Thick and hearty vegan black bean burgers, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, simple, savory and deliciously spiced!
We’ve been loving the vegan burgers lately! We just did our delicious grillable vegan burger recipe the other day and now here we are again with these vegan black bean burgers.
The recipe is loosely based on our vegan chickpea burgers but using black beans instead of chickpeas (of course!) and adding in some walnuts for texture and extra spices to complement the black beans.
We wanted the burgers to be nice and firm so that they hold up well when frying or on the grill, and these fit the bill!
How To Make Vegan Black Bean Burgers
- Add some walnuts to a food processor and process until crumbly. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Add some chopped onion, crushed garlic and olive oil to a frying pan and sauté until the onions are softened.
- Add the cooked onions and garlic to a food processor along with some black beans, smoked paprika, coriander powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, tomato paste, salt and black pepper and process until smooth. Then transfer to the mixing bowl with the crushed walnuts.
- Add some flour and mix in. If the mix still seems very wet when you touch it, then add in a little more flour.
- Flour a baking tray and then divide the batter into four equal sections. Add more flour if needed to the outside of the patties for easier handling and then form them into burger patties. You can do this by rolling the patty into a ball and then flattening it by placing a square of parchment paper over the top and pressing down with the base of a glass. Or you can form them into burgers by patting them down into a round cutter to make a flat burger patty shape.
- When all your burger patties are formed on the baking tray place the baking tray into the freezer for 30 minutes so the burgers can firm up.
- Add some olive oil to a frying pan and heat until hot. Fry your burgers for 5 minutes on one side and then flip. Brush the tops and sides of the burgers with some vegan barbecue sauce. Fry for 5 minutes on the other side and then remove from the pan.
- Serve on hamburger buns with lettuce, pickles, sliced tomato, guacamole and sliced red onion.
Pro Tips for the Best Vegan Black Bean Burgers
Let the burgers firm up for 30 minutes in the freezer before frying. It’s great when your burgers are a bit soft initially to be able to go straight into the pan. Putting them into the freezer first allows them to hold their shape very well when frying.
Brush vegan barbecue sauce onto the burgers. I used a little vegan barbecue sauce to brush onto the tops and sides of the burgers once I flipped them, because there is a tendency with bean burgers to look a little dry on the outside, but if you brush on a little sauce that removes the dry look completely.
Be flexible with how much flour you use. The one ingredient you need to be a little flexible with in these vegan black bean burgers is the all purpose flour. The first time I made these burgers I used a half cup of all purpose flour and it was perfect. The second time I made them the batter was still too wet after adding a half cup of flour so I added another 2 tablespoons.
The difference comes in with how well you drain your black beans, the first time I drained them really well but just didn’t do it as well the second time. If that happens to you then add more flour. It’s okay for the mix to be a little wet, you form the burger patties on a flour dusted surface but it should not be very wet.
So definitely drain your black beans super well, but even then, be prepared to add more flour if needed.
For a thinner/crispier burger make 6 patties instead of 4. These burgers are nice and thick and super flavorful. They do stay quite soft in the middle though, so if you would prefer a crispier burger, then it would be a good idea to make them a little thinner, so you would aim to get 6 burgers from the batch instead of 4. That way you’ll get an even firmer, crispier burger once they’ve been fried or grilled.
Don’t flip them too much when frying. It’s ideal if you only flip them once. So let them cook for 5 minutes and then flip and let them cook for 5 minutes on the other side. If you flip them too much, that will increase the chances of them breaking up.
Can You Make These Vegan Black Bean Burgers Gluten-Free?
If you want to make these burgers gluten-free then I would try a gluten-free all purpose flour blend to replace the regular flour. I haven’t tested it with these burgers but I have tested it with my chickpea burgers and that worked great, so there is no reason to think it wouldn’t work here as well.
How to Serve These Vegan Black Bean Burgers
These burgers would be awesome served with some baked potato fries on the side or some vegan coleslaw. We topped them with some guacamole (which was great!) but some vegan thousand island or vegan aioli would also be delicious on top of these burgers.
Storing and Freezing
Keep leftover burgers refrigerated and enjoy them over the next 3-4 days. They’re very good cold (and firm up even more) but can also be reheated in the frying pan or on the grill.
They are definitely freezer friendly too and you can freeze them either cooked or uncooked. Let them thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat or you can reheat/cook them from frozen. Just cook them for a few minutes longer so that they are heated all the way through.
More Vegan Recipes with Black Beans:
So tell us what you think of these vegan black bean burgers in the comments and please give the recipe a rating too, it’s super helpful, thank you.
