These Best Gluten-free Vegan Black Bean Burgers are the best you’ll try! They are packed with amazing depth of flavor, no bland burgers here! They are also a hearty, chewy texture and are baked, not friend, as well as oil-free!
GLUTEN-FREE VEGAN BLACK BEAN BURGERS
Finally, a gluten-free vegan black bean burger that doesn’t fall apart, has a nice chew to it and doesn’t all squish out from the inside when you take a bite! Do you all know what I’m talking about?? I can’t stand it when I bite into a bean burger and the whole thing turns to mush in my hands and squeezes out from the buns.
Well, my lovely readers, these bean burgers not only hold together, they are so flippin healthy, they are basically fat-free. Did I mention they taste incredible too?? Great salsa flavor with a bit of a kick, but totally kid-friendly. So many black bean burgers are BLAND and lacking serious flavor. But these are loaded with flavor. In fact, it’s a bit hard not to eat it all before baking it!
These baked black bean burgers are nut-free, gluten-free and oil-free!
Do you know what is even cooler about these burgers? They make a great crumbled taco “meat” too! I crumble up the burgers and serve them in tortilla wraps with lots of my Mexican Tahini Sauce and it is to die for!
SECRET INGREDIENTS
These are awesome because of 2 special ingredients you wouldn’t typically expect in a bean burger recipe….cornmeal and mashed potatoes. There is NO standard flour, breadcrumbs or oats in these babies. There isn’t even your usual flax for binding. These are the 2 magic ingredients that help bind the burgers, keep the inside moist and give them a nice chew. The potatoes cook and form a nice thin crust on the outside.
The cornmeal idea is based on my super popular Barbecue Lentil Loaf recipe, where for the first time, instead of using oats or regular flour like most other recipes out there, I used cornmeal instead. This gave the lentil loaf amazing firm, “meaty” texture and made them hold together so well. With such success on that loaf, I knew a bean burger could work the same. Well, cornmeal on it’s own did NOT work…it made them too dry and completely too fragile in the burgers. So, I decided to add potatoes. I used potatoes as the base of my Gluten-free Potato Pizza Crust and it works brilliantly. It works as a binder and is firm and chewy.
Layer on your toppings of choice. We added lettuce, onions, tomatoes and my Mexican tahini, but salsa on top is equally as mind-blowing…maybe even better?!
BOOM. Bean burgers with awesome ingredients and awesome texture and flavor. Top them with my Mexican Tahini Sauce and you’re in business.
CAN YOU FREEZE THESE BLACK BEAN BURGERS?
Yes! To freeze, cook them as instructed and let them completely cool. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then foil as well. I don’t know how long these will store in the freezer, as I’ve only done it about a couple of weeks. To reheat, cook them 10-15 minutes at 300°F in the oven.
If you make these Baked Vegan Black Bean Burgers, I’d love hearing about it!
Disclaimer: These are BEAN burgers, they are made from beans, salsa and veggies and will taste like a bean burger. They are not meant to resemble meat in any way, shape or form. So, please don’t expect a bean burger to resemble meat. This is not that kind of recipe.
MORE VEGAN BURGERS AND SANDWICHES
- Cajun Red Beans and Rice Burgers
- Smoky Barbecue Sweet Potato Chickpea Burger
- Smashed Caesar Chickpea Sandwich
- Curry Chickpea Sandwiches
*This post contains affiliate links. See my full disclosure policy here.
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Best Vegan Black Bean Burgers (Baked)
Ingredients
- 1 packed cup (150g) red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 cup (220g) mashed potatoes (skin removed)
- two 15 oz cans no-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3/4 cup (180g) mild or medium heat chunky salsa (I use the Sprouts Medium Salsa, it's nice & chunky)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
- 1/4 cup medium grind coarse cornmeal (SEE NOTES at bottom!)
- For serving Mexican Tahini Sauce is amazing on the burgers
NOTE
- Weigh your measurements if possible so the texture/moisture level turns out correctly with these burgers, as it's easy to pack too much potato or not enough and it affect the texture.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 400°F. Place the chopped bell peppers on a pan lined with parchment paper. Roast for 10 minutes, they will finish cooking later in the burgers. Lower the heat to 375°F.
- In a small bowl, combine the salsa, chili powder, cumin, salt and oregano. Stir until well mixed. Set aside.
- Cook the potatoes either in the microwave (whole with the skins on so they keep their moisture) wrapped in a wet paper towel until soft and tender. I don't recommend boiling them because excess moisture will get into the burgers. Peel and mash them completely and measure 1 full cup packed tightly and then leveled off.
- Pat dry the drained beans with a paper towel. REMOVE 1 cup of the black beans and add them to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining beans to a food processor. Add the potatoes potatoes to the processor. Add the reserved salsa mixture. Pulse until it all comes together in a sticky, thick mashed/chunky paste.. It should only take a few pulses. Don't over process.
