch oven (or round casserole dish) to help it keep its shape and top with ground pepper and a zigzag of ketchup. I bake it for 20 minutes covered and 20 uncovered as a meatloaf on 325 degrees. It’s so good!
I really like this recipe! I substituted the 2 tablespoons of ketchup with steak sauce…yummy!!
I’ve tried this before and came back for more but with a question, do they need to be black beans? What about kidney beans? Is there a different taste profile between them?
Hi Veronica, while we haven’t tried it ourselves, other readers have reported success making these with kidney beans. If using another type of bean, we still encourage you to dry them out as you do with the black beans in the instructions. The taste will be different, depending on the beans you use. Let us know what you try!
this recipe rocks! I have used all combinations of beans, black, pinto, kidney, added liquid smoke, varied the spice, they always come out perfect and delicious. the key is to dry the beans in the oven, and only lightly mash. Thank you!
Definitely keeping this recipe & I doubled it and froze the rest to pull out as I wanted, worked out great
I have never made homemade veggie burgers before, and searched through heaps of recipes to find a good one. I was a bit dubious that they were too wet as I could only dollop the mixture on the tray, but after putting them in the fridge for a while, they were perfect. Put a slice of cheese on top and BBQd them. Absolutely delicious! I never got to freeze the 4 spare as intended as I have eaten them every night with a different salad! Defo a recipe to keep
Love this recipe!!
This recipe is delicious!! I have made it several times, and have also added fresh cilantro. My kids love it too!
My macaroni pizza chicken nugget purist son just ate these and said YUMMM. I added some tofu and subbed the egg for flax seed. Sally these are sooooo good!!!
YUM! Made these in the oven and they were so good! They held together very well, and my bf was surprised there was no meat in it. lol
Made these today for the first time. Cut everything in half since I wanted to try them out first before committing, lol. These were absolutely fantastic and I would not change a single thing about the recipe.
These burgers look delicious and I can’t wait to try the recipe.. FYI these can be made using vegan/plant based ingredients! Just use Wan Ja Shan organic Worcestershire sauce(vegan and gluten-free) and Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer(vegan and gluten-free).
Would I boil, bake or microwave the sweet potatoe?
Hi Dianne, you can use any of those methods, just make sure to mash it well before combining with the other ingredients.
Great taste, but would recommend NOT using a food processor at all. The instructions say you can pulse everything together in a food processor then lightly pulse the beans in, but when I did that I ended up with a pile of very wet mush before even adding the beans. When I went through and read the paragraphs before the instructions it seems the author just lightly mixes everything together with a fork. I’m hoping when I remake these that will help with texture. I think this is a good recipe but I would probably not even put food processor in the actual instructions, as most people don’t read all of the paragraphs before a recipe which is where it suggests just mixing with a fork.
I prepare my own beans in the pressure cooker. To achieve the same result as baking the tinned beans, should I a) undercook the dried beans or b) cook them to tinned bean consistency and then follow the recipe instructions by backing them?
Hi Lala, we would make the beans to a similar consistency of canned beans, then dry per the recipe.
I have tried many black bean burgers over the years and this one really is the best! I never had much luck making them until I tried this method. Baking the canned beans first makes a HUGE difference. I’ve played around with the seasonings and with different types of cheese but I still stick to the method and the ratios in the recipe. Usually when I make this now I do a large batch in order to freeze some patties. I freeze the patties uncooked and then defrost before cooking them on a skillet. I definitely recommend trying this recipe/method everyone likes these even my picky kids!
Help!! I was doing some meal prep, and I’ve made this recipe so many times I wasn’t paying attention, and I mixed everything before drying out the beans. How do you think I can salvage this? I’m thinking either lay everything on a sheet and dry it out the best I can, or add more flour and seasonings. Thoughts? I doubled the recipe, I do not want to throw this out.
Hi Jessie! We really aren’t sure. You could try adding more breadcrumbs. Or just make them as-is and expect a more moist texture.