Hearty vegan black bean burger with lots of flavors! These tasty veggie burgers are a healthier fast-food option that is perfect for lunch or dinner. The recipe is plant-based, gluten-free, easy to make, and satisfying for vegans, vegetarians, and even meat-eaters!
A homemade burger without meat is not as complicated as you might think. Many ingredients are suitable as a meat substitute, for example, mushrooms or jackfruit. Seitan (wheat gluten) is also a popular meat alternative, but since it’s not gluten-free, it’s a no-go for people with celiac disease.
In my opinion, it’s actually healthier to use beans. And you can decide for yourself whether you want to use black beans or another type of bean.
Simple Ingredients
I chose simple ingredients that you most likely already have at home.
- Black beans – they add a wonderful texture and contain plant-based protein and a lot of fiber. You could use kidney beans instead.
- Sunflower seeds – they also contain protein, but also some fat (flavor enhancer). Furthermore, they add a nice crunch to the burger patties. You can, of course, use nuts such as walnuts or cashews instead of sunflower seeds.
- Oats – choose regular oats or gluten-free oats. Without them, the veggie burgers would turn out too mushy. As an alternative, normal wheat flour would probably work, but I haven’t tried it yet.
- Tomato paste – adds a lovely taste and also holds the mixture together.
- Soy sauce – it adds a delicious umami flavor! Make sure to use gluten-free soy sauce if needed or choose Tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
- Garlic and onions – they are quite important for the great taste and also very healthy.
- Different spices – I mainly chose spices that are flavorful, such as onion powder and smoked paprika.
All ingredients with measurements are in the printable recipe card below!
How To Make Vegan Black Bean Burger?
STEP 1: First, mix the ground chia seeds with the water in a small bowl and set the mixture aside for 5 minutes. It will thicken and furthermore serves as an egg replacement. You could also use ground flax seeds instead of chia seeds.
STEP 2: In the meantime, rinse the beans very well in a sieve and then drain them. I also recommend patting dry the beans.
STEP 3: Now, process the oats and the sunflower seeds in a food processor or blender (use the pulse function). I use this food processor which I love!
STEP 4: Next, add all the other ingredients to the food processor and mix again. However, don’t over mix, as the burgers should still have some texture.
STEP 5: Form 4 burger patties with your hands. If the mixture is too sticky, you can simply add more oats. If it’s too dry, add a little water.
STEP 6: Heat some oil in a large frying pan and put the four burger patties in it. Fry them on both sides which takes about 12-15 minutes in total. You can also grill the bean burgers but I would recommend freezing them first (for about 30 minutes) to firm up!
Tip: Brush some vegan barbecue sauce or Sriracha onto each black bean burger pattie after flipping! It adds an even more delicious flavor and it furthermore makes the burgers look juicier.
STEP 7: Assemble the veggie burgers with burger buns of your choice and add fresh ingredients such as onion rings, tomato slices, cucumber slices, fresh lettuce leaves, and vegan cheese. Serve with homemade crispy Oven-Baked Potato Wedges.
These vegan black bean burgers are firm on the outside but soft and juicy on the inside. If you want them to be firmer on the inside, you can simply bake the patties in the oven at 375 °F (ca. 190 °C) for about 15 minutes.
Can I Freeze Black Bean Burgers?
Yes, you can freeze the burger patties! It’s best to fry them and then freeze after they have cooled. You can keep them in the freezer for up to three months. Once you want to eat the burgers, you can put the patties directly in the pan without defrosting them.
These Veggie Burgers Are:
- Vegan (meat-free)
- Gluten-free
- Easy to make
- Healthier than a burger from a fast-food restaurant
- Protein-rich
- Nut-free
- Flavorful
- Spicy
- Hearty
- Not crumbly – they don’t fall apart
- Can be baked in the oven (see recipe notes)
Should you give this vegan black bean burger a try, please leave a comment and rating below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I would love to see your veggie burger! ????
