Grill/Barbecue

Black Bean and Corn Burgers

by:
May 26, 2021
4
12 Ratings
Black Bean and Corn Burgers
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 20 minutes
  • Cook time 50 minutes
  • Serves 4 to 6
Author Notes

These veggie burgers are a little bit spicy, thanks to a mixture of paprika, cumin, and chili, and a little bit sweet, thanks to fresh summer corn. They've got texture, taste, and tons of nutrition, too.

This recipe was featured on our new cook-along podcast Play Me a Recipe. Listen as Brinda Ayer cooks her way through this recipe, offering insider tips and backstory along the way. —Gena Hamshaw

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cups (or 2 cans) cooked black beans, divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper or red pepper flakes, to taste
  • 2/3 cup quick oats or bread crumbs, plus extra as needed
  • 3/4 cup fresh (or frozen and thawed) corn
Directions
  1. Sauté onion and garlic in the olive oil for eight to ten minutes, or until golden, soft, and fragrant.
  2. Add 2 cups of the beans, the cumin, the paprika, the chili powder, the sea salt, and pepper to taste. Stir in the sauté pan till all is warm.
  3. Preheat your oven to 350° F.
  4. Add the oats to the bowl of a food processor and pulse them a few times. Add the onion, garlic, and bean mixture. Process everything together, until it's well combined but still has texture.
  5. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl. Add the last cup of black beans and the corn and mix well with your hands. Check for seasoning and season to taste. If the mixture is too mushy to form into patties, add a little more oats or bread crumbs.
  6. Shape mixture into four large or six smaller patties. Transfer burgers to a baking sheet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes (or until golden), flipping once through. Alternately, you can chill them for twenty minutes before transferring them to a grill and cooking through. You can also pan fry them in olive oil until golden on each side.
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66 Reviews

bidoun
bidoun December 26, 2022
Delicious but a bit dry. I wonder if brushing them with a bit of oil before popping them in the oven would have helped.
 
Doylehr
Doylehr June 24, 2022
Made as written and I thought they were a bit one note. I used the oven method to cook and maybe the way to get more texture would be in a pan with a touch of oil. I would be afraid to try and put these on the grill, they are a little soft for that.
 
Tante
Tante March 21, 2022
Lovely to see how you’re going for lots of taste without the various additions of the big companies. Your recipe shows that nothing high-tech is necessary to cook up a nice vegetarian meal!
Thanks. 😄
 
DeirdreMS
DeirdreMS May 26, 2021
Super and easy. Mushed about 1/3 of the mixture in the pan with a potato masher, used a small amount of panko instead of oatmeal and a touch of water. And ramped up the spices just a bit. Made 4 nice dinner-sized burgers.
 
EmilyAnne
EmilyAnne April 18, 2021
Love these! This has become my go to veggie burger recipe - hubby likes them too, which is rare :) Double the recipe and freeze them.
 
Barbara A.
Barbara A. February 21, 2020
simple and yummy! the texture was a little too soft to hold together for a burger patty, but I made smaller (like 2 inches or so) patties to use as a protein for grain bowls. would recommend!
 
Vinod
Vinod April 27, 2019
I made these with beans I soaked and cooked myself but they were probably dryer as a result, compared to canned beans. I neglected to add water to make up for it, resulting in a dry patty that fell apart. The taste was good though! So my notes for next time are to grind the patty finer and add a splash of water to make a moister patty that holds together better
 
Susan
Susan January 5, 2019
I made these today cutting the recipe in half. Very good!!! I ate one on a whole grain thin bun with ketchup. Also made sweet potato fries😘 Enjoyed the taste and texture.
I definitely prefer making my own veggie burgers - that way I know what goes into them. Haven't been too impressed with the store bought brands.
 
Sylwia T.
Sylwia T. August 6, 2018
This is a very simple, yet tasty recipe. I've made these a few times and every time, they're a hit.
 
Katherine
Katherine July 18, 2018
Prepared recipe as written because the two men in my family have been getting pushy about getting vegetarian food. I succumbed and surprised myself, and loved them myself. So did they! For once I actually followed the recipe as written, and all went well. Cooked my own beans, playing with my one pot, and they were just right. No problem with burgers holding their shape. Will go into my do-it-again file. I never thought of serving them as FoodFanaticToo did, but want to try that. It sounds delish.
 
Aburton
Aburton June 25, 2018
better frozen before baking or after?
 
Susan G.
Susan G. June 13, 2018
Don’t use home cooked beans unless you get them super soft, because burgers won’t bind. Stick with soft canned beans.
 
SumG
SumG May 27, 2018
I have been surprised by how much I end up liking these vegetarian burgers. I wish these were offered at Burger joints, instead of those bland vegetarian burger choices. I enjoy a very similar recipe to this, but with mexican taco seasoning that adds a bit more spice and flavor: https://spicecravings.com/veggie-bean-burger
I think the only thing the Taco seasoning adds on top of the mix above is the Mexican oregano and it has much more Chilli powder.
 
Sammipeaches21
Sammipeaches21 January 8, 2021
I like the taco seasoning idea!
 
Danielle
Danielle May 13, 2018
These are delicious and easy to make. To anyone thinking these were bland, did you add the spices?
 
angie
angie December 31, 2017
After mixing these up per the recipe, I tasted the mix and thought they were bland. I ended up adding a small can of diced green chilies which made all the difference.
 
Alicia
Alicia October 20, 2016
We just made these for the first time, and they didn't live up to our standard black bean veggie burger recipe. For some reason, the black bean flavor ended up overwhelming everything else, so it was really one-note.
 
Melissa S.
Melissa S. July 1, 2016
Do these stay good for a couple of days?
 
Jenniferinflorida
Jenniferinflorida July 1, 2016
Yes, or you can freeze
 
FoodFanaticToo
FoodFanaticToo May 27, 2016
Made these this evening, no tweaks to the recipe (used corn cut from the cob, and oats). Served on a bed of mixed greens dressed with lemon, olive oil, and s & p; topped with thinly sliced red onion, my daughter's Killer guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. To die for!!! Thanks so much for the recipe, which will be going into our regular rotation. Caveat: we would not enjoy this on a bun.
 
John
John December 10, 2015
Just looking at the picture is gorgeous. This is my lunch tomorrow.
 
Tina D.
Tina D. October 30, 2015
I made this tonight and I thought the burgers were a bit bland compared to other black bean burgers I have made. I added a small jalapeño with the sautéed onion, but I guess it was not enough.