Spicy Vegan Black Bean Burger Recipe

By
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
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Updated on 01/4/23
Black bean burgers
nata_vkusidey / Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Commercially-prepared veggie burgers are easy enough to buy at the supermarket, but considering it is simple to make your own, why would you bother with store-bought? When you prepare these black bean burgers yourself, you can make your own flavor combinations, eliminating additives and preservatives. Let's face it—meatless burgers can be quite bland, void of any interesting taste. But by adding a bit of cayenne pepper and hot sauce, you can easily spice up a basic vegetarian and vegan black bean burger patty, maybe even making it the hit of the barbecue. Serve on a bun with your favorite burger toppings and condiments. (If you are vegan and like mayo, choose a vegan mayonnaise variety.)

Ingredients

  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained

  • 1/2 medium onion, diced

  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste

  • 1/2 large red or yellow bell pepper, diced

  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • 1 whole egg egg substitute, such as Ener-G egg replacer

  • 1 cup breadcrumbs

  • Oil, for frying

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Mash the beans in a large bowl and add onion, hot sauce, bell pepper, if using, cayenne pepper, egg substitute, and breadcrumbs. Mix until well combined.

  3. Press firmly to form into 4 patties.

  4. If pan-frying, heat a tablespoon or so of oil in a skillet and lightly fry until a nice outer crust forms. Or, fire up the grill and barbecue your black bean veggie burgers over medium heat.

Tips

  • You can vary the amount of spice in the burger by using more or less hot sauce or cayenne pepper. Since the hot sauce adds a little bit of liquid, be sure to adjust the consistency accordingly. You can also experiment by adding chopped hot chilis to taste.
  • This vegan black bean patty will hold together well enough to grill since it contains an egg replacer to bind the ingredients together, making them a little bit less crumbly than other veggie burger recipes. Ener-G brand egg replacer is recommended, but Bob's Red Mill brand is another good one to try.
  • This recipe uses canned black beans, but if you prefer, you can start with 1 2/3 cup dried beans. You'll need to soak and boil them to get them to the soft, fully-cooked consistency you'll need for this recipe so that they can be easily mashed; and of course, make sure they are well-drained, just like you would need to drain canned beans.
  • Vegetables such as onion can exude liquid, which will make the veggie burger soggy. Before adding the diced onion to the mixture, squeeze it in a paper towel or dish towel to release the juice. If pan-frying, be sure not to overcrowd the skillet or else the burgers will steam and not produce a nice crust.

Additional Veggie Burgers

There are a few ways to make a veggie burger using beans, tofu, potatoes, lentil, carrots, and textured vegetable protein. Tofu veggie burgers are ​quick and easy to make and have a bit of soy sauce for an interesting flavor. ​Made with black beans, carrot, potatoes, corn, and onions, potato veggie burgers are healthy and delicious. Mushroom and bean veggie burgers are full of umami and easy to put together, plus they are gluten-free.​

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
237 Calories
2g Fat
42g Carbs
14g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 237
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 667mg 29%
Total Carbohydrate 42g 15%
Dietary Fiber 9g 33%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 90mg 448%
Calcium 118mg 9%
Iron 4mg 23%
Potassium 578mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)