This black bean chickpea burger is everything a veggie burger needs to be. It's flavorful, hearty, and elevated with a fried chickpea crust that holds the burger together and provides a satisfying crunch.
If you're looking for an awesome side to go with this recipe, check out my crispy A&W Onion Rings Recipe.
If you're on the fence about veggie burgers, I hope this recipe can change your mind. Veggie burgers, especially black bean burgers, are so delicious when done right. They're flavorful, hearty, and juicy, all while being packed with nutrients.
My black bean and chickpea burger is encrusted with a layer of fried chickpeas. The chickpeas are blitzed, pressed into the patties, and deep-fried to create a layer of delectable crunchiness. And on top of that, the chickpea layer forms a crust around the black bean filling, so none of it smushes out while you're eating it - no messy hands!
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🧂 Ingredients
- Black beans - the primary ingredient in my black bean burger recipe. Bake them until dry and crispy so the patties don't get mushy.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - add a smoky and spicy flavor to the patties.
- Feta cheese - adds a tangy and salty flavor to the patties
- Breadcrumbs and eggs - help bind the patty ingredients together
- Chickpeas - for the crunchy coating
- Cashews (not pictured) - add a crunchy texture to the inside of the patties
- Other ingredients - for flavor!
🔪 Instructions
Step 1. Roast the beans
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with foil, and spread black beans in one layer, ensuring they’re not piled on top of each other. Roast beans for around 25-30 minutes until they’re mostly dried out. Allow beans to cool slightly.
Step 2. Cook onion base
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick pan on medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer. Add chopped onions and poblano peppers and cook for about 4-5 minutes until they become soft.
Add minced garlic, chipotle peppers, and adobo sauce to the pan. Saute for about 2 minutes until the mixture becomes fragrant.
Transfer to a large bowl with the cashews and chopped cilantro.
Step 3. Make patty mixture
Place black beans and feta cheese in a food processor and pulse until they’re well combined, and no beans are larger than ⅓ inch (about 10-15 short pulses). Transfer to the bowl with the onion/poblano mixture and mix well.
Add mayonnaise, breadcrumbs, and the egg, and gently fold until well combined.
Step 4. Form patties
Scoop about ½ cup of the bean mixture and form into a patty about 1 inch thick. Transfer it to a plate lined with parchment paper and repeat until you run out of the black bean mixture. You should end up with about six patties.
Place rehydrated chickpeas in a food processor and pulse until they’re minced finely (about five long pulses). Transfer to a medium-sized bowl and mix with panko breadcrumbs.
In a flat container, whisk three large eggs until smooth.
Working one at a time, dip a patty into the egg wash, ensuring the entire patty gets covered, then drop the patty in the chickpea mixture.
Toss chickpeas over the patty and gently press them into the patty. Repeat with all patties.
Heat 1 inch of oil to 350°F (175°C) in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook two patties at a time for 4-5 minutes until they become golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to dry.
Serve with your favorite toppings, and enjoy. I enjoy mine with chipotle mayonnaise (on top and bottom buns), dill pickles, minced onions, and Swiss cheese.
Want to explore my other burger recipes? Check out my copycat A&W Teen burger recipe.
💭 Top Tips
- Bake the black beans until their skins have opened up and are slightly crispy. Everyone's oven is different, and your pans may conduct heat at a different rate. If the beans are still too soft, bake them a little longer. Use your judgment!
- Apply only a thin layer of chickpeas (about 1/16 inch thick) when breading the patties.
👨🏻🍳 Variations
Try these variations on my chickpea and black bean burger recipe.
- Spicy - add ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper or ½ teaspoon of chili flakes to the burger mix before forming the patties.
- Baked - Instead of frying, bake patties at 375°F (191°C) for 10 minutes on each side, 20 minutes total.
- Grilled - place patties on greased aluminum foil and grill for 4 minutes on each side
- Pan-fried - heat 2 tablespoons of oil on a cast-iron or aluminum pan over medium heat until shimmering. Sear each side for 4 minutes.
