The Best Vegan Black Bean Burgers
A black bean burger recipe to make again and again! Thick, hearty, totally packed full of flavor and you can make them on the stove, in the oven, or on the grill. Enjoy them on a burger bun with all the toppings, rolled into a wrap, or chopped up over a salad. There is no wrong way to enjoy these.
No dairy, no eggs, and no nuts in this recipe! Gluten free instructions and variations included.
Being vegetarian and vegan for so long, I’ve come to expect a lot of out a veggie burger. I’ve made them at home, had them in restaurants, and tried out just about every store bought brand.
My main problem with them always came down to two problems: First, they were crumbly and fell apart. Second, they were overly mushy and had no flavor.
For years I’ve been tweaking this recipe and a few weeks ago, I feel like I really cracked the code. I’ve been making them weekly for a few months now to tweak and perfect it and now, I’m ready to share this current dinner rotation with you.!
What’s awesome about this recipe is that you can cook it any way you like. I’ve made these burgers on the stove top, in the oven, and even on the grill. And they freeze so well, you can made a double batch and save them for an easy dinner any time.
Of course, no burger is complete without some awesome sides. Check out my recipes for a lemon potato salad, summer street corn salad, or my family favorite stove top brown sugar baked beans.
I hope you love these black bean burgers as much as my family and I do!
Ingredients
There are a few things that really make this recipe work. So let’s break it down.
- Vital wheat gluten: Gluten is the protein in wheat flours that gives dough its stretch and holds things together. Vital wheat gluten is a super concentrated flour of this protein that helps to hold the burgers together and gives them their meaty, toothsome texture. I purchased my bag of Bob’s Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten at Whole Foods, but I also recommend the Anthony’s brand.
- Onion: I’ve made this with red onion, sweet onion, and a yellow onion. The sweet onion and red onion are my personal favorite, but any onion works great.
- Spices: You can add more or less chili powder depending on your spice tolerance.
Substitutions
Gluten free: You can make these burgers if you are gluten free! The big things you need to swap out are the vital wheat gluten and the bread crumbs. For that, I’ve had the best results with using King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour blend to replace the wheat gluten (use an equal amount) .
To replace the bread crumbs you have a few options.
First, use your favorite brand of store bough bread crumbs. There are a few brands out there, just be aware that a lot of them contain eggs if you are avoiding eggs.
Next, you can make your own with your favorite slices of gluten free bread. Dry them out in the toaster and then crumble them into homemade bread crumbs.
Or, you can use tortilla chips in place of breadcrumbs. Use your favorite tortilla chips and crush them up into crumbs and use them as directed.
Finally, if you have gluten free rice crispy cereal, you can use those in place of bread crumbs.
Variations
There are so many ways to jazz up your black bean burger. Here are some of my favorite combinations:
- Classic Americana: A burger on a bun with lettuce, tomato slices, onions, and pickles. Don’t forget the ketchup and yellow mustard!
- Southwestern: A burger on a bun with salsa, guacamole, cilantro sour cream, and a drizzle of lime juice.
- Mushroom and Onion: Sauté some sliced mushrooms and onions in a pat of vegan butter until the onions are soft and translucent. Place on top of the burger with a toasted bun.
- Hawaiian Burgers: Add a thick slice of grilled pineapple on top of the burger before covering in a teriyaki bbq sauce. A vegan brioche bun is best, however, any toasted bun is good.
- Teriyaki BBQ Sauce: 1/2 cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder, sprinkle of sesame seeds
Instructions
Step One: Mash the beans
Drain and rinse the black beans. Using a fork or a potato masher, mash the beans so that no whole beans remain, but don’t totally pulverize them in a food processor. You want to have a little texture.
Step Two: Add the remaining ingredients
Add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl. Mix well with a spatula before switching to your hands and kneading the dough together. The kneading is what activates the vital wheat gluten and gives the burgers their texture. Knead for about one minute.
