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    Home » Entrees

    Vegan Black Bean Burgers

    Published: Jul 3, 2020 Updated: Apr 7, 2022 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    Vegan Black Bean Burgers

    The best vegan black bean burgers, thick and hearty, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Firm enough for the grill!

    Vegan black bean burgers on burger buns with lettuce, pickles, tomato, guacamole and red onion.

    We just love a good vegan burger. And these vegan black bean burgers are seriously good.

    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!

    Another firm and grillable burger option is our vegan burger, made with vital wheat gluten for a very delicious texture! And if you love black beans then check out our vegan black bean soup and our vegan black bean brownies.

    Black bean burgers on burger buns with lettuce, pickles, tomato, guacamole and red onion.

    How To Make Vegan Black Bean Burgers

    You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

    • Add walnuts to a food processor and process until crumbly. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside.
    Walnuts added to a food processor and processed.
    • Add chopped onion, crushed garlic and olive oil to a frying pan and sauté until the onions are softened.
    Sautéed onions in a frying pan.
    • Add the cooked onions and garlic to the food processor along with black beans, smoked paprika, coriander powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, tomato paste, salt and black pepper and process until smooth.
    Ingredients for black bean burgers added to food processor and processed.
    • Transfer the black bean mix to the mixing bowl with the crushed walnuts. Add all purpose flour and mix in. If the mix still seems very wet when you touch it, then add in a little more flour. 
    Ingredients for vegan black bean burgers in a mixing bowl and then mixed.
    • 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.
    Uncooked vegan black bean burger patties.
    • 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 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 vegan barbecue sauce. Fry for 5 minutes on the other side and then remove from the pan.
    • Your black bean burgers are ready to serve.
    Vegan black bean burger patties in a frying pan.

    Chef’s Tips

    Let the burgers firm up for 30 minutes in the freezer before frying. You’ll find that 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 bottled 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. A vegan barbecue sauce or any similar bottled sauce should work great. Update: our new favorite is to use our homemade vegan BBQ sauce, it’s super tasty!

    Be flexible with how much flour you use. The one ingredient you need to be a little flexible with 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 about from 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, but it should not be very wet.

    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 them 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. 

    Black bean burgers frying in a frying pan.

    Make Them 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.

    Black bean burgers on black tissue paper.

    Serving Suggestions

    These vegan black bean burgers would be awesome served with some baked potato fries on the side or some vegan coleslaw.

    We topped them with guacamole (which was great!) but some vegan thousand island or vegan aioli would also be delicious on top of these burgers.

    Black bean burger with burger bun, lettuce, pickles, tomato, guacamole and red onion.

    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. 

    Vegan black bean burger sliced in half.

    More Black Bean Recipes

    1. Vegan Chili
    2. Vegan Quesadillas
    3. Vegan Nachos
    4. Vegan Burrito
    5. Vegan Tacos
    6. Vegan Black Bean Brownies

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Vegan black bean burger topped with guacamole and red onion in a burger bun.

    Vegan Black Bean Burgers

    The best vegan black bean burgers, thick and hearty, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Firm enough for the grill!
    4.93 from 51 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 434kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup Walnuts (100g)
    • 1 Medium Onion White, Yellow or Brown, Chopped
    • 1 teaspoon Crushed Garlic
    • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
    • 15 ounce Can Black Beans (1 can) drained very well
    • ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
    • ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder
    • ½ teaspoon Cumin
    • ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
    • ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
    • 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
    • ½ cup All Purpose Flour (63g)
    • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil for Frying
    • 2 Tablespoons Vegan Barbecue Sauce for Basting

    For Serving (Optional):

    • Hamburger Buns
    • Lettuce
    • Pickles
    • Sliced Tomato
    • Guacamole
    • Sliced Red Onion
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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.

