Super flavorful Homemade Black Bean Burgers are as easy as combining black beans together with a slew of flavorful ingredients, like garlic, red onion, cumin, cilantro, and sriracha. A little egg and breadcrumbs help hold the patty together, and you’ve got a super hearty, flavorful, and freezer-friendly homemade black bean burger. No more $8 restaurant veggie burgers for me!
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How Many Burgers Does This Recipe Make?
This recipe makes six decent-sized black bean burgers. And don’t worry, if you can’t eat all six within a few days, they’re freezer friendly! Note: The recipe and price breakdown below are for the burger only. Everyone likes something different on their burger, so I decided not to include buns and toppings in the recipe or price breakdown.
Are They Freezer-Friendly?
Since I cook for just myself, I cooked two of my patties and froze the rest. Just wrap the raw patties in plastic wrap and then place them in a zip top freezer bag. To cook later, thaw the patty for 30 seconds in the microwave then finish cooking in a skillet as described in the recipe below.
What Toppings are Good on a Black Bean Burger?
I went with traditional mustard, tomato, lettuce, and red onion, but you could really have a lot of fun with the toppings. You could do a southwest spin and add some chipotle mayo, cheddar cheese, and jalapeños. Or how about a BBQ version with BBQ sauce and pepper jack cheese? A few avocado slices with any of the above themes would also be really nice. And you definitely need to try some Comeback Sauce on there!
Are These Black Bean Burgers Spicy?
Despite having sriracha as one of the ingredients, I don’t find these black bean burgers to be spicy at all. The sriracha just adds another subtle layer of flavor. If you want your black bean burgers to be spicy, simply double the sriracha, or add a jalapeño to the food processor when you’re processing your ingredients together.
Do I Have to Use a Food Processor?
You can make these black bean burgers without a food processor, but it’s a whole lot easier with one. :) To make the black bean burgers without a food processor, just finely mince the red onion, garlic, and sriracha by hand. Mash the black beans by hand (either with a fork or with a potato masher), then stir everything together by hand.
Can I Bake Them?
I don’t suggest baking the black bean burgers because you won’t get the nice browning on the outside of the burger, which provides extra flavor and texture to the burger.
Can I Skip the Egg?
I tried to make these black bean burgers without the egg, but unfortunately, they just don’t hold together in the skillet (they turn into something more like refried beans). You may be able to do something like a flaxseed egg replacer, but I haven’t tested this.
P.S. This black bean burger recipe is basically a variation on my Homemade Falafel recipe, which is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten.
Homemade Black Bean Burgers
Servings 6Ingredients
- 2 15oz. cans black beans ($0.96)
- 1/4 red onion ($0.11)
- 1 clove garlic ($0.08)
- 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro* ($0.20)
- 1 Tbsp sriracha ($0.11)
- 1 Tbsp mayonnaise ($0.09)
- 1 tsp ground cumin ($0.10)
- 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.09)
- 1/4 tsp pepper ($0.03)
- 1 large egg ($0.23)
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs ($0.26)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the canned black beans. Add the black beans to a food processor along with the red onion, garlic, cilantro, sriracha, mayonnaise, cumin, soy sauce, and pepper. Pulse the ingredients until they are evenly mixed, but still slightly chunky.
- Transfer the black bean mixture to a bowl and add one large egg and 1 cup breadcrumbs. Stir the ingredients together until they're evenly combined. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes.
- Divide the black bean mixture into six equal portions, then shape each portion into a patty, about 3.5 inches in diameter, ½-inch thick.
- To cook the black bean burgers, heat 1Tbsp cooking oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add a few of the black bean burgers and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until they are well browned and heated through. Repeat with more oil and the rest of the patties until they're all cooked.
- Place each patty in a bun, add your favorite toppings, and enjoy!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Nonstick Fry Pans
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Updates to the old recipe: I eliminated the Worcestershire sauce from the original recipe so this recipe would actually be vegetarian (because if you’re making a black bean burger, I’m guessing you want it to be vegetarian!). I also swapped canned beans for home-cooked black beans, because I figure most people will have canned on hand. I used cilantro in place of parsley because that’s what I had on hand, but you can use whichever one you prefer! If you’d like a copy of the old recipe, simply email us at support@budgetbytes.com and we can send you a pdf.
How to Make Black Bean Burgers – Step By Step Photos
Rinse and drain two 15oz. cans of black beans. Add them to a food processor along with ¼ of a red onion, 1 clove of garlic, ¼ bunch of cilantro (about ½ cup), 1 Tbsp sriracha, 1 Tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tsp cumin, 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce, and ¼ tsp pepper.
