Recipe Background
These easy black bean burgers are a flavor-packed, rewarding kitchen experiment.
The first time I made these black bean burgers was during a much-needed tax refund splurge dinner. It was the perfect excuse to try something new and exciting. The pantry was looking a little bare at the time, with just a lonely can of black beans hanging out—I guess that refund hadn’t quite reached my pantry yet. The whole ordeal became a bit of a kitchen experiment. I threw in cumin and chili powder, two staples that were always in my spice rack, giving the mixture an earthy warmth and a touch of heat.
As I drained the black beans and mashed them with a fork, I remembered my mentor's advice: keeping the beans as dry as possible makes the patties hold together better. Listening to my stomach, which growled in impatient agreement, I ran the bell pepper and onion through the food processor, watching the colors blend into a fragrant, finely minced rainbow. Letting that vegetable mixture sit for a moment to drain excess moisture was a trick I learned to prevent soggy burgers.
Blending chipotle peppers with adobo sauce and lime juice into a kicky mayo gave the burgers a delightful creaminess. That night, the kitchen experiment paid off. These black bean wonders were fiery and flavorful, holding up gloriously under heaps of lettuce, tomato, and red onion. The burgers were a celebration of flavors that I realized could be whipped up anytime I needed a tasty reminder of that unexpected tax refund treat.
Ingredients
For the burger:
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1/2 green bell pepper roughly chopped
- 1/2 small onion roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 large egg beaten
- 2/3 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
For the chipotle mayo sauce:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional, for serving:
- hamburger buns to taste, of your choice
- lettuce to taste
- tomatoes to taste, sliced
- red onions to taste, sliced
Directions
- Put the black beans into a large mixing bowl, blotting them with a paper towel to remove any extra moisture.
- Mash the beans with a fork.
- Place the bell peppers, the onions, and garlic cloves into a food processor and process until a finely minced mixture forms.
- Place the vegetable mixture to a fine-mesh strainer to drain off the excess water.
- Add the vegetable mixture into the bowl with the beans.
- Mix in the chili powder, the cumin, the salt, and the pepper until fully combined.
- Add the beaten egg and mix until combined.
- Add in the breadcrumbs and mix with your hands until just combined. Form the bean mixture into 4-5 patties.
- Cook the burgers by grilling over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes on each side, baking in the oven at 375 degrees F on a lightly greased baking sheet for 10 minutes on each side, or cooking on the stovetop over medium heat using a griddle for about 4-5 minutes on each side.
- Add the mayonnaise, the chipotle peppers, the adobo sauce, and the lime juice together in a food processor, processing until smooth.
- Season with the salt and the pepper.
- Place the black bean burgers on the hamburger buns and spread the chipotle mayo sauce over the inside of each of the top buns.
- Serve the black bean burgers topped with the lettuce, the tomatoes, and the red onions.
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