Recipe: The Best Black Bean Burgers

One day in the early summer of 2020, we were craving black bean burgers. I found this recipe from The Stay At Home Chef and they were absolutely phenomenal! Literally the best black bean burger we’ve ever had!

I made a couple of modifications to the original recipe, including adding brown rice and using panko breadcrumbs.

Watch Rachel’s step-by-step video on YouTube.

Makes six burgers.

Ingredients

• ½ large red onion, quartered
• 2-3 whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• 2 15 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 1½ tsp. ground cumin
• ¼ tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup brown rice

Step by Step

Step 1

Cook the brown rice according to the package directions. If you have a rice cooker, you can cook the ½ cup of brown rice in 1 cup water with a pinch of salt.

Step 2

Place the onion, chipotle peppers, and garlic into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add in the black beans, brown rice, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Pulse until the black beans are chopped and the texture is smooth but still a little chunky. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Step 3

Stir in the panko breadcrumbs and eggs until well combined.

Step 4

Divide up the mixture to form 6 patties. We do this using a food scale (Etekcity Large Food Scale Digital Kitchen Weight Grams and Ounces for Baking and Cooking Stainless Steel, Blue Display) and these 4-inch ring molds ((Pack of 2) Round Ring Mold. Stainless Steel (4" D x 0.75"H) Heavy Gauge).

Step 5

When ready to cook, choose one of the following options:

• GRILL: Cook on a well-oiled outdoor grill for 5 minutes each side.
• BAKED: Bake in a 400° oven for 5 minutes each side.
• AIR FRIED: Preheat air fryer to 375°. Lightly spray the inside basket with oil. Cook for a total of 10 minutes, flipping once.
• SKILLET: Heat a lightly oiled skillet to medium-high heat. Cook for 5 minutes on each side.

If you don’t plan on eating all of the burgers, you can freeze them individually in Ziploc bags. To cook from frozen, use the grill, bake, or skillet methods and increase the cook time to 20 minutes, flipping every 5 minutes. To air fry from frozen, preheat air fryer to 400°. Lightly spray the inside basket with oil. Cook for a total of 12 minutes, flipping once.

Step 6

Serve on a bun with your favorite toppings. We love serving ours on a toasted brioche bun with pepperjack cheese, fresh bibb lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced avocado, sliced fresh jalapeño, and Bon Appétit’s Special Sauce. 

Download the one-page recipe PDF