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Spicy Chipotle Black Bean Burgers

black bean burger on a bun with onion, cheese, tomato, arugula with burgers in the background on a wooden board

These Spicy Chipotle Black Bean Burgers taste so amazing that you won’t even miss the meat! Make them up ahead of time and have them ready in the freezer to eat whenever you want one. No need to heat up the grill, these healthy black bean burgers are baked right in your oven! Feel free to vary up the vegetables with your own favorites!

chipotle black bean burgers on a black plate with arugula
Serve Spicy Chipotle Black Bean Burgers alone, on a bun, or as an open faced sandwich.

Inspiration for this burger

I’m sure there are a million versions of the black bean burger recipe but my creation all began because my mom loves the Costco veggie burger and wasn’t able to get them anymore. She kept pestering me to create a black bean burger recipe that tasted like her Morningstar Farms Chipotle Black Bean Burger and one she could have readily available in the freezer, so I did! This one is for you, Mom!

What is the secret to keeping black bean burgers from tasting mushy?

To keep your black bean burgers from tasting mushy, dry out your beans in the oven first by baking them for 15 minutes. (I learned this valuable tip from Serious Eats.)

3 tips for preventing vegetarian burgers from falling apart

  • Use eggs -You need something to bind the beans, vegetables and spices together, the eggs in this recipe do this.
  • Use oatmeal – The ground oats, combined with the eggs, help make the burger ingredients stick together and keep the burgers from falling apart.
  • Bake them – Place them on parchment paper (paid link) on a baking sheet (paid link) and bake for 10 minutes on each side. This helps keep them together until they are thoroughly cooked.

Can you freeze black bean burgers?

How to freeze and reheat:

Yes, you can definitely freeze them! Bake them up as directed, then flash freeze them on parchment paper (paid link) first before transferring them to vacuum sealed bags (paid link). To reheat, allow them to thaw out, then pan fry until hot or put them on a baking sheet (paid link), cover with foil and reheat at 325° until hot.

Are these black bean burgers vegan?

No, these are not vegan because of the eggs, but you could certainly substitute mashed sweet potato (about 1/2 c.) for the eggs and then they would be vegan black bean burgers.

Can I turn this recipe into Vegetarian Black Bean Meatballs?

Yes! This is super easy! Instead of making patties, just form the “meat,” into balls. I like to use a cookie dough scoop (paid link) or small ice cream scoop (paid link) to form the balls. Bake them at 325° on parchment paper (paid link) on a baking sheet (paid link) for 5 minutes, then turn/flip and bake them another 5 minutes or so. You can freeze these also for later and add them to pasta dishes.

Using rolled oats instead of bread crumbs

I’ve always used oatmeal when making my meatloaf and so I decided to try it with the black bean burgers. It works great! I do recommend using the food processor (paid link) to grind the oats first.

Why use Liquid Smoke?

Just a tiny bit of Liquid Smoke (paid link) adds that yummy, “grilled,” flavor to the burgers. I also add Liquid Smoke (paid link) to my Scrumptious Turkey Sliders for the same reason. It provides so much flavor without any of the calories!

How to make Spicy Chipotle Black Bean Burgers in pictures:

black beans on a piece of parchment on a baking sheet

Preheat your oven to 325°. Rinse and drain the black beans. Blot with paper towel and bake for about 15 minutes. This dries out the beans a bit so they don’t taste, “mushy.”

pan with red peppers, mushrooms, onions, baking sheet with black beans on a stove

Sauté the vegetables for about 6-8 minutes.

black beans partially mashed in food processor

Partially mash the beans in the food processor (paid link) on “pulse,” or use a fork.

ingredients for chipotle burgers in a bowl with spatula - spices, onions, eggs, beans, peppers

Mix together the beans and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

4 chipotle black bean burgers mounded on a piece of parchment, red measuring cup on top to show how to form patty

Form into patties by using a 1/3 cup measuring cup (paid link). This keeps the patties uniform so they all bake evenly. Bake for about 10 minutes, then flip them over and bake another 10 minutes. That’s it!

black bean burger on a bun with onion, cheese, tomato, arugula with burgers in the background on a wooden board

Serve on a bun, open faced or alone with all the fixings! I love to put my, To Die for Guacamole, on this burger!

Spicy Chipotle Black Bean Burgers on a baking sheet frozen, vacuum sealed bag with one burger next to pan
Flash freeze these burgers for a later time!
Next time you need a quick meal or have a vegetarian guest, you’re prepared!

Spicy Chipotle Black Bean Burgers

Amy Lawrence
These Spicy Chipotle Black Bean Burgers taste so amazing that you won’t even miss the meat! Make them up ahead of time and have them ready in the freezer to eat whenever you want one. No need to heat up the grill, these healthy black bean burgers are baked right in your oven! Feel free to vary up the vegetables with your own favorites!
Weight Watchers Points: 1 Smart Point ; Green: 3 Smart Points; Purple: 0 Smart Points per burger (no bun)
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Main
Cuisine American
Calories 142 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cans 15 oz black beans (drained, rinsed)
  • 1/2 c. mushrooms finely chopped
  • 1 c. red pepper finely chopped
  • 4-5 garlic cloves finely minced
  • 1 c. yellow or sweet onion finely chopped
  • 2 T. homemade chipotle seasoning
  • 2 t. cumin
  • 1/4-1/2 t. kosher salt
  • 1 t. pepper
  • 1/2 T. smoked paprika
  • 2 T. ketchup
  • 1/4-1/2 t. Liquid Smoke optional
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 1/2 c. finely ground oatmeal use your food processor or you can use bread crumbs

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325°.
  • Place beans on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pat beans dry with paper towel. Bake for 15 minutes. This will dry them out a bit and prevent mushy burgers.
  • In a large skillet, spray olive oil using olive oil mister. Heat to medium.
  • Add mushrooms, pepper, garlic, and onions. Saute for about 6-8 minutes.
  • In a food processor or with a fork, slightly mash the black beans.
  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • In a large bowl, combine beans, vegetable mixture, spices, remaining ingredients, oatmeal and eggs.
  • Scoop mixture using a 1/3 c. measuring cup and place mounds on parchment paper. Form into patties.
  • Bake for 10 minutes, then flip and bake another 10 minutes.
  • Use immediately or freeze for later use.

Notes

See post for notes on how to freeze and reheat burgers.

Nutrition

Serving: 1burgerCalories: 142kcalCarbohydrates: 23.6gProtein: 8.4gFat: 1.6gSaturated Fat: 0.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 41.3mgSodium: 567.7mgPotassium: 457.8mgFiber: 7.9gSugar: 2.7gVitamin A: 67.5IUVitamin C: 25.8mgCalcium: 55.1mgIron: 2.7mg
Keyword vegetarian burger
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6 thoughts on “Spicy Chipotle Black Bean Burgers”

  1. I made these wonderful burgers today! Yummo! The only tweak was a substitution of aquafaba for the eggs making it vegan. It worked perfectly. These burgers are moist and quite tasty. I’ll be making them often.

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