Pulse the ingredients together until they’re mostly mixed. I like to leave it just a little chunky, but fairly even.
Add the black bean mixture to a large bowl along with one egg and 1 cup of breadcrumbs.
Combine the black bean mixture with the breadcrumbs and eggs. I like to let this mixture sit for about five minutes to let the breadcrumbs absorb some of the moisture.
Divide the mixture into six equal portions and shape them into patties (about ½ cup of mixture each, 3.5″ diameter, ½” thick).
Add a ½ Tbsp cooking oil to a skillet and heat over medium. When the oil is hot, add a couple of patties and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until they are nicely browned and heated through. Repeat with more oil and patties until the desired number are cooked (or freeze the rest, see the info above the recipe for instructions on how to freeze).
Top your black bean burger with your favorite toppings and enjoy!!
I top mine with homemade chipotle mayo (1 canned chipotle pepper and a cup of mayo in blender) with thin jalopenos, red onions, avocado, pepper jack cheese and lettuce. BOMB.
Excellent recipe!
Can these made in the air fryer & also frozen after being made?
I’m sure they could, but we haven’t tested it out to give you proper instructions! Definitely let us know if you try it!
My go-to black bean burger recipe. The one time I tried on the grill several years ago they held up for me. I usually make on skillet because it’s easier. I swap sriracha for Valentina’s hot sauce and use a taco seasoning instead of just cumin. I mash by hand instead of food processor and it still holds up for me, just let them rest for bit. 10/10 no notes
These black bean burgers turned out great. I halved the recipe (still used 1 full egg) and made 4 slightly smaller patties.
These burgers do not hold together at all. I followed the recipe exactly and they would not flip in the skillet becoming a huge clump of black bean burger mush. I don’t even know how they taste because I had to throw it in the trash. It was not salvageable. Now I spent money on all of the stuff I needed for this that I can’t get back. This is the worst recipe by far. I’ve gotten off of this website. For this alone I’ll never be using this website again. I’m very mad.
This has been on our menu rotation for over a year now for hubby and I. And BBB is requested by our big kids when visiting. Very easy to make, and so delicious w toppings though hubs eats the leftovers w just bbq sauce and a fork. Make this!!
These veggie burgers are so delicious, a new favorite! I just pulled one tonight from the freezer and it tasted just as good as the fresh. Will always have these in hand for busy weeknights!
Loved this recipe! I don’t have a food processor and my blender is too tiny (ninja bullet) to do all of the blending at once so I ended up just mashing them with a potato masher. Turned out great! If I had blended them they probably wouldn’t have crumbled as much but I didn’t mind. Still delicious! Will be adding to the rotation!
I can’t wait to try these!
Going to try this for lunch !
Looks easy and ingredients are in the pantry!
Delicious! This has become a household favorite.
Every recipe I’ve made from you has been amazing! These burgers were the best black bean burger I’ve ever made. The whole family, including picky kids, loved these! Thank you!
Has anyone tried using almond flour in place of the bread crumbs?
Almond flour probably won’t absorb the moisture and act as a binder in the same way that bread crumbs do, unfortunately.
Any advice on what might be causing the patties to fall apart, and how to mitigate this?
Try processing the beans a little longer to create smaller pieces. Larger pieces make the patty crumbly. XOXO -Monti
Yum! We’ve made these burgers several times now, sometimes with black beans and sometimes with red or white beans. They all turned out great. Just wanted to share in case anyone is out of black beans and wondering how these will turn out with a different type.
Can I use Panko?
Hi, Joni! We haven’t tested this recipe with Panko, so I can’t promise equally successful results. However, Panko is usually a great, near-even substitute for regular breadcrumbs. They will slightly affect the look and texture of these burgers. Panko also absorbs slightly less moisture than regular breadcrumbs, so you might need to add a little bit more if you find that the mixture is too wet. ~Marion :)
I made these tonight and used a 50/50 mixture of bread crumbs and panko flakes. Came out great. Panko will work in this recipe
Can I use something instead of the mayonnaise? Is it for flavor or to bind?
A little of both. You can sub with greek yogurt if necessary. XOXO -Monti
This has been on our menu rotation for over a year now for hubby and I. And BBB is requested by our big kids when visiting. Very easy to make, and so delicious w toppings though hubs eats the leftovers w just bbq sauce and a fork. Make this!!
We tried these tonight. Oh my, so much goodness! Loved them and will definitely make these a regular on our menu.
These were great! We are meat eaters trying to add some vegetarian meals in and this one is a keeper! It’s very easy and the red onion and cilantro add such wonderful flavor. Thank you!
Hi can these be BBQ’d? on the grill or perhaps on a cast iron pan in the bbq?
