These hearty, flavor-packed black bean burgers are perfect for your next cookout or weeknight dinner. Seasoned with a savory, smoky blend of cumin, garlic, and caramelized onions, the thin smashed patties soak up extra flavor from the grill. A creamy smash burger sauce made with tofu, Dijon, and dill pickle relish adds a tangy kick. Serve the patties on a toasted bun with fresh lettuce and tomato for a truly scrumptious meal. Best of all, the components can be prepped ahead of time, making this an easy go-to option for meal planning.
Leftover burger sauce? Use any leftover sauce as a sandwich spread, dip, or dressing for potato salad.
For more inspiration, check out these tasty ideas:
- Five-Ingredient Veggie Burger
- Lebanese Lentil Burgers in Cabbage Pockets
- Grilled Mushroom Burgers with Tarragon Crema
- Or check out our full roundup of burger recipes.
By Caitlyn Diimig, RD ,
Ingredients
- ½ of a 12-oz. package extra-firm silken tofu, drained
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish
- ½ cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper
- 2¼ cups chopped onions
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 15-oz. can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained (1½ cups)
- ¼ cup whole wheat panko
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 4 whole wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted
- 4 leaves butterhead or Bibb lettuce
- 4 to 8 tomato slices
Instructions
- For burger sauce, in a food processor, combine tofu, ketchup, red wine vinegar, mustard, and garlic powder. Process until smooth. Stir in dill pickle relish.
- For patties, in a food processor combine bell pepper, ¼ cup of the onions, and the garlic. Pulse until finely chopped. In a large bowl mash ¾ cup of the black beans with a potato masher or fork until nearly smooth. Stir in remaining beans, bell pepper mixture, panko, cumin, and ½ teaspoon of the black pepper. Divide the mixture into four portions and shape into ½-inch-thick patties. Transfer to a tray lined with parchment paper; gently smash patties with a burger press or spatula to ¼-inch thickness. Chill at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
- Meanwhile, for caramelized onions, heat a large skillet over medium. Add the remaining 2 cups onions and 2 tablespoons water. Cook over medium 15 minutes or until onions are softened and deep golden brown, stirring occasionally and adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to prevent sticking. Season with paprika and the remaining ¼ teaspoon black pepper; cook 1 minute more. Keep warm.
- Heat a griddle over medium-high. Add patties; cook 8 minutes or until browned, carefully turning once halfway through cooking. Layer lettuce and tomato on bun bottoms, and top with patties. Top each patty with onions, about 1 tablespoon of the burger sauce, and bun tops. Store leftover burger sauce in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Nutritional Information:
Per serving (1 burger + 1 Tbsp. sauce), 393 calories, 68 g carbohydrates, 21 g protein, 5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 371 mg sodium, 16 g fiber, 10 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
I also use Dr. Fuhrman ketchup as it is sugar and salt-free: https://shop.drfuhrman.com/foods/sauces-and-condiments/
These are most delicious. I use either an Ezekial sprouted grain bun, or make it a romaine lettuce wrap.
I thought this was really good! I love tofu-based sauces rather than using cashews. I needed a little bit more ketchup in mine. The burgers were a little bit crumbly, which I expected, and they tasted great. Thanks for the recipe!
I was excited about these but they were a bit bland. I think many FOK sauces would be better if they were nut or seed based rather than just silken tofu.
Black Bean Burgers