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, serve on homemade ciabatta rolls and 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, corn salsa + cheddar cheese, or even chunky guacamole. For a summertime favorite, use the toppings from my caprese pesto chicken burgers. 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
- Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
- 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 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
It’s just the two of us so we halved everything. Also added a bottom crust(not deep dish). I was nervous because it looked like a long time to make, but it was fine because it was mostly idle time just letting the filling cook.
These black bean burgers are delicious! The smoked paprika makes them so very tasty.
I followed the recipe, but did leave out the feta cheese and substituted the equivalent of oat flour for the bread crumbs. The outside of the patty baked up fine on the outside, but was soft or kind of mushy on the inside. I am trying to figure out how to avoid that the next time I make them. Do I need to use more oat flour?
PS I reheated a patty for lunch, 1 minute, and it seemed to firm the patty up.
I just discovered this secret overheating a can a beans in a skillet. Lol They dried out a bit but then mashed up and held together beautifully in a substantial patty even just on their own. I went on this internet search because every other patty I ever made had been mushy… and sure enough! Here you are showing us how it’s done. 🙂 My question is if using a flax seed egg generally makes batters or patties too sticky to cook in a frying pan?
Hi Tammy! We prefer baking or grilling these burgers, but let us know how pan frying them goes! We haven’t personally tried flax egg in this recipe, but many readers have reported success doing so.
Words are not enough to describe how satisfying these Black Bean Burgers are. I wish there is a chance to post a photo in the comment section. I added extra mushrooms and bell pepper the taste is super amazing. My partner really loves it and even asked me to make more. I have tried New York Minute Burger check their website too https://newyorkminute.com.au/ they offer tasty burgers as well.
These really ARE the best!!! Passed the recipe on to 3 carnivores, and they agree sooooo good! I make them regularly! Everything I make from this site is a winner!!!
How many calories per burger?
Hi Nancy, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients, and many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients. However, there are many great online calculators where you can plug in your exact ingredients like this one: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Wish I could post a picture of the finished product! Came out so well! I used extra onion in place of the bell pepper because I did not have one on hand, also used half ketchup/ half mayo to get both flavours. I tossed some corn into the post blended product. I added sliced avocado and lettuce as a topping and it was delicious
Super yummy! I will definitely make these again! I added some sautéed mushrooms and some lime zest and juice. Thanks for sharing!
Tried these out today. Absolutely out-of- this-world! I’m in a vegan household and this was easy to make with some simple substitutions. For feta cheese, we incorporated firm tofu with about a teaspoon of lemon juice, and then a pinch of salt and pepper. For eggs, we used a potato starch-based egg replacement — the sweet potato suggestion given in this recipe is great too. The only things done differently from the recipe is that I added a teaspoon of liquid smoke, and some habanero hot sauce (I like a kick of heat)! We used the oven too. We will be using this recipe for many more lunches and dinners to come!
To substitute eggs you can use one teaspoon for flax seed plus three teaspoons of water for each egg
I have yet to cook them, but im having to add more breadcrumb…the mixture is too wet to form a patty…add one egg at a time. Im giving 3 stars because it smells amazing and will taste good
The best bean burger recipe out there. Baking the beans first really makes a difference. Have used this recipe several times
Hi, I’m allergic to onions. Should I add an extra cup of something else? Thanks!
Hi Kimberly, you could add more green peppers, or some readers have reported success using corn and even edamame. Let us know what you try!
Thank you for the recipe.
These are very good I am going to cook some with our granddaughter.
I did not see the nutrition listed could you please help me with this.
I followed the recipe using ketchup.
Will be making this more often.
Hi Martinie! 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
Fabulously tasty – tweaked the recipe slightly by using a whole onion and pepper and extra bread crumbs – panko .
My husband ate six of the ten. I personally would like more spice but they were great. We tried them individually with different toppings including a pineapple salsa, avocado and colby jack cheese. It was all good.
Nice call on the Salsa!
The black bean burgers were really good but mine fell apart a little. Could it be because I mixed them by hand?
Hi Darlene! They are a slightly delicate burger. Perhaps mashing the beans a bit more next time will help them bind with the other ingredients. Glad you enjoyed them!
Thank you I will try smashing the beans more.
I added a 1/4 cup of buckwheat flour to the oat flour and it bonded well. I had the same problem because i most likely didn’t get the liquid off the onions. I know jalapeno and chipotle peppers in place of green pepper liven this thing to spicy levels. I am thankful for this recipe, black beans were always my favorite and this just made a staple food in my house!
Can I substitute soy sauce for the Worcestershire?
Yes, sure can!
These turned out superb. I have never successfully made bean burgers before. Your site is my go-to for baking, so I was thrilled you had a recipe
There is such a thing as vegan worcestershire sauce.
Best black bean burger ever!! Hamburger or sammie size. Thank you!
Fabulous recipe, loved by even my fussy eaters definitely have it again on our meat free day! Thank you
Tasty burger, I brushed oil on the aluminum foil and let it heat up before putting the burgers on the grill. Made them brown nicely!
Seriously SO good. Recommend crisping them up in a pan with a tiny bit of oil (if baking) for the Full BBQ effect.
What are the quantities for 2 people?
They freeze really well. You could make the entire batch and freeze for later!
Very awesome. No more Morningstar for me! I had to use chili garlic sauce instead of the ketchup, etc. Probably one of the few people who don’t have ketchup, mayo, or bbq sauce. I also used an extra 1/2C onion cause I was too lazy to do the bell pepper. I used shredded cheddar instead of feta, because I had an opened pkg I needed to use. I always have a slice of cheddar on my black bean burgers anyway. It made 8 burgers using the dry 1/3 measuring cup. You should also always do your own nutrition calculations, as mine were way different than the other poster. I weigh all ingredients in grams. Plus things can be different with different brands. Going to try adding some vital wheat gluten next time to up the protein. Thanks for the recipe, loving these burgers! Healthier and much more cost effective than store bought.
Really nice burgers. I skipped the feta, served in brioche buns, loaded with cucumber, tomato, red onion, ketchup/mustard/mayo/cheddar as required for each eater and served with a spinach and rocket salad. They went down well thanks, easy to make and tasty!
I’ve made these twice now and they were great both times! They also freeze really well so they can be made in advance for a quick week day dinner.
Any advice for cooking from frozen? Or did you freeze cooked burgers? I froze uncooked and they’re just mush in the oven after 15 minutes. I can’t flip them!
you can par cook them in the oven for like 5 or 10 min or so and then freeze them after they cool that should help the texture. than cook them on the stove for like 5 min each side on a medium heat or a medium low heat.. this is from my own experience making bean burgers in large batches that I used to sell frozen to friends…
Made half the quantity.
The boss (wife) said they were the best veggie burgers we have had. The texture was good and the taste was verging on meat flavour.
First black bean ever. Very good!