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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
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A black bean burger on a bun with lettuce and salsa

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

Servings4

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Mash the beans until they hold together but some pieces remain. Stir in oats, onion, chili powder, cumin, salt, and egg.

  2. 2

    Shape 4 patties. Chill 10 minutes if the mix feels soft.

  3. 3

    Fry in oil over medium, 4 minutes per side, until a crust forms.

  4. 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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Ingredients