Homemade Black Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayo

This black bean burger recipe is filled with veggies, and served with a delicious vegan chipotle mayo.

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Oh, black bean burgers. Along with veggie chili and hummus wraps, you've probably eaten your fair share of these bad boys at restaurants with a token vegan section on the menu. While I could take or leave a cold hummus wrap, bean burgers are still in my cooking rotation. They're easy to make, freeze well, and can be served with any toppings you like.

I wrote a version of this recipe when I first became vegan in high school, and I'm still making it to this day! I got bored of making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and needed to find something new that was healthy, tasty, and easy to throw together in the morning. This vegan black bean burger recipe fit the bill!

Anatomy of a black bean burger

The base of these burgers is—you guessed it—black beans! I like to blend veggies into the burger mixture, so this recipe also calls for steamed carrots. If you don't like or don't have carrots, you could replace them with another root vegetable like sweet potatoes, white potatoes, rutabaga, or even beets.

To prevent your burgers from being dry and crumbly, adding a liquidy ingredient will keep them nice and tender. I use salsa in this recipe to go along with the Tex Mex flavor, but you could use regular canned diced tomatoes. Breadcrumbs act as a binder in the recipe, but won't dry out the patties.

How to mash the beans

My preferred method for mashing the beans is by hand with a potato masher. Mashing by hand will yield a chunkier texture, but the potato masher will get the job done. If you'd prefer, you can use a food processor, which will make the base nice and smooth.

If you're using a food processor, the best way to mash the beans and veggies is to use the pulse setting, scraping down the sides of the container as needed, until the mixture is smooth.

Sweet and spicy chipotle mayo

I love the chipotle sauce served at restaurants (I'm all about the one at Native Foods). I put it on sandwiches and burgers, dip fries in it, and use it as a salad dressing. It seems like it would be easy to make at home—just blend chipotles and mayo together, right? Whenever I tried making it in the past, it never came out quite right.

The trick is to get the balance of sweet, spicy, and acidity just right so that it meshes well with the mayo. Chipotles are spicy and smoky, but have very little sweetness or acidity. Agave nectar and lime juice balance the flavors just right so that this chipotle mayo tastes just like the kind in restaurants!

Toppings and serving suggestions for your bean burgers

These burgers are fantastic with lettuce, pico de gallo or tomato slices, avocado, and of course, chipotle mayo. You can use any toppings you'd like, perhaps jalapeño slices, onions, or guacamole!

Sides

• Spanish Rice
• Southwest Salad
• Tortilla chips
• Fries (to dip in the extra chipotle sauce, of course)

📖 Recipe

Vegan Black Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayo

Yield: 12 burgers

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

These black bean burgers are vegan, flavorful, and served with a spicy chipotle mayo. Serve them with any toppings you like.

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Ingredients

Black Bean Burgers:

• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 cups black beans, (2 cans)
• ½ cup chopped onions
• ½ cup chopped green bell peppers
• 1 chipotle in adobo, chopped
• ½ cup corn kernels
• 1 cup salsa, (regular tomato salsa for chips)
• ⅔ cup breadcrumbs or panko
• ½ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon chili powder

Chipotle Mayo:

• 1 cup vegan mayonnaise
• 3 chipotles in adobo, mashed
• 2-3 teaspoons adobo, (liquid in canned chipotles)
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon lime juice

Serving ideas:

• 12 buns
• Lettuce
• Tomato slices
• Avocado slices
• Onion slices

Instructions

For the black bean burgers:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 1 large or 2 small baking sheets with parchment or foil.
2. Steam or boil the carrots until soft, 7-8 minutes.
3. Combine the carrots and black beans in a large bowl and use a potato masher to mash until the mixture holds together.
4. Add the onions, bell pepper, chipotle, and corn and stir until combined.
5. Add the salsa, breadcrumbs, flour, black pepper, and chili powder and stir until smooth and incorporated.
6. The mixture should hold together like dough. If it's too liquid, add some more flour, and if it's crumbly, add more salsa or water.
7. Take baseball-sized portions of the mixture, roll into balls, and flatten on the prepared baking sheet.
8. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. You should get 12 burgers.
9. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until firm with a crispy exterior.

For the chipotle mayo:

1. Combine all of the chipotle mayo ingredients in a blender or small bowl and blend or mash until smooth.
2. Taste and adjust flavors if needed.

To assemble:

1. Place a burger on your favorite type of bun, then top with chipotle mayo and other desired toppings.

Notes

• The nutritional info listed refers to 1 burger with sauce, but does not include toppings or a bun.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 burger patty
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 220Unsaturated Fat: 0g

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