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The Best Spicy Black Bean Burger (Easy Grillable Recipe!)

A hand holding a large, delicious, and fully assembled homemade Black Bean Burger at a summer barbecue.

A from-scratch recipe for a flavorful and hearty black bean burger. The burger patties are made from mashed black beans, seasoned with grated onion, minced garlic, and a smoky, spicy kick from chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. Panko breadcrumbs and an egg act as binders to hold the patties together. The recipe provides instructions for two cooking methods: pan-frying in a cast-iron skillet for a charred crust, or cooking on an outdoor grill.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
  • ⅓ cup grated yellow onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 chipotle peppers from a can, diced
  • 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
  • 1 tablespoon tamari
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
  • Cooking spray, for grilling
  • 6 Hamburger buns, for serving
  • Desired fixings (lettuce, tomato, etc.), for serving

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the black beans, onion, garlic, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, tamari, balsamic vinegar, cumin, salt, and pepper.
  2. Use a potato masher to mash the mixture until it holds together but still has some visible chunks of beans.
  3. Add the egg and fold it in with a spatula until combined. Then, fold in the panko bread crumbs.
  4. Use your hands to form the mixture into 6 patties. If the mixture is too wet to handle, chill it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to firm up.
  5. To Pan-Fry: Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Brush the skillet with a little oil and cook the burgers for about 5 minutes per side, until charred and heated through.
  6. To Grill: Preheat an outdoor grill to 400°F. Lightly brush the patties with olive oil and spray the grill grates with cooking spray. Grill for 8 minutes on the first side and 4 minutes on the second side.
  7. Serve the burgers on hamburger buns with your desired fixings.

Notes

  • The key to a good texture is to mash the beans enough so the patties hold together, but not so much that they become mushy.
  • This recipe is versatile, offering both stovetop and grilling cooking options.
  • Using tamari instead of regular soy sauce makes the base recipe gluten-free, but panko bread crumbs contain gluten. A gluten-free panko can be substituted.