These Easy Vegan Black Bean Burgers only require a few ingredients but pack the flavor and hold together beautifully. You can even grill them!
*This post was originally published on Dec. 16, 2014. I’ve updated it with new photos and text.
Summer is coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean veggie burger season is over! These Easy Vegan Black Bean Burgers are so good that we make them all year round. You only need a few simple ingredients, but they’re packed with flavor and hold together nicely.
It can be tough to get a homemade veggie burger to have good texture. Some are too soft, and some are too crumbly. These vegan black bean burgers are perfectly soft but hold their shape. And they’ve been approved by vegans and meat-eaters alike!
Why Your Body Will Love These Quinoa and Bean Burgers
- Protein – Quinoa is an excellent protein source vital for muscle health and satiety. It contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.
- Digestive Health – Quinoa is a great source of fiber, helping us feel full longer, smoothing the digestive process, and carrying toxins out of our systems. Beans are high in insoluble fiber, which helps bulk up the digestive system and prevent constipation. The fiber in beans also acts as a prebiotic that feeds the good bacteria in the large intestine and carries out toxins.
- Blood Sugar Regulation – Beans, high in fiber as well as protein, have a glycemic index. This means they digest slowly and don’t cause blood sugar levels to spike or rise too quickly. This makes beans a healthy choice for people with diabetes who need to control their blood sugar levels more.
What You’ll Need To Make These Vegan Burgers
- Quinoa – I use cooked quinoa in my burgers because I like the taste and texture, and it’s quick and easy to make. You can, however, use your favorite cooked grain.
- Black Beans – I just use one can of black beans and it’s super easy! If using homemade, use 1 1/2 cups.
- Salsa – I use chunky salsa because it adds flavor, makes them nice and moist, and is an easy shortcut to add a few veggies in there without having to cook them!
- Breadcrumbs – I used Panko crumbs, but any breadcrumb will work, even gluten-free.
- Spices – The spices help give these burgers a great flavor. I use cumin, paprika, smoked paprika, garlic, and onion powder. The smoked paprika gives them a nice off-the-grill flavor.
How To Make These Vegan Veggie Patties
As the name states, these are really easy to make. There are just a few steps:
- Add all ingredients to a food processor. Process for 45-60 seconds until all ingredients are blended together but still a little bit chunky.
- Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized bowl and refrigerate for about ten minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and form the mixture into patties. Depending on the size you make them, you will get about 4-6 patties. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and place the black bean burgers on it. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and coat the bottom with olive oil. Cook the burgers on each side for 3-5 minutes until crisp and hot. Top with your favorite burger toppings and enjoy!
Veggie Burger Frequently Asked Questions
- Can you grill them? Yes! If grilling, I recommend forming them into patties and then chilling them in the refrigerator for an hour or so to ensure they hold together well on the grill.
- Can I use rice instead of quinoa? You can! Any cooked grain will work well.
- Mine are falling apart. What did I do wrong? If you followed the recipe exactly and they’re still falling apart, I suggest adding a little more salsa and breadcrumbs and chilling the mixture for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
- Can I add extra veggies to my black bean burgers? Yes! Just watch the texture and add extra breadcrumbs or salsa if needed.
- Can I use a bean other than black beans? Yes, any kind of bean will work in these burgers.
- What should I top them with? I like to go Southwestern with my toppings since the burgers have a Southwest flavor, but anything you like is good! I like lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, jalapeños, ketchup, mustard, cheese, etc.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comments, and I’ll get back to you ASAP.
See Exactly How I Make These Veggie Burgers Below
Easy Vegan Black Bean Burgers
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These vegan black bean burgers are so easy to make and full of flavor!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1–15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained (or about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/3 cup chunky salsa
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- Olive oil, for browning burgers
- 6 hamburger buns, gluten free if necessary
- Optional toppings
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor. Process for 45-60 seconds, until all ingredients are blended together, but still a little bit chunky. Transfer mixture to a medium sized bowl and refrigerate for about ten minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and form mixture into patties. You will get about 4-6 patties, depending on the size you make them. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and place black bean burgers on. Refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and coat the bottom with olive oil. Cook the burgers for about 3-5 minutes on each side, until crisp and heated through. Top with your favorite burger toppings and enjoy!