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Vegan Black Bean Burgers
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Thick and hearty vegan black bean burgers, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, simple, savory and deliciously spiced!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (100g) Walnuts
- 1 Onion (Chopped)
- 1 tsp Crushed Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 15oz (425g) Can Black Beans (drained very well)
- 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 cup (63g) All Purpose Flour*
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil (for Frying)
- 2 Tbsp Vegan Barbecue Sauce (for Basting)
For Serving (Optional):
- Hamburger Buns
- Lettuce
- Pickles
- Sliced Tomato
- Guacamole
- Sliced Red Onion
Instructions
- Add the walnuts to a food processor and process until crumbly. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Add the chopped onion, crushed garlic and olive oil to a frying pan and sauté until the onions are softened.
- Add the cooked onions and garlic to a food processor along with the black beans, smoked paprika, coriander powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, tomato paste, salt and black pepper. Process until smooth. Then transfer to the mixing bowl with the crushed walnuts.
- Add the flour to the mixing bowl and mix in. If the mix still seems very wet when you touch it, then add in a little more flour. The first time I made these I didn’t need extra flour but the second time I needed an extra 2 Tablespoons as I hadn’t drained my black beans as well as I had the first time.
- Flour a baking tray and then divide the batter into four equal sections. Add more flour if needed to the outside of the patties for easier handling and then form them into burger patties. You can do this by rolling into a ball and then flattening by placing a square of parchment paper over the top and pressing down with the base of a glass. Or you can form into burger patties by patting them down into a round cutter to make a flat burger patty shape.
- When all your burger patties are formed on the baking tray place the baking tray into the freezer for 30 minutes so the burgers can firm up.
- Add the 2 tablespoons olive oil to a frying pan and heat until hot. Add in all four burgers if your pan is big enough, otherwise do them in two batches. Fry for 5 minutes on one side and then flip. Brush the tops and sides of the burgers with some vegan barbecue sauce. Fry for 5 minutes on the other side and then remove from the pan.
- Serve on hamburger buns with lettuce, pickles, sliced tomato, guacamole and sliced red onion.
Notes
*You’ll need extra flour to flour a baking tray and form the burgers into patties. You may also need to add more to the mix itself, this will depend on how well you have drained the black beans, ideally the black beans should be very well drained and not ‘wet’ at all when they go into the food processor. But if your mix is too wet add a couple more tablespoons of flour.
*These burgers are nice and firm on the outside, but soft on the inside. If you want them to be firmer all through, you could divide the burger mix into 6 burgers instead of 4. That way they will be thinner and will be crispier all through when fried.
*Nutrition information is for a burger patty only, excluding any of the things you would serve it with.
*Prep time does not include the 30 minutes spent chilling in the freezer.
- Category: Entree, Dinner, Savory,
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Burger (of 4)
- Calories: 434
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 623mg
- Fat: 27.1g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 39.4g
- Fiber: 9.4g
- Protein: 11.2g
Keywords: vegan black bean burgers
Hi Alison, thank you for your help with the emails I was getting. I would really love to try this but I don’t have black beans (I’ll have black beans in ten days). Do you think I could sub a can of kidney beans? I much prefer black beans but desperate times…
Hi Melina! You’re so welcome! And yes, I think kidney beans would work fine. All the best!
Just made these for dinner and my partner and I both loved them! A great Sunday night treat. We didn’t have enough walnuts so I substituted a mix of nuts from the cupboard which worked just fine. Will be using this recipe again – thanks!
★★★★★
Awesome! Thanks so much Lily!
Great recipe. I made it and it was delicious!
★★★★★
Awesome! Thanks Mary!
I can’t thank you enough for all your recipes I’ve tried. They always turn out great. I’m learning to cook thanks to you.
I’ve tried a lot of burger recipes and so far this one is my favorite. They held together perfectly and they didn’t fall apart when I flipped them, as it usually happens with other recipes I’ve tried. I did add a quarter cup more flour as you suggested in the notes.
I prepared them and froze them. I baked them in the oven, preheated at 180º C, ten minutes each side.
Do you think I could use breadcrumbs, or panko instead of walnuts, or anything else you suggest? Walnuts are little expensive where I live.
★★★★★
Hi Sergio! So happy to hear the recipes have been helpful! And so glad you like these burgers. I think breadcrumbs could definitely work too! You might have to play around with the quantity a little to see how much to use, but since you have already made them as is, that shouldn’t be too difficult to do now if you go by feel. All the best! 🙂
Is it possible to bake the burgers rather than fry them?
Hi Sophie, I think that would be fine! I haven’t tested it but I would likely bake them at 350°F for around 40 minutes, turning over half way. Just keep an eye out as this is just a guess on my part. 🙂
I made these last night and used cassava flour. They were so incredible. The best black bean burgers ever. Made them with roasted sweet potato wedges. YUM. Your recipes are by far the best! Also made the asparagus soup and it was so incredible . I think I’m glowing!
