Black bean burgers

Baked black bean and oat patties served in lettuce wraps with tomato and avocado.

  • A proper home cook
  • Vegan option
  • American
  • Dinner
  • Legumes
  • High fiber
  • Meal prep
Hands-on
22 min
Total time
50 min, show breakdown
  • Prep 20 min
  • Cook 22 min
  • Clean up 8 min
Pans
1
Ingredients
12
Cost/serving
$1.66

Per serving

Calories
274
Protein
12 g
Fiber
13 g
Net carbs
21 g
Fat
11 g

High in (% Daily Value per serving): Folate 36%, Vitamin K 32%, Thiamin (B1) 26%, Iron 25%, Magnesium 23%

Full nutrition facts, vitamins and minerals. All nutrition is estimated; check your own labels.

Already vegetarian, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free.

Ingredients for 4

Tap an ingredient for other units and forms.

  • 2 cans canned black beans, drained and rinsed (480 g)

    Same amount as: about 2¾ cups.

  • ½ cup rolled oats (40 g)

    Same amount as: 120 mL.

  • 1 large egg (50 g)

    Same amount as: about 1 medium, about 1 jumbo.

  • ½ medium red onion (55 g)
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed (6 g)

    Same amount as: 2 tsp fresh minced garlic, 1 tsp jarred minced garlic, ¼ tsp garlic powder.

  • 2 tsp ground cumin (4.2 g)

    Same amount as: 10 mL.

  • 1 tsp chili powder (2.7 g)

    Same amount as: 5 mL.

  • 1 tsp paprika (2.3 g)

    Same amount as: 5 mL.

  • 1 tbsp olive oil (14 g)

    Same amount as: 15 mL.

  • 8 large lettuce leaves (80 g)

    Same amount as: about 1¾ cups.

  • 1 medium tomato (123 g)
  • 1 medium avocado (136 g)
  • salt, to taste
  • black pepper, to taste

Find alternative ingredients

Quantities are for 4 servings. Baked patties keep 4 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen. Reheat in the oven.

Nutrition Facts

4 servings per recipe

Serving size 1 plate (249 g raw)

NutrientPer serving% DV*Whole recipe
Calories274
Total fat11 g14%
Saturated fat1.9 g9%
Cholesterol46 mg16%
Sodium501 mg22%
Total carbohydrate35 g13%
Dietary fiber13 g47%
Total sugars2.5 g
Net carbs†21 g
Protein12 g24%
Vitamin D0.25 mcg1%
Calcium88 mg7%
Iron4.4 mg25%
Potassium785 mg17%
Vitamin A147 mcg16%
Vitamin C10 mg11%
Vitamin E2.7 mg18%
Vitamin K38 mcg32%
Thiamin (B1)0.31 mg26%
Riboflavin (B2)0.23 mg18%
Niacin (B3)1.8 mg11%
Vitamin B60.3 mg17%
Folate144 mcg36%
Vitamin B120.11 mcg5%
Magnesium98 mg23%
Zinc1.8 mg17%
Selenium9.5 mcg17%

Estimated, not verified. These numbers are calculated from typical ingredient data and haven't been checked against a lab or your brands. Check the labels of what you buy and confirm anything that matters to you, especially sodium, sugar and allergens.

* % Daily Value shows how much one serving adds to a 2,000-calorie day. † Net carbs is not on US labels; it is total carbs minus fiber, allulose, erythritol and half of other sugar alcohols. "To taste" amounts are counted as written. Counted items (eggs, cloves, spoons) use the rounded amount shown in the ingredient list. Vitamins and minerals are from raw ingredients; cooking lowers some, especially vitamin C and folate. How this is calculated.

Steps

  1. Heat the oven to 190 °C / 375 °F. Line the sheet pan with parchment and brush it with half the oil.

  2. Drain and rinse the beans. Spread them on a clean towel and pat dry.

    Done looks like: Beans look matte, not shiny and wet.
  3. Chop the onion fine. Mince the garlic.

  4. In a bowl, mash the beans with a fork, leaving about a quarter in chunks. Add the oats, egg, onion, garlic, spices, salt and pepper. Mix and rest 5 minutes.

    Done looks like: Holds its shape when you squeeze a handful.
  5. Shape 4 patties about 2 cm (¾ in) thick. Put them on the pan and brush the tops with the rest of the oil.

  6. Bake 12 minutes. Flip carefully with the spatula. Bake 10 minutes more.

    Done looks like: Crisp brown edges. Firm all the way through when pressed in the center.
  7. Slice the tomato and avocado. Wrap each patty in 2 lettuce leaves with tomato and avocado.

Equipment

Rimmed sheet pan (half sheet) $12–25

What to look for

  • Heavy aluminum that does not warp in a hot oven
  • Rim all the way round so juices stay in

Skip: Dark non-stick sheet pans; they burn the bottoms of vegetables.

Chef's knife, 20 cm (8 in) $15–50

What to look for

  • Comfortable handle that does not slip when wet
  • Blade you can sharpen, or a cheap one you replace every few years

Skip: Knife blocks with 12 knives. A chef's knife and a small paring knife cover almost everything.

Cutting board $10–30

What to look for

  • At least 30 × 40 cm (12 × 16 in), so food stays on it
  • Wood or plastic; plastic goes in the dishwasher

Skip: Glass or stone boards. They dull knives fast.

Silicone spatula $5–12

What to look for

  • One-piece (no seam where the head meets the handle)
  • Stiff enough to scrape, safe on non-stick

Skip: Wooden spatulas for non-stick pans; they work but do not scrape as cleanly.

What goes wrong

WhatCauseFix
Patties fall apartBeans too wet, or mix did not rest.Pat the beans dry and let the oats soak 5 minutes before shaping.
Mushy insideMashed too smooth or patties too thick.Leave some chunks and keep patties 2 cm (¾ in) thick.

Versions

VersionChangesPer serving
OriginalAs written. Hands-on 22 min, total 50 min.274 kcal
12 g protein
13 g fiber
21 g net carbs
11 g fat
VeganFlax instead of eggs, add water. Also egg-free. Hands-on 22 min, total 50 min.266 kcal
11 g protein
14 g fiber
21 g net carbs
11 g fat
Higher carbBread instead of lettuce. Hands-on 22 min, total 50 min.432 kcal
20 g protein
17 g fiber
45 g net carbs
13 g fat

Notes

Allergies: removing an allergen from the recipe does not remove it from your kitchen or from other products. Check labels for "may contain" warnings.

Pregnancy: Bake until the patties are firm in the center so the egg is fully cooked.