Yep! I’d probably do them in a pan or with some foil over the grates because they are a bit more delicate than a traditional burger.
As usual with budget bytes, a great, straightforward recipe with ingredients I generally have on hand.
Made a batch today. Added in red/yellow pepper and carrots to the mix since I had some that needed to be used up. These were delicious!
this is my go to black bean burger recipe that I keep coming back to for my family. so good! thank you!
Is there anything I can substitute for the mayo?
I don’t have a suggestion off-hand, unfortunately. I would need to know the purpose of the substitute (just don’t like mayo, avoiding eggs, etc.) before offering some suggestions, and then in a recipe like this, it’s probably best to test the substitutes before saying whether they will or won’t work.
I just don’t like Mayo :)
Amazing and husband approved with the first bite. By the fifth bite, oh yeh we could keep this in the freezer and on and on. Thank you, ma’am. Badass recipe
Easy and tastes great
I had an epic fail with this one, haha. Think I inadvertently turned the mixture into a puree and then it had no hold. Tasted good as a dip, though! Eek
I made these and I only tweaked two things, but this is an incredible “base” recipe that you can tweak to your individual tastes. My only changes were I added leftover roast corn and I used instant pot Cuban black beans. These burgers came out flavorful and filling. Broccoli and cheese baked potatoes and a simple salad made this a fantastic dinner.
Wow! I have been a vegetarian for over 35 years. I think I have had a bean burger in just about every restaurant, tried all store brands, etc. Usually can’t complain about most but think bean burgers tend to sometimes be ‘over-spiced.’ This home made burger was exceptional. It seemed too simple and easy to make to be this good? I made it exactly as directed but left out sriracha because I am a wimp for heat. I don’t have a food processor so mashed down canned beans and then used my immersion blender to combine everything before I mixed in breadcrumbs (used plain panko that is all I had around). Refrigerated for a bit to firm up then wrapped the burgers in lightly greased foil and grilled them medium high heat 8 minutes each side, served on buns with guac and fresh tomato. We used tortilla chips on the side to pick up pieces that fell – perfect accompaniment! They didn’t really need anything else, they were that good! I usually like to make black bean recipes with dried beans (I think they taste better) but honestly, wouldn’t change anything as directed in this recipe. Sorry I waited so long to make these, totally a keeper! Thank you for this!
I like to use wheat germ in place of the bread crumbs for an extra nutritional punch!
Made this for the first time today – they’re so delicious! My partner and I really enjoyed it- we’ve put leftovers in the freezer but this recipe is super easy and didn’t take too much time to make with a food processor.
I left out the onion, cilantro and sriracha because I didn’t have them to hand. We like things spicy so I added an extra clove of garlic and used hot sauce in place of sriracha. Otherwise I followed the recipe as written. The burgers had great flavour and held together very well. Thank you for another fantastic recipe!
Not a bad meal, coming from a meat-eater who is also feeding meat-eaters. Trying to spice things up with some vegetarian meals and this one is solid. I do find that (perhaps this is true with all black bean burgers) I had to moisten this up with a fair bit of condiments. Held together well. Nice crisp outside.
These were great! I made mine “Smash” style and it resulted in a crispy, somewhat “airier” texture. Note that they don’t shrink up on the skillet like a traditional burger would. I think after sitting in the fridge for a while, and choosing to not smash the patties down will actually improve the texture when served on a bun. Taste wise they were great! I added a little Cayenne and Chili Powder for some extra kick ;)
That said, the crispy, airy, “smash” style patty was delicious and actually would be amazing served over a bed of grit cakes or hash browns, topped with fried eggs, salsa, cilantro-lime crema, avocado, and hot sauce so I will definitely be trying that :)
Made these for a friend of mine using vegan egg replacer (liquid) and vegan mayo. They came out great and were absolutely delicious! Next time I will make these just for myself!
To vary the texture, can you add some whole beans, corn, jalapenos, etc before shaping the patties
These are my favorite black bean burgers ever. Thank you!
These patties were so easy to make, the texture and flavors were great, and as others noted they held up well in the pan. Plus – they heat up beautifully the next day! This will be our new go-to recipe for black bean burgers. Thank you!
Loved these! This is the first black bean burger recipe I’ve made that hasn’t fallen apart in the pan. Great flavor and texture! Thank you for the recipe!
My husband who loves eating meat thought that these were yummy and said that he would eat them again! I made a curry ketchup to go on the burger (since my husband doesn’t like mustard or mayo) and it was fantastic together.
I would rate this recipe as just “ok.” The burgers tasted ok to me, but my picky kids and husband didn’t like them. They cooked-up fine, but then when I bit into it, the burger just squished right out of the bun. Maybe I needed more egg??? The mixture felt a little dry when I was mixing it up, but I always follow recipes exactly the first time I make them so I didn’t add anything else. I might attempt this again when my kids aren’t home and just make them for myself.
