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Revolutionize burger night with spicy Black Bean Burgers – fried, grilled, or baked, it’s your call!! Infused with sweet-smoky notes and sassy seasonings and topped with savory chipotle mayo. De-lish! Easy prep or make-ahead and cook from frozen for busy weeknights.

Black bean burgers with chipotle mayo spread

Why You’ll Love Black Bean Burgers!

Veggie lovers and curious carnivores can’t resist these bean burgers, with a mouthwatering blend of seasoned, layered flavors, including red bell pepper, tangy feta, and adobo sauce! A savory, sumptuous, meatless patty is just the start of reasons you’ll love making these burgers for your family!

  • Easy Prep: Quick and fuss-free prep makes them perfect for busy weeknight dinners.
  • Protein-Packed: Black bean burgers deliver a hearty dose of plant-based protein for a delicious alternative to meat.
  • Versatile Flavors: Infused with a sassy spice blend, adobo sauce, and Worsechestire, this vegetarian burger is so tasty you’ll forget it’s beans!
  • Nutrition Boost: With the added bonus of sweet potato, this bean burger is low in saturated fat, high in fiber, and economical! 
  • Perfect Pairing:  Homemade chipotle mayo adds a touch of heat with a creamy finish that puts this dinner sandwich over the top! 
  • Vegan Burger Option: Transform these veggie patties into a vegan black bean burger by skipping the feta cheese and Worcestershire. (See below for simple plant-based Worcestershire substitutes.)
platter of 3 burgers with french fries

Topping Suggestions

Black bean burgers are so versatile, taste amazing, and are simple to modify to your taste. Get inventive and enjoy a delicious twist by topping the burger with goat cheese and roasted red peppers, or Swiss cheese, BBQ sauce, and grilled pineapple. Ditch the bun and crumble a bean burger over a salad. Increase the protein and top with a fried egg. For a vegan-friendly burger topping, avocado slices, or guacamole are excellent!

ingredients for black bean burgers on a counter

What’s In This Black Bean Burger Recipe?

This black bean burger recipe is a tasty and satisfying choice for vegetarian burger lovers. It’s packed with smoky chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. If you love a full-flavored burger made with simple ingredients and loaded with all the fixin’s, you’re in for a treat!

Meatless Burger Ingredients

  • Black Beans – canned beans, drained, rinsed, and divided.
  • Sweet Potatoes – cooked and skin removed
  • Red Bell Pepper – seeded, finely chopped
  • Onion – white or yellow, finely chopped.
  • Garlic Cloves – minced or grated
  • Adobo Sauce – usually found in the International aisle at the grocery store. 
  • Worcestershire Sauce
  • Ketchup
  • Seasonings – chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, coarse kosher salt, and black pepper.
  • Feta Cheese
  • Panko Bread Crumbs – Panko is a light, crustless Japanese-style bread crumb. You can use any type you prefer.
  • Avocado Oil
  • Hamburger Buns
  • Toppings: lettuce, tomato, and red onion (optional).
adding chipotle mayo ingredients to a glass mixing bowl.
chipotle mayo sauce in a glass mixing bowl

Chipotle Mayonnaise Ingredients

  • Mayonnaise
  • Chipotle Peppers in adobe sauce, finely chopped
  • Adobo Sauce (from the can of chipotles)
  • Lime Juice –  fresh is best, but optional.
  • Honey
  • Garlic Powder
  • Cayenne Pepper

What is adobo sauce?

Adobo sauce is a kickin’ concoction used often in Mexican and Filipino cooking to amp up the flavor of meat and rice dishes as a cooking sauce or a zesty condiment!

mixing black bean burger ingredients
cooking black bean burger patties in a skillet
adding topping to burgers
adding tomatoes and chipotle may to burgers
burger and fries on a platter

How To Make Black Bean Burgers & Chipotle Mayo

  1. Mix up the chipotle mayonnaise ingredients first so the flavors can marry while you make the black bean patties. 
  2. Mash the drained beans and cooked sweet potato until creamy; then add the seasonings and the rest of the ingredients except the cheese and bread crumbs, mixing until thoroughly combined. Now mix in the feta cheese and panko breadcrumbs until combined. 
  3. Shape ½ cups of the black bean burger mixture into patties, add them to the pan, and fry the veggie burgers in the hot oil for 5 minutes on each side.
  4. Slather a spoonful of chipotle mayonnaise on the buns. Place the lettuce on the bottom bun, add the black bean burger, topping with onion and tomato, if desired.

These spicy bean burgers require minimal prep and simple tools. Bonus! Ready in just 30 minutes!

