Say hello to the best vegetarian black bean burger recipe! They are delicious and easy, made with savory spices, lime zest, cilantro and scallions, in just 20 minutes! Video.
The shortest interval between two points is the awareness that they are not two.
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You’re looking at our all-time favorite black bean burger recipe! Back when we had our vegetarian restaurant, this burger was often featured on the menu. We’ve tested this recipe hundreds of times over the years and think it’s just right! Just read all our 5-star reviews!
The challenge with making black bean burgers is getting the right texture and enough flavor! What we love best about these burgers is the spices we use to season them- so bold and delicious, you won’tt miss the meat.
The best part? They can be made in just 20 minutes, they are grillable, and they can be made ahead! Perfect for Sunday meal prep! Gluten-free and vegan-adaptable.
OUr Best Chef’s Tips
- How to make them firm and not mushy? Sear the black bean burgers first, then chill. At this point, they can be reheated or even grilled and will remain firm.
- Vegan-option. These can be made vegan with ground flax seeds and vegan cheese.
- Bake! Yes, these burgers can be baked in the oven, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, at 375°F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Gluten-free adaptable. Use gluten-free panko or bread crumbs.
Black Bean Burger recipe ingredients
- Black beans – use canned black beans or cooked dry black beans. Opt for organic if possible.
- Olive oil– for sauteing and richness.
- Onion and garlic cloves- for depth and umami flavor. Or substitute garlic and onion powder!
- Optional additions: feel free to add sautéed bell pepper, poblano chili, or jalapeno chili, or if you’re in a hurry, leave them out!
- Spices: ground cumin, smoked paprika, coriander , chipotle powder, or use cayenne or chili powder
- Lime- zest and juice for bright flavor!
- Egg– used as a binder here. (Or use ground flax– see notes)
- Cheese- grated cheddar, jack or vegan cheese.
- Cilantro and scallions– for extra fresh flavor.
- Panko bread crumbs or gluten-free bread crumbs (or see notes)
How to Make Black Bean Burgers
Step one: Saute. In a large skillet, saute onion, garlic, and optional bell pepper until tender, then add the spices, salt, and pepper and toss with the drained black beans.
Step two: Combine and Mash. In the pan, mash the black bean mixture with a potato masher, then add the remaining ingredients to the mixture, or alternatively, use a food processor, leaving a little texture.
Step three: Shape. Shape them into 4 black bean burger patties.
Step four: Bake or pan-sear. Pan-sear the burgers in a skillet until golden, about 7 minutes per side, or bake in the oven. Once baked or seared, you can chill them and grill later!
StoragE
Store black bean burgers in an airtight container up to 4 days in the refrigerator (reheat on the grill, in a toaster oven, or in a pan) or freeze for up to 3 months.
Quick and easy, these black bean burgers hold their shape without being too dry and crumbly.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve as a burger. Serve on a sourdough bun or brioche bun slathered with Chipotle Mayo (vegan adaptable). Top with sliced lettuce, avocado, tomato, pickled red onion, our Mexican Slaw and/or microgreens. Serve with Sweet Potato Fries,
- Make a Burger Bowl. Instead of a bun, serve over a bed of rice and greens, chopped veggies with our Cilantro Dressing. (Burger in a bowl)
- Serve as a plant-based Main. Serve the burger with a leafy green salad or corn on the cobb!
More healthy Burger Recipes!
- The BEST Veggie Burger
- Portobello Mushroom Burger
- Spicy Miso Portobello Mushroom Burger
- 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
- Healthy Delicious Bison Burger
- Salmon Burgers
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
Watch how to make them!
Black Bean Burger Recipe
- 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
Description
This vegetarian black bean burger recipe is easy and delicious! Made with savory spices, lime zest, cilantro and scallions, vegan-adaptable.
Ingredients
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- optional: 1 cup bell pepper, small dice, or sub poblano pepper or half a jalapeno
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 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), pat dry.
- zest from one small lime
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- —-
- 1 egg (or use ground flax– see notes)
- optional: 1/2 cup grated cheese ( cheddar, pepper jack, vegan cheese) or leave it out.
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup scallions, chopped
- 1/2 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
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat and saute the onion, garlic, and optional bell pepper until fragrant, tender, and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the spices and salt, and saute 1 minute.
- Add the drained black beans, zest and lime juice to the pan. 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 and adjust the salt and heat level.
