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
Wow. These are fantastic. I followed the recipe exactly and it yielded us 10 Patties (measuring out each patty with the 1/3 measuring cup. I saw some of tips of using chia in the mix. I may try that next time. Also as mentioned, they don’t crumble as other recipes do. Can’t rate it high enough, so good!
If I double the recipe, do I use 4 eggs for the binder or would that just be too much?
Hi CandiJo, Oother readers have reported doubling every ingredient with success – let us know if you try it!
I was skeptical. They were perfect!!! I love the fact that I can make my own instead of buying Morning Star. Very satisfying…highly recommend this recipe. Thanks!!!!
Such a great tip to dry the beans! Spice combo is fabulous! Bravo!
I made these to put on top of my salads. When choosing between the 2 tbsp of mayo, ketchup or bbq sauce I chose ketchup because it is what I had. I used red bell peppers. Mine taste great and hold together well but the color is verrrry different than the picture, kind of a reddish orange, it may be because of the ketchup and red peppers? I also think I pulsed mine for too long in the food processor and that may be part of it. When they came out of the oven they were firm on the outside but almost creamy on the inside. However, after spending a few days in the fridge I reheated in the microwave and the texture was great.
I love a good black bean burger. I do not eat hamburgers, so it’s black bean burger for me. Luckily, I think a good one is totally delicious. I look forward to making these as soon as I get the ingredients in a day or two. If I am successful, in a trial run, I will make a goodly sized stash and freeze them, to cook later. My soulmate is a stellar cook and I’ll get him to help guide me through my black bean burger maiden cooking voyage – he always has the best ideas and techniques.
One question, I would like to add grated raw carrots to the mixture. I just think it would impart a good flavor, plus it would be healthy. Would adding carrots be a yay or nay?
Thanks!!
Hi Anita, You can replace some of the peppers with grated carrots. Enjoy!
Very good recipe! And the drying of the beans worked out well. I used the egg substitute product called Neat Egg (ingredients are only chickpea and chia seed)
With the combination of spices, is there another cheese to recommend? My family doesn’t all like feta and I want these to be successful the first round before I try with feta!
Thank you!
Hi Liza, you can leave out the cheese or replace with another cheese you like. Goat cheese or white cheddar are two other favorites.
Really good flavor, but mine fell short in the texture department. They held together nicely, but were kind of, well, ‘creamy’ for lack of a better descriptor. Another reviewer mentioned the burger had the texture of refried beans — that’s where I ended up, too. I used a fork but perhaps I was too aggressive. I’ll try them again (—and make sure to use feta as I only had Laughing Cow cheese wedges in the fridge). I really did like the flavor, just need to perfect the technique. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
my mixture was to sloppy, I did follow instructions but possibly my eggs were too large, had to add extra crumbs and some flour. Very tasty though. Next time I will add one gg at a time, see how it goes.
I particularly like how they can be adapted to taste with extra spices
How do I go about adding the mashed sweet potato?
Hi Lexie! If using mashed sweet potato in place of the eggs, add it in step 2 with the rest of the remaining ingredients Place in a large bowl or in a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Enjoy!
I always make a double batch of these and freeze them. I like a salad for breakfast and with these patties crumbled over the top my green leaf/ avocado/tomato salad with lime and dressing is the bomb, and very filling. I have also used Goat cheese substituted for the feta, mostly because I live in an area with lots of goat farms and it is readily available and seems to serve the same good result.
FANTASTIC recipe.
Made with a jalapeño pepper because I didn’t have a bell pepper . So good ! What a perfect black bean burger with so many different things you can make them with ! Love the recipe 🙂
I omitted the feta cheese because I didn’t have it on hand. Me and my husband thought these were just ok. A lot of work/mess in my opinion for just an ok burger. I even used black beans that I had made from scratch. (Trying to find recipes to use them up) Maybe the feta is what makes everybody like these so much? Or maybe that I ate it bunless?
Wonderful amazing so easy to make. One of my host daughters gave me this recipe her mum makes in Germany. Wow never tried black bean burgers before. I can see this becoming a family favourite. Sally it’s delicious. Thank yo
So glad these black bean burgers were a hit, Sandy!