Step Three: Divide and shape the burgers
Divide the dough into either 4 or 6 equal pieces. Shape them into patties and place on parchment paper for easy transfer.
Step Four: Cook
There are a few different methods for cooking these burgers: Stove top (my preferred method), baked in the oven, or on the grill!
- Stove Top: Place in an oiled pan and cook, covered, for about 5 minutes a side.
- In the Oven: Place patties on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 375F/190C for about 20 minutes, flipping half way through baking.
- On the Grill: Preheat the grill to about 400F/205C and grill on oiled aluminum sheets for about 4 minutes a side.
How to Store
Fridge: Keep any leftover burgers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer: These freeze beautifully! After cooking and cooling, place the burgers in a freezer safe bag or container with sheets of parchment paper in between each burger so they don’t stick. Can be frozen for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat: Reheat in the oven set to 350F/180C for 25 to 30 minutes on a parchment lined baking sheet, flipping half way. You can also warm these in the microwave, wrapping loosely in a damp paper towel, heating in intervals of 30 seconds until warmed through. Mine take about 90 seconds total to be warmed up. Careful! It’s hot!
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Equipment
- Mixing bowls and spoons
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Skillet or grill
- Spatula
- Parchment paper optional but recommended
- Olive oil for cooking, about 2 tablespoons
Ingredients
- 2 cups black beans cooked (1 15 oz can)
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste or ketchup
- 2 cloves garlic mashed or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 cup water
- Buns of choice
- Toppings of choice see below for tons of variation ideas
Instructions
- Mash the beans and chop the onion. In a mixing bowl with a fork, mash the drained and rinsed black beans. You don’t want to totally puree them, just get them mashed so that you don’t have any full beans left but some half beans are okay. Chop the onion into small bits, rinsing the chopped onions under cool water for a minute to remove some of the sulfur if you are sensitive to onions.
- Add the ingredients. Add the wheat gluten, bread crumbs, chili powder, cumin, garlic, onion powder, paprika, tomato paste, onion, and water. Mix it all together with a spatula, though I find that switching to my hands and kneading it to activate the gluten works best. Knead for about a minute until a black bean dough forms.
- Shape. Using your hands, divide the burger mixture into 4 or 6 equal pieces. 6 pieces will make about a quarter-pound burger patty each. Roll each piece into a firm ball and using your palm, press into a patty. Place each on parchment paper for easy transfer.
- Cook on the stovetop: In a flat bottomed pan or skillet, pour a thin layer of oil into the pan. Cook the patties for about 5 minutes on each side. Pour a little more oil before flipping to cook the other side for an additional 5 minutes. Once cooked, the patties should be firm when pressed with a spatula and nicely browned on each side. Serve warm on buns with any toppings you like. Enjoy!
- Cook on the grill: Place patties on either a grill pan or on oiled aluminum foil. Grill at 400F/205C for about 4 to 5 minutes each side. Each grill is different so make sure to watch yours. Serve warm on buns with any toppings you like. Enjoy!
- Cook in the oven: Place the patties on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 375F/190C for 10 minutes before flipping the burgers and baking for an additional 10 minutes, for a total of 20 to 25 minutes, depending on your oven. Serve warm on buns with any toppings you like. Enjoy!
Notes
- Classic Americana: A burger on a bun with lettuce, tomato slices, onions, and pickles. Don’t forget the ketchup and yellow mustard!
- Southwestern: A burger on a bun with salsa, guacamole, cilantro sour cream, and a drizzle of lime juice.
- Mushroom and Onion: Sauté some sliced mushrooms and onions in a pat of vegan butter until the onions are soft and translucent. Place on top of the burger with a toasted bun.
-
Hawaiian Burgers: Add a thick slice of grilled pineapple on top of the burger before covering in a teriyaki bbq sauce.
- Teriyaki BBQ Sauce: 1/2 cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder, sprinkle of sesame seeds
Nutrition
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