- Add the beans/potato mixture to the reserved bowl of extra beans. Add the roasted bell pepper as well. Add the cornmeal.
- Mix all of it together until everything is combined well and the batter is very thick.
- The mixture should be holding together well and not too wet. You should be able to form patties, but if for some reason your mixture seems too wet (can be depending on salsa used), then place the batter into the fridge 15 minutes.
- Form 6 large even patties using a heaping 1/2 cup scoop. I like to form balls and then flatten them on the pan. Flatten each patty to about 1/2 inch thick.
- Bake for 25 minutes (375°F). Carefully flip them. They will still be tender at this point, so flip gently. At 25 minutes, they should have formed a thin crispy bottom making it fairly easy to flip them. If the bottoms are not coming up fairly easy and still sticking to the paper, cook 3-5 more minutes and then flip. Cook 10 more minutes on the 2nd side.
- Cool 5-10 minutes before eating, as they will firm up even more. Assemble burgers with desired toppings. I served them with my awesome Mexican Tahini as the dressing. These are even better the next day as they get even more of a chewy "meaty" texture.
Notes
I am going to try these this weekend and can’t wait! They look so good!! Can I use regular cornmeal? I tried finding “coarse ground” but was not successful. Thank you!
Hi Tomie! Is it really finely ground? If so, you will need less since it will be more absorbent the finer the cornmeal is. I would just start with 2 tablespoons and add more as needed. The dough should be wet and sticky, but not stiff, otherwise the burgers will be dry. The batter should be too wet to form burgers right away, kind of too sticky in other words. After chilling it, it should be much easier to form burgers. Let me know how they turn out, thank you!
I made these over the weekend along with the sauce. I have to tell you this eggie burger was the best I have ever tried. I will be making this over and over. So delish!!
Wow! Thank you so much Karen, I am so happy to hear you loved these burgers more than any others you’ve tried! You made my day, I love hearing feedback, so thank you so much!
Awesome photos! The Macro shot is cool on the black bean burger! LOVE close ups! That sauce looks terrific! I need to try it!
Aww thanks so much Jennifer! So happy you love these photos, I really appreciate it!
Hi I was wondering if you have to use canned beans? If I used dry beans, and soak them, would it work and how much should I use? Thanks
Hi Mandy! I would use the same amount of beans and increase the salsa a couple of tablespoons since using slow cooked beans (not canned) are usually drier. You any to make sure the dough is sticky and wet and blend up the same amount of beans listed with the cooked potato until it’s mushy. If it seems to dry, add a little more salsa! I’m guessing that would be the best bet…hopefully they won’t be too dry. Let me junk how it turns out. Thank you!
OMG!! This is the second time I made these and they are scrumptious! Took me a while bc I have two pups and I do a lot of running of errands and food prepping etc. I so luv these and I will be making these every week!!!
I’m soooo happy you love these burgers so much Tiffany!! Thank you so much for making them!
I love this recipe! I am a Mexican food addict and also have an affinity for black bean burgers. Therefore, this recipe is basically made for me; I’m flattered 😉 Seriously though, these look and sound amazing. The sauce looks drool worthy as well. Thanks for sharing this one!
Haha you’re welcome Jennifer! 😉 I hope you really do make them! Thank you!!
These were even better than I imagined they would be!! We made these for dinner tonight and everyone gave them a big thumbs up!! We used a mild salsa from Trader Joe’s and I cut the chili powder way back for Willow’s sake. I just read one of your comments above that you used some of the Mexican tahini sauce IN the burger?!?! Now that would be amazing!! I loved how the outside got nice and crispy, but the inside was moist and tender. A lot of gluten free burgers end up very dry, but this one was perfect! I should add that we made 12 small patties instead of the suggested larger ones and they turned out great!!
Mandy ecstatic you loved these even more than you imagined!! That’s a huge compliment and it makes me super happy! Yes! I made a batch with tahini INSIDE the burger mix! It was delicious but in the burgers were a tad drier than with the salsa so next batch I will do some salsa in addition to the tahini! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback!! Xo
Tried these tonight! Delicious and filling! Loved the consistency that works well as a burger, but I made the larger ones and I was stuffed! Great recipe as always, Brandi! Wish I was a publisher, you deserve your own cookbook!
Paula what an incredible compliment!! Thank you so much! You’re a sweetheart!!
Made these yesterday they were really great and they held together perfectly. This will be my go to recipe for burgers thanks so much!
I’m super happy to hear that Erin, and thank you so much for leaving feedback, I really appreciate it greatly!
SO..I am not very computer savvy..but i don’t see the recipe for the burgers…I see the blog and pictures but no recipe instructions..what am i missing?
