These black bean burgers are cheap to make, taste damn good, and don’t require any fancy pants ingredients or unwieldy kitchen appliances. You throw all the ingredients in a bowl, mash them to heck and back, and fry ’em (or bake them!). They’re great for last minute dinners or for meal prep.
I am not gonna sit here and tell you that these taste the same as/better than beef burgers. I’m not even the biggest fan of beef but I’ll still take down a beef burger any day of the week. These black bean burgers are my vegetarian answer to when you want a burger that doesn’t have beef but it still filling and hefty. I also love the fact that these don’t require any nuts, cooked rice/quinoa. Instead it’s literally like 4 major ingredients and then whatever spices you wanna add.
I turn these into 4 patties which are HUGE. If you are normal, you’ll make 6. If you are tiny, you’ll make 8. Mashing these by hand means that you aren’t pureeing the beans aka you maintain their structural integrity!!! Adding the egg binds them together and panko solidifies the whole deal. The grated onion (a tip I learned from Pioneer Woman, link in notes) ensures that these burgers stay moist and you don’t get chunks of uncooked onion in the burger.
The mashing here is important. The first time I made black bean burgers I used a recipe that had me put the whole mix in the food processor and I ended up with black bean mush. It was an epic fail. Don’t
make my mistake. I know sometimes we gotta justify the money spent on these fancy -and heavy- appliances but there is absolutely nothing wrong with a good ole fashioned bowl to get the mixing done. This philosophy also applies to biscuits and scones. Sorry not sorry but making them in the food processor is not “easier” and who thought it was a great idea to dirty up a hard to clean machine anyway??? Don’t fall for that nonsense, use a freakin’ bowl.
I love serving these with some homemade fries, a whole bunch of toppings (use whatever you like to eat!), and mayo. Always with mayo, it is literally the best condiment and anyone who disagrees obviously has terrible taste buds and I’m sorry for them.
To bake or to fry? That is the question. Fry them if you like a crispy crust, bake them for a hands off approach. I make them both ways and both have their merits.
My other favorite vegetarian recipes:
Meal Prep Baked Egg Breakfast Sandwiches
My Favorite Black Bean Burgers (Baked or Pan-Fried!)
My absolute favorite Black Bean Burgers. They are filling and tasty, even meat eaters love them!
Ingredients
- 30 ounces black beans, drained from 2, 15 oz cans
- 1 tsp table salt
- one healthy pinch black pepper
- 3-4 dashes hot sauce I use whatever I have in the fridge
- 1 cup panko Note 1
- 1 small onion, grated or about 1/3 cup grated onion, Note 2
- 1 large egg
- 2-3 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 tbs oil, neutral for frying
Toppings
- cheese Note 3
- various vegetables topping (lettuce, tomato, pickles)
- sauces (mayo, ketchup, etc)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350° if baking. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and use a fork to mash them together. There should still be flecks of whole beans.
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Use your hands and form 4 very large patties. (you can also make 6 medium patties or 8 small ones) If mixture is too warm then just place it in the fridge to get cold and firm up.
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Bake at 350° degrees for 15 minutes OR panfry in a hot skillet using a tbs of oil, flipping once, for 5-7 minutes. Burgers are done when edges are crisped up and the center in warm (gingerly test it with your finger). Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Note 1: I only make these with regular panko breadcrumbs. They are a bit more coarse, but still airy, than American style breadcrumbs. I’ve tried this recipe with American breadcrumbs and the burger doesn’t hold together as well. Also, do not use gluten-free panko “bread”crumbs, they taste like bird food (sorry not sorry).
Note 2: The onion has to be either minced or grated so that you aren’t left with chunks of onion that don’t cook properly.
Note 3: If you want melted cheese on top then simply add a slice before you bake them and it will melt in the oven or after flipping them in the pan add a slice of cheese and cover pan with a lid for about 30 seconds until the cheese is melted.
Longer storage: Cooked patties will keep in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for a few weeks (make sure they are well wrapped with minimal air exposure).
Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman’s Black Bean Burger Recipe