- At this point you can add ¼-⅓ cup ground flaxseed if you want this vegan. Otherwise, let this cool, add the egg, optional cheese, cilantro, scallions and the bread crumbs and mix well until combined well. Let stand 10-15 minutes in the fridge so the breadcrumbs or/flax have a chance to absorb moisture. If the mixture still feels wet, add more bread crumbs as needed.
- Using clean damp hands, form and compress tightly into 4 large patties (or 5 or 6 smaller ones), smoothing the edges. If the mixture still seems too soft, refrigerate to firm up, for 30 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive 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. Alternatively, you can bake these on a parchment-lined sheet tray ( spray the tops with olive oil) and bake for 20 minutes at 375 F , flipping halfway through.
- Refrigerate the black bean burgers for up to 4 days. ( Or freeze for later)
- 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 seeds and wait to add bread crumbs. Let stand 10 mins so flax seed is fully hydrated. If the mixture seems overly moist when forming a patty, add bread crumbs as needed- you may not need the full ½ cup.
Gluten Free: Instead of the bread crumbs- feel free to sub-cooked brown rice, gf oats, or cooked quinoa or do the flax version.
If you have time- an easy way to “dry out” the rinsed black beans is to spread them out on a sheet tray and either let them air dry or stick them in a warm oven for 15 minutes.
If you don’t have time to saute onions and garlic, replace with one teaspoon each of onion powder and garlic powder, and just mash everything together.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: one ex-large burger patty with egg and breadcrumbs
- Calories: 291
- Sugar: 1.1 g
- Sodium: 627.9 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
Definitely a 5 star recipe! This is the absolutely best Black bean Burger I have ever tried. I also made the Chipotle Mayo and it was totally flavorful & utterly Delicious. I plan to also try the Mexican Slaw the next time I make these.
So happy to hear this Mel!
Made these today as per recipe specifications & they turned out fabulous. I baked them in the oven vs finishing in a skillet. I plan to freeze them, but had to eat one for lunch! Perfect recipe for me for meal prep & planning ahead. This one is a keeper. Thank you!
Wonderful Mary!
I made these last night and they are very tasty. My husband and I really liked the flavor. My only issue is that despite draining the (Trader Joe’s) canned organic black beans for at least 30-40 minutes in colander, the mixture still seemed too moist. I did use the egg and panko bread crumbs. Before adding, I did allow the mixture cool first, then incorporated, and let it sit 15 more min in the hopes the mixture would get ‘firmer’. The final burgers were not solid like your photos. Not sure why. I will try recipe again since flavor was really good. Someone else said that splitting this into 4 yielded some giant burgers, and they were :-). So I made 5. I did flatten the burgers a bit more than your photos. Could that have something to do with the lack of solidity once cooked? Think I will try next time with ground flaxseeds option. Any suggestions welcome, and thank you for the recipes!
Hi Christina, thanks for the feedback! So I usually pat the beans dry- I added a few more notes to the recipe, to help with this!
I rinsed the beans in a colander, shook out most of the water, then dumped them on a few layers of paper towels to wick out any remaining water. My burgers held together great & looked exactly like the burger on the recipe. I loved the recipe & loved how mine turned out. I definitely plan to make them again & I plan to discard all the other black bean burger recipes that I have collected to try! Good luck next time you make them.
I have been recommending Feasting at Home to my vegan friends for the last two years. Everything is so well crafted! Including these black bean burgers! It is a go-to in our house!
Wonderful, glad you are enjoying Holly!
I have been recommending feasting at home to everyone. Rarely have I had a flop! This black bean burger recipe is one that I keep on hand…so good!
Delicious! Will definitely make it again. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
Thanks Anne!
Happy to hear this Anne!
I am wondering if the sodium per burger listed in the nutritional information is correct. That seems high to me. I have not yet tried this recipe.
Hey Brigitte- you were right, there was an error! Thanks- all fixed now.;)
Very strange, when I look at the recipe, the sodium content has not been changed.
You may need to close out your browser and try again. It may not be refreshing for you.
This is a winner!! Great flavours and if there are leftovers, the reheat well!
Great to hear Lisa!
Your homemade buger look like delicious.
