EV’s Take: Black Bean Burgers Have Never Tasted This Good
Looking for a flavorful, nutritious vegan black bean burger? Actual Veggies may be your answer. Read our review to learn more!
I have been on a mission to find a vegan burger that I am completely in love with. Atlantic Farms was not it; Beyond Burger was almost too much like the real deal, so I returned to basics with a simple black bean burger.
I used to eat black bean burgers more than I’d care to admit. It was one of my go-to orders at a local sandwich shop, and I still crave them occasionally.
As my last burger review mentioned, I’ve been pining for a good veggie burger. While I think that fake meat that is nearly indiscernible from its animal-based counterparts has a place in the world of plant-based products, sometimes I just want a veggie burger that tastes like, well, veggies.
To that end, the name Actual Veggies jumped out at me, so I immediately grabbed a box. Let me tell you, I will be keeping these in my freezer at all times. They are that good. They cook up super fast, and they taste amazing. The sodium is totally reasonable while still delivering a well-rounded, robust flavor profile. It really feels like you’re eating whole foods. The box tells you to add more salt if needed, but I found it did not need extra salt at all.
I assembled my burger with a slice of Daiya Swiss cheese, a little vegan sriracha mayo, and my lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. Whew. I was in plant-based burger heaven. It was an immediate 10/10, no notes situation for me.
What I love most about these black bean burgers is that they don’t fall apart when they cook, they stay together when you eat them, and they’re just so filling and satisfying.
Actual Veggies Black Bean Burger Ingredients
The ingredient list is as simple as can be.
Black Bean, Carrot, Parsnip, Oat, Yellow Onion, Red Pepper, Red Onion, Chickpea Flour, Ovata Seed, Oat Flour, Lemon, Spice Blend (Kosher Salt, Garlic Powder, Chili Powder, Paprika, Cumin, Onion Powder, Black Pepper)
Actual Veggies’ Black Bean Burgers nutrition
| Serving Size | 1 Patty (3 ounces) |
| Calories | 120 |
| Total Fat | 1.5g |
| Saturated Fat | 0g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Sodium | 240mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 21g |
| Dietary Fiber | 6g |
| Total Sugars | 2g |
| Protein | 6g |
How do Actual Veggies Black Bean Burgers compare to Beyond Burger?
As I always say, I am not a dietitian, so the numbers below are purely informational. Depending on your dietary goals, one burger may be more attractive than the other. The biggest difference will be in calories, protein, fat, and fiber. Here’s how they stack up against each other.
| Macro | Beyond Burger | Actual Veggies |
| Serving Size | 4-ounce patty | 3-ounce patty |
| Calories | 230 | 120 |
| Total Fat | 14g | 1.5g |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 0g |
| Sodium | 310mg | 240mg |
| Carbohydrates | 8g | 21g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2g | 6g |
| Protein | 21g | 6g |
If you want to increase your protein intake, Beyond Burger may be your choice. Actual Veggies will give you a few more grams of fiber with significantly less fat and no saturated fat. They also have fewer calories, so if you’re aiming for a calorie deficit, Actual Veggies may help you meet your goal. It all depends on your personal nutritional goals, and I don’t think you can say that one burger is significantly better or worse than the other.
How to cook Actual Veggies Black Bean Burgers
The cooking instructions are a touch confusing. I couldn’t tell if you should cook from frozen or let them thaw in the fridge. The box says to keep it frozen (for storage) but to thaw it in the fridge (as opposed to on the counter, I assume). The cooking instructions don’t indicate whether they are for frozen or thawed burgers, so I wasn’t sure if the recommendation was to thaw them before cooking or to cook them from frozen.
I decided to partially thaw them in the fridge before cooking. They were soft but still frozen in the middle, and the instructions worked perfectly for me. You can cook these in a skillet, on the grill, in the oven, or an air fryer following the instructions below:
- Stove: Lightly oil a skillet and fry over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes per side.
- Air fryer: Preheat to 400ºF and air fry for 4 minutes per side.
- Grill: Grill over medium-high for about 4 minutes per side.
- Oven: Preheat the oven to 425ºF and bake for 12–14 minutes.
Where to buy Actual Veggies Black Bean Burgers
You can buy these black bean burgers on Amazon or use their store locator to find a retailer near you. You can also buy them in larger family-sized packs on the Actual Veggies website.
What do you think?
Have you tried Actual Veggies’ black bean burgers? Love them or hate them? Tell us in the comments!
LOVE them!! I eat whole food plant based, and these are better then I can make myself. It’s so difficult to find ready made food with clean ingredients and no preservatives/chemicals.
I fell upon these yesterday when I was looking for the Dr. Prager California Veggie Burger. I bought these instead to switch things up. I LOVED them! They were an awesome texture and so tasty! This will be my new go to!
I haven’t tried Dr. Prager yet! How do these compare to them?
I purchased the Actual Veggie Black Bean Burgers from Acme Supermarket. I thought they were very good, and have purchased them several times. I went to get more but they were out of them. I would recommend this item to others to purchase.
Google search indicated Tom Thumb carried them but I searched the entire store and couldn’t find them and store personnel I asked referred me to the same aisles I had already checked several times without success. Very disappointed as this was my first time in a Tom Thumb store – way too big and too many aisles with the same sort of products in different parts of the store.
Not sure I will shop there again.