It was squishy because there is too much water content. Try putting the beans in the oven and frying up the onions to get the water out. Kenji Lopez alt also has a great version of this recipe.
I have tried Kenji’s recipe and both my meat eating boys absolutely loved it. I love the leftovers with sautéed mixed greens and a fried egg. I’m gravitating to this recipe because Kenji’s is a bit expensive and has more steps. Not that I’m afraid of cooking (love it and am quite good at it), but raw cashews are pricey, and he just had a lot of ingredients and steps. I would love to have simpler one with just as much flavor, especially in these days of extreme inflation!
We made these last night and it was our first attempt at making black bean burgers. They were very tasty!
Made a covid version of these with garlic powder sub, onion powder sub, no cilantro, and coarsely pulsed oats in place of bread crumbs. My carnivore husband mumbled in between large bites ‘I could eat these all the time!’
Thanks for another great recipe!
High-quality black bean burger recipe. My partner and daughter are both vegetarian, and I’ve cycled through several recipes over the years, which I’ve found tasteless and or fall apart in the cooking process. The first night we ate them with classic fixings, and they were so good we ate them on night 2. This time we added pepper jack cheese, sauteed peppers and onions, and trader joes guac, with trader joes sweet potato fries. Definitely a game-changer, and compete with our local burger chain’s black bean burger.
Would using the home-cooked beans (like the original recipe used) change the taste of the burger? Tempted to use home-cooked but wondering if it will make a noticeable difference. These look great!
I don’t find that home cooked vs. canned changes the flavor dramatically. :)
Can anyone advise if gluten free breadcrumbs will work in this recipe? Thanks!
I used GF breadcrumbs and the burgers came out tasting fine. One did fall apart in the pan though. I think next time I might try using two eggs and see if that helps keep them together. Also, I think I made the patties too big around.
Made these for dinner tonight. All I can say is I sure can’t wait until lunch tomorrow so I can have them again! Topped mine with some of your Comeback Sauce… yum, yum, yum!
I love black bean burgers and can hardly wait to try this. For a change, I actually have all the ingredients except the cilantro (which I’m not fond of anyway) so will give this a try this week. Also love falafel so will have to check out your recipe for that, too.
The falafel recipe is amazing! My family uses it regularly. The best part is that you can make up the mix and freeze the patties until you’re ready for them and BOOM convenience food!
I made a vegan version of these burgers by using garlic veganaise in place of the mayo and Bob’s red mill’s egg replacer instead of the egg (would have tried flax, but this is what I had on hand). The burgers held together relatively well while cooking and tasted good, like a beanier version of falafel, but with a wetter, less crumbly texture. I’d consider adding more sriracha or seasonings if I make these again, but it’s a solid addition to my vegan entree collection. Thanks for a great recipe!
These are delicious. I didn’t have cilantro or mayo but I threw all the other ingredients together. Let the mixture sit overnight in the fridge (less the breadcrumbs), added bread crumbs the next day and these burgers cooked up perfectly. The flavor is awesome. So glad to hear they will freeze well also.
I just discovered your website a month ago and I absolutely love it. You recipes are so delicious, including this one. Thank you for all you do!
I used 18 oz of cooked dry beans instead of canned and added half a jalapeño to the mix. It made 6 huge patties which was great because the brioche buns I made for them turned out giant lol. I topped with Monterey Jack and chipotle mayo along with a side of your steak fries. It tasted and looked like something from a restaurant. Absolutely fantastic, thank you.
I put the leftover patties in the fridge separated by sheets of parchment paper to cook over the next few days.
I had my eye on the old recipe to make soon so was excited to see an update!
We made these from the original recipe last week. They were delicious! It was a first veggie burger for my 4 kids and they all loved them, including my super picky 3 year old, he devoured his. We decided next time we will top with your pickled red onions. Yum
I’m surprised by the cost you list for the canned black beans. $0.96 for two cans?? I know prices vary but where I live there’s no way to get even one can for less than $1.25ish and more likely $2– what’s your secret? Are you buying them in bulk?
Hi Erin! Beth does shop often at the discount grocery stores such as Aldi, or will buy store brand over name brand to save money. We have a great post here on how we calculate recipe costs.
Target and Walmart sell 1 lb bags of dry beans for $1 in my area. I can get about 4 cans worth (9 oz) from 1 lb dry, definitely the cheapest way to go. Check out her “how to kick the can of beans” post.
