Easy Black Bean Burger Recipe
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Nothing is quite as satisfying as biting into a tasty burger! This Black Bean Burger Recipe is filled with black beans, onion, garlic, and spices, and is absolutely bursting with flavor. It’s perfect for meal prep and much healthier than takeout!
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Why you’ll love making Black Bean Burgers
- This is one of my favorite black bean recipes, and it couldn’t be easier! All you have to do is mash the ingredients together, form patties, pan-fry the patties, and serve.
- Perfect for a busy night, this burger recipe comes together in less than 25 minutes!
- Made with wholesome, healthy ingredients, these veggie burgers feel like a treat but they’re actually really good for you. They are so much healthier than fast food, store-bought, or beef burgers, and also kinder to your wallet.
- The flavor of these black bean burgers is phenomenal, plus the black beans are loaded with plant-based protein to fill you up.
- Great for meal prep. Make a double batch and freeze half for later!
- 100% vegetarian and can easily be adapted to fit a vegan or gluten-free diet.
Ingredients you’ll need
You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.
How to make black bean burgers with step-by-step instructions
A complete printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.
In a large bowl, combine canned black beans, onions, garlic, vegetarian Worcestershire sauce, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika, and roughly mash them using a potato masher or fork until you have your desired consistency.
The black beans should softly come apart, but the mixture should not be mushy. You could also pulse the mixture in a food processor a few times until it starts to come together.
Use a spatula to fold in the egg, and then add the Panko bread crumbs. These two ingredients bind everything together. Use either regular or gluten-free bread crumbs for these veggie burgers!
Form 6 evenly sized black bean burger patties, shaping them with your hands. The burgers should hold their shape; if you find they are too wet, place the mixture in the fridge to firm up for about 10 minutes.
You can even prep the burgers until this point, store them in the fridge, and cook them later. Press the patties into flat burger-shaped discs.
Heat a skillet over medium high heat and brush both sides of each black bean burger patty with a little olive oil. Place patties in the hot skillet and cook until they are crisp and charred on both sides, approximately 12 minutes in total.
Remove the black bean burgers from the skillet and serve hot between burger buns, sauce, and your favorite fillings. See below for some of our favorite toppings, sauces, and sides!
Ingredients
- 3 cups black beans cooked, drained, and rinsed
- ⅓ cup onion grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 egg see note 3 for a vegan option
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs or gluten-free
- Olive oil for brushing
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine black beans, onion, garlic, vegetarian Worcestershire sauce, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika, and roughly mash them using a potato masher or fork until you have your desired consistency. Use a spatula to fold in the egg, and then add the Panko breadcrumbs.3 cups black beans, ⅓ cup onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 egg, 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- Form 6 evenly sized patties, shaping them with your hands. The patties should hold their shape, if you find they are too wet, place the mixture in the fridge to firm up. Press the patties into flat burger-shaped discs.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and brush the bean burgers with a little olive oil. Cook the burgers until they are charred on both sides, approximately 12 minutes in total.Olive oil
- Remove from the skillet and serve between burger buns, sauce, and your favorite fillings.
Notes
-
How to prevent mushy black bean burgers:
- Don’t over-mash the black beans: Over-mashed beans let out excess liquid and not only might be tricky to form but also difficult to cook. Instead, mash the burgers until the beans are just beginning to break up. You can always mash them a little more after adding the eggs and breadcrumbs if needed.
- Make sure your skillet is hot enough: We’re looking for a nice crispy char on the outside of the patties. If you add the patties while the pan is still warming up, they won’t crisp up properly.
- Spice level To make these bean burgers a little less spicy, we either use mild chili powder or skip the heat altogether. If you like the heat and want to make them even spicier, use medium or hot. Feel free to add a little extra!
- Vegan black bean burgers The only ingredient in this recipe that makes it vegetarian is an egg. You can add a flax egg instead, which is a fantastic plant-based binder. To make a flax egg, mix 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds with 3 tablespoons of water and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. When it turns thicker and sticky it’s ready to use!
Nutrition
Recipe notes and expert tips
- How to prevent mushy black bean burgers:
- Don’t over-mash the black beans: Over-mashed beans let out excess liquid and not only might be tricky to form but also difficult to cook. Flipping the burgers becomes nearly impossible! Instead, mash the burgers until the beans are just beginning to break up. You can always mash them a little more after adding the eggs and breadcrumbs if needed.
- Make sure your skillet is hot enough: We’re looking for a nice crispy char on the outside of the patties. If you add the burgers while the pan is still warming up, they won’t crisp up properly.
- Spice level To make these bean burgers a little less spicy, we either use mild chili powder or skip the heat altogether. If you like the heat and want to make these black bean burgers even spicier, use medium or hot. Feel free to add a little extra!
- Vegan black bean burgers The only ingredient in this recipe that makes it vegetarian is an egg. You can add a flax egg instead, which is a fantastic plant-based binder. To make a flax egg, mix 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds with 3 tablespoons of water and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. When it turns thicker and sticky it’s ready to use!
How to store leftover Black Bean Burgers
Store any leftover veggie burgers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
This is also an excellent recipe for the freezer! Freeze black bean burgers for up to 3 months either in a freezer-friendly container or wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and then store in a zip-top bag. Thaw completely before reheating the burgers.
Reheat the burgers in a pan on the stove, in the microwave, in an air fryer, or on a baking sheet in the oven until piping hot.
Can You Bake These Black Bean Burgers?
Absolutely! Preheated the oven to 350°F (190°C). Place patties onto a lightly oiled baking tray and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, flipping them over halfway through.
What to serve with this Black Bean Burger Recipe
Other than a burger bun, or lettuce wrap, we love to eat our black bean burgers with some tasty toppings, sides, and sauces:
Toppings
Classic toppings like cheese (or feta cheese), sliced tomatoes, sliced red onion, and lettuce or arugula (rocket) taste amazing on this burger. These are all optional ingredients, and we encourage you to make these burgers your own! If you’re a fan of melted cheese, add cheese slices to the black bean burgers while they are cooking on the second side, and place a lid on top. The steam inside will melt the cheese perfectly.
Sides
Our staple sides when it comes to any burger are fries or a salad, and we have plenty of recipes to choose from!
- Air Fryer Peri Peri Fries
- Vegetarian Buffalo Fries
- Masala Fries
- Easy Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges
- Mozzarella Sticks
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Tomato, Onion, and Cucumber Salad
- Beet and Feta Cheese Salad
Sauces
You can add these sauces to the burger or use them as a dipping sauce for fries (or both!).
- Creamy Avocado Sauce
- Sweet Potato Fry Sauce
- Homemade BBQ Sauce
- Peri Peri Sauce
- Tzatziki Sauce
- Chipotle Aioli
Thank you so much for your amazing recipe. My mother and I love the burgers so much 😋.
I am so pleased that you both enjoy them, that’s great to hear 🙂
I love this recipe.. thank you so much.. I enjoyed it.. I did add some fluffy brown rice with the panko crums.. its 5 stars from me..
Thanks for the 5 stars and your additions sound great.