Air fryer black bean burgers are a simple, hearty meatless meal that is so easy to make and incredibly filling. This homemade black bean burger is cooked in the air fryer, making it crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. This air fryer black bean burger recipe uses simple ingredients and has a Southwest flavor that pairs well with so many toppings!
If you love making your own veggie burgers, you should try these 5 Ingredient Black Bean Burgers or Mexican Black Bean Lentil Burgers.
Why you will love this recipe
- Easy to make – all you need is a fork and a bowl to combine the ingredients to make these black bean burgers (no blender or food processor needed). They come together in just a few minutes and cook in the air fryer in about 20 minutes.
- Simple real food ingredients – there is no soy, dairy or gluten in these burgers, just a few simple pantry staples you likely always have on hand.
- Versatile – change up the toppings or how you serve this air fryer black bean burger depending on your preferences and what you have on hand. You can make this like a traditional burger or change things up and serve it with nacho cheese and salsa or crumbled in a salad instead of as a burger.
- Great for most diets – you can make black bean burgers in the air fryer for just about any diet. They are vegan, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soy free, and can be made compliant for a plant based Whole30.
Ingredients
- Black beans – I use canned black beans to make things easy, but you can cook your own black beans from scratch. I like to use the Instant Pot to make a large batch at once. Be sure to rinse and drain your beans before using them to make burgers.
- Spices: Chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt – these spices help create that Southwestern flavor. The chili powder adds a deep layer of flavor. The cumin adds a smokiness to the burgers. Garlic powder give a subtle garlic flavor and also umami. Salt elevates all the flavors.
- Ground flax + water – the ground flax and water binds together to help create a replacement for eggs in this recipe.
- Oat flour – oat flour helps to bind the burgers. You could also use gluten free flour.
- Red onion – finely chopped red onion adds a little bite to the burgers and also gives them a little pop of color. If you don’t have red onion, you could use white or yellow or skip the onion completely.
- Avocado oil spray or olive oil spray – I like to spray the burgers before putting them into the air fryer to ensure they don’t stick. This is optional though, if you are oil-free, just skip this step.
How to make air fryer black bean burgers
Top tips
- Drain and rinse the canning liquid from the beans. I like to soak the beans in fresh water for a few minutes to really remove any of the liquid from the beans. I find that this makes them a lot easier to digest.
- If you can afford it, buy organic black beans. They tend to be much easier to digest (so you won’t have any tummy troubles from enjoying a few black bean burgers).
- These black bean burgers are large and super filling. If you want to make them into smaller patties, cook them for less time (start at 15 minutes total). Since these burgers are so thick they longer they need to cook. If you make thinner burgers they will be done much quicker.
- No need to preheat the air fryer before cooking the burgers. If you do end up making multiple batches, the second batch of burgers will likely need less time in the air fryer since it will be preheated. Start at 16 minutes for the second batch.
- Put down a silicone liner or parchment paper liner to help make the burgers easier to flip. This is optional but I find it really does help.
- Use silicone or wood spatula to flip the burgers. Don’t use metal, as it can scratch the coating on your air fryer basket.
- Don’t overlap the burger patties in the air fryer basket or they can get stuck together when cooking and would be hard to flip.
Black bean burger topping ideas
How to serve black bean burgers in air fryer
What are good sides to serve with black bean burgers
Fries: Sweet potato wedges, French fries or roasted potatoes would be great
Potato salad: this Moroccan potato salad would go so well with the flavors of the black bean burger
Coleslaw: Red cabbage slaw or cilantro lime slaw would pair well
Veggies: Mexican Vegetables, Breadcrumb Broccoli or Cauliflower Potato Salad
Common questions
What are black bean burgers
Black bean burgers are meatless burgers made primarily from black beans. You may think of them as veggie burgers or black bean patties.
The burgers are dense, packed with flavor and juicy in the center but crisp on the outside, perfect for adding to a bun or crumbling on a salad.
Black bean burgers are great for vegetarians, vegans or anyone who is trying to get in more plants into their diets.
Can you cook black bean burgers in the air fryer?
Yes! The air fryer helps to circulate air around the burgers so that they are crispy on the outside without drying out on the inside.
Do you need to preheat the air fryer?
You do not need to preheat the air fryer for this recipe. If your air fryer is preheated because you used it or turned it on early, the burgers will only take about 16 minutes.
Are air fryer black bean burgers healthy?
