Black Bean Burgers Everyone Will Like

In my family of vegetarians we eat a lot of frozen veggie and black bean burgers, they are convenient and taste pretty good but they’re also highly processed and filled with artificial ingredients. All of the veggie burger recipes I’ve tried in the past have basically sucked, and I’m eternally hopefully a magical delicious one exists that I just haven’t found yet. So in my quest for healthier (and tastier) alternatives I was thrilled to come across this recipe for black bean burgers from Cook’s Illustrated, especially since it included nacho chips as an ingredient, which I found quite intriguing.

The biggest question in my mind though was would the black bean burgers taste good enough to justify all of the work a Cook’s Illustrated recipe requires, and my findings were yes (for weekends or guests). My family all really liked the burgers and wants me to make them again but they do require more effort and time then I have to give on a weeknight, but on the weekend or if you’re entertaining they are definitely the best veggie burger recipe I’ve had yet. Keep in mind the mixture needs to set at least one hour before forming the patties, so there is a long lead time on prep. Once that’s done the burgers cook quickly but make sure to factor that into your timing when preparing.

We like to eat our burgers on hard roles with mayo, the kids don’t like lettuce and tomato but the adults do, and the next time I make these I’ll go with melted cheddar cheese.

What you’ll need to get started making your Black Bean burgers.

THE BLACK BEAN BURGER RECIPE

Ingredients

2 (15-oz) cans of black beans, rinsed
2 large eggs
2T all-purpose flour
4 scallions, minced
3T minced cilantro
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 t ground cumin
1 t hot sauce
1/2 t ground coriander
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 oz tortilla chips, crushed coarse (1/2 cup)
8 t vegetable oil
6 burger buns

Steps

1. Thoroughly dry black beans by putting them in a rimmed backing sheet that has been lined with several layers of paper towels, let is stand for 15 minutes.

2. In a large bowl whisk eggs and flour until you make a paste.

I like to use silicone covered whisks so I never have to worry when using non-stick pans.

3. Stir in scallions, cilantro, garlic, cumin, hot sauce, coriander, salt, and pepper until well combined.

Parsley should be fresh, not dried.

4. In a food processor, process tortilla chips until finely ground (about 30 seconds).

If you have a scale be sure to weigh your chips so you have the exact right amount.

5. Add black beans and pulse 5 times or until beans are roughly broken down.

Don’t over-mix, you want your burgers to have texture.

6. Add black bean mixture to egg mixture and mix to combine, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

7. Divide bean mixture into 6 equal portions and pack each portion into tight ball, then flatten to 3 1/2-inch patty.

To ensure uniformity of your burgers just measure them!

8. In a 10-inch nonstick skillet heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat until shimmering. Cook 3 patties in skillet and cook until bottoms are browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Flip patties to the uncooked side and add 2 teaspoons oil, and cook second side until well browned and crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining 3 patties and 4 teaspoons oil. Put together your burgers with mayo, cheese, lettuce, tomato – whatever you like – and enjoy!