    Video

    Notes

    1. This recipe uses 1 full 15 ounce (425g) can of black beans, drained and rinsed. If you want to use cooked black beans (not canned) then the amount to use would be 1 and ½ cups. 
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. Nutrition information is for a burger patty only, excluding any of the things you would serve it with.
    5. Prep time does not include the 30 minutes spent chilling in the freezer.
    6. This recipe was first published in October 2018.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Burger | Calories: 434kcal | Carbohydrates: 39.4g | Protein: 11.2g | Fat: 27.1g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 623mg | Fiber: 9.4g | Sugar: 6g
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan
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    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Shay Morgan says

      December 22, 2022 at 4:58 pm

      This was a pretty easy recipe. It was very tasty. I added a little cayenne for heat. I also think I may need bread crumbs to help It stay together but I made some smaller Patties so I’ll see how they cook! This was my 1st time making bean burgers and I was very pleased5 stars

      Reply
    2. Charlotte Maisey says

      October 10, 2022 at 6:02 am

      I love this recipe.5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        October 10, 2022 at 8:49 am

        Yay! Thanks Charlotte!

        Reply
    3. Roberto Richard says

      July 02, 2022 at 6:37 pm

      Flavour was delicious but we had problems getting it to stay together. Added more flower well actually added a lot of flower Lol. I was told to use oatmeal in it we’ll give it a try next time. Any other input out there? Thanks.3 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        July 03, 2022 at 11:18 am

        Hi Roberto, extra flour usually works great for us, draining the beans very well also helps a lot.

        Reply
    4. Brian says

      June 23, 2022 at 1:16 am

      Very tasty and much better than store bought. I made six patties vs. the four and it seems to be just enough for me. I served these with a vegan smoked paprika/siracha aioli. Very tasty. I’ll need to check out the chickpea recipie now. Thanks for the recipie.5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        June 23, 2022 at 9:51 am

        Awesome! Thanks for the great review Brian!

        Reply
    5. Jen says

      May 23, 2022 at 6:14 pm

      Perfect! My one year old Granddaughter Lily loves these! So do I!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 24, 2022 at 1:40 pm

        Awesome! Thanks Jen!

        Reply
    6. Jennifer Beaton says

      May 08, 2022 at 8:44 pm

      My Granddaughter Lily (one year old) loves these!

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 09, 2022 at 11:49 am

        Awesome! Thanks Jennifer!

        Reply
    7. Susan says

      April 07, 2022 at 9:13 pm

      I’m curious if anyone has tried subbing Vital Wheat Gluten for the flour to make them firmer?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        April 08, 2022 at 10:24 am

        Hi Susan, I think that would work!

        Reply
    8. Terry says

      February 25, 2022 at 9:37 pm

      What if I don’t have walnuts, are there other options?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        February 28, 2022 at 9:13 am

        I think you could try something like almonds.

        Reply
    9. Natalie Jose says

      January 13, 2022 at 4:16 am

      I was pretty impressed with this recipe. The burger was tasty and hit the spot. Not a huge lover of black beans but tired of store bought vegan burgers. Thought I’d give these a try and now won’t go back now to the store bought. Delish5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        January 13, 2022 at 1:03 pm

        So glad to hear that Natalie, thanks so much for the awesome review!

        Reply
    10. Nicky says

      October 03, 2021 at 12:13 pm

      Made these last night for our Vegan friends, they were a hit!
      Time consuming but worth it! Making double or even triple batches and freezing them is the way to go!
      My husband who loves meat, loved these and wants me to make them all the time in place of our regular homemade ground beef burgers.
      Thank you for this amazing recipe!!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        October 03, 2021 at 12:50 pm

        That’s so awesome Nicky! Thanks so much for sharing!

        Reply
    11. One Miller says

      August 17, 2021 at 8:01 am

      This is the best my vegan burger making has EVER turned out!!!! Didn’t fall about while turning in the pan or while eating. Thanks a million.5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        August 17, 2021 at 10:49 am

        Wonderful! Thanks so much for the awesome review!

        Reply
    12. Celia says

      July 31, 2021 at 6:09 pm

      These are genuinely some of the nicest bean burgers I have ever tried or made. So grateful for this recipe, thank you!!!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        August 02, 2021 at 12:30 pm

        That’s awesome Celia! So happy to hear that. Thanks a million!

        Reply
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