Easy Black Bean Burgers

Easy, delicious black bean burger

 

Black Bean Burgers are a great alternative to hamburgers.  Having a cookout but unsure of what to prepare for the vegetarians in attendance?  Throw down some of these simple, delicious bean patties – even the omnivores might give them a try.  They can be served with all the regular burger accoutrement (Buns, Ketchup, Mustard, Lettuce, Tomato…).  And, even better, they can be cooked on the grill, stove top, or oven.  Flexible and healthy, like yoga.  Oh, and they make dynamite leftovers, and they freeze well – not that there will be any left over.  Looking for a side dish?  Try our simple sweet potato fries.

This recipe makes roughly 6-8 medium-ish burgers.

Here’s what you need:

• 16-oz can of black beans, rinsed
• Half a can of corn, drained
• 1/2 cup of bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup of shredded cheese (mozz, cheddar, whatever you’ve got around)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 an medium sized onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic
• Salt
• Pepper
• One pan/grill/skillet (the bigger the better)
• One mixing bowl

Here’s what to do:

Step 1: Drain the beans of their juice and then rinse them.  Shake ’em over the sink, getting some of the loose moisture off (the less wetness the better).  Put them in the bowl and mash them with a fork, into a lumpy paste.

Step 2: Add into the bowl a half a can of corn (for less wetness, take a handful of corn and squeeze the heck out of it over the sink, ringing out some of the moisture).

Step 3: Add in half a diced onion, 3 diced cloves of garlic, 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, and a few shakes of salt and pepper.

Uncooked Black Bean Pattie

Step 4: Add in a whisked egg, and stir vigorously.  The egg should make it look a little wet and slimy – don’t panic, it’s all part of the plan.

Step 5: Add in roughly 1/2 a cup of bread crumbs.  Mix.  It should approach the consistency of play-doh (you should be able to ball it up and it should hold it’s shape).  If it’s still too wet, add more breadcrumbs.

Step 6: Form them into hamburger patties (thinner cook easier).

Step 7: Put them in a lightly greased/oiled pan over medium heat for about 7 minutes on each side, or on a lightly greased/oiled cookie sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes on each side, or on foil on a grill for about 7 minutes on each side.  Any way you cook ’em, they’re delicious.

Step 8:  Eat.

If you did this right, you should have only dirtied one mixing bowl, one fork, one knife, and one pan.  Boom.  Beat that.

To top the burgers, ketchup and mustard work fine.  But for something a little tastier, mix 2 parts sour cream to 1 part salsa and slop it on (mix in some hot sauce for an additional kick).  Lettuce and tomato add to the whole deal, but they’re optional.