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Simple Black Bean Burger

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Vegan and oil-free, these simple black bean burgers are made with only 8 ingredients and can be on your plate in about 30 minutes. Gluten-free option, too!

Simple Black Bean Burger

Let’s face it: When you follow a plant-based whole foods diet, there are some things you miss. I’m not talking about rich desserts and fried snacks. What I sometimes miss is the convenience of packaged foods, especially the ease of pulling a veggie burger out of the freezer and cooking it in the microwave in under two minutes. That’s why I decided to create a faster, easier black bean burger.

Maybe I shouldn’t be confessing this on my food blog, but the older I get, the less time I want to spend cooking. Often, it’s just a mental hurdle—once I decide what I want to make and get into the kitchen, I enjoy putting a meal together, especially if my husband is available to help with the chopping.

But for some reason, not having a child around to cook for has made me less eager to spend more than about 30 minutes on meal preparation. Maybe I’m just getting old; maybe I miss daughter E’s critical palate. Who knows? The upside is since she went away to college, I’m creating more Ridiculously Easy recipes for those of you who feel the same way about cooking. Like this recipe for 8-ingredient black bean burgers (7 if you skip the corn.)

Simple Black Bean Burger

I have lots of incredible burgers in my archives, but all of them require some vegetable chopping or cooking some ingredients in advance. My African-Inspired Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers, for instance, are amazing, if I do say so, but they require cooking sweet potatoes and chopping 4 different vegetables.

Instead of all that chopping, this easy black bean burger uses prepared salsa and just a few potent seasonings to create a burger that is firm yet moist, simple yet flavorful, in the least amount of time possible. I start by slightly grinding regular oatmeal so that some of it becomes powdery, helping the burgers stick together without added thickeners like flour or cornstarch.

I’ve made these burgers twice now—first on the bake setting and then on the air fryer setting on my Breville Smart Oven Air—and they came out equally well both baked and air-fried.  Since all of the ingredients are already cooked (or don’t require cooking, like oats and corn), they only need to be cooked long enough to crisp up the exterior and warm the interior; letting them “meld” in the fridge for at least 15 minutes insures that they will hold together.

Simple Black Bean Burger

The first time I made these chipotle-flavored black bean burgers, I skipped the usual condiments and topped them with Green Tomato Pepper Butter, a tangy sweet-sour sauce that brought out their spiciness. (Check out the recipe plus a photo of our new puppy!)

The second time, I treated them like regular old burgers and topped them with ketchup and mustard. I think you’ll love them with whatever condiments you use.

P.S. I made the oil-free fries in my little Phillips air fryer, making this a two air fryer meal. I simply cut thin fries (I use a food processor) from Yukon gold potatoes, toss them with about a tablespoon of aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas) and some seasonings. Then I air fry at 360F for 18 minutes, tossing and stirring every 6 minutes.

Simple Black Bean Burger
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Simple Black Bean Burger

Gluten Free
Nut Free
Soy Free
Sugar Free
The chipotle chile powder gives these burgers smokiness with an edge of spiciness. If you'd rather them not be spicy, substitute mild smoked paprika.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6
Author Susan Voisin

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups rolled oats (old fashioned oats) (use certified gluten-free oats to assure that the burgers are gluten-free)
  • 16 ounces black beans (1 can, well drained)
  • 3/4 cup salsa
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari or 1/2 teaspoon salt, for gluten free)
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons mild chili powder
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (more or less, to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen and thawed) optional

Instructions

  • Place the oats in a food processor fitted with an S-blade and pulse 5 or 6 times until they are partially chopped (some will be powder, some will be whole.) Add all ingredients except the corn and pulse until most of the beans are blended.
  • Pour bean mixture into a bowl and stir in the corn. Cover and refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Form bean mixture into six patties using a scant 1/2 cup for each. Bake for 20-30 minutes, being careful not to overcook and dry them out. They're done when the outside is beginning to get crispy and they hold together well.

Air Fryer Cooking Instructions

  • Preheat the air fryer to around 375F. Place the burgers in a single layer and air fry until slightly crispy on the outside, about 15 minutes. (They have a tendency to stick, so consider using perforated parchment paper underneath them.)
    Simple Black Bean Burgers in Breville Air Fryer

Notes

These are easy to freeze either baked or unbaked. Just shape the burgers and wrap them tightly to store in the freezer for about 3 months. Thaw unbaked burgers well before cooking.
Each burger is 2 Weight Watchers Smart points.
Nutrition Facts
Simple Black Bean Burger
Amount Per Serving (1 burger)
Calories 158 Calories from Fat 12
% Daily Value*
Fat 1.3g2%
Sodium 690mg30%
Potassium 351mg10%
Carbohydrates 30g10%
Fiber 9g38%
Sugar 2.7g3%
Protein 8g16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional info is approximate.

