A quick and easy recipe for Black Bean Burgers that can be made in under 30 minutes! Vegan and GF adaptable, perfect for weekly meal prep! Includes a video.
The shortest interval between two points is the awareness that they are not two.
―
You’re looking at our all-time favorite veggie burger ever… homemade Black Bean Burgers! Put them in your back pocket and whip them up in minutes using what you already have on hand. Perfect for meal prep, or grilling, these can be made ahead for the busy week.
What I love best about these homemade veggie burgers is how flavorful they are! Ground chipotle (or use chili powder) gives them so much flavor – smoky and a little spicy- along with cilantro and lime zest.
Pan-sear the burgers, add melty cheese if you like and serve them up on a bun with chipotle mayo, avocado and this quick Mexican Slaw for a flavorful satisfying meatless meal!
How to make Black bean Burgers|60-second video
Are black bean Burgers healthy?
Full of fiber, high in protein and low in fat, black bean burgers are indeed a healthy alternative to overly processed veggie burgers you buy at the store. That is why I always make my own! Plus they are just so easy, so why not?
Or for a lighter option, serve the black bean burgers over a bed of greens and grains (Burger in a bowl) topped with garden veggies for a lightened-up version.
Either way, you’ll like the flavor and ease of making these!
How to make Black bean Burgers
- Saute onion and garlic, add the spices and salt and pepper and toss with the black beans.
- In a large bowl, mash with a potato masher then add the cilantro and scallions and the egg (and bread crumbs) or ground flax ( for a vegan version) to the bean mixture.
- Shape into burger patties and begin cooking the burgers, until golden, about 7 minutes per side.
How to make them firm and not mushy:
Cooking the black bean burgers first, then chilling, makes them firm and grillable.
So feel free to pan-sear ahead, refrigerate, then either heat on the grill or in the oven or toaster oven for later use.
Quick and easy, these black bean burgers hold their shape without being too dry and crumbly. Such a great recipe- I think you’ll like it!
Top the veggie burgers with this fresh Mexican Slaw with Cilantro and Lime or try your hand at Curtido! The Chipotle Mayo (vegan adaptable) goes really well here too, so whip up a quick batch- you’ll find many other uses for it too!
More recipes you may like:
- Falafel Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce!
- Sprouted Lentil Burgers
- Healthy Burger Bowls
- Thai Turkey Burger Recipe w/ Asian Slaw
- Chimichurri Poblano Turkey Burger!
- Crispy BBQ Tofu Sandwich with Slaw
- Sagey Leek and White Bean Patties
Happy week friends.
PS: The quote above (by officially blew my mind. Let it soak in. Brilliant. Especially when you consider that two points could be two individuals.
Love and hugs. xoxoxo
PrintBlack Bean Burger Recipe
A quick and easy recipe for the BEST Veggie Burger! These Black Bean Burgers that can be made in under 30 minutes! Vegan and GF adaptable and perfect for weekly meal prep!
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4-6
- Category: vegan burger, burger, vegetarian burger
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder, more to taste (or use cayenne or 1/2 teaspoon chili powder)
- 2 cans black beans, rinsed, drained well (3 cups cooked)
- zest from one small lime
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- —-
- 1 egg (or use ground flax– see notes)
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup scallions, chopped
- ½ cup bread crumbs (or see notes)
Serve with Mexican Slaw or Curtido, avocado slices and chipotle mayo (vegan adaptable) either on a bun or over greens.
Instructions
Saute onion and garlic over medium heat until golden, tender and fragrant. Add the spices and salt, and saute 1 minute.
Add the drained black beans, zest and lime juice. Stir well, then mash with a potato masher until mostly mashed, leaving a little texture, then stir until combined. (You could also pulse in a food processor). Taste, adjust heat level.
At this point you can add ¼-⅓ cup ground flaxseed if you want this vegan. Otherwise, let cool, add the egg, cilantro, scallions and the bread crumbs and mix well until combined well. Let stand 10-15 minutes so the breadcrumbs or/flax have a chance to absorb moisture.
Using clean damp hands, form and compress tightly into 4 large patties (or 5 or 6 smaller ones), smoothing the edges. If the mixture seems too soft either refrigerate to firm up, for 30 minutes, or add more bread crumbs/flax.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet, over medium heat. Sear each side 5-7 minutes, or until golden and heated all the way through (you want the egg to cook though). Place in a warm oven until ready to serve – and feel free to top with melty cheese.
Refrigerate or freeze the seared black bean burgers for later use ( let cool, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap).
To reheat, warm in an oven, toaster oven or on the grill. (Great for making ahead)
Serve on toasted buns, with chipotle mayo, Mexican slaw or Curtido and avocado if you like, or over a bed of dressed greens and/ and grains with fresh veggies!
Notes
VEGAN: Instead of the egg, replace with 3 tablespoons ground flax seed. Do not add the bread crumbs. let stand 15 mins so flax is fully hydrated.
Gluten Free: Instead of the bread crumbs- feel free to sub-cooked brown rice, gf oats, or cooked quinoa or do the flax version.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: one ex-large burger patty with egg and breadcrumbs
- Calories: 291
- Sugar: 1.1 g
- Sodium: 1150.7 mg
- Fat: 9.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 39.5 g
- Fiber: 15.4 g
- Protein: 14.9 g
- Cholesterol: 35.3 mg
Keywords: Black bean burger, vegan black bean burger, vegetarian black bean burger, best black bean burger recipe, black bean burger recipes,
Made this last night, following recipe exactly, and they came out great! Whole family raved about them. I loved that they came together so well and held their shape. Made them into smaller patties and served over a bed of steamed chard and kale with a side of sauerkraut and naan that I happened to have. The spices were perfect. Next time I will add the cayenne pepper instead of the chili powder , or a jalapeño. Thanks so much for the recipe!
