Get ready for your taste buds to tingle, with these easy spicy black bean burger patties. Simple and easy to make and vegetarian, they are a great meat free alternative for weeknight meals or summer parties. Made with red chilis, they aren't shy in the flavor department!
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I'll be quite honest, when it comes to burgers I'm not a huge fan of veggie burgers. I find them quite dry and lacking flavor usually. But no more!
These spicy bean burgers are succulent and loaded with flavor, and make a great alternative to your usual meat burgers.
Made with black beans, onions and mushrooms and seasoned with cayenne, chili pepper and garlic, they are super yummy. I promise that you won't miss the meat!
Be sure to try some other meat free favorites like fried portobellos and gorgonzola walnut pasta.
Why you will love this recipe!
- Healthy: These are a great healthier alternative to beef burgers. You are still getting a good amount of protein form the black beans, but they are much lower in fat, especially saturated fat.
- Quick and easy: It takes less that 30 minutes to prep and cook these burgers, so they are great for an easy weeknight meal.
- Make ahead: These burgers are a great make ahead meal and are freezer friendly too.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Beans: I use canned black beans for this recipe, drain and rinse the well before using. You can also make these with other beans like red kidney or pinto.
- Veggies: Onion, mushrooms and garlic. Dice these as finely as you can before cooking them so that they mix in well with the other ingredients.
- Chili: I used half of a deseeded red finger chili to bring the heat. If you like things super spicy, you can use a whole chili with the seeds, or use smaller and hotter Thai chili peppers.
- Seasonings: Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, tomato puree, fresh parsley, salt and pepper.
- Egg: Used to bind the ingredients together. To make these spicy bean burgers vegan, you can use a flax egg.
- Breadcrumbs: Use fine breadcrumbs to absorb and moisture and help the burgers hold together. I tried making these with panko, but they didn't absorb enough, and were harder to form into patties.
How to make spicy bean burgers
Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe!
- Saute the onions and mushrooms and stir in the garlic and chili (photo 1).
- Mash the black beans with a fork (photo 2).
- Add the rest of the burger ingredients to the beans (photo 3).
- Mix well to combine (photo 4).
- Shape the mixture into patties (photo 5).
- Fry on both sides til cooked through (photo 6).
Oven Cook and Grill
I much prefer to pan fry these spicy bean burgers, it's way quicker and you can get a nice crispy crust on them too. However, they are easy to oven bake if you prefer, or you can grill them at cookouts.
- Oven: Pre-heat the oven to 375F and place the patties on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping half way.
- Grill: Preheat the grill and place the patties onto foil. Cook for around 7 to 8 minutes on each side.
Storage and Reheating
These vegetarian burgers are a great make ahead option. they can be cooked and stored then reheated and are easily frozen.
- Store uncooked: Once you have shaped your burger patties, place on a plate and cover with plastic wrap, or place in an airtight container with the patties separated with parchment. They will keep well for up to 4 days in the fridge. Cook as per the recipe.
- Store cooked: Let cooked bean burgers cool completely before covering. They will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven at 350F for 10 minutes til warmed through.
- Freeze uncooked: Freeze the raw patties solid on a baking sheet before wrapping individually in plastic wrap or parchment. Place in a freezer bag or container and they will keep well for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before cooking as per the recipe.
- Freeze cooked: Let the cooked burgers cool and freeze solid on a baking sheet before wrapping individually in plastic wrap or parchment. Place in a freezer bag or container and they will keep well for up to 3 months. You can cook them from frozen in a preheated oven at 350F for around 20 to 25 minutes, or thaw then reheat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Let's be honest here, most (if not all) vegetarian and vegan options that say that they taste like meat are clearly lying. They don't. For sure there are some good imitations out there but they tend to be highly processed.
These spicy bean burgers do not pretend to be meat. They are meaty and substantial in texture, but don't for a second think they'll taste like your favorite beef burger recipe. Saying that, they are delicious! Whether you are trying to cut down on red meat or looking for a healthier alternative, these will hit all the right spots.
These bean burgers aren't overly spicy, they give a nice buzz but they don't burn your mouth off. If you are particularly sensitive to heat, you can simply omit the red chili and cayenne, or increase these ingredients if you can stand the heat!
I served these burgers in sesame seed buns and topped with a little salsa and sour cream. You can of course add any toppings that you like, ketchup, mustard, lettuce and cheese all work well.
Serve them up with a side salad or some baked fries for a yummy meal.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- The mushrooms and onions should be diced very finely before cooking. If you can't dice them finely, you can blitz the in a food processor prior to cooking.
- When mashing the beans, I like to leave a few whole to add more texture.
- These spicy bean burgers hold their shape well and are not crumbly, through be a little careful when flipping them.
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Spicy Black Bean Burger Patties
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans (15oz / 425g)
- 1 small yellow onion (finely diced)
- 6 baby bella or button mushrooms (finely diced)
- ½ red finger chili (finely diced)
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- ¼ cup fresh parsley (finely chopped) (small handful)
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup fine breadcrumbs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons oil (for cooking)
To serve
- 4 burger buns
- salsa
- sour cream
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the black beans and set to one side.
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet and place on a medium high heat.
- Add in the diced onions and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the red chili and garlic, cook for another minute, take off of the heat and set to one side.
- In a large bowl, place the black beans and mash with a fork. I like to leave a few whole for texture.
- Add the onion and mushroom mixture to the bowl along with rest of the ingredients, apart form the oil to the bowl (Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, tomato puree, parsley, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper).
- Mix well to combine. The mixture should easily form a firm ball, if your mixture is too wet add in a few more breadcrumbs.
- Divide the mixture into 4 and shape into patties.
- Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a skillet on a medium high heat.
- Once hot, add the patties to the skillet and cook for around 4 to 5 minutes on each side til crispy.
- Serve in burger buns with salsa and sour cream, or with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- The mushrooms and onions should be diced very finely before cooking. If you can't dice them finely, you can blitz the in a food processor prior to cooking.
- When mashing the beans, I like to leave a few whole to add more texture.
- These spicy bean burgers hold their shape well and are not crumbly, through be a little careful when flipping them.
- Nutritional values are based on one black bean patty without a bun or toppings.
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