  • Cutting Board & Knife
  • Potato Masher
  • Large & Small Mixing Bowl
  • ½ c Measure or Scoop
  • Spatula & Spoon
  • Large Skillet
black bean burger with a bite missing

Notes & Tips From The Kitchen

  • Microwave or bake sweet potatoes instead of boiling to reduce taking on extra water. 
  • If you prefer a more textured veggie burger, mash the bean and sweet potato combo only until it is enough to hold together well.
  • Taste the mixture before shaping the black bean burger patties and adjust the seasonings.
  • Create veggie smashburgers by using ¼ or ⅓ cup of the bean mixture. This thinner patty will yield 12 burgers. 
  • While cooking the second batch of burgers, add more oil to the saute pan when needed. 
  • You can saute, bake, or grill black bean burgers.

Additional Cooking Instructions

  • To Bake: 375° F oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 10 minutes on each side.
  • To Grill: Chill well-formed compact patties for 20 minutes. Grill over direct medium-high heat (350° F) on well-oiled grates (greased foil or griddle work well too) for 8 minutes per side. *Note if you’re grilling directly on the grates it’s a good idea to brush a little olive over both sides of the patties to ensure they don’t stick to the grates.
close up of a black bean burger on a sesame seed bun

Storing Veggie Patties

Refrigerate cooked and cooled black bean burgers for up to 5 days, but make sure they are very well wrapped.

Can you make black bean burger patties ahead of time?

You sure can! Lay uncooked burger patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in the freezer. Once they are frozen, cooked or uncooked veggie burgers can be individually wrapped or layered in wax paper or parchment paper and frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Frozen bean burgers can be cooked straight from frozen (bake or grill) or simply thaw overnight in the refrigerator before cooking.

burger and fries on a platter

Variations On Black Bean Burgers

Black bean burgers are very forgiving when it comes to ingredients as well as the heat factor! Feel free to experiment and tweak the seasoning blend to your favorites.

  • If sweet potatoes aren’t your thing or not on hand, you can use 2 well-beaten eggs. (avoid “taste testing” after adding raw eggs)
  • You can reduce the heat factor by adding a sweet note of honey to the mixture and topping your veggie burger with caramelized onions.
  • You can omit the chipotle peppers when the adobo sauce is just enough of the perfect zest for the chipotle mayonnaise spread.
  • When adobo sauce is unavailable, a couple of dashes of Tabasco or Chipotle hot sauce and some cumin to taste can easily step in.

What are vegan alternatives for Worcestershire?

Several vegan-friendly alternatives can replace traditional Worcestershire sauce, like the following:

  • Soy Sauce: A common substitute with a savory flavor.
  • Tamari: Similar to soy sauce, but aged and often gluten-free.
  • Balsamic Vinegar: Adds a tangy and slightly sweet element.
  • Coconut Aminos: A soy-free alternative, slightly sweeter than soy sauce.
  • Vegan Worcestershire Sauce: Some brands offer specifically vegan versions without anchovies.

Experiment with any of these options to find the one you’ll like best in this black bean burger recipe! (That’s a great excuse to enjoy a lot of yummy burgers! lol)

burger with bite taken

Like This Recipe?

I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a review below and let me know how you liked the recipe!

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Black bean burgers with chipotle mayo spread

Black Bean Burgers

Yield: 5 burgers
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Burger Ingredients

  • 2 (15 ounces) cans black beans, drained and rinsed, divided
  • ¼ to ⅓ cup sweet potatoes, cooked and skin removed
  • 1 cup red bell pepper, seeded, finely chopped
  • ⅛ cup white or yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced or grated
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup feta cheese
  • ⅛ cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 5 hamburger buns
  • Toppings: lettuce, tomato, and red onion (optional)

Chipotle Mayonnaise Ingredients

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from the can of chipotles)
  • 1 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl add the beans and sweet potato. Mash with a potato masher until creamy.
  2. To the bowl add the red bell pepper, onion, garlic cloves, adobo sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, coarse kosher salt, and black pepper. With a spoon mix until fully combined. 
  3. To the beans add the feta cheese and panko breadcrumbs. With a spoon mix until combined. 
  4. Scoop out ½ cup of the bean mixture and shape the burgers into a burger shape.
  5. In a saute pan add the oil over medium heat. Saute the burgers for 5 minutes per side. 
  6. Add more oil if it is needed as you cook the second round of burgers in the saute pan.
  7. To a small bowl add the chipotle mayonnaise ingredients. Mix until fully combined. Set aside.
  8. Prepare the burgers by placing a spoonful of chipotle mayonnaise on the inside of the buns. Top the bottom of the bun in order with the lettuce, burger, onion, and tomato.

Notes

  • To Bake: 375° F oven on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 10 minutes on each side.
  • To Grill: Chill well-formed compact patties for 20 minutes. Grill over direct medium-high heat (350° F) on well-oiled grates (greased foil or griddle work well too) for 8 minutes per side. *Note if you’re grilling directly on the grates it’s a good idea to brush a little olive over both sides of the patties to ensure they don’t stick to the grates.
    • Nutrition Information:
    Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1
    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 297Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 542mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 6gSugar: 8gProtein: 11g

    Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients used and are just estimates. We encourage, especially if these numbers are important to you, to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.

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    © Cheryl Sousan
    Cuisine: American / Category: Main Dish

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