Have you made this recipe?Mention @SusanFFVK and tag #fatfreevegankitchen in your photos on Instagram.
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Enjoy!

Susan

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Vegan and oil-free, these simple black bean burgers are made with only 8 ingredients and can be on your plate in about 30 minutes. Gluten-free option, too!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  5. Jaimie

    Thank you Susan! I was just thumbing through my veggie burger cookbook, wrinkling my nose at some of the outlandish ingredients! This simple burger will be on our table tonight. I have come to appreciate your real food, real family recipes and really enjoy subscribing to your newsletter! I will be looking through your index planning our Thanksgiving meal this week. Hmm, I am hungry already! When can we expect YOUR cookbook? 😉

    Reply

  7. Ruth Sandin

    I have been looking for an easier, veggie burger recipe. I am glad that I subscribe to your news letter! My 5 year vegan anniversary was yesterday. You were one of the first sites I subscribed to. Your Cauliflower Dal with Panch Phoran was (and still is) a favorite recipe to turn people from the dark side! 😉 I make it for people then give them some seasoning so they can make it at home. Thanks, Susan.

    Reply

  9. Janice Goldstein

    These burgers look delicious. Will try them this week. Love your blog. I have subscribed to your newsletter for quite a while.

    Reply

  10. Deb Weston

    This recipe looks great. I’ve been wanting a good burger and am looking forward to making this. I subscribe to your newsletter. Deb

    Reply

  12. Ruth

    I subscribe to your news letter and love it. Looking forward to trying this yummy looking burger! You introduced me to Mcdougall btw and my wfpb life began many years ago! Thank you

    Reply

  15. Sue

    I subscribe to your newsletter. And I’ll be making these black bean burgers for dinner tonight! Thank you for sharing your work with us.

    Reply

  18. Danielle

    I subscribe to your newsletter and already follow you on Facebook. 🙂

    I like this recipe a lot. I’ll tweak it to my tastes because I’ve found out that oatmeal REALLY bothers my digestive system. I’ll probably sub with a mixture of short-grain rice and quinoa, as I’ve found that mixture works well in other recipes like lentil loaves and other burger recipes that call for oatmeal to bind. And I may freeze them because I really do want a burger I can pull out of the freezer and reheat in a few minutes. Sometimes we all have those days, right?

    Reply

  22. Deb Schick

    Hi Susan,

    I’m a follower of yours…love access to all your recipes.

    Please enter me in the draw for your book give away.

    Thank you & have a great day!

    Reply

  25. Christineh

    I subscribe to your blog. I am always on the lookout for new and easy healthy vegan recipes. This is one of the best places to find them.

    Reply

  29. Chris D.

    I subscribe to your newsletter.
    I have followed your blog from it’s inception. Thank you for all the time & effort you put into it. It’s my favorite blog!

    Reply

  30. Elissa Ward

    Susan, a friend gifted me with an inexpensive air fryer, which I enjoy but I am thinking about replacing my microwave (it is really old) with the Breville Pro Air. What so you think about it? Would you buy it again or stick with a traditional air fryer like your Phillips? Do you prefer one over the other?

    Have you done a blog about this subject?

    Reply

    • Susan Voisin

      I like the Beville Air more than my regular air fryer, but I use it for so much more than air frying. I do all my baking in it (it’s more reliable than my old oven) and use it for toasting bread. Since it’s so big, it’s slower to heat up and cook than an air fryer (and much slower than a microwave). But it holds a LOT; my air fryer is too small to do fries for more than two people. So it really depends on how much you think you’ll use it. I would say it’s too expensive for JUST an air fryer but perfect if you need an oven.

      Reply

  32. liv

    thanks for this! I’ve been on a bit of a veggie burger kick lately and have started compiling a list of favorites. this one is not only simple but made entirely of things I always have on hand. tomorrow’s lunch dilemma is solved!
    also, I subscribe to your newsletter.

    Reply

  38. Elsa Thompson

    Hi, Susan, I subscribe to your newsletter. I don’t use facebook anymore so I am thrilled that you send me the email newsletter! Guess why I am commenting (smile) !!!

    Reply

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