There are days when a black bean burger is all I want. Black bean burgers are easy to make and delicious anytime. They are a great alternative to your standard burger and can be cooked up quickly. I like to have some in my freezer that I can pull out if I want a quick lunch or dinner.
I’m going to first off say that if you are vegan, then this recipe is definitely NOT for you. This is the recipe I use to make my black bean burgers. It’s got cheese, and an egg to help bind them together. Adding the cheese really gives them some good flavor. You could leave the cheese out and use some flaxseed to help bind them, if you wish, as an alternative.
There are many versions of black bean burgers out there. What makes mine a bit different is I coat the outside in sliced almonds that toast up to crunchy goodness, giving them some great texture. I use some smoked paprika to add some smokiness and some brown rice for some body. I tried using all brown rice, but I found that the breadcrumbs helped take up more moisture and they ended up being great that way.
Make sure you cook the onions and mushrooms till they are dry and there is no extra moisture. They give these burgers a ton of flavor, but the moisture can make them way too mushy so really cooking them down is the key. I love the crunch that the toasted almonds give to the burger. But be careful and watch them as the almonds can go from nicely toasted to burnt really quickly. Turning them a couple of times seemed to help.
I hope you make these, let me know in the comments at the bottom of this post what you have used as toppings or how you make your burgers.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 4 oz mushrooms finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 15.5 can black beans, drained well
- 1 cup dry bread crumbs
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 cup sliced almonds
-
Bring a large skillet to medium heat. Add the olive oil. Sauté the onions and the mushrooms until the mixture starts to give up some of its moisture, stirring occasionally.
-
Add the salt and pepper; stirring well to combine, this will help draw out more moisture.
-
Continue to cook stirring as needed to keep the mixture from burning.
-
When all of the moisture has been cooked away, and the onions and mushrooms are thoroughly cooked down. This will take 10 minutes or so, it’s important to cook off as much moisture as possible. Let cool briefly.
-
In a food processor add the drained black beans, the cooled onion and mushrooms mixture, the bread crumbs, cooked brown rice, parmesan cheese, paprika, and the egg. Process by pulsing until combined well.
-
Place in a bowl and let chill for an hour or so if you have the time. They will be easier to form.
-
Using wet hands form the mixture into 6 burgers, about ½ inch thick. Place on a plate or tray. You can keep them in the fridge for a couple of days or freeze them for several months tightly wrapped.
-
When you are ready to cook them spread out the sliced almonds on a small plate or tray. Coat the burgers on each side in the sliced almonds.
-
Heat a skillet to medium heat with some more olive oil.
-
Fry each burger coated in the almonds for 2 minutes on each side to toast up the almonds and heat through the burger through. You may need to flip it back over a second time, to cook the burger thoroughly. Be careful not to burn the almonds.
-
If you are adding cheese, You can put the cheese on top of the burger after flipping them back the second time. Covering the skillet for a minute or so will help the cheese melt.
Serve with your favorite toppings on a toasted bun.
