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
Best black bean burger ever. I’m very particular about my BB burgers and this one is 5⭐️ all the way.
These are fabulous. My meat eater hubby says yes! Thanks for sharing. I’ll be saving this recipe
These were yummy! How much protein is in a patty?
Hi Lisa, we’re glad you enjoyed these! 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 so much. I tell everyone about it.
Very good recipe – I tried it and everything worked out well. Tasty and very good texture. For consideration: after baking I broiled for half a minute each side, which crisped them nicely. I added a teaspoon gochujang to the mix. And, HP sauce worked really well as a condiment (with other good things).
Sooo delicious. Doubled the recipe, and used a 1/3 cup to portion and ended up with 18 total. Didn’t have feta so I used smoked Gouda. Kids LOVED them. Served with toasted pretzel buns and rosemary roasted potatoes. Big hit.
These are very delicious burgers but I can’t say they’re the best I’ve ever eaten. They tend to turn out a little more mushy than I’d like. I also think there needs to be a tad more seasoning at the bean flavor overpowers everything else. That being said they’re probably the best BBB’s I’ve personally made at home. I’m going to tinker a bit with the recipe. Probably add more bread crumbs, some nutritional yeast, switch the feta to parmesan cheese (because it’s always on hand), some pickle juice (I dill), and probably a bit more of each seasoning that’s used.
(BTW I wanted to give this 4.5 stars but it won’t let me)
Thank you so much for the recipe! My first time making and eating a black bean burger tonight. My partner said it was the best black bean burger she has ever had. Perfectly and delicious! Even I (as a meat eater) loved it!!
Amazing bean burgers. So delicious! My patties seemed quite wet as I think I blended the ingredients too much but actually when they were baked they were perfect. Toasted the bun, added lettuce and grilled a bit of cheddar and ta da. My kids rated it more than a normal burger so thank you
Would I be able to substitute 1 can of beans with refried black beans?
Hi Gina! We haven’t tested that but fear there would be too much liquid in the refried beans.
The best black bean burger that I have ever tasted. I left out the cheese and didn’t have Worcestershire or bell peppers and it was still delicious.
Could I add spinach to these patties?
Hi Rachell! Spinach would add quite a bit of moisture to these burgers, which may cause the patties to fall apart. Spinach would make a great burger topping, though!
These are the first, and last black bean burger recipe I will make! Slice of onion, remoulade, and leaf lettuce from the garden. I could eat this daily! It was easy to make and cooked perfectly.
This recipe really is the best bean burger and I love it. For some reason, I couldn’t click on the stars, but I do give it 5 stars.
Having said that, I think it takes more than 45 minutes to prepare. Maybe…maybe, you could do it in 45 minutes if everything is completely ready to cook — mise en place and more — the beans rinsed and already roasted, the vegetables chopped, all spices already measured, etc. You have to wash and dry your food processor a couple of times (and your hands frequently) I am pretty fast in the kitchen and I have made this recipe a few times and it has always been great. Definitely make it! but give yourself more time than 45 minutes.
OMG!!! These are delicious!!!! I left out the cheese, but I’m gonna use it next time and I used BBQ sauce. They came out perfect.
This was fantastic, easy & affordable. I will definitely be making this again!
These are the best Black bean burgers I’ve had. Nothing bought frozen compared to them. Make them for guests. They have loved them too
So glad you love them, Annemarie!
I read the Serious Eats version when it came out and always had it in my mind to make it, but had some black beans and stumbled on your recipe via the google. Hubby and I just split 3 of them for lunch (the doggo was giving us sad eyes, so she might have had a sliver too), and I have six freezing for later. I didn’t want to open canned beans, so I cooked up a combo of black and red kidney beans last night and pulled everything together this morning. O.M.G. So freaking yummy, and not at all hard to make!
How would I cook these in an air fryer?
Hi Katrina, We haven’t tested these black bean burgers in an air fryer but let us know if you do – it should work well!
These really were the best black bean burgers I’ve ever had! They came out just as she said they would. I grilled onions and mushrooms to top mine.
If using almond flour, do I also use 1/2 cup?
Hi Sasha, yes, equal swap with the bread crumbs.
Could I make these on top of stove in a fry pan
Hi Ali, we find the centers don’t cook very well when cooked on the stove. You might start them in a skillet then transfer to the oven to finish baking. Let us know how they turn out for you!
Is there nutritional information on this recipe?
Hi Michael, 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’ll never make these again. DRY DRY DRY. Store bought are better. So disappointed. This was a lot of work
This recipe is superb! With the vegan alternatives, it was so good, and super flavorful. As a vegetarian, I like stockpiling recipes that are good, more healthy, and just actually flavorful. This was all that in spades. With all the seasonings, the extra veg, it was a flavor bomb with a great texture (and I don’t even like beans because of the texture, yet this burger won me over). 10/10, would recommend, especially for your vegetarian/vegan friends, who just want a good and flavorful meal, with a lot of thought.
Wow! These are the best black bean burgers I have ever eaten! I love how there are so many left to freeze and have at another time too! Thank you for this simple and amazing recipe
These are delicious! Everyone in the family enjoys these, even the young mouths.
I make a triple batch and freeze them for a quick meal on busy nights.
I should have written sooner. I have been making these for about a year now and they are PERFECTION! They turn out great every time.
Thank you so much for this absolutely delicious recipe
Absolutely amazing taste and texture, I made just two quarter pounders, and will definitely be making them throughout the summer!!!
I need to edit my post! I halved the ingredients which is why it made two large burgers, rather than four, or more smaller ones!!
Trying these tonight, I’m really excited to see how they will come out! They sound delicious! I was thinking about adding some chopped mushrooms and jalapeños to the mix. Can I make these up earlier in the day and form them and refrigerate for later in the evening?
Absolutely. Enjoy!
This recipe looks delicious!! However, I don’t see a nutritional breakdown with calories, carbs, fat & protein ?
Hi RK, 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 Hope you enjoy the black bean burgers!