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.
Yoooo, Sally! This is the BEST black bean burger! Made tonight, topped with sautéed mushrooms and pickled jalapeño and it was AMAZING! thanks for another great recipe!!
Always a huge hit with my family! Absolutely delicious!
Great taste! I followed exactly but used 1 t smoked paprika as I love it
I wonder if I could cook this in an air fryer? Don’t want the oven for one burger at a time
Thanks for sharing a great recipe
Hi Deb, so glad you enjoyed them! These should work well in an air fryer, although we’re unsure of the exact bake time. It should be pretty close to the times here. Let us know if you try it!
Husband and I recently went full vegetarian cold turkey lol this was our first dinner and we loveddddd it! I used shredded Parmesan instead of Feta and it was delicious!
I enjoyed this recipe so much! I put a dill dip on my burger and it totally enhanced the taste!
Great meal prep lunch option! Thought they were very flavorful and stayed together nicely. I used one tablespoon of bbq sauce and one of mayo and a slice of pepperjack on top. So tasty and will definitely make again.
I really like this recipe, but I did 1/2 the amount of cumin (I love cumin) just thought that much would over power, I did not have feta so added fresh mozzarella, added 1/2t of smoked paprika (a little more than the recipe) did go for the BBQ sauce which I thought was a lot but it was great. When I flipped the burgers over they kinda stuck (wet) so I sprayed them with cooking oil and flipped over easy fix. They are a little dry BUT put them in bun with the works very yummy. I gave it a 4 only cuz the cumin amount, with 1/2ing it I still tasted the cumin. 4+ rating
I agree, the cumin was just too much. For me, that doesn’t belong in a burger. Other than that the burger held together nicely. I used Panko crumbs (about 1 cup) and the texture was good for forming the patties.
Recently vegetarian/vegan transitioner, but missed the burger experience. Subbed (3) Anaheims in a doubled batch, no feta. 2 pieces bread for crumbs & a couple lg spoons flour to mixture. Didn’t blot onion/pepper mixture, just food processed til slightly chunky. Spiced to own preferences, as I think anyone should. Gloved/ floured hands, shaped patties about 1/2″ thick and fit 11 on a cookie sheet. Baked & held together perfectly. For easy vegan meals, put all in freezer. Pan-fried last burger (12 to a doubled batch) in a bit of oil & butter, to see if that works too, abt 20 minutes (10 min’s ea side) as buns baked. Gave them that crunchy “grilled burgers” exterior! Bonus! Put salsa-mayo liberally on both bun sides, mustard on bottom, then patty, slathered with additional smoky bbq sauce, added lettuce. Smelled amazing. Cut in half & paired with a side of pan-fried potatoes, salad. These were hands-down Awesome and a Revelation as to how Incredible meat-free can be. A thousand thank-you’s for this recipe. Great protein source. I was SO full!
For those complaining of dryness, I had none. The exterior was admirably crunchy and the interior was flavorful, a bit chunky & silky – so the right textures were present. I didn’t taste the peppers, so might add jalapenos next time too. Looking forward to trying with 1,000 island as bun-sauce, like In & Out. Burger places usually slather their burgers/buns with sauces & use fatty meats for juiciness, and I gained those elements on the bun with sauces & veggies. A plain burger anywhere might seem dry, but as a component of a built-burger, balance is essential – it is In & Out’s secret, too. You may need to adjust the recipe, but this is world-class, IMHO…and I’m a foodie with a fine restaurant in my history. You could also try my mods and see if they work for you, then halve the recipe back to scale. Mine needed no alteration given my first try/mods made, though I might add more heat via chiles next time. A splash of hot sauce on the bun sauce of choice would also suffice. I may also make a neutral-spiced Base Mixture and keep in fridge, pan-frying b4 eating; this way, I can scoop out some mixture and spin the additional spice profiles to what sounds good that day – Thai spices, tex-mex, Italian (with marinara/pizza sauce on buns), bahn mi, etc. It is the Base Mixture recipe Vegan dreams of burgers are made of. Tweak the recipe if you need to, but don’t toss it. When you get it just right (I got lucky!), it is a beautiful solution that can be spice-modified to suit most cravings and perfect enough to satisfy them all. As my new Vegetarian/Vegan journey continues, I hope all recipes are this phenomenal. You don’t need (meat)burgers anymore with these! Also, I used all organic ingredients, except the Anaheims & bbq sauce with a smokiness to it, and that worked well. Soaking dried, smoked peppers and adding them to the mixture before pulsing would boost that smokiness, too. So many options with these! Blessed to have found this recipe!
