These baked Black Bean Burgers are easy to make, hold their shape and don't fall apart, and have a moist texture! Using soy sauce and olive oil in the mixture adds umami and juiciness normally lacking in veggie burgers. You can make these ahead of time for easy lunches or dinners all week or stash in the freezer for later! Don't be alarmed by the wet mixture - they'll firm up as they bake.
a few dashes hot sauceoptional, depending on spice level preference
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the food processor. Process for a few seconds until everything is very finely minced (no need to pre-chop any of these ingredients).
Add half of the drained and rinsed black beans (shake off as much water as you can from them!), the eggs (2), breadcrumbs (1 cup), olive oil (2 tablespoons), ground cumin (1 teaspoon), chili powder (1 teaspoon), smoked paprika (¼ teaspoon), soy sauce (2 tablespoons), black pepper (½ teaspoon), and hot sauce, if using. Pulse until everything is well combined (but not completely pulverized).
Add the remaining half of the drained and rinsed black beans to the food processor and pulse only a few times, until some of those beans are mashed but some remain whole.
Form patties out of the mixture and place on the parchment- lined baking sheet. (The mixture will be quite wet, but you should still be able to gently form patties with your hand. If it's too wet to do this, you can refrigerate it for a while - as it cools and the breadcrumbs absorb the moisture, it will firm up. In addition, you can add more breadcrumbs if needed.)I used a ½ cup measure to measure equal portions of the mixture (8-10 patties). You can do ⅓ for more patties if you like. Because the mixture is fairly wet, once you place the patties on the baking sheet, they are there for good - it would be very difficult to move them and have them keep their shape - so make sure you plan ahead with spacing or use two baking sheets!
Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes. I recommend flipping once halfway through cooking, but that's not 100% necessary.
At this point, you can store the patties in your refrigerator or freezer for later (see notes on freezer directions) after they've cooled a bit. You can eat them as is. Or, you can move on to the next step.
Optional, but highly recommended: heat two tablespoons olive oil in a heavy skillet. Sear the patties on each side until browned and crispy. After you flip them, you can add a slice of cheese to melt on top if you like. See notes for directions on searing depending on starting temperature.
Serve the burgers however you like. I like spreading mayo and hot sauce on a bun, adding arugula, sliced red onion, and tomato to the black bean burger patty. See notes for other ideas.
Notes
If you don't have a food processor, I recommend very finely chopping the onion, pepper, and garlic (or grating them on a box grater). Add to a bowl, add remaining ingredients, and use a potato masher to mash to a consistency that allows some of the beans to remain whole.
Spices: this recipe is flexible. Feel free to experiment with what you have in your pantry or omit anything listed!
Refrigerate patties for later: allow the patties to cool for a while after baking. Then remove to an airtight container and store in your fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Freeze patties for later: allow the patties to cool for a while on the baking sheet. Then, place the baking sheet directly in the freezer to flash freeze the patties until they are solid, for about 30 minutes to an hour. Remove the patties and place in a zip top bag or airtight container and place in the freezer.
To sear in the skillet: The time and temperature will vary based on starting temperature of the patty. Directly after baking while they are still warm: sear on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes per side. Cold from the refrigerator: sear on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes per side, so the inside warms up enough. Directly from the freezer: sear on medium-low or low heat for 5ish minutes on each side, so the inside completely defrosts and warms up without burning the outside. You can also cover the skillet to trap in the warmth to speed things up.
Serving black bean burgers: Serve as you normally would any burger - on a bun with fixings. Or top with a fried egg for brunch or brinner, slice and add to a salad, crumble and add to tacos... get creative!
Make them gluten-free: use gluten-free soy sauce alternative (like tamari or coconut aminos) and gluten-free breadcrumbs or quick oats.
Make them vegan: While I haven’t personally tried it, I’ve heard that you can use a flax or chia egg or mashed sweet potatoes in veggie burgers in place of eggs.