Chipotle Black Bean Burgers (Vegan)

These Chipotle Black Bean Burgers are already delectable with their hearty texture and rich flavors, but it’s the addition of our homemade chipotle sauce that elevates them to pure deliciousness, creating a tantalizing smoky heat that leaves you craving for more with every bite. They are completely vegan and gluten-free!

Recently, we ordered black bean burgers at a fairly nice local restaurant, and when they came, I was sorely disappointed because they were so mushy. I seriously considered asking their management to give this recipe a try. It’s a world of difference in taste and texture, and way less expensive than what we paid for the mush-burger.

Yes, there are a lot of vegan black bean burger recipes out there, but this is the best one you’ll try! Whether baked, air-fried, pan-fried, or grilled, these easy veggie burgers will make the whole crowd happy. You don’t even have to serve it on a bun as shown with our chipotle black bean patties recipe.

If you are a vegan burger-lover and want more flavorful options, be sure to check out chickpea burgers and these portobello mushroom burgers. Our list of the top veggie burger recipes demonstrates the best ones around! While you are at it, take a look at all of our meatless dinner recipes.

Ingredients in black bean burgers

Made with only wholesome ingredients that are easy to find in your grocery store, these delicious veggie burgers are sure to please any crowd. If you like bean burgers, also, try my Chickpea Burgers!

• Beans- Though other beans could be used, black beans are our favorite for this recipe.
• Oats- The old-fashioned type or even quick-cooking variety can be used. These will act as a binder.
• Veggies- Onions and red peppers give this recipe a popping flavor and even texture.
• Seasonings- I use ketchup along with spices like chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and dry steak seasoning to add the fullest flavor. Worcestershire (without anchovies) or soy sauce is one of the secret ingredients.

Binder for bean burgers

Because vegan black bean burgers don’t have eggs in them, many fall apart easily or just mush together when eaten in a bun. But, that won’t happen with these. It’s the rolled oats that help them hold together.

I have found that either baking or air frying them creates the firmest patties of all. The leftovers can even be crumbled over salad the next day.

The bean burger patties freeze well if you want to make a big batch and have them on hand for a fast-food meal. I always bake them and then freeze them, but you could freeze them raw and then bake them when you’re ready.

How to make black bean burgers

The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.

Start by draining and rinsing a can of black beans, or make your own fresh. Just be sure to get rid of all the liquid.

In a large bowl, mash black beans with a potato masher or even a fork. Dice the onion and red pepper into small chunks.

Add all ingredients to the bowl with black beans, including oats, veggies, and spices. Mix thoroughly. I use my hands to knead them well.

Forming the patties

This recipe makes 4-5 medium-sized bean burgers. To make the patties, simply form a chunk of the batter into a ball, place it on the flat surface of the pan, and then pat it out flat. They should spread out in a circular shape. You’ll want them to be not too thick and not too thin. See my photos to get a good idea of the size.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. They also do well in an air fryer. You even pan-fry in a non-stick skillet. However, for the firmest patties, baking or air frying is recommended.

Since they’re not made with meat, they, of course, won’t be as firm as regular burgers, but they can still be tossed on the grill with great success.

Chipotle sauce for spicy black bean burgers

Once these babies are out of the oven or off the grill, it’s sauce time! My favorite is Chipotle Ranch Sauce, but barbecue sauce also works well.  The chipotle sauce is made with simple ingredients like:

• Low-Fat Eggless Mayonnaise
• chipotle in adobe sauce
• lime juice
• spices

Simply toss all of the sauce ingredients in a blender and process until nice and smooth, then drizzle it over your burgers. Serve on a bun with onion, lettuce, tomato, and your favorite condiments.

Pro tips & suggestions

• Cooking methods- Bake, air fry, grill, or cook in a non-stick frying pan. For the firmest patties, baking or air frying are recommended.
• Black beans- Cook your own beans from scratch in your InstantPot or use canned beans that have been drained and rinsed.
• Special sauce- The amazing sauce I use is my Chipotle Ranch Dressing, and it is HIGHLY recommended to knock these burgers out of the park.
• Double batch-The patties freeze very well, so make a double batch while you’re at it. You’ll be so glad you did!

Black bean burger topping options

Using different toppings on these vegan burgers is a great way to spice them up even more. These are some of my favorite topping options:

• Partnered with my low-fat Chipotle Ranch Sauce
• Piled high with spinach or lettuce and tomato
• Round thinly sliced onions
• Dill pickle sandwich slices
• Ketchup or BBQ sauce
• Salsa
• Homemade Mayo
• Mustard such as yellow, Dijon, or brown spice
• Vegan cheese sauce

What to serve with black bean burgers

Whether you’re eating these burgers at home or taking them to a cookout, there are lots of side dishes that pair well with them like these.