Absolutely hands down, the best black bean burgers, EVER. Definitely my “go to” recipe. Thank you so much!!
First-ever, Black Bean Burger I have eaten that tasted sooooo good!!!
I really enjoyed these … I also made a “dressing” to go with them … 1 T of bottled mango chutney, 1 T of MCT oil (use any oil you have), 1 T apple cider vinegar … I cut up the burger, mixed with salad and poured on the dressing.
Best. Black. Bean. Burger. Ever. I will be making these again.
Yummy burger. Yes the best recipe I’ve tried as far as taste and sticking together. I wish I had the cumin. I replaced it with extra chili powder but I think the cumin would be better. I’m going to warm for lunches and serve over a bed of greens with some salsa/sour cream dressing.
How do these hold up if you freeze them and them cook after some time?
Hi Ali, These will be good in the freezer for up to 3 months. See recipe note number 1 for freezing instructions. Enjoy!
Loved this recipe, the tip about drying the beans in the oven makes all the difference. Thank you!
Five stars without following the recipe. I used what I had in the house and still liked the burgers. Have to say I kind of like them better cold covered with plain yogurt. Didn’t have peppers so I added some jarred jalapenos–too many. Didn’t have ketchup so used a combo of mambo sauce (I live in DC) and BBQ sauce. The mambo was too sweet. Didn’t have feta so I ate some Kalamata olives as a side dish. Am I still allowed to review this? I will make again, maybe with more of the correct ingredients.
Do we know the calorie count on the individual burgers
Hi Stephen! 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
Any sub for oats or breadcrumbs? I can’t have either.
Hi Zoe! We haven’t tested any other substitutes- you’re looking for something to soak up some liquid for best texture. Let us know what you try!
I tried chia seeds and it worked
I’m going to try Potato Flakes.
Hi. I love these burgers! I packed them into egg rings to form them. I used quinoa flakes and they stayed together really well. I love a bit of heat so might add more chilli next time but adding a pineapple ring, genius! Thanks for the recipe.
Zoe … I would try using mashed sweet potato … if you boil/mash them first you can dry with the beans … spread them fairly flat on the baking sheet … pulse them well
Desiccated coconut flakes work for thickening but I haven’t tried in this recipe.
This is out goto burger recipe.. love it!
I used oats and I was not disappointed with the results. I believe they’re rolled oats.
The best vegan burgers, I have ever made! Used vegan Worcester sauce (used the Biona brand), omitted the feta cheese and microwaved a sweet potato. This recipe is definitely a keeper!!
I cannot stand bell pepper. What can I sub for them?
Hi Susan! You could add more onions, or some readers have reported success using corn and even edamame. Let us know what you try!
They do NOT fall apart! And they’re delicious! What kind of sorcery is this?!
This is absolutely delicious! I put some diced jalapeños in mine.
I used chopped fresh jalapeños as well!! I also added a bit of liquid smoke in place of Worcestershire sauce and in place of the eggs I used “JUST EGG”, a plant based egg substitute.
THESE ARE ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!
Best black bean burgers! How smart to dry the beans, really makes a huge difference. Great flavors and my family asks me to make these at least once a week. Thank you for the yumminess!
Incredible flavors in this burger. Three of us agree, wholeheartedly, that this is the best, black bean burger I have made. I have made many. Will repeat this one for certain.
I thought these were excellent. When I make stuff for the first time, I often follow the recipe fairly closely and then next time do the tweaks, but I don’t like feta very much so omitted it. I found that they didn’t stick together at first, but I put them back in the food processor and pulsed a bit more and that did the trick.
Next time I will add some coriander and a bit more spice and I think they will be delish
thanks Sally 🙂
Very good flavor. I would rather use 1/2 cup or so per burger, mine were thin
@1/3 cup per burger, which did not match the picture in the description.
Great flavor! Love the recipe!
Made these to try and increase our vegtable intake. These were amazing. My son and I are big meat eaters. Two of these with chips and salad, buns etc stuffed to the gills. Thank you for sharing.