Description
A flavorful and hearty black bean burger recipe perfect for a delicious vegetarian meal. These patties combine tender baked black beans, sautéed vegetables, and feta cheese for a unique taste, cooked to crispy perfection in a skillet and served on hamburger buns with your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 (15 ounces) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 medium red bell pepper, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup crumbly feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 whole egg
- 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 6 to 8 hamburger buns
Optional Toppings
- Chipotle mayonnaise
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Pickles
- Avocado
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F to prepare for baking the black beans.
- Bake Black Beans: Spread the rinsed and drained black beans in a single layer on a baking sheet, then bake for 20 minutes or until the skins are mostly split open. This helps soften the beans for easier blending.
- Cool Beans: Remove the beans from the oven and let them cool to room temperature before handling.
- Sauté Vegetables: While the beans bake, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped red onion and diced red bell pepper, cooking for about 5 minutes or until softened, stirring frequently. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Mix Vegetables and Beans: Transfer the sautéed vegetables to a large mixing bowl. In a food processor, pulse the cooled black beans and feta cheese about 15 to 20 times until the beans are mostly broken down but still retain some chunkiness.
- Combine Burger Mixture: Add the processed bean mixture, whole egg, Panko bread crumbs, salt, and freshly ground pepper to the bowl with the vegetables. Gently mix everything together by hand to create the burger mixture.
- Prepare Patties: Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Shape the mixture into 6 to 8 patties, each sized to fit your hamburger buns.
- Cook Patties: Place 3 to 4 patties in the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes on one side until browned and crisp. Flip and cook the other side for another 5 minutes until cooked through and nicely browned. Repeat with remaining patties and oil.
- Serve or Store: Serve the black bean burgers on buns with your choice of optional toppings such as chipotle mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and avocado. Alternatively, patties can be frozen at this stage or stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Make sure not to over-blend the black beans to keep some texture in the burger.
- The feta cheese adds a salty creaminess; you can omit or substitute with a vegan cheese for a dairy-free version.
- Feel free to customize toppings to your preference for added flavor and texture.
- Patties freeze well—place parchment between patties to prevent sticking when freezing.
- Use panko breadcrumbs for a lighter texture; regular breadcrumbs can be substituted if needed.
