You’re going to love this Gluten-Free Black Bean Burger recipe! It’s easy to make and tastes delicious. Plus, it’s a great way to get your family to eat more vegetables. Serve the burgers with Chili Sweet Potato Fries. This is an amazing vegetarian and gluten-free recipe.

person holding a gluten-free black bean burger wrapped in lettuce.

I’ve been on the hunt for a good vegetarian, plant-based burger for a long time. This recipe is soy-free and uses canned black beans as the base, along with almond flour and an egg to help hold it together.

The result is a flavorful, easy, and super healthy black bean burger that both vegetarians and meat eaters will adore. And, this recipe can be served with Baked Chili Sweet Potato Wedge Fries for the ultimate meatless meal.

This fantastic recipe comes from a cookbook from one of my blogger friends, Lacey Baier. Lacey is the creator behind A Sweet Pea Chef and her book is called Clean-Eating Breakfasts and Lunches Made Simple: 75 Flavorful and Nutritious Recipes that Ditch Processed Ingredients.

I was thrilled when Lacey’s publisher sent me the book back in 2019. It is full of gorgeous recipes that are nourishing and so delicious.

And, Lacey is an incredible photographer. The photos make you want to run to the kitchen and start cooking the easy and healthy breakfast and lunch recipes from her book, including salads, smoothies, burgers, bowls, and more.

clean eating breakfasts and lunches made simple book cover.

How to Make This Recipe

Step One

These burgers are so easy to make, you don’t even need a food processor. Instead, just pour a can of rinsed black beans into a bowl. Use a potato masher to smash the beans just a little bit. This literally took me 30 seconds.

Step Two

Then, you add diced onion, garlic, egg, almond flour, lime juice and zest, and some spices with the beans and use your hands to form the burger patties.

Step Three

I then cooked the burgers on the stovetop in a skillet and they were ready in about 10 minutes total. I actually made these as part of my weekly meal prep.

So, I made the patties and just refrigerated them until I was ready to eat.

This is a recipe you can make in 20 minutes or less. If you want to make the chili wedges, then you find the directions in the recipe below. Or, try my recipe for Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges.

Step Four

Serve the burgers on a gluten free bun or wrapped in lettuce leaves like Lacey suggests.

Either way, this is a super dooper meal that both my husband and I loved!

Recipe Tips

  • Pair the beans with almond flour or breadcrumbs for added texture. This helps keep the burgers from being mushy.
  • Feel free to get creative with your spices. Use what you like and don’t be afraid of adding spice. This helps keep the burgers from being bland.
  • You can sauté the burgers in a skillet or bake them in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make this recipe vegan?

Yes, but I haven’t tried it. You’ll need to use a flax egg or a chia egg instead of a regular egg. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out!

Can I use coconut flour instead of almond flour?

Yes, but I’m not sure if you’ll need more liquid since coconut flour tends to dry out recipes. You might need to add some olive oil to the batter to keep it moist.

Can I use a different kind of bean instead of black beans?

Yes, absolutely! This recipe would also be great using cooked garbanzo beans, lentils, or white beans. Or, you can try my recipe for Baked Lentil Burgers!

More Vegetarian Recipes You Might Like

Or, see my entire index of gluten-free vegetarian recipes.

I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.

And, consider following me on social media so we can stay connected. I’m on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube!

Print
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black bean burgers with fries.

Gluten-Free Black Bean Burgers with Chili Fries

There isn’t much more satisfying than biting into a big, juicy, flavorful burger. This black bean burger recipe does not disappoint! 

  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • For the Black Bean Burgers
  • 1 (15-oz [425-g]) can black beans with no salt added, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup (70 g) finely diced red onion
  • 3 green onions, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 egg (use an egg replacer to make this recipe vegan)
  • 1/2 cup (60 g) almond flour
  • 1/2 tsp lime zest
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
  • For the Sweet Potato Wedge Fries
  • 2 sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp (3 g) chopped fresh Italian parsley, for garnish
  • For Serving
  • 1 head iceberg lettuce, broken into leaves
  • 1 tomato, sliced
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 avocado, sliced

Instructions

  1. To make the sweet potato wedge fries, preheat your oven to 450ºF (230ºC), and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. 
  2. On the baking sheet, toss the sweet potatoes, olive oil, chili powder, salt, paprika, cumin, cayenne, and garlic powder, until the potatoes are coated well. Arrange the wedges in a single layer on the baking sheet, and bake them for 20 to 25 minutes, tossing halfway through, until the wedges are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Remove the potatoes from the oven, and garnish with the parsley. 
  3. Make the black bean burgers while the sweet potatoes are in the oven. In a large mixing bowl, use a potato masher to mash the beans. The beans should be roughly mashed, not fully pureed. Add the red onion, green onions, garlic, egg, almond flour, lime zest, lime juice, salt, chili powder, cumin, and pepper, and stir to combine. 
  4. Divide the mixture into four portions, and use your hands to shape each portion into a patty. If the bean mixture is too crumbly to work with, refrigerate it for 20 minutes to firm it and make it easier to form into patties. 
  5. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Once the oil is hot, gently place the patties into the hot pan, and cook them for 4 to 6 minutes per side, until a golden crust forms and the patty is heated through. Reshape the patties using your spatula, as needed.
  6. Put a black bean burger on one of the prepared lettuce leaves, followed by the tomato, onion, and avocado. Top with another of the lettuce leaves, then repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve with the sweet potato wedge fries. You can use the extra yogurt spread for dipping sauce for the fries, if desired.

Notes

  1. Reprinted with permission from Clean-Eating Breakfasts and Lunches Made Simple by Lacey Baier, Page Street Publishing Co. 2019. Photo credit: Lacey Baier.
  2. Please note that the cook times and nutrition information is for the black bean burgers only.
  3. Pair the beans with almond flour or breadcrumbs for added texture. This helps keep the burgers from being mushy.
  4. Feel free to get creative with your spices. Use what you like and don’t be afraid of adding spice. This helps keep the burgers from being bland.
  5. You can sauté the burgers in a skillet or bake them in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes.
  • Author: Lacey Baier
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Main dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 burger
  • Calories: 240
  • Sugar: 1.7 g
  • Sodium: 1029 mg
  • Fat: 7.8 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 23.4 g
  • Fiber: 8.6 g
  • Protein: 10.5 g
  • Cholesterol: 46.5 mg

Keywords: black bean burgers, vegetarian bean burgers, bean burger recipe

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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition. She is a top wellness and food blogger with nearly 10 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send Carrie a message through her contact form.