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Veggie Black Bean Burger Recipe

Straight-on, up close photo of two hands holding a veggie black bean burger topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion.
Get ready for the best veggie black bean burgers of your life! Easy to make with basic ingredients, these veggie burger patties are moist and beautifully flavorful - and never bland, dry, crumbly or mushy. Honestly, these burgers with black beans are so darn delicious, even the meat eaters in your family will love this recipe!
Recipe can be scaled up or down by using the slider if you hover your mouse over the number of Servings.
Author: Cheyanne Holzworth
Total Time: 40 minutes
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 8 burger patties

Equipment

  • 1 baking sheet (to dry out the black beans)
  • 1 large skillet (to saute the vegetables)
  • 1 Food Processor (for mixing the black bean veggie burger patties)

Ingredients

  • 2 (15 oz.) cans Black Beans – rinsed, drained & patted dry
  • 1 TBS Olive Oil
  • 1 Cup Red Onion – finely diced (about 1/2 large onion)
  • ½ heaping Cup Poblano Pepper – stemmed, seeded & finely diced (about 1 pepper) (SEE NOTE)
  • ½ heaping Cup Red Bell Pepper – stemmed, seeded & finely chopped (½ medium pepper)
  • 2-3 cloves Garlic – peeled & minced
  • 1 1/4 tsp Ground Cumin
  • 3/4 tsp EACH: Smoked Paprika, Chili Powder & Ground Coriander
  • 1/2 Cup Cashews or Walnuts - (3 ounces) (SEE NOTES)
  • 1/2 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 Cup Cotija Cheese – crumbled (3 ounces) (sub: Feta Cheese)
  • 1 Large Whole Egg + 1 Egg White - lightly beaten together
  • 3 TBS Mayonnaise (SEE NOTES)
  • To Taste Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat Oven: Adjust oven rack to center position. Preheat to 350 degrees F.
    Dry Beans in Oven: Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Add the beans and spread out evenly in a single layer. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until beans are dried out and most have split open. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
  • Meanwhile, Sauté Vegetables: Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and both peppers.  Sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, paprika and ground coriander. Season with a ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large plate or bowl. (SEE NOTES) Set aside.
  • Pulse Cashew Nuts: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the cashews until finely chopped – Do NOT over process! They should be a little bit larger in size than the breadcrumbs.
  • Add the Sautéed Veggies: Add the vegetables to the food processor along with the breadcrumbs, cheese, eggs and mayonnaise. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Pulse until everything is just combined.
  • Add the Black Beans: Add the beans and pulse a couple times to roughly chop some of the beans. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and gently stir until everything is well combined. You want some larger chunks of beans.
  • Shape Burger Patties: Use an ice cream scoop or your hands to scoop up about ½ cup (about 4.3 ounces each) of the mixture. Use your hands to form into patties. You should get 8 patties. (SEE NOTES)
  • Cook the Veggie Bean Burgers: You can cook the black bean veggie burgers using the oven, stovetop, or grill.
    Oven Cooking Instructions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer patties to prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and gently flip the patties over. Continue to bake an additional 8-10 minutes. Cheese option: Top patties with a slice of your favorite cheese during the last 3-4 minutes of baking.
    Stovetop Cooking Instructions: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Add patties (4 at a time), and cook until browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Carefully and gently flip the patties over. Continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until the bottom is browned.
    Grill Instructions: Preheat grill to medium-high (375 degrees). Place patties on a large sheet of greased aluminum foil. Grill for 7-8 minutes. Gently flip patties over and continue to grill for an additional 8 minutes, topping with cheese if desired 
  • Serve Veggie Black Bean Burgers: Serve patties on bun of choice and finish with your favorite toppings.  Serve and enjoy!
    Straight-on, up close photo of two hands holding a veggie black bean burger topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion.

Notes

  1. Poblano pepper: Poblanos are very mild and have a rich, earthy flavor. If you can’t find or don’t like poblanos, you can substitute an equal amount of jalapeno peppers (for a spicier version) or green bell pepper (for a mild version).
  2. Cashews: If you use salted nuts, cut the amount of salt in step 4 in half or omit it completely.
  3. Mayo: Use good quality, full fat mayonnaise! The mayo serves as a binder and provides moisture. The recipe only calls for 3 tablespoons, that equals 1.125 teaspoons of mayonnaise per patty. Don’t skimp on the quality here.
  4. Sautéed veggies: If your sautéed veggies seem very damp or moist, use a paper towel to gently pat them dry.   
  5. Forming patties: To prevent the black bean mixture from sticking to your hands, spray your hands lightly with oil before forming the patties.
  6. Make mixture ahead: Black bean patty mixture can be prepared (steps 1 through 5) up to 3 days in advance. Store the mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can form the patties in advance! Place the patties on a parchment paper lined tray and cover with plastic wrap. Formed patties can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  7. Freeze: Cooked and uncooked patties freeze beautifully! Place patties on a parchment paper lined sheet pan and flash freeze for 1 hour, or until frozen. Stack frozen patties between small sheets of parchment paper and store in a freezer-safe resealable bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. To use: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 1 hour. Cook as directed or reheat as desired.
  8. Need to Scale the Recipe? Hover your mouse over the number of servings in the recipe card. You'll see a sliding scale pop up, you can use that to scale the recipe up or down as needed.
  9. Got questions? I've got answers! If you ever run into an issue, have a question, or need any clarification - please feel free to drop them in the comments section. I'm happy to help when I can!
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and the nutrition facts are an estimate based upon 8 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.

Nutrition

Calories: 127kcal    Carbohydrates: 9g    Protein: 5g    Fat: 9g    Saturated Fat: 2g    Cholesterol: 29mg    Sodium: 162mg    Potassium: 104mg    Fiber: 1g    Sugar: 2g    Vitamin A: 34IU    Vitamin C: 2mg    Calcium: 22mg    Iron: 1mg
Course: entree, Sandwich
Cuisine: American