My Ideal Black Bean Burger

To be honest, I’ve met a lot of mediocre veggie burgers. Some are too gummy, some are too full of rice, some lack any flavor whatsoever, and some are just plain confusing. THESE incredibly thin and crispy vegetable patties remind me of a smashed burger in both appearance and texture.  This isn’t a boring veggie patty, it’s very thin and delicate, packed full of flavor, and almost melt in your mouth creamy. Keep in mind you’ll need to make my honey jalapeño black beans as a base first!

[MAKES 4 DOUBLE PATTY BURGERS]

Ingredients:

Burgers:

• ¾ cup honey jalapeño black beans

• 1 egg

• ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs

• ½ tablespoon chili in adobo 

• ½ tablespoon mayo 

• 2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese 

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder 

• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika 

• ½ teaspoon cumin 

• ½ teaspoon salt 

• ½ teaspoon lime juice

• 2 teaspoons canola oil

Buns and toppings:

• 4 buns 

• 1 tablespoon butter 

• 8 slices of cheddar cheese

• 1 cup iceberg lettuce, shredded

• 1 ripe juicy tomato, cut into rounds

• ¼ cup pickle rounds 

• 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

• 1 avocado, sliced

Directions:

1. In a food processor combine all the ingredients for the burgers and pulse until the ingredients form a paste.

2. Heat a large nonstick pan over medium and add just enough oil so that you can swirl your pan and cover the bottom. 

3. Use a spoon to grab about 3 tablespoons of the bean mixture and place in your pan. It’s going to look like cookie dough, that’s ok. We’re going to flatten them later! 

4. Add 2 more patties into the pan and let them cook for 2 minutes until lightly crispy on the bottom. Flip them over and use a flat spatula to squish them so they’re about 1/4th of an inch thick. 

5. Cook for another 2 minutes until the bottom side is crisped, flip again, add cheese and cook just until the cheese is melted.  Transfer to a platter.

6. Continue until all the patties are cooked.

7. For a buttery, toasty bun start by adding the butter into your large nonstick pan. Toast the buns (cut side down) until golden brown, 1-2 minutes.

8. Now all you need to do is build your burger. I like to start by spreading the bottom half of my bun with mustard, followed by pickles, patties, lettuce, tomato, and avocado.

9. Top it with the remaining bun, slice in half and enjoy!