★★★★★
Awesome! Thank you so much Kim! 🙂
I thought this was really good. The burgers held their shape perfectly. The recipe calls for a food processor but I used a blender and it turned out just fine. Also used BBQ sauce in place of tomato paste because it was what I had on hand and it turned out great. You could also use ketchup as a sub if you want some sweetness. Satisfying and filling vegan burgers.
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for the awesome review. 🙂
These turned out great! I shaped the burgers in a pastry cutter before freezing overnight. Baked them in the oven the next day and had them as part of a birthday buffet lunch along with pasta salad, baked potato chips, guacamole and garlic bread all from Loving It Vegan. Loved by everyone even the meat eaters! I’ll definitely be making these again. Thank you Alison for your wonderful recipes.
★★★★★
Wow that sounds fantastic! What a spread! So happy they turned out great and everyone enjoyed them! Thanks so much for the wonderful review! xo
Wow! Best burgers I had for a long while! I made them exactly according to your recipe and we both love them. The added walnuts did it for me.
I didn’t use a can of beans, but cooked my own in a pressure cooker. I was afraid they would be too wet and make the burgers sloppy, so I popped the beans in the oven on a tray for a short while to dry. The result was that as soon as I added a spoonful of flour I realized it would become to dry. So I omitted the rest of the flour (I used spelt by the way), and made the burgers in a burger press.
I served them with potato chips made in a dry fryer and cooked vegetables. Looking at the list of ingredients, I thought the burgers would take a lot of time to prepare, but they were done before the vegetables were cooked.
Now we’re looking for a sugar-free tomato ketchup recipe to accompany our now favorite burgers.
Thank you so much!
So happy to hear they worked out great Lisca! And so glad you found them quite quick to make too. Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Hi Alison, just a quick question, in the ingredients list, there is the ‘1 15oz (425g) Can Black Beans (drained very well)’. Is the ‘425g’ the net weight of the beans (drained) or the weight of the whole can included the can itself and the water?
Thanks in Advance!
★★★★★
Hi Christian, it’s referring to the size of the can of beans, 15oz or 425g is the standard size for a can of black beans, the drained weight would be less, I think around 280g. Just use all the beans from a can, no need to weigh them, as long as the can of beans is the right (average) size. 🙂
Thank you ♥️
★★★★★
Best vegan burgers I’ve made to date! Thank you. I loved the addition of the walnuts, to give it that added texture. I made 6 perfectly formed burgers using a burger press. I was a little apprehensive about making them too wet that I might have made them a bit dry! So I’ll tweak that next time with a drop of water.They looked so much like real meat burgers… it was a little off putting!! Just goes to show how quickly humans adapt to a vegan diet!
So the whole family loved them. I served them in vegan buns with your garlicky “baked potato fries” (also a winner) and a mixed salad. Next time I might add some cooked/finely chopped carrots and/or sweet corn because I like a little vegetables in my burgers. Thank you again!
★★★★★
Wonderful! So pleased to hear, thanks for the fab review! 🙂
Love this!!!!!
★★★★★
We had these for lunch but instead of buns we had portobello mushrooms for the top and bottoms. They were very yummy.
★★★★★
Sounds fantastic! Thanks so much for the great review! xo
Can you use vital wheat gluten instead of flour?
Hi Christina, you probably can! I haven’t tried it with this particular recipe but we did use vital wheat gluten in our vegan burger recipe and it worked great.
I plan to make these ahead of time for dinner this weekend. What is the best way to do this? I was thinking of making them according to your instructions then freezing for a few days and then heating in the oven that day. What do you think?
Hi Nada, you can do it like that, or you can freeze them before frying them and then just fry them up when you’re ready to have them. All the best! 🙂
How much onion is there in this recipe?
By cups
I didn’t measure it in cups, just use one regular medium sized onion. A little more or less onion will not cause this recipe to fail so the exact measure isn’t crucial.
Love this recipe! Could eat this every night basically. It’s so filling and delicious and I love how simple the recipe is to prepare. Thanks.
★★★★★
Haha same! It’s definitely a keeper! Thanks so much Jackie. 🙂
My son is allergic to nuts. Can I swap the walnuts with seeds??
Hi Cassandra, maybe sunflower seeds would work? Maybe even sesame seeds. Let us know how it works out! 🙂
Will it work with chickpea or buckwheat flour? Thanks Tina
Hi Tina, I’m really not sure, it might! I would probably be inclined to try an all purpose gluten-free blend as a first try though. 🙂