If you're looking for a delicious and healthy vegan burger, look no further than these Black Bean Lentil Burgers! These burgers are perfect for a summer picnic or cookout.
They really are the best and they're effortless to make - mix all the ingredients, shape them into patties and cook them on the stovetop or grill. How easy is that?
These lentil black bean burgers are easy on the budget, and they will leave you feeling full and satisfied since they are packed with protein and flavor.
They're gluten-free and super easy to make - perfect for a quick weeknight dinner and a great option for meatless Monday. You can customize them however you like!
I love these homemade veggie burgers because they're moist inside, and they hold together. They are not going to fall apart in your hands!
This recipe was inspired by my Easy Vegan Meatballs and pairs well with these tasty Baked Sweet Potato Fries or Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes. These homemade black bean burgers are delicious with Vegan Horseradish Aioli!
Give these hearty vegan burgers a try along with my vegan burger buns!
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Ingredients
Here are the simple ingredients you'll need to make the best lentil black bean burgers:
Be sure to check out the Substitutions below for ideas on how to customize the recipe to your preference.
- Lentils - it takes 20 minutes to cook lentils; I often cook them the day before making this recipe. You can buy canned lentils or precooked lentils.
- Black beans - I usually keep some in the freezer after cooking a batch. You can use canned black beans instead. I typically keep some handy in the pantry for convenience.
- Onion - I used red onion, although yellow onion is delicious too.
- Garlic - I add garlic to nearly everything!
- Ground flax seeds - mix with water to make flax eggs as an egg replacement to help with binding the burgers.
- Ground black pepper - (not pictured) for a bright and peppery kick. I love these Zanzibar black peppercorns that I grind immediately before use.
- Gluten-free rolled oats - you can use regular rolled oats. Oats are used for binding the burgers.
- Psyllium husk - this acts as a binder and is rich in fiber. I buy psyllium husk powder in a small bag at Natural Grocers.
- Gluten-free oat flour - You can make your own by blending rolled oats in a blender.
- Carrot - for color and beta-carotene!
- Sunflower seeds - for texture and taste, plus they are nutritious.
- Parsley - I used Italian parsley, but you can use whichever parsley you prefer.
- Smoked paprika - to add a smoky flavor.
- Chile powder - to spice things up.
- Grapeseed oil for sauteing on the stovetop, optional.
See the recipe card for quantities.
If you need new spices or want to refresh your spices, check out this Grilling Collection from Burlap & Barrel (affiliate). Their Zanzibar black peppercorns in this collection pack a bright and peppery kick!
How to make Black Bean Lentil Burgers
It's easy to make the best lentil black bean veggie burgers, even if it's your first time! Here are the steps:
Chop onion and garlic in a food processor.
Place lentils, black beans, rolled oats, psyllium husk, spices, and sea salt in a food processor bowl.
To make flax eggs, combine ground flaxseed meal with warm water. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes.
Pulse the lentils and other ingredients several times until the mixture comes together.
Add oat flour, flax egg, carrot, sunflower seeds, and parsley. At this step, I reserved some whole seeds to mix in.
Pulse until just combined.
Turn into a large bowl and combine thoroughly with a spatula.
The mixture should hold together easily when you pinch it with your fingers. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
The next step is to form patties with your hands and place them on a tray. Then, use a ½-cup measuring cup to scoop out the mixture and form it into patties.
Each patty is approximately 3.5 oz. Depending on the amounts of your ingredients, you may need to adjust the size of your patties slightly to get eight of them.
If your burger buns are bigger than those pictured, make bigger patties.
Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of grapeseed oil if you cook with oil; otherwise, omit this step. Cook the burger patties for 3 to 5 minutes on the first side until golden; adjust the heat as necessary. Repeat for the other side.
Serve these black bean lentil burgers immediately with burger buns and your favorite toppings.
I like to cook the patties all at once; however, you can keep the uncooked ones in the refrigerator or freezer until you need them. See the Storage instructions below.
Note: You can cook these patties on a stovetop grill pan, and follow the same instructions. If you want to cook these lentil black bean burgers on a grill outside, it should be fine since these burgers hold together well. I haven't tried it myself, though. Let me know in the comments!
Substitutions
Feel free to experiment! The recipe is a guide. If you make any substitutions, I'd love to hear about them.
- Lentils - you can use beans instead; rinse and drain them first if using canned beans. Want more beans than lentils? Reduce the lentils or replace them with the beans of your choice.
- Black beans - You can use other beans such as cannellini beans or chickpeas.
- Ground flaxseed - you can use chia seeds instead.
- Gluten-free oat flour - You can make your own by blending rolled oats in a blender.
- Carrot - If you don't have any, you can skip them or use shredded zucchini (remove water) or finely chopped bell pepper instead.
- Sunflower seeds - if you don't have them, you can use walnuts.
- Parsley - you can use cilantro if you prefer.
- Grapeseed oil - use avocado oil or olive oil instead.
- Smoked paprika - you can use cumin if you prefer or try another seasoning such as Italian seasoning, oregano, or poultry seasoning.
- Chile powder - you can use ancho chile powder or skip it. You can try another seasoning that you enjoy!
Variations
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes, freshly ground Zanzibar black peppercorns, diced jalapeno, adobo sauce, or chopped, roasted green chile.