Everyone has a different idea of healthy but these black bean burgers have whole food ingredients without any added preservatives or fillers. They are cooked with minimal oil and are a great source of fiber (which many diets are lacking). They are also gluten free, dairy free, vegan and can be made Whole30 plant based.
What if you don’t have oat flour?
If you don’t have oat flour, you can replace it with your favorite gluten free flour of choice. If you are using coconut flour, reduce it down to 2 tablespoons. If you are using almond flour, use ¼ cup. You can also make your own oat flour by grinding up oats in a high speed blender or food processor until they resemble flour.
Can you make these in advance?
Yes, these burgers hold up well in the fridge. You can either form the burgers in advance and cook them when you are ready or you can cook the burgers in advance and enjoy them for up to 3 days. Because of this, they are great for meal prep too!
Uncooked burgers:
- Store the uncooked black bean burgers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days before cooking.
- Freeze the uncooked burger patties for up to a month (freeze flat on a baking sheet, once frozen, transfer to a freezer safe bag or container). Defrost in the fridge overnight or cook from frozen in the air fryer, adding about 5-6 minutes to the cook time.
Cooked burgers:
- Store cooked burgers in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
- Freeze cooked burgers for up to 1 month.
Can you double the recipe?
Yes you can easily double the recipe. You may find some time savings by pulsing the black beans in an food processor or mashing them with a potato masher since you have to do 2 cans of beans at once.
When you are ready to cook the second batch of burgers, the air fryer will be preheated, so reduce the cooking time from 20 minutes to 16 minutes.
Storing leftovers
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the air fryer (350F for 3-4 minutes) or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
- Freezer: You can freeze these for up to a month. Defrost in the fridge or reheat in the microwave (in 1 minute increments until defrosted and warmed through) or in the air fryer at 315F for 7-10 minutes until defrosted and warmed through.
Substitutions
- Black beans – you could also use white beans (like cannellini beans, great northern white beans or navy beans) or red kidney beans in place of black beans.
- Spices – you can also use about 2 teaspoons of taco seasoning in place of the spices, be sure to add the salt as well.
- Ground flax – the flax helps to bind together the burgers. You could also use chia seeds or ground chia seeds in place of the flax.
- Oat flour – use your favorite gluten free flour in place of the oat flour or make your own oat flour by grinding down oats in the blender or food processor. If you are using coconut flour, only use 2 tablespoons. If you are using almond flour, use ¼ cup.
- Red onion – use shallots, green onion, white onion or yellow onion or omit the onion completely.
If you love this recipe, you should try
Cauliflower Black Bean Tacos
Black Bean Dip
Mexican Black Beans for Tacos
Black Bean Sweet Potato Nachos
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Drain and rinse both cans of black beans.
Add 1 can of black beans to a bowl. Mash with a fork until all the beans are broken down.
Add the spices to the mashed beans, Stir well to fully incorporate.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl. Stir well until everything is well mixed and fully incorporated.
Press the mixture down in the bowl. Divide into 4 equal parts to make it easy to measure out the burgers.
Take 1/4 of the bean mixture and form it into a patty in your hands. Spray the top with avocado oil spray or olive oil spray. Put the spray side down into the air fryer basket.
Repeat with the other 3 burgers (making 4 total).
Cook at 375F for 20 minutes. At the 15 minute mark, pause the air fryer and flip the burgers carefully. Turn the air fryer back on and finish cooking 5 minutes.
Top with your favorite toppings.
- Drain and rinse the canning liquid from the beans. I like to soak the beans in fresh water for a few minutes to really remove any of the liquid from the beans. I find that this makes them a lot easier to digest.
- If you can afford it, buy organic black beans. They tend to be much easier to digest (so you won’t have any tummy troubles from enjoying a few black bean burgers).
- These black bean burgers are large and super filling. If you want to make them into smaller patties, cook them for less time (start at 15 minutes total). Since these burgers are so thick they longer they need to cook. If you make thinner burgers they will be done much quicker.
- No need to preheat the air fryer before cooking the burgers. If you do end up making multiple batches, the second batch of burgers will likely need less time in the air fryer since it will be preheated. Start at 16 minutes for the second batch.
- Put down a silicone liner or parchment paper liner to help make the burgers easier to flip. This is optional but I find it really does help.
- Use silicone or wood spatula to flip the burgers. Don’t use metal, as it can scratch the coating on your air fryer basket.
- Don’t overlap the burger patties in the air fryer basket or they can get stuck together when cooking and would be hard to flip.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
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