🥡 Storage & Leftovers
Storing: Cooked patties can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Reheat leftover patties by baking at 375℉ for 5-7 minutes until warmed. If you have an air fryer, pop them in at 350℉ for 3-4 minutes.
Make ahead: To make these patties ahead, follow the instructions through step 4 (forming and breading them), and store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you want to eat them, remove them from the fridge and deep-fry them as directed.
📖 Recipe FAQs
Both canned and dried black beans can be used to make burger patties, but the choice depends on personal preference and convenience. The texture of dried black beans is better, but dried black beans must be soaked and cooked in advance. I prefer canned black beans for convenience.
To prevent black bean burgers from becoming mushy, you need to bake the black beans for at least 20 minutes to cook off the moisture. It's also important to drain and rinse the black beans before baking to remove the excess starch, which can give a weird texture.
Yes, you can freeze black bean burgers. After forming the patties, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for at least one hour. Once they are semi-solid, transfer them to a ziplock bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. Place a small piece of parchment paper between each patty so they don't stick.
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📋 Recipe
Easy black bean chickpea burger
Equipment
- 1 deep fryer, dutch oven, wok, or high-walled pot
- 1 food processor
Ingredients
Patties
- 2 (19 oz) canned black beans (rinsed and drained)
- 2 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 medium onion (chopped finely)
- 1 poblano pepper
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (minced + 1 teaspoon of adobo sauce)
- 1 cup roasted cashews (or walnuts, chopped finely)
- ½ cup cilantro (or parsley leaves)
- ½ cup feta cheese (crumbled)
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Chickpea crust
- 1 cup dried chickpeas (soaked for 24 hours in cold water)
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
To Assemble
- 4 hamburger buns
- chipotle mayo
- dill pickles (sliced)
- onion (minced)
- iceberg lettuce
- cheese (swiss, monterey jack, or cheddar)
Instructions
- Roast beans: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with foil, and spread black beans in one layer, ensuring they're not piled on top of each other. Roast beans for 25-30 minutes until they're mostly dried out. Allow beans to cool slightly.
- Cook onion base: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chopped onions and poblano peppers and cook for about 4-5 minutes until they become soft. Add minced garlic, chipotle peppers, and adobo sauce to the pan. Saute for about 2 minutes until the mixture becomes fragrant. Transfer to a large bowl with the cashews and chopped cilantro.
- Make patties: Place black beans and feta cheese in a food processor and pulse until well combined and beans are no larger than ⅓ inch (about 10-15 short pulses). Transfer beans to the bowl with the onion/poblano mixture and mix well. Add mayonnaise, panko bread crumbs, and the egg, and gently fold until well combined.
- Form the patties: Scoop about ½ cup of the black bean mixture and form into a patty about 1 inch thick. Transfer to a plate lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining black bean mixture. You should have about six patties.
- Make chickpea crust: Place rehydrated chickpeas in a food processor and pulse until they become minced finely (about five long pulses). Transfer to a medium-sized bowl and mix with panko breadcrumbs.
- Bread patties: Whisk three large eggs in a flat container. Working one at a time, dip a patty into the egg wash, ensuring the entire patty gets covered, then drop the patty in the chickpea mixture, toss chickpeas over the patty, and gently press into the patty. Repeat with all patties.
- Fry patties: Heat 1 inch of oil to 350°F (175°C) in a dutch oven or high-walled pot over medium-high heat. Cook two patties at a time for 4-5 minutes until they become golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to dry.
- Assemble the burgers: Toast 4 hamburger buns. Add chipotle mayonnaise on top and bottom buns. Add 5 slices of dill pickles and minced onions to the bottom bun. Add the patty and cheese. Finally, add lettuce and the top bun.The above ingredients are just suggestions; you can use whatever burger toppings you want.
Notes
- Bake the black beans for the appropriate amount of time. The skins should be opened up and slightly crispy. Everyone's oven is different, and your pans may conduct heat at a different rate. If the beans are still too soft, bake them a little longer. Use your judgment!
- When breading the patties, make sure to only apply a thin layer of chickpeas about 1/16 inch thick.
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