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:
I never ever leave any reviews but oh my gosh! this is the perfect vegan burger.
I tried it once and it immediately became a staple. It’s delicious and has the perfect consistency!
Aww, thank you so much for your kind feedback. 🙂
If you use regular eggs, how many?
Hi Mimi, I am vegan, therefore, I don’t use eggs and can’t help you here. 🙂
I have made these several times. They are a family favorite! Delicious and so hearty! Thank you!!!
So glad you love them Candice! 🙂
Best bean burger I’ve ever had!! I halved the recipe since my processor is mini. Didn’t have oats so subbed for cooked quinoa. Air fried the patties at 400 degrees 12 mins with a flip half way. Turned out perfect!! Following for more recipes 🙂
Sounds amazing, Mai! Thanks so much for the air fryer instructions. 🙂
Thank you for sharing! I really enjoyed this recipe. As someone else mentioned, I used 1/2 pumpkin seeds & 1/2 walnuts in place of sunflower seeds based on what I already had. I ate 2 as burgers but then sliced the other 2 to make burritos with refried beans and other fixings. They were delicious too. The possibilities are endless! Yum!
That’s awesome, Chel! I am so glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
These are absolutely the best burgers! Thank you for your awesome recipes. I could not have gone plant-based without them!! I wanted to mention that I’ve made this recipe with and without the vegan egg substitute. Today I tried no “egg” and it was a TOTAL fail! Haha. The “egg” really does hold it all together. I was just looking for a step to omit (laziness!) not worth it!
Thanks so much for your great feedback, Cami. 🙂
Made these exactly as the recipe details and they are sooooo good!
I just bought an air fryer and was wondering if you have an idea of timing and temp to result in the same deliciousness?
Hi Leah, I am so glad you love them! 🙂
As regards the air fryer method, I never tried it, but I would guess 375 degrees F and maybe 20 minutes?
Another wonderful and easy recipe. These are so good! I baked mine; I was out of fresh garlic cloves so I substituted garlic powder.
Happy to hear you liked them, Joanne! Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
How long did you bake them and at what temp?
Hi Jessie, please check the recipe notes. Everything is mentioned there. 🙂
These were delicious! I am 16 years old and made them for my (non-vegan) family, we all enjoyed them and i would make them again 🙂 I left out the onion powder but they still turned out great
Aww, that’s awesome! Your family must be very happy. Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
Dear Ela,
Thank you so very much for this delicious recipe! First I did it few weeks ago and yesterday did double batch. Also I first fried them on a pan and then placed in the oven on grill function. Now I warmed up few for a lunch and I think after staying over night in the fridge, they are even more delicious and in better texture. I am so glad I found your website and decided to try them. I also did your BBQ souce and it is sooo delicious. For almost 2 weeks we ate with my husband the whole jar so next time will make double bach 🙂
For the burgers, I found it easier with my kitchen processor to process separately the beans, the sunflower seeds and oats. The first time it was too dry texture and had to mix it a lot in the processor but separately worked perfect 🙂
Thank you once again!
Thanks so much for your thorough feedback, Nataliya! I am so glad you and your husband enjoyed these burgers and also the BBQ sauce. 🙂
I made these last nigth. They were delicious!
One batch gave me 5 large burgers. I tried dividing into 4 but the patties were too big for my liking.
Thank you so much for the great recipe!!!
You are very welcome, Catherine! I am so glad you liked the burgers. 🙂
Wow-how lovely are these burgers!!!
I turned to a mostly plant based diet eighteen months ago for health reasons(which has helped shed forty kgs) and have tried many store bought veggie patties but… no more! These are now my go to burger choice-simple to make and full of flavour not to mention the texture-perfect!! I’ve made them a couple of times now, switching up the bean combo-(black/butter beans, edamame/chickpeas) .along with tossing the patties in sesame seeds just to add a bit of crunch-yummo! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Wow, that’s amazing, Sue! It sounds like a wonderful journey for you so far. And I am so happy you love this recipe! Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
I’ve been vegan for 10 years. I’ve made countless “burgers” once! Finally!!! This is a keeper!! Thank you
Wow, such a great compliment! Thank you for your awesome feedback dear Val 🙂
Amaziiiing:))) paired them with some oven baked vegetables and your oven baked onion rings. Delicious!!!
Awesome! Happy you enjoyed the burger and the onion rings. Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
Does the 3 TB of chia + water equate to 1 chia egg or 3?
It equals to 3
thank you! I am about to make a triple batch 😀
Sounds awesome! Enjoy! 😀
This recipe is absolutely delicious. I added a couple of tablespoons of italian seasoning & used a mixture of walnuts and pumpkin seeds instead of sunflower seeds. We’ve made it thrice already & we love it! Thanks for such a great recipe 🙂
That’s wonderful, Janani! I am glad you love it. 🙂
Hello Ela, how do you recommend cooking the black beans? Shall i soak it before head or just cook it?
and what should i add to it while cooking?
Do you want to cook dry beans? I recommend using canned beans for convenience as they’re already cooked. But if you use dry beans you should soak them overnight and then cook them preferably in a pressure cooker. I have a recipe for how to cook pinto beans in an Instant Pot but the cooking time should be similar for black beans: https://elavegan.com/instant-pot-refried-beans
If you don’t have a pressure cooker then it will take much longer.
Thank you Ela for your prompt reply.
You are very welcome, Myra. 🙂
What is the sodium percentage for each burger? I plan to make these tonight. Also, can I use canned chickpeas in addition to blackbeans or substitution? Thanks for sharing your recipe
About 1070 mg of sodium if using 3/4 tsp of salt and regular soy sauce. You can use half chickpeas, half black beans. Make sure it’s about 270 g or rinsed and drained beans in total. 🙂
BEST BURGER OUT THERE!!
Ela this is definitely going to be a once a week dinner here 🙂 Really loved the consistency and flavor. Paired with your potato wedges was absolutely amazing!
Thank you!
That’s awesome, Chaya! I am so glad you loved it. Thanks for your amazing feedback. 🙂
Quick and delicious! We are vegan-ish and used an egg instead of the Chia-egg, still turned out great. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Tamara, I am glad you enjoyed the burgers. 🙂
Same here. Did you use just one normal egg to replace the 3 chia eggs? 3 normal ones seems like it would be a lot for the recipe!