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Favorite Black Bean Burger

This black bean burger recipe is hearty and satisfying! Pile ’em high with toppings for a meal that pleases everyone.

Everyone has their own favorite black bean burger recipe…and at long last, here’s ours! Here’s the thing with bean burgers: you either love ’em or you hate ’em. But a good one can be fantastic. This one is hearty and savory, spiced with cumin, garlic, and smoked paprika. Walnuts give it texture so it’s not just mush on a bun. Top it with cheese, guacamole and all the burger fixin’s, and it’s pretty darn satisfying. We always polish these off quickly: and leftovers last in the fridge for days!

What’s in this black bean burger recipe?

There are many variations on a black bean burger recipe. This one is mostly beans, walnuts, and spices, held together with breadcrumbs and egg. It doesn’t have the texture of an actual burger, so don’t expect that! But it’s hearty and satisfying when served in a bun with toppings. Here are the key ingredients you’ll need:

Black beans
Onion and garlic
Olive oil
Spices: cumin, garlic powder and smoked paprika
Soy sauce
Ketchup
Panko
Chopped walnuts
Egg

Methods for cooking a black bean burger

There are a few methods for cooking a black bean burger: baking, pan frying, and grilling. In our experience, pan frying a black bean burger can come out mushy and not cooked through. So our favorite method is baking! But you can grill it as well. Here’s what to know:

Baked: Bake the burgers at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes on each side. This cooks them through perfectly. They’re even better after they rest for about 10 minutes to firm up.
Grilled: Pre-bake them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes per side. Then you can go right to the grill and grill 5 minutes per side on medium high heat, or refrigerate until grilling. The smoky char of the grill adds unreal nuance to the burger!

Sauces and topping ideas

Once you’ve whipped up this black bean burger recipe, the fun part is the toppings! The best bang for your buck? A great burger sauce recipe. Often times we go simple and just slather the bun with guacamole (as you see above), but there are lots of other great sauce ideas. Make sure to pair this burger with a sauce or spread: it’s much too dry otherwise. Here are some options:

Guacamole is quick and tasty spread for the bun
Burger sauce evokes a Big Mac vibe, like Special Burger Sauce or Russian Dressing
Chipotle sauce is creamy and spicy: try Chipotle Sauce or Chipotle Ranch
Spicy mayo is quick and easy: try Spicy Mayo
Remoulade is another great creamy option: try Remoulade Sauce
Tomato, red onion and pickles are a must
Pickled onions would be fantastic (try pickled red onions)
Cheese adds great savory flavor and richness, which is helpful for a bean burger

Leftovers and make ahead instructions

This black bean burgers recipe stores very well and is ideal for making in advance! The texture of the burgers firms up the longer they sit, so they’re great after refrigeration. They even work well frozen! This recipe makes enough for 8 burgers, so you can have leftovers for days. Here are a few notes on storage:

Burgers last well refrigerated up to 5 days. Eat them cold, room temp, or re-warm them before eating (in a skillet, oven, broiler or on the grill).
Or, freeze burgers you don’t plan to eat right away for up to 3 months. Stack them with parchment paper in between each and freeze in a sealed container.

More veggie burger recipes

There are lots of ways to make a burger without using black beans! Here are a few more options you might enjoy:

Try our Best Veggie Burger Recipe or Best Chickpea Burgers
Go for a Falafel Burger
Opt for a Portobello Mushroom Burger instead!

Best Veggie Burger Recipe

Falafel Burger

Best Chickpea Burgers

Portobello Mushroom Burger

This black bean burger recipe is…

Vegetarian and dairy free (without cheese).

Favorite Black Bean Burger

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 7 to 8 burgers

Print Recipe

Description

This black bean burger recipe is hearty and satisfying! Pile ’em high with toppings for a meal that pleases everyone.