This recipe looks awesome! Just a question about mayo. Do you have to add it? I’m not a fan of mayo and never buy it, so just wondering how necessary it is or if there’s a substitution. Thanks! :)
It helps bind the beans but you can omit if you don’t like it.
That look wonderful and I’d love to try, just like every other of your black beans recipe but, as a French person, we don’t have much black beans around here (and when we have, it’s import price).
What kind of beans do you suggest for a replacement? We had red beans and white beans more easily, some Italian beans too, both dried and canned. Or maybe another ingredient?
Thanks in advance!
This recipe is based on my falafel recipe, which uses canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), so that’s an option! I haven’t tried it with any other type of bean, though, so I’m not sure about other good options.
I’m from Germany and have the same problem. I usually just use kidney beans instead of black beans. I haven’t tried this recipe yet so I don’t know if that will work here. In my local asian shops they sell dry black beans, maybe that could be an option to find them at a more resonable price. Hope that helps.
Rewe has black beans in a chilli sauce. I just rinsed off the sauce with water and used those, turned out amazing.
Is this recipe made with pre soaked dry beans? Have they been cooked first or just soaked?
They are canned beans :)
Another stellar recipe Beth!! Followed it to a T, and we would definitely make it again! My boyfriend used the leftovers to make a loco moco (sp?) with leftover brown rice and eggs. Delicious!!
If you’re cooking from frozen do you thaw them first or just cook them longer per side?
You can cook them from frozen, but yes expect just a little bit longer of cooking time.
Super impressed with how good these are! I couldnt fit everything in my small food processor so i used an immersion blender, worked wonderfully! I had half a bell pepper that i needed to use so i threw it in also. My husband and i loved them.
I usually cook store bought frozen ones in the airfryer. Do you think that would work with these? I try to cut out extra fat when I can. Thanks!!
Great recipe I fix this a while back I would say this was the best black bean burger I have had Been to restaurants before and ordered a black bean burger and it was not as good as this recipe thanks ! Mistone
I made these, last night, to use some cooked beans that were in the freezer. They are so good, the layers of flavor and the sneaky heat…I’m saving the recipe, for sure
Can you use canned black beans?
Yes, you can use about two 15oz. cans.
Another amazing recipe, thank you, I added a roasted red pepper to add some more zip, laid foil on my grill and sprayed cooking spray on foil and cooked them, were so good.
This recipe looks great! I was wondering if it’d work to replace black beans with a different type of bean? I only have pinto on-hand.
Thanks!
Kristi
It probably would work with other types of beans, but the flavor will be different of course. :)
Ok, thank you! I’ve been frequenting your site a lot lately, and it has been really helpful!
Best,
Kristi
How much dried parsley would I use? I don’t have fresh parsley on hand. Thanks! Looking forward to making these!
You can try a 1/2 Tbsp or so, just keep in mind that dried parsley tastes a lot different than fresh parsley.
Just a heads up, Worcestershire Sauce is not considered vegetarian. It typically contains Anchovy paste.
I’m not a vegetarian, but I figured people would appreciate knowing that and subbing it for another sauce.
There is such a thing as vegan Worcestershire sauce. I use Annie’s brand.
I need to bring vegetarian burgers to a cookout. Do you think these will grill well?
LOVE your recipes!
They can be kind of delicate before cooking, so I’m not sure how well they’ll do on the open grates of a grill.
simply delicious! I looove your budget friendly recipes
We’ve made this recipe twice now and they are amazing! We don’t use them for hamburgers though… two words: loco moco. One patty, a fried egg and some rice, topped with a bit of gravy/teriyaki. It is melt-in-your-mouth good.
Just made these (but put in the fridge to cook in a little bit). The batter smelled amazing!! I had to use cornmeal because I forgot I needed the bread crumbs and used them all up last night. But it made the patties so smooth and soft so maybe it was better than the plain panko would’ve been. Serving them with the chili roasted potatoes. Can’t wait to eat!
And they were amazing!!!! Seriously. I think they’re better than 99% of the meat burgers I’ve had.
Love this one! I’ve been eating it all week :) Very easy, and had no idea that making your own black beans was so cheap and simple. I’m curious Beth, for this recipe do you just make the black beans per bag instruction or do you make them such as in your slow cooker recipe?
I’ve been trying to eat less meat lately and be healthier in general, recipes like these and your tofu ones sure do help a lot!
I used to make the beans in my slow cooker (I like to do 8 hours on low), but I recently got an Instant Pot (pressure cooker) and that’s much faster. :)
how much time in IP for black beans and do I need to soak them a night before?
I’m not sure. I’d suggest checking the booklets that come with the IP. I haven’t done a lot of experimenting with beans in the IP yet.
