I love this easy black bean burger recipe so much! The burgers taste amazing and come together in minutes.
These burgers taste incredible and are so easy to make. In fact, they only take 10 minutes to prep, before they are cooking in your skillet! Be sure to watch our video in the recipe below!
The ingredient list is simple and makes them gluten-free and vegan! For black bean burgers with vegetables added, see this veggie burger recipe (they take more time to make but are so worth it).
Key Ingredients
- Black Beans: Unless I have a batch of cooked black beans in the fridge already, I use canned black beans for this recipe.
- Green Onions, Garlic, and Spices: Green onions and garlic add fresh flavor, while chili powder and smoked paprika make these taste a little smoky.
- Walnuts Add meatiness and texture to vegetarian burger patties (we use them for these veggie burgers, too). You can substitute other nuts or sunflower seeds for the walnuts.
- Rolled Oats: Instead of breadcrumbs, we use rolled oats to make these. They do a great job absorbing excess moisture and adding a nice texture. For gluten-free burgers, make sure the oats are certified GF.
- Tamari: Seasons our burgers and adds umami. For gluten-free and vegan burgers, ensure that the tamari is certified as gluten-free and vegan (not all are).
- Maple Syrup and Red Wine Vinegar: These make them taste better than most bean burgers I’ve tried. The maple syrup sweetens things up slightly and adds more umami, while the vinegar cuts through any heaviness from the black beans. These truly make a difference in flavor!
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make the Best Black Bean Burgers
Tip 1: Use a food processor. You can make these burgers in a food processor or by hand. I prefer using a food processor because it creates a better texture and helps the burgers hold together.
See the photo below showing the texture of our burgers when you use a food processor. I’ll walk you through how to make these in a food processor, but tips for making them by hand are in the recipe below.
Tip 2: Getting the perfect texture and flavor. Add garlic to your food processor and pulse until it’s finely chopped. Then, add the scallions and do the same. Next, add the oats, walnuts, spices, tamari, maple syrup, and vinegar. Pulse until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add most of your black beans and pulse until mostly smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir the remaining beans before forming them into patties.
Tip 3: Let the mixture sit and sear. Set the mixture aside for 5 minutes so that the oats absorb any excess moisture before forming into patties. My favorite way to cook them is searing them in oil since it adds a nice golden brown exterior, but you can bake them.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving these on buns with some homemade mayo (traditional or vegan mayo), greens, and sliced tomato. You can also skip the bun and add it to salads. I make this kale salad a lot.
You can also add some of my favorite sides to your plate. Try baked French fries, sweet potato fries, or homemade dill pickles. I also love this herby potato salad, this delicious corn salad, and our popular broccoli slaw.
More Meatless Dinners
- Vegan Meatballs – so good and made with lentils!
- Vegetable Pasta Bake
- Quinoa Salad
- Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
The Best Black Bean Burger
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
We love these black bean burgers! The burgers taste amazing and come together in minutes! You can make these by hand or with a food processor. Both methods work well, but the texture you achieve using the processor is better.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
1 (15-ounce) can black beans or use 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
2 medium cloves garlic
2 green onions, ends trimmed and roughly chopped
¼ cup (30g) walnuts
½ cup (50g) old fashioned rolled oats
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon light soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon oil for cooking
Directions
- Make Black Bean Burgers
1Drain and rinse the black beans.
2Add the garlic to the food processor bowl and pulse until very finely chopped. Add the scallions and pulse until they are also finely chopped.
3Scrape down the sides, then add the oats, walnuts, chili powder, smoked paprika, tamari, red wine vinegar, and maple syrup to the food processor. Process the mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
4Measure out ½ cup of the rinsed black beans and set them aside. Then, add the rest of the black beans to the food processor. Pulse until mostly smooth (watch our video for reference).
5Scrape the mixture into a bowl and fold in the reserved ½ cup of beans. Set the mixture aside for 5 minutes so that the oats absorb any excess moisture.
- Cook Black Bean Burgers
1Divide the mixture into two equal portions for larger patties or four portions for smaller patties.
2Form each portion into a round burger patty, firmly molding and pressing the mixture together so it does not fall apart.
3Place a skillet over medium-low heat and add oil (about one tablespoon for four burgers).
