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Vegan Principles to Last a Lifetime
Recipe
45 min

Vegan Black Bean Burgers

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22 Comments
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Vegan Black Bean Burgers

Using the natural stickiness of black beans and a few extras, we were able to create the perfect black bean burger.

Time

45 min

Yield

Serves 6

Why This Recipe Works

Satisfying black beans seem like a natural base for a hearty vegan burger. We managed to harness the sticking power of the beans' natural starches and, with just a few additions, create a great burger. For a dry binder, we used tortilla chips that we ground in the food processor; their corn flavor added a pleasing Southwestern flair to our burgers, which we enhanced with scallions, fresh cilantro, garlic, ground cumin and coriander, and hot sauce. We pulsed the beans with the chips near the end of processing the chips so the beans maintained some texture. When looking for something other than an egg to pull everything together, we didn't have to go far. Instead of opening a can of chickpeas for the aquafaba, we found that the liquid from the can of black beans we were using provided the necessary cohesion, and the beans were sticky enough to hold together without an additional ingredient. The black bean liquid also boosted the overall flavor of the burgers. We dried the rinsed beans well to ensure we had control over the moisture content of our burgers.

Ingredients

Burger Sauce

¾ cup vegan mayonnaise
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 garlic clove, minced
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper

Bean Burgers

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed, with 6 tablespoons bean liquid reserved
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 scallions, minced
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 ounce tortilla chips, crushed (½ cup)
¼ cup vegetable oil
6 burger buns

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

step 1 imagestep 2 imagestep 3 imagestep 4 image

    Pub-Style Burger Sauce

  1. Whisk all ingredients together in bowl.
    Recipe Tip
    Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

    2. Black Bean Burgers

  2. Line rimmed baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels, spread beans over towels, and let sit for 15 minutes.
  3. Whisk reserved bean liquid and flour in large bowl until well combined and smooth. Stir in scallions; cilantro; garlic; cumin; hot sauce, if using; coriander; salt; and pepper until well combined. Process tortilla chips in food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add black beans and pulse until beans are coarsely ground, about 5 pulses. Transfer bean mixture to bowl with flour mixture and mix until well combined.
  4. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Divide mixture into 6 equal portions and pack firmly into 3½-inch-wide patties.
    Recipe Tip
    Burger mixture can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Patties can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw completely before cooking.
  5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Gently lay 3 patties in skillet and cook until crisp and well browned on first side, about 5 minutes. Gently flip patties, add 1 tablespoon oil, and cook until crisp and well browned on second side, 3 to 5 minutes.
  6. Transfer burgers to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm. Wipe out skillet with paper towels and repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining patties. Transfer to buns and serve.

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Vegan Black Bean Burgers

Recipe By

Published on August 27, 2026

Time

45 min

Yield

Serves 6

Vegan Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients

Burger Sauce

¾ cup vegan mayonnaise2 tablespoons soy sauce1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce1 tablespoon minced fresh chives1 garlic clove, minced¾ teaspoon ground black pepper

Bean Burgers

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed, with 6 tablespoons bean liquid reserved2 tablespoons all-purpose flour4 scallions, minced3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro2 garlic cloves, minced1 teaspoon ground cumin1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)½ teaspoon ground coriander¼ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon pepper1 ounce tortilla chips, crushed (½ cup)¼ cup vegetable oil6 burger buns

Instructions

    Pub-Style Burger Sauce

  1. Whisk all ingredients together in bowl.
    Recipe Tip
    Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

    2. Black Bean Burgers

  2. Line rimmed baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels, spread beans over towels, and let sit for 15 minutes.
  3. Whisk reserved bean liquid and flour in large bowl until well combined and smooth. Stir in scallions; cilantro; garlic; cumin; hot sauce, if using; coriander; salt; and pepper until well combined. Process tortilla chips in food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add black beans and pulse until beans are coarsely ground, about 5 pulses. Transfer bean mixture to bowl with flour mixture and mix until well combined.
  4. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Divide mixture into 6 equal portions and pack firmly into 3½-inch-wide patties.
    Recipe Tip
    Burger mixture can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Patties can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw completely before cooking.
  5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Gently lay 3 patties in skillet and cook until crisp and well browned on first side, about 5 minutes. Gently flip patties, add 1 tablespoon oil, and cook until crisp and well browned on second side, 3 to 5 minutes.
  6. Transfer burgers to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm. Wipe out skillet with paper towels and repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining patties. Transfer to buns and serve.
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