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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
4.86 from 147 votes
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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

  17. Sharla

    Love your recipes, Susan! I’ve been following you for several years now on Facebook and I receive your Newsletter. Can’t wait to try your Black Bean Burgers!

    Reply

  24. Patricia Giannelia

    Hello Susan;
    I am one of the rare ones that pretty much only reads your newsletter/blog/website. I would love to be included in the giveaway.

    I have a question about air fryers – you mentioned the Breville and the Phillips, and then in the picture was a wire rack. Is it possible to use absolutely no oil in an air fryer? And with the rack – I bought one and tried it out, making regular white potato fries. They cooked for ages, and were still not that great. Is there something I am not ‘getting’ about how they are to be used?

    thanks,

    Patricia

    Reply

    • Susan Voisin

      Hi Patricia, thanks for reading my blog! The photo of the burgers was taken on the air frying rack that comes with the Breville. It’s probably similar to those you can buy individually, but it works in conjunction with the high powered convection fan in the Breville, which does seem to result in better oil-free fries than in a regular oven. However, there are some caveats. First, to anyone who is used to the taste of fried fries (ha!), air fried without oil does not taste the same. The texture is just different; the crispiness is different. And if you let them sit for long after cooking, they lose any crispness. (Some people may argue with me about this, but I’m just being honest; air fried food isn’t the same as fried.) Second, I find air fries are best when they’re cut very thin; thicker takes too long to get the inside cooked unless you pre-boil them. I have a French Fry disk on my food processor that works very well for cutting thin, uniform fries. As for no oil, some things do tend to stick to the mesh without any oil, but preheating the rack minimizes sticking. Some people use perforated parchment paper in the air fryer, but the one time I tried it I didn’t like the results.

      Reply

  31. nina cardenas

    Love to see what recipe you share on my email. It’s always tempting and now that it is cooler, I want to bake some things.
    I see your recipe for the veggie burger, but I do not like the taste of black beans. May I use white, cannelini beans, or garbanzos since they are a milder taste ? Also, coconut aminos are healthier than soy sauce, though not as pronounced, would that substitution be all right ?
    I am rating the recipe at 5 stars (have not done it yet) for simple prep ! I do not try long drawn-out recipes. This one interests me because of the simplicity. I do about four church potlucks a month and I need simple, tasty recipes.

    Reply

    • Susan Voisin

      I think it would taste great with any of those beans. (It might not stick together as well with garbanzos unless you blend it well.) Coconut aminos are a good substitute for soy sauce. I hope you enjoy it! (That’s a lot of potlucks!)

      Reply

  33. Naomi

    My daughter is vegan, and I frequently make vegan meals for myself, too. Thanks for the great recipes–I subscribe to your newsletter!

    Reply

  36. Carole W Kiekhaefer

    Tried the Simple Black Bean Burger tonight. Love it!! It’s now in the recipe file.
    I do subscribe to your newsletter too.

    Reply

  38. Judy

    Hi Susan, I’m a long time subscriber ! This looks delicious, minus the corn, Wonder how it will taste with chickpeas. or pinto beans? Have you ever experimented with a different bean? We are not big fans of black beans. I make a veggie burger,using chick peas, grated zucchini, carrots, peppers, and precooked quinoa and brown rice, lists of herbs and spice, and vegan nutritional yeast for a cheesy taste it’s quite more involved than your recipe! But I can’t wait to try yours, I will substitute with another bean. hopefully it comes together! thanks for the inspiration. I look forward to your blog posts

    Reply

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