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
Following the directions, this came out too wet. I blotted the beans twice and the garlic, onion, pepper sauté twice as well. I used eggs, oat flour and soy as substitutes in the recipe. To soak up more moisture prior to baking about 1/2 cup whole wheat flour fresh ground from white wheat and red winter wheat berries was added to firm things up. This resulted in 9 patties. The flavor was okay, but more bread like than meat like. This may in fact be due to my substitutions, but I think not.
For vegans, use soy sauce for the Worcestershire sauce. Sweet potato is fine, but flax seed eggs work just as well (for one egg, 1 tbsp flax to 2.5 tbsp water, mix and let set 5-15 minutes). I’ve been making these for ages, and absolutely love the recipe. Sometimes I’ll replace all the seasonings with a taco seasoning mix and make a southwest style burger.
I’ve have used several recipes for black bean burgers. These are, by far, the BEST! So glad I made a double batch.
These were okay but they aren’t black at all like in the photos despite using black beans. When baking them they just explode to a white centre so they look more like chocolate chip cookies right now. Don’t think I’ll make them again, especially as it’s pretty sus the 100% 5 star reviews on here posted every other day.
Love this recipe! I make these and freeze extra. Wondering how to cook black beans from scratch (soak/boiling method) for this recipe.
These came out perfect. Drying out the beans and sweating out the onions and green peppers allowed my burgers to hold together perfect. I have made these three times and they are perfect each time. My family loves them. Great recipe if you follow the directions!
these are really good, I did not have black beans so used fresh cooked white beans, had to use more bread crumbs ( homemade sorghum bread crumbs) because I think black beans are more firm than the white held together nice flavor nice I used the feta cheese and added a handful of raw cashews.
thank you
Love these!! I do some of my own substitutions (I dont like bell peppers so iImake it with corn and tomato instead) and they comr out great! I probably make the burgers a little smaller and it makes a BUNCH so i havr plenty in thw freezer for quick lunch. Never buying them from the store again!
Hi, is it possible to use soaked/cooked dry black beans, rather than canned?
Hi Lin, If using dried beans, follow the soaking instructions to soften them up before using. You’ll cook the beans as you usually do, then dry them out in the oven before using (per our instructions in this recipe). There’s roughly 1 and 1/2 cups of black beans in a can, so you’ll need about 3 cups total. Hope you enjoy these burgers!
I’ve made this recipe sooo many times for several years now (and have given out the recipe many, many times when I’ve made them for family and friends) but just finally leaving a well-deserved review! Seriously, everyone loves them, and they are always amazed and impressed that they can have a meatless burger that is so so tasty and delicious. I stick to the recipe because it does not need changing. If you haven’t tried these yet, make them tonight!!!
Hi Gwen, we’re so glad you love these! Thank you for making them again and again!
Can’t wait to try these! I like a little crisp on the outside of my patties but don’t always like to have to haul out the grill. If you bake them, do they get a little crispy? Has anyone tried to pan fry them in a little oil? Just wondering how to get the crisp, keep it healthy and not have to get the grill out? Maybe the old George Foreman??
Hi Betty! They do not get crisp per say, but they aren’t mushy when completely baked through. Your idea for pan frying them should help you get that desired crisp!
Hi there! Any idea on what the ratio for beanscwould be if i made them from dry instead of from canned? Thanks!
If using dried beans, follow the soaking instructions to soften them up before using. You’ll cook the beans as you usually do, then dry them out in the oven before using (per our instructions in this recipe). There’s roughly 1 and 1/2 cups of black beans in a can, so you’ll need about 3 cups total. Hope you enjoy these burgers!
Reporting back – this worked really well! I had made black beans in my instant pot. Only noticeable difference is probably I dried the beans out for 13 instead of 15 minutes because they were already dryer than canned black beans. Good recipe overall!
Loved this recipe!! I’ve tried so many others and they’ve all been mushy textured. This had a classic burger texture, I only blended half the mixture and mixed everything together. Added all the extras, plus some extra seasonings, cayenne and thyme, the feta cheese was a nice touch. I didn’t have any Worcestershire sauce, so I used soy sauce instead. Delicious!!! Thank you.
I only had one can of black beans on hand, so subbed a like amount of diced portobello mushrooms which I sautéed with the other veggies. It’s also the season when I have lots of peppers in the garden, so I used both bell and hot peppers. The recipe is so flavorful and the patties grill up nicely.