Ingredients

2 cans black beans, drained, rinsed and patted dry
2 garlic cloves (1 tablespoon minced)
1 cup finely diced yellow onion (1/2 onion)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin
½ tablespoon garlic powder
½ tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 cup panko
¾ cup finely chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg
Cheese slices, for serving (optional)
For serving: Buns, guacamole, Burger Sauce or Chipotle Sauce, pickles, red onion, tomato, ketchup

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400F.
Mince the garlic and finely chop the onion, making sure the pieces are small (avoid random large ones which can break up the texture). In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the the onion and sauté for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté for for 2 more minutes until golden and translucent. Remove from the heat.
In a large bowl, mash the black beans with a fork, keeping some whole– the texture should be mostly mashed with chunks and whole beans remaining. Add the sauteed onion and garlic, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, soy sauce, ketchup, panko, chopped walnuts, kosher salt, and egg. Mix to combine until a dough forms.
Use a ½ cup measuring cup to portion the dough into patties: 7 burgers with a full ½ cup or 8 burgers measuring a scant ½ cup. Shake the patty out of the measuring cup, then place it on a parchment lined baking sheet and gently press it until it’s 3/4” thick. When the dough starts to stick to the cup, wash out the measuring cup.
Place the burgers in the oven. Bake 15 minutes on one side, then flip and bake 15 minutes on the other side. If using, add cheese slices and bake 3 minutes more until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately or wait about 10 to 15 minutes until the burgers firm up. Place on a bun spread with guacamole and layered with pickles, ketchup red onion and tomato. Leftover burgers last well refrigerated up to 5 days. Or freeze leftovers for up to 3 months, stacked with parchment paper in between each in a sealed container. Reheat or grill prior to serving (see below).
Alternative grilling instructions: If you plan to grill the burgers, first bake the burgers for 20 minutes: 10 minutes per side. Then grill the burgers over medium high heat for about 5 minutes per side.

Category: Main Dish
Method: Baked
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Keywords: Black bean burger recipe, black bean burger

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Cucumber Salsa

This cucumber salsa is cool and zesty, pairing this crunchy veggie with jalapeño, cilantro and lime. Ideal for chips, tacos, and more!

Here’s a unique salsa variation everyone should try: Cucumber Salsa! Using this green vegetable instead of tomato is a bit off the beaten path. But turns out, cucumber is just the veggie for pairing with jalapeño, cilantro and lime! It adds a cooling essence and a hydrating crunch to each bite. Zingy and zesty, it’s ideal for dipping chips or showering over tacos. Or, sprinkle it over grilled salmon for a summery meal. Anything goes here!

Ingredients in cucumber salsa

All you need are a handful of ingredients to make a killer cucumber salsa! Like with any salsa, the time is in the chopping. It takes about 15 minutes to chop all the ingredients: but the payoff is immense! Take one bite, and the zingy, crunchy cool flavor will sweep you off your feet. Here’s what you’ll need:

English cucumber (or standard cucumber; see below!)
Red bell pepper
Red onion
Jalapeño peppers
Cilantro
Cumin
Lime juice
Kosher salt

English cucumber vs standard cucumber

This cucumber salsa is best with an English cucumber, but you can use a standard cucumber if that’s what you have on hand! What’s the difference and why is it better in this salsa?

English cucumbers are long and straight, with a thin skin with ridges. The seeds are very small and the flavor is sweeter than a standard cucumber. Because of the thin skin and small seeds, it doesn’t need to be peeled or seeded before eating! The flesh has a bright green color which looks beautiful in recipes. Because the thin skin is so fragile, it’s sold with a plastic covering in the grocery store.
Standard slicing cucumbers are shorter, with thick, dark green skin and very large seeds. The thick skin and seeds can be bitter, so they’re often removed when cooking. You can use it here, but you’ll need to peel and seed it first. The flavor is not quite the same as the English cucumber, but it’s still tasty!

How long does cucumber salsa last?

Homemade cucumber salsa lasts 4 days refrigerated. While it’s best when it’s fresh, it lasts well and the flavor intensifies over time.

Ways to use cucumber salsa

This cucumber salsa is quite versatile: it’s great on its own as a dip, but it’s even more fun combined into a meal! Here are a few ways to serve it:

As a dip for chips
With tacos like Chickpea Tacos, Salmon Tacos, Shrimp Tacos or Black Bean Tacos
Over grilled fish like Grilled Salmon or Grilled Tilapia
On nachos like Sheet Pan Nachos

How do you plan to serve your cucumber salsa? Let us know in the comments below!

More cucumber recipes

Got a few more cool cucumbers on hand? Here are some of our favorite cucumber recipes to use them:

Try Creamy Cucumber Salad or Cucumber Salad with Vinegar
Go for Quick Cucumber Sauce
Grab a Cucumber Margarita
Blend up Cucumber Juice, Easy Cucumber Smoothie, or Cucumber Lemonade

Creamy Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream

Easy Cucumber Smoothie

Quick Cucumber Sauce

Cucumber Lemonade

This cucumber salsa recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.