Black Bean Burger

If you haven’t tried a black bean veggie burger, then you are definitely missing out! They are so full of flavor, hearty, and healthy that both meat-eaters and vegetarians will love them. People often ask if black bean burgers are healthy and I fully believe them to be. Made with vegetables and a handful of spices, it’s hard to say they’re not!

Hands down, these are the best meatless patties as they hold their shape so well. You don’t have to worry about them crumbling when you grill them which is an issue with a lot of homemade black bean burgers. These patties are so easy to make because you probably have most of the simple ingredients needed already in your kitchen. 

Key Ingredients You Need

• Black Beans — You can’t make these burgers without black beans. To keep things simple, use canned instead of cooking them from dry beans. Be sure to rinse and drain them beforehand.
• Vegetables — I use onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic in my black bean burgers.
• Seasoning and Spices — I use chili powder, smoked paprika, and ground cumin to give the burgers a smoky taste. And of course, salt and pepper to round it out.
• Eggs — The eggs act as a binder to keep our burgers intact. 
• Feta Cheese — The feta adds a salty and tangy flavor to the burgers.
• Breadcrumbs — Breadcrumbs also help with the binding but they also add a bit of texture to the patties.
• Worcestershire Sauce — Worcestershire sauce adds a wonderful umami flavor to the burgers. 

How to Make Black Bean Burgers

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325°F. While the oven is preheating, spread out beans on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes in order to dry them out a bit.

Step 2: Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat and sauté the onions, bell peppers, and garlic until soft, approximately 5 minutes.

Step 3: In a food processor, add in the freshly sautéd onions, bell peppers, and garlic with the rest of the ingredients (minus beans) and pulse until everything is combined.

Step 4: Next, add in baked beans and pulse until everything is combined. You want to keep the mixture somewhat chunky for texture.

Step 5: Use about ⅓ cup of the mixture to form into individual patties.

Step 6: Grill patties in a pan or skillet over medium-high heat with a little more olive oil. Depending on the thickness of patties, cook on each side for 3-4 minutes.

Step 7: Serve on hamburger buns with toppings of your choice.

Variations

• If you want to make this into a gluten-free black bean burger, you can swap the breadcrumbs for a gluten-free version or almond flour.
• If you want to skip the egg to make this more vegan friendly, you can use flaxseed egg. 
• Worcestershire sauce can be swapped with soy sauce or coconut aminos to make it vegan as well. 
• Feta cheese can be swapped with goat cheese or vegan cheese.

Tips For This Recipe

• It’s important to not over-process the patty mixture. You want to retain some texture in the patties. 
• You want to make sure that your black bean burgers aren’t super thin. When shaping them, you want their thickness to be similar to a hockey puck. If the patties are too thin, they’ll fall apart.
• Don’t skip drying out the black beans in the oven. Baking them at the start helps remove extra moisture and prevents your burger from being mushy.
• It’s important to sauté your vegetables as the moisture from them will be drawn out. It also mellows out the onion and garlic so they’re sweeter.
• If you are having trouble shaping your patties, cover the mixture in the bowl and chill it in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes to firm them up a bit.

Frequently Asked Questions

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If you’ve tried this Black Bean Burgers Recipe then don’t forget to leave me a rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!