Black bean burgers are full of flavor and easy to put together. Black beans are combined with onion, garlic, and spices. Panko crumbs, eggs, and barbecue sauce help to hold these burgers together. These are delicious meatless burgers that won’t cost you $12 as the restaurant versions do.

These black bean burgers go great with almost any side dish. I like to serve them with air fryer brussels sprouts, classic potato salad, or my honey dijon quinoa salad.

hand holding a black bean burger with ketchup, avocado, sliced onion and melted cheese

Homemade Black Bean Burgers

You’re going to want to save this black bean burger recipe for an easy meatless meal that your family will love! These are so easy to put together and taste delicious piled high with fresh toppings – don’t skimp on that part cuz that’s what makes a great burger, right!?

This recipe is on my list of easy go-to meals whenever I’m trying to save money, or want to offer a meatless meal – which I usually do at least once a week. Everything that be whipped together fast in the food processor, rolled and formed into patties, and baked in the oven in less than 30 minutes!

black bean burger on a plate with toppings including melted cheese, spinach, mashed avocado, ketchup, and sliced onion.

Black Bean Burger Ingredients

Black Beans – The base of these burgers are the black beans! You’ll need two cans of black beans to make 8 burger patties.

Onion – I used red onion, but you could also use yellow or white onion. I recommend chopping the onion very small so that it’s not chunky when you’re forming the patties. It might take a little longer to chop, but it’s worth it!

Garlic – You’ll need four garlic cloves that will be cooked along with onion in the frying pan.

Spices – There’s a mixture of spices to help flavor these black bean burgers. These include chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Panko Crumbs – These are important to help the burger patties hold together. You can use gluten-free panko crumbs or regular panko. I’m able to find both at my local grocery store, but you can also purchase them online.

Eggs – You’ll need two eggs to help hold these burger patties together. If you’d prefer not to use eggs, you can try using flax eggs as a substitute.

Barbecue Sauce – This sauce will help to flavor the burgers and also help them to stick together. I love this sugar free barbecue sauce.

black bean burger without the top bun piled with cheese, spinach, avocado, onion and ketchup

How To Make Black Bean Burgers

Drain and rinse the black beans – Rinse them under cold water and shake out as much excess moisture as possible. Pour them into the food processor.
Fry the onion and garlic – Add the finely chopped onion and minced garlic to a frying pan with some cooking oil. Let the mixture cook until the onion turns translucent. Add the onion and garlic into the food processor.
Add all ingredients to the food processor – Add the panko crumbs, eggs, barbecue sauce and all spices to the food processor. Blend until the black beans start to break down but there are a few large pieces left. Place the mixture in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes – this will help the panko crumbs to absorb some of the moisture.
Form the burgers – Scoop out 1/3 cup of the mixture and roll into a ball. Gently pat it flat between your palms. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You can wet your hands in between to help prevent extra stickiness and make the rolling easier.
Bake – Bake the burgers at 375°F for 20 minutes total, flipping them over at 10 minutes.
Serve – Serve on toasted hamburger buns with your favorite toppings. I used sliced swiss cheese, spinach, mashed avocado, sliced raw red onion, cherry tomato slices, and ketchup. It was sooo good!

hand holding burger. big bites taken out of the black bean burger with ketchup, mashed avocado and spinach poking out.

How Do You Keep Black Bean Burgers From Falling Apart?

Black bean burgers do not have the same structure as a traditional ground beef burger does. There is less fat to help hold it together. This is why eggs and barbecue sauce are needed – they will help the burgers stay together while you’re forming them. But because of this, you have to be more gentle with the burger patty while cooking it.

I prefer to bake my black bean burgers because it’s easier to keep them together. I’ve tried frying them on the stove and I find it hard to do this without having them break apart during the process.

Plus, when you bake them, you can add all of the patties to two baking sheets and bake all at once, which makes life easier. When baking, you still need to flip them, so do this very gently.

Then use the spatula to gently place the burger pattie directly onto the bun. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!

side close up detail of the burger piled high with toppings and a sesame hamburger bun on a white plate

More Healthy Dinner Ideas

Need more dinner inspiration? All of these recipes are healthy and can be on the table in 30 minutes!

Rigatoni Ground Chicken and Peas – a 30-minute dinner recipe that can be cooked in your frying pan.
Sweet Potato Lentil Soup – It’s budget-friendly, easy to make and can be prepped in 10 minutes. It’s cooked in the instant pot or on the stove.
Instant Pot Ground Turkey Soup with Kale and Beans – this soup can be put together fast and tastes delicious with ground turkey.
Sheet Pan Fajitas – made with chicken breast, spices, and colorful bell pepper. This is an easy family favorite that’s perfect for Taco Tuesdays, or Fun Fridays.
Chicken Olive Pasta Bake – an easy casserole dish for when you’ve got a hungry family.