★★★★★
I was just about to make these and the narrative mentions bell pepper but the recipe does not have bell pepper in the ingredients. Anyone add the bell pepper?
Opps, sorry, yes I took them out. Fixed it!
I’ve made these three times and they never fail to disappoint. Just curious though – did you update the recipe? I don’t remember having the sautéed onions and garlic before. Excited to try it this way though!
★★★★★
Yes, I added those in for more flavor.
Oh no I’m so sorry I meant to say never disappoint!!! oh my gosh!!! I really love these which is why I gave 5 stars. So sorry for the typo 🙁
When do you put in lime juice and zest? It’s in the ingredient list but not part of the directions.
Sorry about that Bonnie, it is in there now. 🙂
YUM! I made these with the Mexican slaw and chipotle Mayo on brioche and they were amazing!!!
★★★★★
Hi Sylvia!
Thanks so much for all of your delicious recipes.
Is it possible to make these only in the oven vs pan frying them first?
Thanks!
Hi Kerry, I havent tried just baking them, but I bet it would work? If you try, let me know!
They were a little more crumbly but it worked! I was making a large batch for the work week so it made it easier. My bf who works for home fried it up to reheat it before eating.
This is the most delicious dinner I’ve ever made, easy to make and so delicious.
★★★★★
This is AMAZING. I am able to make them for 70% less than the morning star farms, they taste 200% better and freeze exceptionally well. We’ve been cooking them in our convection over/air fryer and it gives them an excellent texture. Tonight my husband described it as “tastes like a $10 burger”, which is high praise. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
★★★★★
Wow!!! Great to hear!
Hi, at what temperature and for how long in the oven to reheat them? I’m making these tonight for my son’s birthday party tomorrow.
375F for 20 minutes
The best bean burger!!!
★★★★★
Is there a substitute for chipotle powder?:)
Cayenne!
Cayenne + Smoked Paprika works well
These were so good!! I made the vegan version and it turned out great! I’ll definitely be making these time and time again! 🙂
★★★★★
So surprised by these! Just made this with the Mexican Slaw recipe, start to finish and played in under 2 hours. I love these. I have been trying to go vegetarian for years, and your website is the only thing helping me keep this goal! Thank you for using real ingredients and real food; this recipe and the slaw are keepers! (I made into 6 patties. I served spouses on roll with avocado, lettuce, and Sir Kensingtons Chipotle Mayo; he is also impressed)!
★★★★★
Yay!!!
This is absolutely amazing. We have this in our 10 day rotation. Awesome every time.
★★★★★
I love these!!! I made them for dinner and they are now a family favorite! Thank you!
★★★★★
I tried these today as they looked super delicious. Unfortunately they didn’t come out crunchy outside and moist on the inside as you would expect but rather dry and crumbly after searing them in the pan. I made the vegan version. Do you have any idea what I did wrong? Maybe to much grounded flaxseed?
Hi Sam, Im sorry about that. Do you remember if you added the olive oil?
These came together so fast and were packed with flavor! A new favorite!
★★★★★
Oh Yay! Glad you liked them Linda!
Love these! My husband and I ate them on a quinoa tortilla with the chipotle mayo and lettuce! I ended up using 1/3 of the flaxseed and they were a good consistency.
★★★★★
You shouldn’t promote the use of plastic wrap. Let the patties cool and just place them in an air tight tupperware. People need to stop using single use plastic in this damn world. You do realize that will never break down, and will leach toxic chemicals into the soil once it’s in a landfill? Please promote more earth sustainable methods. Thanks.
You are right Frank and I agree. I will be more mindful of this in the future. Thanks for pointing this out.
You should be more kind. We need more kindness in this world. Thanks
Wake up and smell reality!!! Are you kidding me with plastic wrap is ruining the Earth?
Hi Frank, if you click on the plastic wrap link, you’ll see I use a reusable wax product that can be washed.
These were easy and delicious, especially with the use of a food processor. Next time I might leave out the lime. (These burgers were really about the spicey flavors and the lime wasn’t noticed, or maybe the heat diminished it.) Your photos look like you’ve added chopped cilantro or chopped italian parsley?
★★★★
Yes, I updated the recipe- thanks!
too much salt 🙁 ruined my recipe!!
Oh no!!! I’m sorry. Just double-checking, did you use 2 cans black beans?
I made the Black Bean Burgers last night for dinner. They taste wonderful and my son enjoyed them very much. The only change i made was the chipotle mango powder i found. I used it instead since no regular chipotle seasoning was available. I will make this dish again.
★★★★★
Glad you liked them! thanks for sharing!
Just made & Love these burgers!! I’ve been looking for a recipe like this.
I personally changed it up a bit but omitting the egg and bread crumbs for about three heaping Tbsp flax meal and they came out great! I’ll also be adding brewers yeast in the future when I make these while breastfeeding.
★★★★
Just made this Black Bean burger recipe and loved the ease of making it and the amazing flavor. Added a little canned chipotle “adobo” sauce for extra heat. Delicious! Will be on regular rotation from now on!
★★★★★
So glad you liked them Ann!
Mmmmm what a wonderful combo black beans with ground chipotle and lime zest. I could eat these burgers every day!!
★★★★★
Thanks Lisette! Glad you like them~