Do you love vegan finger foods? Then make sure to also check out my other delicious vegan and gluten-free recipes:
- Crispy Polenta Fries
- Homemade Taco Cups
- Black Bean Quesadillas
- Vegetable Fritters
- Roasted Cauliflower Steaks (Vegan Schnitzel)
- Oven-Baked Tacos
- Easy Vegan Taquitos
- Buffalo Chickpea Taquitos
Vegan Black Bean Burger
Ingredients
Burgers:
- 1 15 oz can (270 g) black beans drained and rinsed (see notes)
- 1/2 cup (60 g) sunflower seeds (see notes)
- 2/3 cup (60 g) oats (gluten-free if needed)
- 1 tbsp (30 g) tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free if needed) or tamari
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 large (65 g) onion chopped
- 3 chia eggs or flax eggs (3 tbsp ground chia seeds + 1/4 cup water)
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes or less/more to taste
- 3/4 tsp sea salt or less/more to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
Other Ingredients:
- Oil for frying
- Vegan barbecue sauce (optional)
- 4 burger buns regular or gluten-free
- Fresh veggies of choice e.g. tomatoes, lettuce, onion, cucumber
- Vegan cheese
- Dressing of choice (see notes)
Instructions
- Mix 3 tablespoons ground chia seeds with 1/4 cup of water in a small bowl and set the mixture aside for 5 minutes to thicken. If you don't have ground chia seeds, simply blend whole chia seeds in an electric spice/coffee grinder or blender for a few seconds.
- In the meantime, rinse the canned beans very well in a sieve, then drain them and pat dry.
- Process the oats and the sunflower seeds in a food processor or blender (use the pulse function).
- Next, add all the other ingredients to the food processor and mix again. Don't over mix, as the burgers should still have some texture.
- Form 4 burger patties with your hands. If the mixture is too sticky, you can simply add more oats. If it's too dry, add a little water.
- Heat some oil in a large frying pan and add the four burger patties. Fry on both sides until they firm up. It will take about 12-15 minutes in total. Check the oven method in the recipe notes below. Tip: Brush some vegan barbecue sauce or Sriracha onto the burgers after flipping them! It adds an even more delicious flavor and it furthermore makes them look juicier.
- Assemble the black bean burgers with burger buns of your choice and add fresh ingredients such as onion rings, tomato slices, cucumber slices, fresh lettuce leaves, avocado (guacamole), etc. I also added my Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce. Serve with homemade crispy Oven-Baked Potato Wedges, and Vegan Onion Rings.
Notes
Video Of The Recipe
- Beans: You can use canned beans that are already cooked or cook dry beans until soft (which takes a while though).
- These vegan black bean burgers are firm on the outside but soft on the inside. If you want them to be firmer on the inside, you can first pan-fry the burger patties and then bake them in the oven at 375 °F (ca. 190 °C) for about 15 minutes.
- Oven method: Place the patties on a lined baking sheet, brush or spray with some oil and bake in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes or until they reach the desired firmness. Flip halfway through and brush with vegan BBQ sauce.
- Sunflower seeds: You can use nuts such as walnuts or cashews instead of sunflower seeds.
- Check the recipe for my delicious Vegan Thousand Island Dressing.
- Store leftover burger patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator (up to 3 days) or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Read the blog post above for more helpful tips.
- Recipe adapted from my Vegan Meatballs.
- Recipe serves 4. Nutrition facts are for one serving (only burger patties).
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Equipment
Simple and Delicious Vegan Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:
Best black bean burger that I have tried to date! The only thing different I did was put 2 tablespoons of barbecue sauce into the mix and left out the Chia seeds and water. They stay together perfectly! Definitely will make these again and again. 😊❤️
Sounds very interesting! So glad you like them. 🙂
Hello. Greetings from Mississippi. I’m on my own journey to perfecting the veggie burger. And with the help of your recipe and sum minor tweeks of my own, it has been fulfilled. Thanks for the guidance. These are great.
Happy to hear!
Oh my goodness!! This are so delicious, couldn’t stop eating them! Crispy on the outside tender and flavorful on the inside. I was so happy because I did indeed have everything in my pantry already to make these delicious black bean burgers. Thank you for this recipe , God bless you!