I did it yesterday it took 40 minutes for not soaked black beans to come perfectly cooked in Instant pot
Thanks
These were FANTASTIC. Made a half recipe and accidentally added the full amount of sriracha so they were a little on the spicier side but still great. Will definitely make again…or just make 50 at one time and freeze for future use.
I made these last night. I followed the recipe, but added slightly more cumin (generous tsp instead of flat tsp) and used horseradish on the bun. I cooked the burgers in my little Foreman grill for about 5 minutes.
Really, really good! I can see these becoming a staple weeknight meal.
love these burgers! i substitute oats instead of bread crumbs, and i have found if i leave them to sit for a few minutes after i’ve mixed it all up, they form patties a bit better. my husband (meat and potatoes man) loves these!
Until last night, the last time that I made these were about 2 years ago. My husband has been begging me to make these again ever since so I whipped these together last night and I have to say – I totally forgot how amazing these are! I am seriously so excited for leftovers tonight. I am also going to make a batch to freeze so we will ALWAYS have them on hand. Thank you for the great recipes.
PS – Since I last made them, I was diagnosed with celiac disease and I used crunched up GF rice cereal in place of the bread crumbs and they came out just fine!
Hi Beth! I am planning our meal plan for next week and thought of having these one night. My 2 year old son can’t have gluten and so I was wondering if I used slices of his gluten free bread and put them in a food processor until I have a cup of crumbs if that would work just as well. Gluten free bread is a bit different than regular bread in texture and ingredients. I think it may be alright. I’d use gluten free quick oatmeal if I had some. Tonight we are having your taco pizza (his on gluten free crust) and I can’t wait!!! We eat meat but trying to eat less and I love that you have meatless recipes that aren’t all beans, all pasta, or other ingredients like tofu that aren’t found in every grocery store (and that we would never eat anyways). Thanks so much!
I think the gluten free bread should work here because it’s mainly there to soak up water. I’d try to dry out that bread before processing it, though, so it will soak up as much as possible.
I can’t even remember if I’ve commented on this recipe before, but these are BY FAR the best black bean burgers I’ve ever had. I made them about 2-3 months ago, wrapped and froze the leftovers and quite happily remembered that I had a few left over and just had one for lunch. YUM. Not only are they DELICIOUS but they freeze beautifully, and don’t lose their texture or flavor when defrosted. I’d give this recipe 10 stars if I could.
Tried this last night, also added fresh mushrooms to it to help with the texture. Think I might add a few more next time, but the flavour was really good! Even my meat luvin’ hubby gave it a thumbs up :)
Super late to the party on this recipe, but thought I’d throw my two cents in. I didn’t have buns so I made a quick sauce out of yogurt, parsley, garlic, and olive oil and put a little of that on top of a burger and a fried egg on top of that! It made an awesome breakfast, and there’s a good chance I will also have it for dinner! :)
I made these wrong since the egg and breadcrumbs are in the middle of the list of ingredients that go into the FP, meaning I added the bread crumbs too early along with the user error of not putting the ingredients in the right order so it was very dry and I couldn’t get the onions chopped in. Finally got that all figured out, but had added some water, more mayo/sriracha before I realized my own error. Once the egg was added, it was WAY too wet. I am now attempting to make a “meatloaf” out of this by sticking it in a greased loaf pan with some salsa on top and baking at 350 for 45 min. So suggestion…please put the bread crumbs/egg at the bottom so they get added when they should! Thanks!
Fixing now – Thanks for the suggestion!
LOVE these burgers. But I hate mayonnaise so I substituted mayo for A1 Steak Sauce. I have also used Panko crumbs instead of bread crumbs. They’re SO good! Thanks for the awesome recipe.
Just wanted to pop in and tell you that I made these this weekend. They turned out PERFECT. I have never ate a “veggie” burger before, so I was a little freaked out about going through the trouble of preparing them and have them taste like card board. Luck me, they didn’t. I followed your recipe to the “t” except for I added a little more garlic, and half the Siracha. After I boiled the beans I let them sit in the fridge for a couple of days before I got to them. I dried them all out on a paper towel before putting them in the food processor as well. The patty’s went together with NO problem. They held up well, and I had no tearing or anything during the “flip”. These are MONSTER sized patties if you make 6 of them from the above recipe. Anyway. Just wanted to say Thank You for all the time and effort you put into these recipes. We have been using a lot of them weekly to get our grocery cost down, but eating healthy. I also wanted to add you do a great job explaining the processes and not just throwing up a recipe. That helps the folks like me that are learning how to cook. (I started last fall), to help out my wife. So those little things like “kick the can” help out the new folks like me.