I have two of the pickiest eaters, one of whom has severe sensory-related food issues. They both ate these burgers, no complaints, and one of them even said it was good, which is unheard of! This is going into my regular rotation to save me from having to make three separate dinners a night! Thank you!
I’m on year 34 as a vegetarian and I’ve had many black bean burgers . This was delicious but I did add a few more spices . Thank you so much
A little dry for me. We have tried lots of different veggie burgers and these stayed together nicely but were too dry. I had to keep dipping in my ketchup just to get them down. Sorry but won’t be making these again.
We made these last night and what a hit!! My wife is vegan and I am trying to eat better. So, trying new stuff is always a challenge. We skipped the cheese and used the flax and water instead of the egg and added both BBQ sauce and ketchup. We cooked in the oven then put into a skillet for a few minutes to get a little char. My wife flat out loved them!! I was hesitant to take a bite, as I am a picky eater. Much to my surprise, it was excellent!! Already talking about what I will add to the mix next time! For starters, I think jalapeños and hot sauce would be a nice touch.
We halved the recipe and used less chili and cumin and cheddar instead of feta. It seemed a bit wet so threw in a handful of oatmeal to bind it and coated the burgers in breadcrumbs before pan frying them. They were fantastic! Saved the recipe, we’ll definitely make them again.
Great recipe alternative! My husband is going meatless for a few weeks and I found this as a burger alternative. He said it was actually really good! I didn’t have the feta or bell pepper. Also, I blended the beans more than pulsed but it still turned out well when I cooked them on the griddle.
Great tasting recipe! I made exactly except I only put Feta Cheese in one of the three burgers, but no difference in taste. They seemed too dry to me, but I was eating with no bun also, so I added fresh tomato slices and a homemade sauce. Then I REALLY liked them. Made with a side of sweet potato fries. Yum!
I’ve never made black bean burgers…or eaten them. So my new year’s resolution for 2024–try new things. And I’m glad I made these. Delicious. 🙂 I also like Destiny B idea to top with an egg.
VERY YAMMI!!
Thank you so much! Excellent recipe – not a cumin fan so I reduced to just the 1/2 tsp and it was perfect to me! Best I’ve ever had
I’ve made these black bean burgers multiple times, the whole family loves them. I don’t add feta to the patty, but I do add cheese as a topping. Kinda of a lot of ingredients for a burger, but totally worth it. I will definitely continue making these burgers again.
Love this recipe, simple and easy to make, thank you very much
This recipe is top tier, I used a pan to fry some of the patties and they were excellent. Thank you for sharing!
I can’t wait to try these! I love black bean burgers more than beef burgers!
So good this will be the third time making, definitely recommend!! We used sourdough burger buns delish!!
Great recipe, thank you. Less mushy than others I have tried! Drying out the beans well is the key! Have made a few times now and do increase the spices a bit for more flavour. Have even added a small grated beet just because I had it. We like ours with siracha mayo, lettuce and tomato.
hi Sally, I typically don’t buy canned beans and instead use an installer to cook mine. how would you substitute cooked beans in terms of amount and cooking instructions? thank you.
Hi Snezhana, you’ll want to soak and cook the dried beans first, and then dry them out before proceeding with the rest of the recipe. I’d say after cooking, you’ll want about 26 ounces total.
This is divine! 6 stars.
Great flavour but more watery that I would have preferred… will make adjustments to reduce the moisture content on my next batch. Thanks
This recipe is really great. My house is a big fan of the MorningStar spicy black bean burgers and this is pretty much a great dupe for less expense. I followed the recipe exactly and the only thing I would do differently is make the burgers a little thinner, making 8 instead of 6. They were just a bit too thick thus causing the middle to be a little musher texture wise than we are used to.
We topped our burgers with gouda cheese, a fried egg, some avocado, and a light slathering of BBQ sauce and it was delicious. Highly recommend!
Just made these. I baked them off and they are perfectly delicious. I will definitely bake these again, and play a little with ingredients.
Love them!
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