Aww, that makes me so happy, Tamia. Thanks for your amazing feedback. 🙂
Looking to make these!! What’s the chia seeds for? My fiancé is allergic… what could I use instead?
To thicken and bind the mixture. You can use ground flax seeds.
Soo delicious!! I pan cooked and in the oven for a bit. Came out so great!! Thank you for sharing!
Sounds wonderful, Amber. 🙂
Delicious! A huge hit at our bbq over the weekend!
Thanks for your great feedback, Cheri. 🙂
Hi! These look great. Do I need to get raw/unsalted sunflower seeds for this recipe?
Hi Bek, either is fine, it doesn’t really matter. 🙂
Totally sold on this recipe. My 8 year old said he wanted to eat these every.single.morning for breakfast! I used red kidney beans and pepitas instead of black beans and sunflower seeds. Soooo good! Thank you.
That’s so good to hear, Courtney. Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Hi Ela, this is the first time commenting on your site but after making these burgers yesterday for dinner I just had to leave a comment! Since becoming fully plantbased 2 years ago, I‘ve missed burgers but hesitated to try a plantbased recipe because I thought a bean burger would be dry and could never satisfy that craving of mine. How wrong I have been.
This burger is perfect! I used just half of the amount of sunflower seeds and since I don’t use oil, I baked it in my convection oven on 175° for about 10 minutes on one side and another 15 after flipping. It‘s full of flavor, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and holds it shape perfectly.
I think you could serve this in a restaurant, it‘s so good. This will be my go to recipe for burgers from now on.
Greetings from Germany 🙂
That’s such a great compliment, Dana! I am so glad you love this recipe. Thanks for your amazing feedback. 🙂
That’s great ! I’m going to give them a try today.!greetings from Isaiah
Hi !! For gluten free… how can I substitute the oats ? (Can’t find GF where I live )
Thanks !! 🤗
Hi Cami, you can use a GF flour blend. 🙂
Can these be grilled?
Yes, they can. I mentioned it in the post, read step 6 under “how to make…”.
I am very happy with this recipe ,I am new to vegan at 62 yrs old. I put some mushrooms in recipe . Thank you very much I give them a 10
That’s so good to hear, Linda! Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
Hi I made your blackbean burger today very nice but what could I use instead of cumin as it repeat on me thank you
Hi, you could just reduce the amount or leave it out. 🙂
Hi Ela, running out of ways to express how delicious I think your recipes are. I made these burgers and put them on this https://elavegan.com/gluten-free-french-bread-baguette/.
Being oil free, I cooked the burgers in the oven and brushed with sriracha after flipping, great idea ????. Thank You.
Thank you for your kind feedback, Rose! I am so glad you like my recipes. 🙂
Just made the fourth double batch of these bean burgers. Everyone in our household loves them. Thanks so much for all your recipes!
You are very welcome, Gerry! I am glad everyone loved them. 🙂
Sorry
Just saw The instructions
Cheers
No worries, Sheila. 🙂
Hi how are u?
What would be the instructions when i want to make it after it is frozen?
Thank you
Well, I am just starting on my vegan journey and what a fantastic recipe this is – absolutely delicious – thank you so much. I looked at vegan burgers in the shops, but the ingredients lists are incomprehensible & I was reluctant to try. I’m so far the only person at home who has chosen to follow a plant based diet & I did think I might feel ‘worthy but unhappy’ with my choice on ‘burger night’ but not at all – in fact the opposite – these are just so much nicer than a meat burger. Thank you very much, I am excited to have found your website & looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
So glad you liked it. 🙂
Hi,
Can I replace oats with chickpea flour ?
Thank you
Hi Iris, I think that should work fine. 🙂
I am totally in love with them the recipe is so easy and so tasty and satisfying in a very yummy way, i cook most of my food because I like to know what is inside my food and when it comes to vegan burgers never did a burger taste as good as the one i buy until I found this recipe and it’s so so good.. thank you so much for sharing it ela with us.
Aww, that’s such a nice compliment! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