Notes
If grilling these burgers, refrigerator for an hour before placing on the grill
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Category: Dinner, Vegan
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
What do you think about baking these burgers in the oven? How long would I bake them?
Also, can nutritional yeast be added to this recipe without changing the consistency?
Hi Julie, Yes, I think it would work great to bake them! I would probably set the oven temp at 400 and bake for 10-15 minutes each side, just keep an eye on them. It depends on how much nutritional yeast you would add, but if you just do a tablespoon or two, then that shouldn’t change the consistency too much. If it looks a little dry, try adding extra salsa. I hope that helps!
Wow. They are great. I wish they were served at cafes. I am not a vegan, but I don’t eat meat except chicken, so I am so grateful for the recipe.
So glad you enjoyed them!
This sounds good but too many carbs for my liking. Am wondering if using egg would substitute for the Panko?
Am wondering what else could be used for a binder? How would chia seed work?
I’ve made this recipe several time during the COVID-19 quarantine and it will continue to be on the menu. It’s excellent!
So glad you like them!!
This sounds like a great and easy recipe… Couple of questions: 1) is red or white quinoa supposed to be used? 2) can mushrooms be added to this? and if yes, how!
You can use either kind of quinoa, I used white though. Sure you can add mushrooms! I would just roughly chop them and then add them to the food processor with all the other ingredients.
Just making these yet again, and figured I would hit that 5 star button this time. Thanks!
Thank you so much!!!
Made these tonight. They came out AMAZING!!!!!!! My husband and 17 year old twin boys LOVED them-as did I!!!!! Following you for more yummy recipes!!!!
Awesome!! So glad you all enjoyed them! 🙂
Hi! Could you please let me know if there is an option to make these without bread crumbs? We cannot use them in any form here…. oatmeal or something-?? Thanks!
Kindly email me :))
Yes, you can ground up oats and use those or even ground up nuts if you can eat those 🙂
Could I use the same amount of BBQ sauce instead of salsa? I have run out before my weekly shopping trip and was planning on making these tonight?
That should work just fine!
So delicious and easy to make. I’ve been vegan 10 weeks and I miss things I never liked before: mac n cheese, chicken fingers and cheeseburgers. What? This was amazing and fed the crave of a burger and makes me feel good after eating it. So good. My non vegan kids are loving it. 14, 21 and 23.
That’s so awesome to hear! I’m glad everyone enjoyed them 🙂
Ok, so made these for my vegetarian daughter and when she said they were really good, I asked how did they rate with the other black bean veggie burgers out there? Her answer-AT THE TOP! Great job! We all loved them and plan on making them again next week already!
That’s awesome to hear!! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them!
Great recipe! Enjoyed them very much.
Awesome! Thank you!
I cannot believe that I had a family of four, including one 8 year-old very-picky eater rave about these.
Yah!! That’s so nice to hear! 🙂
This is my new favorite vegan black bean burger recipe. VERY tasty, but not complicated or time intensive. It’s mom & kid approved. My omnivorous husband is going to love these I bet!
Yah! That is so great to hear!!
We used a tin of chickpeas instead, having used the last of the black beans in a veg chilli. I have to say, I didn’t expect the burgers to taste so amazing 🙂 The kids soon stopped complaining about there being no meat in the burgers haha!
I didn’t have time to stick them in the fridge but they held together well in the pan. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad to hear you and your family enjoyed them! And that they were still great with the chickpeas! 🙂
Does the mixture hold together well enough that the patties might be grillable? We are on a quest for veggie burgers that will hold together on the grill.
Hi Jessica, I have grilled the before but you have to make sure the grill is oiled up so that the burgers don’t stick and then have a tendency to fall apart more. I’d also probably refrigerate them for at least an hour beforehand to make sure they’re pretty firm. Good luck!
MMMMM This burger was hands down the easiest and tastiest burger I have made as a vegan! I used Bob’s egg replacer in it so it stays together better. Absolutely a keeper! Especially with dill sprinkled on top!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Holly! I love the idea of dill on top, that sounds delicious! 🙂
Oh it was. Dill is one of my favorite spices along with smoked paprika. I put the smoked paprika on top of my vegan deviled potatoes 🙂 .