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The BEST Black Bean Burger is made with fresh ingredients and is totally FOOL PROOF. This healthy recipe is fast and easy for a quick dinner idea.

These black bean veggie burgers go great with just about any side dish. I love to serve them with quinoa salad, traditional potato salad, or a simple broccoli salad.

The BEST Black Bean Burger

Name: The BEST Black Bean Burger
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 5
Ingredients: 15 ounce can black beans (, drained and rinsed); 1/2 green bell pepper; 1/2 small onion; 2 cloves garlic (, peeled); 1 large egg (, beaten (*see note below)); 2/3 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs; 1 Tablespoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon cumin; salt and freshly ground black pepper (, to taste); 1 cup mayonnaise; 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce; 1 Tablespoon adobo sauce ((from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)); 2 teaspoons lime juice; salt and freshly ground black pepper; hamburger buns; desired burger toppings: lettuce, tomato, etc.

If you’re like me, you may have tried veggie burgers in the past that were tasteless or didn’t hold together. Well, this black bean burger will be your happy relief! It’s packed full of flavor, holds together perfectly and is super easy to grill.

These amazing homemade black bean burgers have been a huge family favorite ever since I first made them over 6 years ago! They are on my go-to list of easy recipes that can be thrown together in less than 30 minutes.

My kids LOVE them, and even my meat-loving husband will happily eat these instead of a ground beef patty, which begs the question, are these healthy?

Are black bean burgers good for you?

These black bean burgers are much healthier than a traditional hamburger (especially one you might get at a restaurant). Black bean burgers are packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals but are MUCH lower in fat and cholesterol than a traditional ground beef burger.

For example, the “Big Carl Burger” from Carl’s Junior contains 920 calories (with 58 grams of fat and 140 grams of cholesterol) where these black bean burgers contain 431 calories (with 15 grams of fat and 49 grams of cholesterol). AND, event though they are meatless, you still get about 12 grams of protein in each black bean burger patty!

Ingredients in Black Bean Burgers:

black beans
bell pepper
onion
egg
whole wheat bread crumbs
spices

How to make the Best Black Bean Burger:

Rinse and drain black beans. Blot them with a paper towel to remove any extra moisture. Placethe black beans in a large bowl and mash well with a fork.
In a food processor:Place the bell pepper, onion and garlic in a food processor and process until finely minced. Transfer mixture to a fine mesh strainer to remove the excess water. (Remove as much moisture as you can–if it’s too wet, the burger wont hold together as well.)
Combine ingredients. Add the strained vegetable mixture to the bowl with the black beans. Add the chili powder, cumin and salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add beaten egg and mix. Stir in bread crumbs.
Form patties. Make the mixture into 4 or 5 patties.
Grill or bake. Grill the burgers on a well oiled grill for about 4-5 minutes on each side. Bake them at 375 degrees F on a lightly oiled baking sheet, for 10 minutes on each side.

Expert tips for perfect Black Bean Burgers:

1. How to make sure black bean burgers stick together

To insure that the black bean burgers don’t fall apart, take extra care to remove as much liquid from the pureed vegetables as possible. After pureeing the bell pepper and onion, strain the mixture really well. The egg and breadcrumbs then will work as the binder to hold the mashed black beans and veggies together.

2. If you decide to grill them, make sure your grill is well greased.

We don’t want the black bean burgers to stick to the grill when you try to flip them, so be sure to use cooking spray or oil your grill with a brush before cooking them.

3. Make black bean burgers in advance.

For a stress-free dinner, make these black bean burgers ahead of time and cover them well in the fridge before baking. They also freeze really well! I lay them flat inside a resealable freezer bag. Place a piece of parchment paper between them if you stack them.

When you’re ready to grill them you can cook them from frozen or let them come to room temperature in your fridge.

Black Bean Burger Topping Ideas:

chipotle mayo
lettuce
tomatoes
cheese
avocado
onion
pickles
jalapeños

Consider serving Black Bean Burgers with:

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