Hands down the best black bean burger I’ve ever made. Love the tip to dry out the beans before mixing up the batch. They did NOT fall apart. Lots of flavor too!
My partner and I are very picky about our black bean burgers. Other recipes yielded burgers that were too dry and crumbly, too mushy, or too much work. This recipe was a PERFECT balance of texture and effort. When I first read the bit about dehydrating the beans in the oven, I was skeptical, but am so glad that I did. I did not pat my veggies dry, just cooked the excess moisture out while the beans were drying. I cooked the patties about 11-12 min per side, and the result was a burger with slightly crispy bits on the outside that held together on a patty. Will be saving this recipe and making again!
I am not a very adventures eater but this year I was at a restaurant and they had black bean burgers on the menu so I tried them and they were so good. I have looked everywhere to see if I could buy them but never found any. I stumbled upon this recipe and OMG they are fantastic. I made a few errors but salvaged the recipe. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for this recipe. Sooooo Good!!!!!
Has anyone tried to make this recipe into a Meatloaf?
I haven’t tried this recipe yet but I will shortly. With the
price of hamburger, this will be a wonderful alternative.
I’ll let you know in a future review.
These are so good! Skipped the ketchup added lime juice, corn and fresh chopped cilantro for more of a southwest style burger. My kids even liked them!
AWESOME recipe! My meat-eating-turned-vegetarian husband thinks these are delicious, as does my entire family (including kids). Can I substitute dry oats for the breadcrumb? I’m wanting to change the type of grains they eat throughout the day & not just whole wheat. Thank you!
Hi HD, we haven’t tested it, but other readers have reported using oats (whole or ground) in place of the breadcrumbs. Rolled oats would probably be your best bet, but let us know what you try!
I made this recipe tonight. It came out great. I added 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms. I also added 1/4 tsp liquid smoke. I did not have a problem with patties falling apart.
I agree, these are the best black bean burgers. I’ve made them several times and each time they turn out a little different in terms of mushiness. Sometimes the perfect texture, sometimes sticky but always delicious so I don’t care. Thanks for this, even meat eaters who hate veggie burgers love them.
I made half the recipe. It was a little crumbly but still could shape the patties and grilled them on aluminum foil. I used barbeque sauce and it could have used more, it wasn’t enough to make the flavor very BBQ, just a light BBQ sauce flavor. I did use about 2/3 of the spices though I made 1/2 the recipe so it would be more spicy. I like the texture and flavor overall. I would make again and either try mayo or more BBQ sauce. My daughter and husband both liked them.
This has been my go-to black bean/veggie burger recipe for some time. Figured I should come on here and give a review. So flavorful! EXACTLY what I want from a veggie burger. I freeze the leftover uncooked patties so I have them whenever I want. WAY better than any frozen aisle veggie burgers! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
These are so delicious! I halved the recipe since I was the only one eating but will definitely make the whole recipe next time so I have more leftovers! They are very flavorful and I had no difficulty with them falling apart or being too dry. I can’t wait to make them again!
While I like the flavor and they don’t fall apart, it’s mushy – not enough firm “tooth.”
And I did completely dry out the beans, so it’s not that.
For the breadcrumbs part, try half oat flour, half breadcrumbs. This will firm it up more. The only thing about the oat flour is that it takes away from the flavor, so kick up your seasonings a bit.
Many recipe writers claim they have The Best…..Ever (substitute anything). But your claim is absolutely legit. These burgers are superb and yes, THE best bb burger ever! Thanks for a great recipe.
I am going to make this but I am a diabetic how many carbs does this recipe have?
Hi Susan, 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 that you have an egg substitute! Can’t wait to make this next week!
Absolutely love this recipe, but I actually think these work better as leftovers! I baked the whole recipe and only ate one day I made these and it could not hold it’s shape at all. If I squeezed the burger at all the patty would start to fall out of the sides. HOWEVER, I reheated the leftovers in the air fryer and those held their shape with no issue! I also freezed half the patties and reheated those with the air fryer and they were also excellent. This recipe will definitely become a staple for me.
I’ve been looking for a recipe like this and I followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious, we had them for dinner with a green bean salad and rice.
Later that night my partner made one into a sandwich with onion and tomatoes and said does this have meat in it as well as its full of flavour…………ah no.
Best Recipe, i didnt dry the beans, i added sauteed Mango, and used Goats Cheese. Also to pair with it, i made homemade Guacmole ( since it had a Southwest Flavor).