• Air Fryer Potato Wedges
• Oil-Free Potato Chips
• Air Fryer French Fries
• Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
• Creamy Coleslaw
• Country Potato Salad
• Baked Beans

Black Bean Burger FAQ:

• Can black bean burgers be grilled? The answer to this recipe is YES! But, for other versions, it depends on the recipe used. I’ve heard many complaints about other burgers that are too mushy to grill. However, this black bean burger recipe can be grilled because the patties are firm enough to hold up on the grill without falling apart.
• Do black bean burgers have protein? Yes, they do! Black beans themselves have protein, and these black bean burgers have 13 grams of protein per patty.
• Are black bean burgers vegan? Some are and some aren’t. Often, especially in restaurants, eggs are used in black bean burger batter as a binder which would make them vegetarian, but not vegan. The burgers in this post are indeed vegan because no eggs are used.
• Can black bean burgers be frozen? Yes, any leftovers can be frozen. It’s best to freeze the patties without the buns to make reheating easier. They can be frozen in an airtight freezer-friendly container for approximately 3-6 months. I always bake them and then freeze them, but you could freeze them raw and then bake them when you’re ready.

More vegan burger recipes

• Barbecue Sandwiches Vegan Style
• Portobello Mushroom Burgers
• Chickpea Burgers
• Lentil Bulgur Sloppy Joes

For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

*Originally published January 2016.

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4.49 from 150 votes

Chipotle Black Bean Burgers

These vegan Black Bean Burgers are so popular because the patties are firm and can even be cooked on the grill without falling through.

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 35 minutes mins

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Servings: 4 servings

1x2x3x

Ingredients 

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ 1.5 cups black beans this is a 15 oz can, drain and rinse
• ▢ 1 cup old fashioned oats
• ▢ 1/4 cup red bell pepper diced
• ▢ 1/4 cup onions diced
• ▢ 3 tablespoons ketchup
• ▢ 1 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce or Bragg's Aminos
• ▢ 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon steak seasoning dry spice optional
• ▢ 1 pinch cayenne pepper optional

Chipotle Sauce

• ▢ 1/2 cup low-fat mayo (homemade recipe below)
• ▢ 1/2 or 1 chipotle in adobe sauce or 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons lime juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sweetener pure cane sugar, date sugar, etc
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon cumin

Low-Fat Vegan Mayo

• ▢ 1 lb silken soft tofu drained
• ▢ 1 tablespoons dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ 1 tablespoon sweetener pure cane sugar, date sugar, etc
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Drain and rinse black beans. Just be sure to get rid of all the liquid.
• In a large bowl, mash black beans with a potato masher or even a fork.
• Dice the onion and red pepper into small chunks.
• Add all ingredients to the bowl with black beans, including oats, veggies, and spices.
• Mix thoroughly. I use my hands to knead them well.
• Make 4 to 5 pattiesfrom the mixture by forming a ball and pressing into patties .
• Line a baking sheet with and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. They also do well in an air fryer. You can pan-fry; however, for the firmest patties, baking or air frying are recommended.
• Serve on a bun with onion, lettuce, tomato, and your favorite condiments. Drizzle with the chipotle sauce.

Chipotle Sauce

• Place all of the sauce ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. This sauce is great on sandwiches, wraps baked fries, baked blooming onions, and so much more. I even thin it out and use it as a salad dressing.

Homemade Vegan Mayo

• Drain the water from the soft silken tofu. Place all of the mayo ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. This will be a lot more mayo than is needed for the chipotle sauce. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days and use on sandwiches, burgers, wraps, and sauces.

Video

Notes

Pro Tips & Suggestions

1. Cooking methods- Bake, air fry, grill, or cook in a non-stick frying pan. For the firmest patties, baking or air frying are recommended.
2. Air Frying- To make these in the air fryer, set the temperature to 400°F and cook for about 15 minutes. They come out nice and crispy.
3. Black beans- Cook your own beans from scratch in your InstantPot or use canned beans that have been drained and rinsed.
4. Special sauce- The amazing sauce I use is my Chipotle Ranch Dressing, and it is HIGHLY recommended to knock these burgers out of the park.
5. Double batch-The patties freeze very well, so make a double batch while you’re at it. You’ll be so glad you did!
6. Freeze- The bean burger patties freeze well if you want to make a big batch and have them on hand for a fast-food meal. I always bake them and then freeze them, but you could freeze them raw and then bake them when you’re ready.
7. Bun options– For an oil-free bun, try the Ezekiel brand in the freezer section of many grocery stores or make your own with this recipe from This Healthy Kitchen.

Topping Options

Using different toppings on these vegan burgers is a great way to spice them up even more. These are some of my favorite topping options:

• Partner with my low-fat Chipotle Ranch Sauce!
• Piled high with spinach or lettuce and tomato
• Round thinly sliced onions
• Dill pickle sandwich slices
• Ketchup or bbq sauce
• Salsa
• Homemade Mayo
• Mustard such as yellow, Dijon, or brown spice
• Vegan cheese sauce

Chipotles are spicy

Chipotle in adobo sauce can be found in the Latino section of most grocery stores. There are 8-10 chilies in each can, and it takes me a while to go through that many because they are quite hot.

Once I open a can, I place the other chilies and sauce into a plastic bag and store them in my refrigerator to be used in other recipes like hummus and salsa. They have a small amount of oil in them, so some may want to use chipotle powder instead.

Nutrition

Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 2g | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 5g

Disclaimer

To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

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About Terri Edwards

Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy.  I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…