This is my favorite easy black bean burger recipe– featuring BIG, thick, hearty patties bursting with flavor. The burgers stay together beautifully without becoming too mushy. You can bake these in the oven or toss on the grill. No matter how you enjoy them, I'm certain that you'll agree that these are the best black bean burgers.
In This Post
While I love a traditional beef burger, black bean burgers will always have a special place in my heart. I have been making this black bean burger recipe for years– you'll appreciate how easily they come together and they taste immensely better than the store-bought ones.
The Best Black Bean Burger Recipe
- BIG, hearty and thick
- Incredible texture– no mushy burger here!
- Satisfying, even beef burger lovers enjoy them
- Insanely flavorful from the spices
- Can be baked or grilled
Black Bean Burger Ingredients
- Black Beans: These black bean burgers start with 3 cans of black beans. You want regular, not seasoned.
- Bell Pepper: Adding bell peppers adds flavor and texture. You can use any color bell pepper that you prefer.
- Onion: Using sweet onion adds flavor to the burgers.
- Breadcrumbs: Any type of breadcrumbs work in this recipe– Panko, regular, whole wheat or homemade. I prefer to use Panko.
- Eggs: The best binder that you'll find. For vegetarian or vegan options, you can use around ½ cup mashed sweet potato or 2 flax eggs.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Worcestershire sauce provides the best flavor. If needing vegetarian or vegan options, replace with your favorite condiment such as ketchup or BBQ sauce.
- Olive Oil: The olive is used to sauté the peppers and onions while also adding some fat to the burger mixture.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic for the best flavor. If needed, you can use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Salt & Pepper: For flavor.
- Chili Powder, Paprika, & Cumin: These are what I call "power spices"– these burgers gain so much flavor from these spices.
How to Make Black Bean Burgers
- Partially dry out the black beans. Spread out the canned black beans onto a lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
- Sauté onion, pepper, and garlic together while the black beans are in the oven. This will be where the flavor begins for the black bean burgers.
- Combine the peppers and onions with the eggs, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, and spices. This is where the second layer of flavor comes in. You can use a fork or potato masher, or even a food processor to combine.
- Add the beans and mash until combined, leaving some chunks for texture!
- Bake for 8-9 minutes on each side.
#1 Trick: No Mushy Burgers Here!
These black bean burger patties are not mushy at all, and not crumbly either, holding their shape perfectly no matter how you cook them. The trick is to dry out the black beans to reduce their moisture a bit. This allows us to have the correct amount of moisture from the black beans and the add-ins, giving us the perfect ratio.
More Favorite Dinner Recipes
- The Best Smash Burgers
- Baked Herb Crusted Salmon
- Homemade Turkey Burgers (That Aren't Dry!)
- Quinoa & Sausage Stuffed Peppers
The Best Black Bean Burgers
Description
This is my favorite easy black bean burger recipe– featuring BIG, thick, hearty patties bursting with flavor. The burgers stay together beautifully without becoming too mushy. You can bake these in the oven or toss on the grill. No matter how you enjoy them, I'm certain that you'll agree that these are the best black bean burgers.
Ingredients
- 3 14-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 cup finely diced bell pepper, about 1 pepper
- 1 ¼ cups finely diced yellow onion, about 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- optional toppings: lettuce, tomato, onion, guacamole and cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread the beans evenly onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and bake for 10 minutes until slightly dried out. Leave the oven on if baking the burgers.
- Meanwhile, sauté 1 Tablespoon olive oil, pepper, onion, and garlic over medium heat in a large skillet until the peppers and onion are soft– about 6-7 minutes. Place in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients (breadcrumbs, eggs, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and paprika.)
- Stir together, then add the black beans. Mash with a fork or potato masher (you can even use a food processor), leaving some larger chunks of beans for texture.
- Form into patties, a slightly heaping ½ cup of mixture each, about ¾-inch thick.
- To Bake: Place the patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and bake at 400°F for 8-9 minutes on each side, about 16-18 minutes total. To Grill: Place the patties on greased aluminum foil and grill for 5-7 minutes on each side at around 400°F-450°F, about 10-14 minutes total. The patties will not stick to a clean, well-oiled surface or grill. If you prefer grill marks, brush the patties with olive oil.
- Serve with your favorite toppings. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Store cooked burgers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can make the burgers ahead of time through step 4 and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stack between parchment paper in a container or airtight bag. Cook following the instructions in step 5.
- Freezing Instructions: The cooked or uncooked black bean burger patties can be frozen for up to 3 months. Stack between parchment paper in a container or freezer-safe airtight bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat. For uncooked, follow the directions in step 5. You can skip thawing and cook from frozen for an extra 2-3 minutes.
- Breadcrumbs: Any type of breadcrumbs work in this recipe– Panko, regular, whole wheat or homemade. Use certified GF breadcrumbs to keep this a gluten free recipe.
- Vegan & Vegetarian Option: Worcestershire sauce is not vegan or vegetarian. For vegetarian burgers: replace the Worcestershire sauce with your favorite vegetarian condiment such as ketchup or BBQ sauce. For vegan burgers: replace the Worcestershire sauce with your favorite vegan condiment such as ketchup or BBQ sauce and replace the eggs with 2 flax eggs or ⅓-1/2 cup mashed sweet potato.
Nutrition
Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 363mg | Potassium: 207mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1143IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg
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N says
This looks like a recipe I’d like to try. I have been using crushed rice cakes for an alternative to bread crumbs and they work well.
Kristina Rosa says
I love this recipe and the ingredients. I substitute corn for peppers and lightly fry instead of bake. However when I fry they tend to break apart. Do you have any recommendations for them to hold better on the stovetop?
Christina says
Thanks for leaving a review Kristina. First, make sure you're mashing up the black beans enough. You want some texture but enough mashed to hold the burger together. If you're swapping corn for the red bell pepper I would roughly chop (so they are finely diced) the kernels as they are larger than the finely diced peppers. Or you can give them a quick pulse in the food processor. Let me know how it works!