5 Ingredient Vegan Black Bean Burger Recipe
These gluten free black bean burgers are one of my favorite easy meals, packed with flavor, ready in about 15 minutes, and they hold together beautifully while cooking. Made with pantry staples and fresh zucchini, they’re a simple, satisfying option whether you’re cooking on the stove, using a cast iron skillet on the grill, or popping them in the air fryer. I’ve tested them all and they always come out great!
They’re also incredibly versatile and meal-prep friendly. The zucchini adds moisture and sneaks in extra veggies without compromising taste, making them a hit with picky eaters too. You can enjoy them like a classic burger, crumble them over salads or burrito bowls, or tuck them into tacos for a quick lunch or dinner. Best of all, they’re super budget-friendly.
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Ingredients
- Black beans – typically I always have instant pot black beans in the fridge but I made these with canned black beans because I figured that is what most people have in their pantry. You will want 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained well.
- Ground flax – ground flax replaces eggs in recipes and helps to bind together these burgers, ensuring they don’t break apart when flipping!
- Zucchini – the zucchini adds moisture to the burgers, but it’s important that you take the time to squeeze out as much excess liquid from the zucchini as possible before adding it to the beans and ground flax.
- Salt and Spices: Chili powder, ground cumin and garlic powder are all used to add flavor to these burgers.
How to make zucchini black bean burgers
Drain and rinse the blak beans. 
Add ground flax, spices and black beans in a bowl. 
Mash black beans in the bowl with a fork. 
Grate the zucchini and squeeze out any excess liquid 
Add grated zucchini to the bowl with black bean mixture. Stir well to combine. 
Preheat a large skillet over medium heat.
Take 1/3- ½ cup of the black bean zucchini mixture and form into patties using your hands. When hot, spray with avocado oil and add burgers.
Cook 5 minutes then flip. 
Cook another 3-4 minutes then enjoy.
Top tips
- Mash at least half the black beans with the ground flax and let it sit together while you are shredding the zucchini.
- I typically use a box grater to shred the zucchini but if you are going to double or triple the recipe, you can use your food processor shredding tool to shred up the zucchini quickly.
- Be sure to squeeze out ALL THE EXTRA liquid from the zucchini before you add it to the black bean mixture. You can easily do this with your hands over the sink, no need to get a special towel. Just take about half the shredded zucchini and squeeze it between your hands, pressing until you can’t get more liquid. Add this to the black beans and repeat with the second half of the zucchini.
- Get your skillet HOT before you add the oil and black bean burger patties. This ensures that your burgers don’t stick. Also, don’t be afraid to really spray your skillet so these don’t stick. I like to use a stainless steel or cast iron skillet for this so you don’t have to worry about the coating on the skillet as the pan preheats.
- Depending on how large your zucchini is, you may decide to add 1-2 tbsp. ground oat flour, almond flour or breadcrumbs to the mixture to ensure the burgers aren’t too mushy on the inside.
- You can also use the air fryer to cook the burgers as well. Depending on the model you have, you may have to cook them in batches in the air fryer. Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper or silicone liner and cook at 390F for 10 minutes, flip and cook 5 more minutes.
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5 ingredient vegan black bean burger recipe
Zucchini black bean burgers are quick and easy and made with just 5 ingredients. Vegan black bean burgers are simple to make and ready in about 15 minutes, perfect for weeknight meals. This recipe is vegan and gluten free and super filling!
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Servings: 3 servings
Guided Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked black beans (drained)
- 3 tablespoons ground flax seed
- 1 medium zucchini, shredded
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse and drain black beans. Add ground flax seed and mash half the black beans with a fork, making sure to incorporate the ground flax seed into the mash.
- Let the ground flax and mashed beans sit together while you grate the zucchini. You can use your food processor attachment or grate by hand.
- Once the zucchini has been grated, you will have to wring out the excess water. You can use your hands or a clean cheese cloth to do this.
- Add the zucchini to the black bean and ground flax mixture. Add the spices and stir well, to fully incorporate the zucchini and spices.
- Form the burgers into 6 equal size patties, about the size of your palm cupped.
- Preheat a cast iron skillet (affiliate link) over medium heat. Spray with non-stick or add about 1 tsp. avocado oil and brush it out to cover the surface.
- Add the vegan black bean burgers and cook for 6 minutes over medium heat. Flip and cook 4 additional minutes.
- Serve with your favorite toppings.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
227
Fat
5
g
Carbohydrates
34
g
Fiber
14
g
Sugar
2
g
Protein
13
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
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Other additions
- Smoky flavor: Smoked paprika, chipotle in adobo (1-2 chipotles finely chopped)
- Spice: Red pepper flakes, fresh or pickled jalapeno, sriracha
- Other veggies: Red onion, green onion, roasted red pepper, shredded carrots.
- Other grains: Add 1 cup of cooked rice, quinoa, farro to the mixture. This will result in more burgers and you may need a ¼ tsp. extra salt.
How to serve gluten free black bean burgers
- On a bun with your favorite toppings (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, etc.)
- On a lettuce wrap with pickled onions and sliced radish
- Broken up and served over salad (with avocado cilantro dressing)
- As part of a burrito bowl or burrito with spicy vegan chipotle mayo
- With rice, quinoa or sweet potatoes for a hearty grain bowl with your favorite veggies and chimichurri sauce
What to serve with these burgers
- Fries! Carrot fries, butternut squash fries or parsnip fries would be great out of the ordinary options
- Sweet potato tots or Broccoli tots
- Creamy Cilantro Lime Slaw
- Roasted potatoes
- Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts
- Mexican Cauliflower Rice
Storing leftovers
- Store leftover zucchini black bean burgers in the fridge up to 4 days.
- You can also freeze leftover black bean burgers. To freeze, add wax paper or parchment paper to a baking sheet. Freeze the burgers on the baking sheet in a single layer. Once frozen, store in a freezer safe bag with squares of wax paper or parchment between the burgers.
- To cook from frozen: Cook in a 350F oven for 15 minutes.
- To reheat after defrosting: Defrost in the fridge or in the microwave. Once defrosted, cook on a hot skillet with non-stick spray (avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil) about 5 minutes.
Can I use rolled or quick oats instead of Flax seed?
I have not tested this. If you did, please let me know how it turns out! Happy cooking – Sam