I love a great black bean burger but my problem has always been when you go for the flip, even committing to it, they always seem to break apart. I finally got a flavor forward burger with a new technique to help it keep it all together!
You start by mashing up a 30 oz. can of drained black beans with a potato masher or fork (you can really take it to a paste, we will add a smaller can of whole beans later). Then in a food processor combine a red pepper, 6 green onions, half a cup of cilantro (I use the stems because they have more flavor and they don’t need to be pretty since they are being blended up) and 5 cloves of garlic. Let it go until it is a very small dice, then add 2 large eggs, 2 TBSP of cumin, 1 tsp of salt, 2 tsp of hot sauce (I like franks, if you like it hotter, double this, this have barely a kick to it). Then once that is all blended together, add 2 cups of quick oats and continue blending for another 10 seconds or so.
Place the veggie oat mix in with the black beans and combine them all. Then add the additional smaller can of drained beans and these you don’t need to mash up, it just gives a little texture, just mix them in. Place the mix in the fridge for a good hour, it will be easier to work with. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment or wax paper, then you will literally drop large scoops of the mixture onto the cookie sheets. Take a spatula and spread it out to the desired size, I did mine about 4 inches across and about half an inch thick and I got 12 out of them. After you get all your patties on there, freeze them overnight on the sheets. In the morning, you can cut up the paper so that it will separate each patty and then throw them in Tupperware or in a freezer bag.
When you are ready to cook them, you want to put them in your hot pan frozen! This is the key to making sure they don’t stick or fall apart when you flip them, who knew?!?! I sprayed non-stick cooking spray on my cast iron pan and threw the frozen patties on medium-high heat for 7 minutes each side.
I served mine open face on a piece of toast with pepper jack cheese, but you can do so many things with this. I was even thinking of making smaller versions to go in my sandwich maker! For those of you also on the Weight Watchers journey, if you make 12 patties with this recipe, it comes out to 1 point (without the cheese or bun)!!
Black Bean Veggie Burgers
Ingredients
- 30 oz Can of Black beans, rinsed
- 1 Red Pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
- 6 Green Onions
- 1/2 Cup Cilantro
- 5 Cloves Garlic
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2 tbsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 Cups Quick Oats
- 1 16 oz Can of Black beans, rinsed
Instructions
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Mash the large can of beans to a rough paste consistency
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Add red pepper, onion, cilantro, and garlic to a food processor and buzz it until it is a small dice. Add the eggs, then the oats and seasonings.
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Add the veggie mixture to the black beans paste and add the smaller can of bean, stir well. Refrigerate for about an hour.
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On a parchment or wax paper lined cookie sheet drop large scoops of mixture and round it out with a spatula. To make 12, make them about 4 inches across and half an inch thick. Move sheets to the freezer and allow them to freeze overnight. You can cut the paper under the patties to keep them separated and store them in Tupperware or a freezer bag.
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When you are ready to cook them, spray a hot pan (I used cast iron on medium hot heat) with non-stick spray and place frozen patty in pan. Cook for 7 minutes per side, feel free to add cheese, condiments, bun or bread... The possibilities are endless.