While burgers are top reassets of protein, iron, and diet B12, they arrive with quite a few problems, in line with nutrients experts—specifically the fatty meat, sugary ketchup, and delicate grain buns. The new survey did discover that even burger enthusiasts understand they may select a more fit sandwich.
Outstanding flavour, especially with the Mexican slaw and slices of fermented dill pickles. It’s my new go to summer dinner recipe!
Awesome 👏
I used to go to this private restaurant in my city in the late 90’s where the owner made BBQ bean burgers on a little Hibachi grill… I used to wish I’d asked him for the recipe because I’ve never found another one that compared to it.
I went WFPB in late 2020 and have been searching for a delicious and easy recipe. My brother’s partner found this one and made it for a family dinner last weekend and I have to say that these burgers are even better than the ones I had over 20 years ago. Thank you so much Sylvia! I’m in burger heaven again! ✨❤️😇❤️✨
Awwww…. thanks Anita! Glad you liked them!
Hi Sylvia, This recipe was Superb!!! Made them along with the Mexican slaw & Chipotle Mayo; thanks for another great recipe!!
So happy to hear you enjoyed this!
This part of the recipe is unclear:
“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 …”
Do I add 1/4-1/3 cup ground flax, PLUS the flax egg which is made of 3 tablespoons of flax and water. This is adding flax twice.
I’m giving the recipe 4 stars even though I haven’t tried it yet–your recipes are among my favorites, so I’m sure it will turn out great. I’ll give a real review when I try it.
Hey Sally! I’m not seeing where it says flax egg- is it in the post body or recipe card? No, do not add a “flax egg” here (no water) just add the ground flax.
Hi Sylvia,
Thank you most sincerely for some wonderful recipes! I’m excited to try them all, especailly the Chickpea, &, Black Bean burgers, I’m going to pass on your site to my Vegan son, Harry, he’s very creative & makes full use of his food processor.
At the moment, in my humble opinion, the only decent ready made burgers on the Johannesburg market are by Linda McCartney.
Thanks Anita!
Your homemade burger looks delicious.
I’ve made this before and think that it’s the BEST black bean burger recipe ever! Planning to make it yet again and I have a question: Can I freeze the uncooked burgers to have them freshly cooked later, or is it better to freeze the cooked burgers and simply reheat later? My inclination with most recipes is to eat foods freshly cooked.
Awwww, thanks Mary! I think they would hold together better if they were cooked and then frozen. But I hear you and I guess you could test one uncooked, then frozen, and see how it works? Let me know will you?
We have had these burgers two nights in a row because they are so delicious. My husband can’t get enough of them,! Another amazing recipe thank you.
Thanks Marylou!
Hi! I’m oil free…could these be baked and if so, what time & temp do you recommend? Thanks!
Hi Patty, I think you could bake them? I havent personlly tried- but I don’t see shy not? Will you let us know how ti turns out if you try baking them?
yet another delicious recipe! This burger had beautiful presentation, and if I was at a restaurant it could of easily cost $15 dollars just by how pretty and upscale it looked. The taste was spot on for me, my husband who now tells me he’s not a huge fan of beans said it wasn’t his favorite but I loved it! Thanks again for another amazing recipe!
Thanks Nicole!
Hello, I’m wondering if there is another legume I could use for this recipe. I have white kidney beans on hand…
I bet that would work just fine!
Wow! These are great. They win the best-black-bean-burger- ever award. I followed the recipe exactly and they came out perfectly. With the Mexican slaw, “Special Sauce,” avocado slices and homemade whole grain buns they can’t be beat. I will say that they’re HUGE if you only make 4. Will probably divide it to make 5 or 6 next time.
Appreciate this Mary! Yay- so happy you enjoyed these!
Hey, delicious looking burgers! Can these cook from frozen? If so how long in the oven?
I work long hours and often like to be able to spontaneously pull things out of the freezer when I get back tired from work.
It’s no big deal if they don’t 🙂
I don’t see why not? I think I have frozen and placed it directly on a toaster oven rack, and it worked fine!
Hi Sylvia, great flavours! I can’t seem to find in the recipe if olive oil is added to the mix or if its just for searing? My burgers taste great but keep coming out crumbly and I’m wondering if this is the culprit!
Thanks for your great recipes!
Just for searing!
These vegan burgers are delicious! Full of flavor! And it’s true, it doesn’t take a lot of time to make them. I also prepared the chipotle mayonnaise and we ate them with a side mango salad.