American
Black Bean Burgers
Mashed black beans, oats, and spices hold together in a skillet without a packet mix.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy

Why you’ll love it
- Dry the beans or the patty falls apart.
- Oats are the binder.
- A real sear, then a few minutes through.
- Salsa beats a heavy cheese sauce here.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.
Instructions
- 1
Mash the beans until they hold together but some pieces remain. Stir in oats, onion, chili powder, cumin, salt, and egg.
- 2
Shape 4 patties. Chill 10 minutes if the mix feels soft.
- 3
Fry in oil over medium, 4 minutes per side, until a crust forms.
- 4
Serve on buns with lettuce and salsa.
Pro tips
- If a patty cracks, give the mix 2 more minutes of mashing.
- Do not move them early. The crust is the glue.
- These freeze raw between parchment for a month.
Easy substitutions
- Egg
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise, for an egg-free patty
- Oats
- Panko
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate cooked patties up to 4 days.
Reheating
Warm in a covered skillet. Toast a fresh bun.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 380
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 12 g
Budget friendly · Stovetop · Vegetarian
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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