- Deluxe - add guacamole, crispy onions, pickled onions, or caramelized onions.
- Gluten-free - this vegan burger is already gluten-free. Be sure to choose gluten-free buns!
- Buns - Instead of buns, try making lettuce wraps.
- Crumble - Try serving in a wrap, crumbled in a breakfast scramble, in a wrap, over tacos, pasta, or in a salad.
How to serve
Serve the burgers warm with homemade burger buns and your favorite toppings:
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Lettuce
- Red onion slices or pickled red onion
- Avocado slices
- Vegan cheese slices
- Vegan mayo
- Tomato slices
- Pickles
- Vegan horseradish aioli
- Barbecue sauce
Equipment
A non-stick skillet comes in handy for heating up these burgers.
A food processor is helpful - I love my Cuisinart. If you don't have one, you can use a fork or potato masher to mash the beans and lentils.
Storage
Place the patties side by side in a freezer bag or an airtight container; do not stack them directly on top of each other to prevent sticking.
Refrigerate: These burgers can be refrigerated for three days or up to three months, cooked or uncooked.
Freeze: These burgers can be frozen for up to three months, cooked or uncooked.
Reheat: Heat a quality non-stick frying pan over medium heat. If you cook with oil, add a teaspoon of grapeseed oil. Cook the burger patties for three to five minutes on the first side, and repeat for the other side. Watch to prevent over-browning.
Expert tips
- Use canned beans and precooked lentils easily found at the grocery store to save time.
- Don't overprocess the burger mixture or turn it into a homogenous mixture. It's nice to get texture from the lentils and beans.
- Form your patties no larger than the burger buns.
- For the best texture, cook these burgers on the stovetop or grill.
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ★★★★★ below. I love to see your creations on Instagram; make sure to tag me @resplendentkitchen and #resplendentkitchenrecipes. To get more ideas, follow me on Facebook and Pinterest.
Recipe
Black Bean Lentil Burgers
Equipment
- spatula
- Non-stick pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked brown lentils or 1 ⅔ cup cooked lentils
- 2 ⅓ cups water divided, for cooking lentils and making flax egg
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt divided
- 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- ½ medium onion approximately 1 cup, chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves
- ½ cup black beans cooked
- ½ cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon ground psyllium husk
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup oat flour
- ½ cup carrot grated
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- ⅓ cup chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon grapeseed oil optional, for sauteing
For serving
- Burger buns gluten-free if desired
- Lettuce
- Tomato sliced
- Red onion sliced, or pickled red onion, optional
- Avocado sliced, optional
- Ketchup sugar-free if desired, optional
- Mustard optional
- Vegan cheese optional
- Vegan mayo optional
- Pickles optional
Instructions
- Rinse the dry lentils. Place lentils in a small to medium saucepan and cover with 2 cups of water; add ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low to keep simmering and cover loosely. Cook lentils for around 20 minutes, until lentils are soft but not falling apart. If they are not done at this point, check every 5 minutes until done. Strain if needed and let cool on a baking sheet.1 cup uncooked brown lentils, 2 ⅓ cups water, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- To make flax egg, combine ground flaxseed meal with ⅓ cup warm water. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes.3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- Chop onion and garlic in a food processor.½ medium onion, 2 large garlic cloves
- Place lentils, black beans, rolled oats, psyllium husk, chili powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, and remaining sea salt in food processor bowl. Pulse several times until it comes together.½ cup black beans, ½ cup gluten-free rolled oats, 1 tablespoon ground psyllium husk, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Add oat flour, flaxseed mixture, carrot, sunflower seeds, and parsley. Pulse a few times until just combined. Turn into a bowl and combine thoroughly with spatula. The mixture should hold together easily when you pinch it with your fingers. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.1 cup oat flour, ½ cup carrot, ½ cup sunflower seeds, ⅓ cup chopped parsley
- Form 8 patties with your hands. Scoop with ½-cup measuring cup; each patty is approximately 3.5 oz.
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of grapeseed oil if using. Cook the burgers for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until golden, adjusting heat as necessary.1 teaspoon grapeseed oil
- Serve immediately with buns, lettuce, sliced tomato, and your favorite toppings.Burger buns, Ketchup, Mustard, Lettuce, Red onion, Avocado, Vegan cheese, Vegan mayo, Tomato, Pickles
Notes
Nutrition
Resplendent Kitchen offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy. Although resplendentkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information from online calculators, these figures are estimates.
Katherine
I love that these burgers are tasty but full of nourishing ingredients!
Emily
Thank you, Katherine, I really appreciate it!
Andrea
Yum! These look so good. I'm making these for the kids tonight.
Emily
Thank you, Andrea, I hope you enjoy them!
Emily
Thank you, Kushi, I hope you enjoy these burgers!
Nathan
These lentil burgers have so much great flavor, and I love the texture too. So satisfying! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Emily
Thank you, Nathan, for trying this recipe and for leaving such a kind review. We're so glad you enjoyed it!
Sara
This was everything a gourmet burger should be, and then some! So hearty and flavorful; easily, a new favorite dish!
Emily
Thank you for trying out this recipe, Sara! We're so glad you enjoyed the burger and found it to be hearty and flavorful. It's definitely one of our favorites too!