The BEST Black Bean Burger is made with fresh ingredients and is totally FOOL PROOF. This healthy recipe is fast and easy for a quick dinner idea.

These black bean veggie burgers go great with just about any side dish. I love to serve them with quinoa salad, traditional potato salad, or a simple broccoli salad.

The BEST Black Bean Burger

If you’re like me, you may have tried veggie burgers in the past that were tasteless or didn’t hold together. Well, this black bean burger will be your happy relief! It’s packed full of flavor, holds together perfectly and is super easy to grill.

These amazing homemade black bean burgers have been a huge family favorite ever since I first made them over 6 years ago! They are on my go-to list of easy recipes that can be thrown together in less than 30 minutes.

My kids LOVE them, and even my meat-loving husband will happily eat these instead of a ground beef patty, which begs the question, are these healthy?

Are black bean burgers good for you?

These black bean burgers are much healthier than a traditional hamburger (especially one you might get at a restaurant). Black bean burgers are packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals but are MUCH lower in fat and cholesterol than a traditional ground beef burger.

For example, the “Big Carl Burger” from Carl’s Junior contains 920 calories (with 58 grams of fat and 140 grams of cholesterol) where these black bean burgers contain 431 calories (with 15 grams of fat and 49 grams of cholesterol). AND, event though they are meatless, you still get about 12 grams of protein in each black bean burger patty!

Ingredients in Black Bean Burgers:

black beans

bell pepper

onion

egg

whole wheat bread crumbs

spices

How to make the Best Black Bean Burger:

Rinse and drain black beans. Blot them with a paper towel to remove any extra moisture. Placethe black beans in a large bowl and mash well with a fork.

Blot them with a paper towel to remove any extra moisture. Placethe black beans in a large bowl and mash well with a fork. In a food processor: Place the bell pepper, onion and garlic in a food processor and process until finely minced. Transfer mixture to a fine mesh strainer to remove the excess water. (Remove as much moisture as you can–if it’s too wet, the burger wont hold together as well.)

Place the bell pepper, onion and garlic in a food processor and process until finely minced. Transfer mixture to a fine mesh strainer to remove the excess water. (Remove as much moisture as you can–if it’s too wet, the burger wont hold together as well.) Combine ingredients. Add the strained vegetable mixture to the bowl with the black beans. Add the chili powder, cumin and salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add beaten egg and mix. Stir in bread crumbs.

Add the strained vegetable mixture to the bowl with the black beans. Add the chili powder, cumin and salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add beaten egg and mix. Stir in bread crumbs. Form patties. Make the mixture into 4 or 5 patties.

Make the mixture into 4 or 5 patties. Grill or bake. Grill the burgers on a well oiled grill for about 4-5 minutes on each side. Bake them at 375 degrees F on a lightly oiled baking sheet, for 10 minutes on each side.

Expert tips for perfect Black Bean Burgers:

1. How to make sure black bean burgers stick together

To insure that the black bean burgers don’t fall apart, take extra care to remove as much liquid from the pureed vegetables as possible. After pureeing the bell pepper and onion, strain the mixture really well. The egg and breadcrumbs then will work as the binder to hold the mashed black beans and veggies together.

2. If you decide to grill them, make sure your grill is well greased.

We don’t want the black bean burgers to stick to the grill when you try to flip them, so be sure to use cooking spray or oil your grill with a brush before cooking them.

3. Make black bean burgers in advance.

For a stress-free dinner, make these black bean burgers ahead of time and cover them well in the fridge before baking. They also freeze really well! I lay them flat inside a resealable freezer bag. Place a piece of parchment paper between them if you stack them.

When you’re ready to grill them you can cook them from frozen or let them come to room temperature in your fridge.

Black Bean Burger Topping Ideas:

chipotle mayo

lettuce

tomatoes

cheese

avocado

onion

pickles

jalapeños

Consider serving Black Bean Burgers with:

Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad

Baked Potato Salad

Broccoli Apple Salad

Creamy Fruit Salad

Other BBQ Side Dishes You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes! The BEST Black Bean Burger The BEST Black Bean Burger is made with fresh ingredients and is totally FOOL PROOF. This healthy recipe is fast and easy for a quick dinner idea. 4.65 from 114 votes Print Pin Add to My Meal Plan Go to Meal Plan Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes Servings: 5 Calories: 306 kcal Author: Lauren Allen Video Ingredients For the Burger: 15 ounce can black beans , drained and rinsed 15 ounce can black beans , drained and rinsed

1/2 green bell pepper 1/2 green bell pepper

1/2 small onion 1/2 small onion

2 cloves garlic , peeled 2 cloves garlic , peeled

1 large egg , beaten (*see note below) 1 large egg , beaten (*see note below)

2/3 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs 2/3 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs

1 Tablespoon chili powder 1 Tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon cumin

salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste For the Chipotle Mayo Sauce: 1 cup mayonnaise 1 cup mayonnaise

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1 Tablespoon adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce) 1 Tablespoon adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)

2 teaspoons lime juice 2 teaspoons lime juice

salt and freshly ground black pepper salt and freshly ground black pepper

hamburger buns hamburger buns

desired burger toppings: lettuce, tomato, etc. desired burger toppings: lettuce, tomato, etc. Instructions To make the Burger: Place rinsed and drained black beans in a bowl. If needed, blot them with a paper towel to remove any extra moisture. Place in a large bowl and mash well with a fork.

Place the bell pepper, onion and garlic in a food processor and process until finely minced.

Transfer mixture to a fine mesh strainer to remove the excess water. (Remove as much moisture as you can--if it's too wet, the burger wont hold together as well.)

Add the strained vegetable mixture to the bowl with the black beans. Add the chili powder, cumin and salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Add beaten egg and mix. Stir in bread crumbs. Form mixture into 4 or 5 patties. At this point you can choose to: Grill the burgers on a well oiled grill for about 4-5 minutes on each side.

Bake them at 375 degrees F on a lightly oiled baking sheet, for 10 minutes on each side.

Cook them on your stove using a grill pan, for 4-5 minutes on each side.

Refrigerate them for later.

Freeze them, covered, in a freezer ziplock bag for a quick weeknight dinner in the future. For the Chipotle Mayo Sauce: Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve burgers on a white or whole wheat bun topped with a spoonful of chipotle mayo, lettuce, tomato, cheese, avocado, or any other desired toppings! Enjoy!

Serve with one of these healthy side dishes! Notes *for a vegan burger, substitute the egg with 1 Tbs. flax meal + 3 Tbs. hot water (mix this together separately). Tips for making these burgers are listed in the post above! Try my other favorite veggie burger! Nutrition Calories: 306 kcal | Carbohydrates: 40 g | Protein: 11 g | Fat: 13 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Cholesterol: 49 mg | Sodium: 1149 mg | Potassium: 401 mg | Fiber: 10 g | Sugar: 3 g | Vitamin A: 911 IU | Vitamin C: 14 mg | Calcium: 48 mg | Iron: 4 mg Did you make this recipe? Tag @TastesBetterFromScratch on Instagram #TastesBetterFromScratch

Have you tried this recipe?!

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I first shared this recipe March 2016. Updated June 2019.