I know this may sound like a dumb question, but I need to know. Did you cook the black beans first for these burgers or are they just raw? I was thinking about picking up a bag of them instead of the canned and I wanted to make the Quessidila’s as well, but if I am getting the raw ones I have to “kick the can of beans”.
You’ll definitely need to “kick the can” before both recipes :) The beans in both recipes are cooked. Enjoy!
Thank you!
These are soooo beyond good its nuts! I usually double the worch sauce, don’t add siracha (just don’t have it) and skip the parsley. Add tomato and mustard (husband likes thin slice of red onion too) and on bread. Recently did on sourdough and it was stellar!
You pan seared, will this work well on the grill? It is grilling season after all!
If I remember correctly, these held together pretty well, so they should be okay on the grill :)
They were so delicious, but fell apart very quickly! Maybe another binder for a griller? Regardless they were tasty, my grill party was a success!
Hmm, I wonder if another egg and more bread crumbs would help.
I blended up some dried oats! Healthy and a great binding agent!
Awesome, thanks Kristy! I’m so glad to know that they work just as well without egg! …now I need to go make some because it’s been WAY too long ;D
Hi Beth – I can’t believe I’ve never commented on this recipe before. I’ve been making these burgers for over a year, and my freezer is NEVER without them. Seriously, I am a black bean burger connosieur, and these are the best! A couple small changes I’ve made over time: 1) I reserve 1/2 can of beans to add after processing everything. 2) I add 1T of horseradish mustard. YUM! 3) I’ve never needed the egg, ever, so non-vegans can skip it and save some calories, if they’re into that sort of thing. I’ve blogged you here: http://www.veganiseasy.com/?p=264, and of course you’re on my favorite recipe sources list. Thanks for a family favorite!
super tasty!
I made a modified version.. subbed cilantro and added sweet corn and green onion– similar to the sweet potato cakes. I sauteed the chopped onions ahead of time to bring out their flavor. I don’t have a food processor, so I just mashed the beans with my hands and that, along with the corn, left the burgers with a nice texture. (made it less pasty)
Served over a bed of brown rice with roasted tomatoes and a spoonful of plain greek yogurt.
thanks so much for your recipes. I tend to stray (I was never good at following directions), but they are a fabulous starting point and without them I wouldn’t have made nearly as many lovely dishes.
Ashlee – Panko would probably work very nicely. In a pinch the Italian breadcrumbs would probably even work because the other flavors are so strong that you might not even notice the Italian seasoning in the bread crumbs.
I started getting stuff out to make these and discovered I only have Italian seasoned or panko breadcrumbs. Will either of those work?
Ashlee – That is one of the best ideas I’ve ever heard! Good thinking! Just remember, chipotle peppers are potent, so go light so it doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the flavors.
Do you think I could use chipotle sauce instead of sriracha? I had a chipotle black bean burger at a restaurant once, and I’ve been craving one! Unfortunately, the restaurant is 1,000 miles away from here. :(
I made them tonight.My son who is a difficult eater, choice them for tonight. He find himself very sturdy, because dad don’t want to eat beans. We really love them. I mix it untill there are no chunks anymore.
don’t know if this works, but here is a picture of it
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=350576555017973&set=a.284017561673873.65857.100001968939843&type=1&theater
we are gonna eat this tonight! can’t wait what the meateaters in this house think of this.( I’m not gonna tell them that it is made out of beans)
The first time I made them from a recipe a friend gave me, I thought I had done something wrong. I was beside myself with disappointment that I “screwed them up” because they were “just mush!” lol. It was because I think I was definitely expecting a texture more like a veggie burger or something more solid. Now that I know better, I have a deep appreciation for them!
These were on my to-make list for a while and I finally whipped up a batch the other day. The kiddos were iffy on them, but I LOVED ’em! We had them on whole grain rolls with fresh-from-the-garden spinach, tomato and mayo, and today I had a leftover patty in a whole wheat wrap with spinach, grated cheese and a drizzle of homemade dressing. De-lish! These are like the black bean version of falafel, which we make quite often with chick peas.
Hmmm, I’m really not sure how that would turn out because there is a big textural difference between the two. But, I’d give it a shot!
beth, i’m broke..I have everything but the fresh parsley…can I use dried?
We had them last night and all four of my kids love them (10, 7, 5, and 1)
Thanks, this is now my 20 month olds favorite burger!
most flavorful black bean burger i’ve had- i found it a little dry so i omitted a bun, and spread a layer of trader joe’s bbq sauce on top. this recipe is going in my recipe box for the future!
These were awesome!! I made them a couple of times before I realized that I didn’t need to use the food processor for the egg & bread crumbs. So, after I just stirred them in… the consistency was perfect! I love them!