4Place the burger patties in the heated skillet. Cook until heated through, firm, and browned, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Gently press any loose bits back into the patties as you flip them.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Cooked black bean burgers last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months. To freeze the bean burgers, cook them, cool them, and then wrap them individually in foil and place them into a freezer-safe container or bag.
- Reheating: To reheat the frozen patties, bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Or reheat the frozen patties over medium-low heat in a skillet for 5 to 10 minutes per side or until heated through.
- Make Ahead: You can refrigerate the uncooked black bean burger mixture for up to 24 hours before forming and cooking the patties. (I prefer freezing cooked patties.)
- How to make bean burgers by hand: Finely mince the garlic and scallions, then chop the walnuts. In a wide bowl, use a fork to mash the black beans. Stir in the oats, chopped walnuts, garlic, scallions, spices, tamari, vinegar, and maple syrup. If the mixture seems too loose, mash the beans a bit more. Let everything sit for 5 minutes, allowing the oats to absorb excess moisture.
- Baking the burgers: Lightly brush with oil, then bake at 375°F for about until the patties are golden on the outside, 20 to 30 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Grilling the burgers: Cooking them directly on BBQ grates can cause them to crumble. Use a cast-iron skillet with some oil to cook the burgers on the grill (indirect, medium heat is best).
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
I’m not vegetarian, but I make these because they’re healthy and very tasty. I double the recipe and freeze for a second family meal. This time I used half smoked paprika and half chipotle chili seasoning and that helps amp up the flavor. Serve on a bun with all the fixings and oven fries, this makes a great meal.
We are so happy you enjoy the recipe. We also make a double batch when we make this recipe. These go fast! 🙂
I used the recipe and not only me , but my kids just love it. Just the perfect crunch, the perfect taste and easy to make. Thanks for the recipe
That’s wonderful! Thank you so much for coming back and letting us know!
Loved these burgers!! Made as written, and the patties held together perfectly for me. Loved the walnuts idea. Thanks!
Wonderful! 🙂
These black bean burgers are what I’ve been looking for! I’ve tried so many recipes, but this will be my go to from now on. It’s moist, holds together fine, and tastes nothing like meat (a plus in my mind). I think I may add some corn or shredded carrots for some variety. Thank you for sharing this simply scrumptious vegan burger! Continued blessings…
These : black bean burgers are a Wowser!!! Please don’t omit the blender thing, it’s vital, holds them together best
I added chopped red peppers .. 2 fried chopped mushrooms,,, nutritional yeast,, an egg, Shredded carrots… dried cranberries…honey instead of maple syrup…chop parsley Chopped red onion instead of green ones…squirt tomato paste…squirt of mustard. Dusted my hands with oat flour before I shaped them, then they don’t stick. Make some Today ! ! Yay
Have red some comments – has anyone tried an egg to hold them together? I will try it when l make them and let you know
This recipe was VERY a very tasty black bean burger. I made them for the 4TH of July — only one of us had a Beyond meat which we all like. When i made the second batch, I was thinking about using a flax egg to help bind them… but ended up not doing that, they held together pretty good with out. GREAT and easy, fast recipe, thank you!
I had some left over beans, rice, onions, cheese from a catered lunch so I made this recipe. Just added the spices, oatmeal and walnuts. They smelled wonderful while baking in the oven and are very tasty. I’m hoping they firm up once they cool but no matter, one will be very good on top of a bowl of lettuce w some salsa, guac and sour ceam. Thank you!
I used black and pinto beans, as that’s what I had. I also added rolled oats because I was out of panko. These came together beautifully and are so delicous! Thank you for the recipe.
Very good. I put advocado, onion , tomato, and lettuce on top. I used some non dairy cheese near the end of cooking them in the skillet. Will make again.
These are the first veggie burgers I’ve ever made and they turned out great! Thank you so much for this recipe. It was super easy to make in the food processor. I am trying to lose weight, so I’m wondering if it’s possible to substitute the walnuts or roled oats for chickpeas which are lower in calories.
The best black bean burger I have EVER made and I have tried quite a few. Thanks for an amazing recipe.