Hi Susan! I’m so sorry, I had a temporary website update earlier for about an hour, which made the recipe plugin off, but it is fixed now, you should see the recipe now! Let me know if you don’t see it now!
THERE IT IS ! THANX!
Susan.
These look scrumptious, Brandi! This puts my frozen Morningstar black bean burgers TO SHAME. hahaha! I have to try this. Thanks for the gorgeous recipe <3
Hahaha! I hope you try these, they are so delicious and so easy!
I made these this morning and we just had them for lunch. Wowie, they were delicious!!! Mine looked more brown than yours but I didn’t use the chili powder so maybe that’s the difference in the color. I did roast a poblano chili and added that and it added a nice smoky flavor.
Your recipes are really great. Thank you!
I am sooo thrilled you loved them so much Patti! Thank you so much for the feedback!! Yes, the chili powder will give them more of a red hue and also, I made 2 batches with one of them with a bit of the mexican tahini mixed in and that is the one I photographed, so it’s a bit more orange-ish….thanks again for making them!
I pinned these so I can remember to make them! They look so yummy and I think it would taste great with the Chao tomato cayenne cheese I just got! Yum!
Oh yes I totally agree with that! Their cheese is so amazing! Thank you Karissa!
I THOUGHT I had commented on this already, but I guess it was just in my head! Oy, I get so confused… Clearly I need sustenance! Like THIS BURGER. Seriously…oh my gawd.
Awww thank you Annie!! It was OMG good too
OKAY I AM DROLING at my keyboard!! These loook so flipping wonderful! I love that they are made with ingredients I always, always, always have on hand and how darn nutritious they are. And that tahini sauce on top, YUM! I was reading over the recipe and this made me laugh out loud, “You may have a bit extra, so just eat it.” Ha! Eat all the extra potato!! 🙂
Haha thank you so much Ceara!! These are truly amazing, I hope you get to try them!!
These sound so healthy and delicious! Amazing. I love Mexican style burgers, and chilli + cumin have to be my favourite spice combo, so this recipe is perfect for me! MMMM!
Thank you so much Harriet! I love Mexican flavors too, they are my top favorite!
My mouth. Now. As in I want them all in my belly stat!! These look phenom, but you know that everything you do looks amazing to me…but burgers especially. I am obsessed!!! YUM YUM!
So sorry for the late response Sophia…I’ve been so swamped lately trying to keep up! Thank you so much for your sweet words!! xo
I will definitely make these, I have been looking for a good burger recipe and I so trust you lol. The last ones I made were horribly dry (my bad not using one of your recipes!)
I will let you know how they turn out.
Awww thanks so much Erin!! So sweet of you!
As you know if you read my email YEA I did find the recipe that I could save/print. I do have a question. I have never been a proponent of using plastic wrap in a microwave. Do you think it would work wrapped in wax paper or even paper towels? I love all your stuff I have tried so I can’t wait to try these burgers.
Hi Bruce! I don’t recall getting an email from you…when did you send it? As far as the potatoes, yes you could try wrapping them in damp papertowels. The only reason I suggest wrapping them is because since they are peeled, the outsides will get too hard and become hard to mash. Wrapping them keeps them super soft and moist, but wrapping them in damp papertowels tightly should work. Let me know how they turn out!
I won’t microwave plastic either, but I roasted the potatoes in their skins and pealed them afterwards, they came out perfect ( just took a little longer)
I love mexican flavors this burger looks delicious! I’ll have to make a batch of homemade buns, count me in. 🙂
Thanks so much!
These look amazing!! Do you have any other suggestions besides red bell pepper as I am allergic to both the red and green? 🙁
Hi Kelly! Yes, I would just replace them with corn, a scant cup of corn should work fine. Please let me know how they turned out! You could also try finely chopped carrot, although I think corn would be a better choice 🙂
Where is the Mexican tahini recipe??
It’s linked in my blog post or you can find it under sauces/dips on my recipe index or just type in tahini in the search box! 🙂
Here is the direct link: https://thevegan8.com/mexican-tahini-sweet-potatoes/
These look so tasty! yum!
Thank you so much Rachel! They are truly amazing! We have been eating soooo many of them, haha!
This sauce is lip-smacking amazing! Just made it last night. It will be on my list of top 10 sauces for sure! So many great uses…
Yay Michaell!! I just read your comment on my Lime Crusted Cornmeal Tacos and I’m thrilled you and hubby loved them so much and the Mexican Tahini, thank you so much for the feedback!
Holy moly!!!! Now that’s a burger! That’s my biggest complaint about the vegan/gluten-free burgers – 98% of them just don’t hold together well. Which is usually why I chop them up and add them to a salad or in a taco. Why am I not surprised that potatoes came to the rescue again?!? Love it!! And paired with tahini?!? This is perfection! I’ll add this to our menu next week! Looks delicious, friend!
Thank you sooo much for your sweet compliments Mandy!!