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Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free/Nut-Free/Vegan Option
Skill level: Beginner/Intermediate
Yield: 6 burgers
Prep Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes (this includes a 1-hour chill in the refrigerator, which could be done overnight)
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Equipment Needed:
The Recipe:
This recipe is adapted from a recipe by America's Test Kitchen
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans
2 large eggs (see vegan options below)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
1 large shallot, minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)
1 ounce corn tortilla chips, coarsely crushed (about 1/2 cup, wait to measure until after you have crushed them)
8 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
Optional toppings: sliced avocado, pickled red onions, cilantro leaves, chipotle sauce, etc.
Procedure:
Empty cans of black beans into a colander set in your sink and rinse thoroughly.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with 3 layers of paper towels or several tea towels and spread rinsed beans in a single layer on top. Allow beans to drain for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk eggs and flour into a uniform paste.
Add in shallot, cilantro, garlic, hot sauce, cumin, coriander, and salt; stir to combine.
Process tortilla chips in a food processor until finely ground (about 30 seconds).
Add drained black beans and pulse about 5 times, or until the beans are roughly broken down (you will still see some pieces of whole bean-this is fine).
Stir the bean mixture into the egg mixture until it is well combined.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
Divide the bean mixture into 6 equal portions onto a plate or tray (tips on doing this below).
Run your hands under water, then shake them off but don't dry them so they are a little wet. Shape each black bean portion into a ball, set it on your plate or tray, and flatten gently with your hand until the patty is approximately 1/2 inch thick.
Repeat with remaining 5 patties.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil shimmers.
Place 3 patties in the skillet (I like to use a fish spatula for these, but if you don't have one a regular spatula should work fine).
Cook patties until they are well browned and crisp on the first side, about 5 minutes.
Gently flip each patty and then add 2 more teaspoons oil to the pan, tilting the pan a bit back and forth to distribute the oil.
Cook until well browned and crisp on the second side, 3-5 minutes.
Transfer burgers to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm (alternatively you could put your oven on it's lowest setting and transfer the burgers to a rimmed baking sheet with a cooling rack set on top to keep them warm).
Repeat with remaining 3 patties and 4 teaspoons oil.
To Serve: I love these meatless burgers on a toasted bun (gluten-free if that's your style), with chipotle sauce and topped with fresh avocado and pickled red onions since they have some southwest flavors in them, but you could top with your favorite burger toppings as well!
Adjusting for your diet: If you are on a vegan diet, there are some egg replacement products you could use to replace the egg in this recipe. A friend of mine swears by Bob's Red Mill gluten-free vegan egg replacer and Vegg Uncaged Baking Mix egg substitute.
Tips:
This recipe isn't difficult, but it does take some time and a little advanced planning because of the 1 hour chill for the patty mix. That said, I have forgotten about this once or twice and only ended up chilling the mix for 30 minutes due to time constraints. The burgers turned out just fine, but they were slightly messier to patty up. I think the chill time helps everything firm up so the pattying process goes more smoothly.
If you don't have a food processor, use a blender to process the tortilla chips and black beans.
I've learned that having a good 12-inch non-stick skillet is really essential. I waited waaayyy too long to replace my last one, and now that I finally did I can't imagine why I cooked for so long with a pan that had lost all of its non-stick capabilities.
The original recipe uses 4 scallions, not a shallot. One time I made these and forgot to buy green onions, but I had shallots so I substituted that and actually found I liked the taste a little better because it wasn't quite as sharp. You could sub in 1/2 of an onion in a pinch as well.
I love cilantro, but I know not everyone does. I think if you think it tastes like soap you could leave it out of this recipe without much consequence.
For another gluten-free version, I think these burgers would be great rolled up inside a gluten-free tortilla as well!
When dividing the bean mixture into the equal portions, I leave it in the bowl and use a rubber spatula to draw what essentially looks like an asterisk on the top of the mixture:
If they look pretty even, I then push the spatula all the way down and pull out each piece like a slice of pie, setting them on a plate as I go:
From here, I wet my hands and proceed with step 10 from the recipe. If I notice a big discrepancy in size between my patties, I just adjust as I go:
I like to toast my buns under the broiler to give them great flavor. I spread butter on them and line them up on a baking sheet, butter-side up to toast (you could totally skip the butter and toast them dry, too).
Although I haven't personally tried it, I know you can freeze these if you don't want to make all 6 burgers. To do this, you would want to transfer any burgers you want to freeze (before you cook them) to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover them with plastic wrap, and freeze until firm (about 1 hour). Then you can stack your burgers with parchment paper in between each layer, wrap them in plastic wrap and store in a ziploc bag for up to 1 month for an easy weeknight meal. Thaw the patties completely before cooking. I would never end up doing this, because I LOVE having a poached egg on top of a leftover black bean burger for a weekend breakfast treat :)
The Story:
A fun fact about me is that I was a vegetarian for 12 years (from the age of 12-24). I don't really have a super good reason as to why; honestly I think I was just bored (sorry mom...). In my mid-20's when I started to get more into cooking, I realized that I was missing out on a lot of learning opportunities and eating experiences by not eating any meat, so I decided to change my diet. One thing I still LOVE, however is a good meatless burger.
There's a burger joint close to our house that does a really nice black bean burger that I usually get when we go there, but up until about a year ago I'd never tried to make one on my own. Last summer I decided to change that and started experimenting with different recipes that I found.
To my surprise, my kids were totally on board when they tried these. Particularly my 8-year old daughter; when she hears we're having black bean burgers for dinner she always cheers.
My daughter and I agree that this recipe is the best of the ones I've tried. The flavors of the cilantro, coriander and cumin pair really nicely with the black beans.
I'm currently growing some epazote (a Mexican herb) on my deck, and since I know that herb pairs well with beans I plan to try throwing it in the mix with these burgers once it's big enough!
Black beans are really a powerhouse of nutrition; they have a ton of plant-based protein, fiber and antioxidants that can even help manage your blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol levels. They're also much cheaper than a pound of beef at less than a dollar a can. So, if you're in the mood for a pretty guilt-free burger, this may be the one for you to try!
Happy tasting!
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