These burgers SMACKED!!!! So good! Didn’t have maple syrup so I used honey… no tamari so I used coconut aminos… no chili powder so I used cayenne pepper…Boyfriend even said they were good and he’s a chef!!!!
Hello, can I substitute tamari for soy sauce? Excited to try this recipe.
Yes.
I only came to your website to see recipe for cashew butter but then I saw few more recipes and they all look so delicious, not sure which one try first but definitely tomorrow,thank you
Just made these for the first time and WOW. As a lifelong vegetarian, I’m never going back to frozen bean burgers! I added half a red bell pepper, subbed the oats for half oats half breadcrumbs and added a few teaspoons of ketchup to the mixture. Baked in the oven for 10 minutes then finished on the stove! These are going in the rotation.
Great pantry recipe for busy weeknights! I customized mine with nutritional yeast and sunflower seeds – delicious!
I have FINALLY found the easiest, best consistency, MOST DELICIOUS vegan burger!!!! We make them as meatballs too!! A staple in our house!! Thanks for the great recipe!
Absolutely delicious! amazing!
Really good! Even making some pretty far reaching substitutions and doing it without a food processor they were really damn tasty. They did unfortunately come out a bit crumbly but that is likely due to the whole Theseus recipe thing I had going.
This was soooooooooooo GOOOOOOOD!!!! They were loose, but I didn’t drain the beans. I cooked can beans briefly, in their sauce, so maybe that’s why? I’d think the moisture would help bind them? In any event, I had to use pecans. My husband didn’t care for it, but his taste buds are whack. I ate his too HIGHLY recommended, for the ease of making as well as the wonderful taste.
First I apologize my english. I’m from Germany. I’m trying to eat less meat. Your recipes helped me a lot. And it tastes great!!! THANK YOU.
We are so happy to hear that. You have made our day! Your english was perfect. Certainly better than if I tried to reply in German 🙂
Delicous! I’ve been looking for an egg-free black bean burger and this one is perfect! I also cannot eat garlic so omitted that without any flavor change. Can’t wait to make this again!
So glad you found us, Lucy!
These are the best black bean burgers (or any bean burgers) that I’ve ever made! I make them all the time and double the batch so I can gift some each time. While using cans is convenient, I prefer to soak & cook dry black beans as they seem more flavorful, are more economical, and there’s no added sodium. Extra black beans can be frozen in portions for using in the future fo more burgers or soup.
Thank you so much for coming back to let us know you loved your burgers! If we have the time we definitely prefer cooking our own black beans as well 🙂
This black bean burger recipe is ACTUALLY quick to put together (unlike many other veggie burger recipes I have tried). The taste is perfect – loads of umami flavor! The texture was a bit loose the same day I made them but the leftover burger I had for lunch the next day was perfect, so next time I will make ahead to let the oats firm up more.
So happy you enjoyed it, Carla, and yes, I love how fast these come together, as well.
Wow, yummy and healthy!
OMG…these were AMAZING. I didn’t have black beans so I used kidney beans. I just can’t get over how easy and delicous these are!! Thank You!
That’s wonderful, Carol!
This is my go to bean burger recipe. So easy. So tasty. Even my meat loving in-laws liked them and wanted the recipe.
Just want we love to hear! Thank you for coming back and letting us know.
There are only 2 words I can say: Delicious and Easy!!! Thank you
This recipe was not hard, very good burgers. We grilled ours. A crowd pleaser. Thank you,
Easy to make! Thank you so much!
Flavor was pretty good….but they were really loose. Wonder if refrigerating them for awhile would help?
Refrigerating should definitely help or add a bit more oats. Did you drain the beans?
Hello, I am allergic to walnuts. What could you suggest as a substitute? Thanks!
Try other nuts or use sunflower seeds (I like to chop or grind them up if I’m not already using a food processor to make the burgers.)
How much oat flour should I substitute for the whole oats? I will be trying this recipe without a food processor 🙂
Hi Beth, 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats turns into about 1/2 cup of oat flour, possibly slightly less, so we recommend 1/2 cup of oat flour for these burgers. If you find the mixture to be too dry, add a tablespoon of water.
Black been burgers were great
These were delicious, thank you! 2 for me, 2 for the freezer – and the maple syrup makes all the difference too.