Sorry, I usually put a link on that word! Sriracha is an Asian hot sauce that has become so popular that it can be found in most major grocery stores now (in the Asian aisle, not the hot sauce aisle). Here is a link for more info. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sriracha_sauce If you don’t want to buy anything (although you should, this stuff is the BEST), you can use a little regular hot sauce in its place… or just leave it out all together :)
what is sriracha?
Hey, this is great! Am just posting another recipe for veggie burgers which has worked for me in the past; this is a vegan option. Quite different to black bean burgers, which I’ll also try out! :) http://delectablecooks.com/2010/07/15/veggie-burger/
I just did a search for “vegan binding agent” to see what others say ( I don’t do a whole lot of vegan cooking) and it looks like the general consensus is that you can use anything that gels (ground up flax seeds, oat flour or agar agar). They usually suggest mixing the stuff with hot water first to make a thick gel and then just use it in place of the egg. Unfortunately, I don’t know how much to use… maybe 2 Tbsp to 1/4 cup of the gelled mixture. Hope that helps! :D
Is there any binding agent that can be used instead of the egg?
such an awesome recipe! i used 2-15 ounce cans of black beans, but i didn’t end up with as many patties as you. also, a blender is NOT a food processor, which i unfortunately didn’t learn until after i tried blending the whole mixture. instead of plain salt, i used some Tony’s, which definitely gives it some nice flavor!
I made this for the second itme tonight. Tasty!
I’m not at all a vegetarian but I love black beans so I wanted to try this… They were awesome! Will definitely make them again.
Just made these tonight. We loved them! Sooo delicious. Thank you for the recipe!
We tried these tonight and loved them! Even my four year old ate his all up :) Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, everyone, for the vegetarian worchestershire sauce suggestions! I was also going to add that I really didn’t think that the worchestershire made a huge impact on the flavor so next time I will either use a lot more or just eliminate it all together. So, if you don’t want to go buy the special vegetarian worchestershire, just leave it out and your burgers will still be delish.
Anon- I don’t really know how to describe the flavor… it definitely tastes like black beans (so if you like those, you’re good) but then there are the onions and garlic which add a little bite. The parsley brings in a little bit of “fresh” and the sriracha gives it a little spice. I haven’t had the restaurant kind so I can’t compare the two :P
Luke – I can’t WAIT to try cornmeal in my next batch! The crunch sounds awesome… thx for the suggestion!
Also, I broke down and put mayo on my burger today and it brought it from “good” to “heavenly”… pepper jack would be amazing too… looking forward to eating my burgers every day!
There’s a brand of worcestershire sauce called Wizard’s that’s vegetarian.
There are brands of worcestershire sauce made without anchovies. I believe the one at Trader Joes qualifies, but read the ingredients list. The best place to look would be at your local natural food store or possibly the kosher section of the market.
Black bean burgers have been a staple for me for quite a while. Instead of bread crumbs, I use a mix of whole wheat flour, cornmeal, and some oats I’ve partially ground up in the blender. The cornmeal crisps up to add some crunch to the outside, and all the whole grains make it super good for you. The one downside is that I have to refrigerate (or freeze) them for a while otherwise they’ll fall apart.
These also work out well to clean out your fridge as many leftover sauces and whatsits can go into the “batter.” I’d recommend minced garlic, peppers (hot or not), soy sauce, salsa, onions of any sort, and fresh diced tomatoes. Heck maybe even olives… Making these “all in” burgers makes it great because every bite has a different bit of texture.
EDIT: Oh and I also recommend cooking on one side, then flipping and putting a slice of cheddar or gouda cheese on the patty. That also helps it hold together and melts your cheese. mmm mmm
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What is the flavor like? I don’t know the difference in ingredients and I don’t eat enough of them to know the difference in brands. I just know that when I eat Red Robin’s I can only eat about a fourth to third of it because it becomes too …something! I can’t figure out what that something is.
SeattleAmy
PS – it wouldn’t let me post when I used my gMail info…not sure what’s wrong.
Wow, those look so good! Just an fyi though, worchestershire sauce is not vegetarian since it has anchovies in it. I just found that out last week!! But I have heard that you can use soy sauce as a suitable sub for the worchestershire.
Can’t wait to try it!
Amie – Yeah, these were definitely not dry but they do have that soft paste-like texture that bean cakes often have. I know that soft texture can be off putting to some because they’re expecting something more like meat :P
I’ve tried black bean burgers and they turned out so dry, but I’ve always wanted to try again, this might be just the push!
Thanks!! They were on my paper where I added everything up but, for some reason, I skipped them when I typed it all in :P It should be all there now :)
You didn’t include breadcrumbs and eggs in the ingredient list. :(