I'm a carnivore, make no mistake about it. But once a week, for the sake of my heart and my wallet, I usually cook up a vegetarian dinner. Sometimes it's as simple as tossing cannellini beans with some pasta. With the beautiful summer weather rolling in, I was craving a burger.
Initially I was just planning to purchase some frozen veggie patties from the grocery store. But they all seemed to be so wimpy and sad... and in some cases, high in fat. So while a bit more time consuming, I figured I'd make my own. It's easy enough to whip up a large batch and freeze them for another day too.
Of course, these Black Bean Burgers are made with... black beans... but beans alone does not a delicious burger make. I studded the patties with sweet corn and bell peppers, and seasoned them with fresh cilantro, scallions, and chili powder. To help bind the burgers, I used a combination of bread crumbs and quinoa. Just be sure to cook the quinoa before tossing it in the mix!
I was a bit overzealous when first making these burgers and divided the mixture into four massive patties. Learn from my mistakes and heed my advice: form yourself six reasonable burgers. This leaves you with plenty of opportunity to top your burger with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and smoky chipotle crema!
Black Bean Burger
Ingredients
For the burgers
· 2 tsp olive oil
· ½ red pepper, diced fine
· ½ cup frozen corn
· ½ cup cooked quinoa
· ½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
· ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
· 3 scallions, whites only, chopped fine
· 1 egg
· 1 garlic clove, grated
· 2 tsp chili powder
· 1 tsp salt
· ½ tsp pepper
· 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
· 1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
· 6 burger buns, toasted
· 6 thick tomato slices
· 6 bibb lettuce leaves
· 2 avocados, sliced
For the chipotle crema
· 2 tbsp mayo
· 2 tbsp plain yogurt
· 1 tbsp diced chipotles in adobo sauce
For the burgers… heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium low heat. Add the red peppers and corn. Cook until the veggies are tender. Remove from the heat.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, bread crumbs, cilantro, scallions, egg, chili powder, salt and pepper. Add the black beans. Using a fork or potato masher, lightly mash the black beans until the mixture begins to come together. Add the cooked peppers and corn. Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Divide the mixture into six equal balls. Form each ball into a thick burger patty about the size of your burger buns. The black bean burgers will not shrink while cooking.
Preheat oven to 200F.
In a large skillet, heat the canola or vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add the patties 2 or 3 at a time. Cook the patties on each side for 3-5 minutes until brown and crispy. Keep the cooked burgers warm on a sheet pan in the oven while cooking the remaining burgers.
For the chipotle crema… while cooking burgers, make the crema. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, yogurt, and chipotles. Chill until ready to serve.
To serve the burgers, place a lettuce leaf on the bottom burger bun. Top with the crispy burger patty. Add the tomato. Spread the top bun with the chipotle crema and smashed avocado. Sandwich the burger with the top bun and serve! Repeat with the remaining burgers.
Makes 6 burgers
GF Friendly
Gluten Free Friendly!
Swap the bread crumbs for your favorite GF brand. Serve up on your favorite GF bun. We enjoy Trader Joe’s gluten free burger buns!
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