This week I decided to take a break from cooking with meat. I already had some items in my pantry that made this easy. I always stock up on canned beans when I am at the store. I used to make a black bean burger when I worked at my old job. The combination of flavors in the bean patty made it popular among our customers.

Today’s recipe is based on that burger I developed for my restaurant. A black bean burger would be pretty boring if you don’t add pizazz. Mine contains sautéed onions, garlic, and a variety of spices including Cajun seasoning. Bread crumbs, flour, and eggs hold the patty together. The patty has great texture and incredible flavor.

When combined in a bowl the ingredients might be too loose to make a patty unless you refrigerate the mixture for several hours. After that you’ll be able to form good patties. Size and shape them according to the buns you plan to use.

You can pan fry, bake or grill the patties. I like to pan fry because it makes the edges crispy. If you bake them, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and bake on a lightly oiled baking sheet or parchment lining, 10 minutes on each side. It also works great to grill the patties on a skillet; don’t grill directly on grates because the patties might fall through.

This burger packs a lot of punch so you don’t need lots of condiments. That said, you might try putting on mashed avocado, swiss cheese, caramelized onions, or sautéed mushrooms. These burgers are packed with fiber, low in fat and cholesterol — and delicious!

Ingredients

Black bean patty

• 3 tbsp. canola oil
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 tbsp. Cajun seasoning
• 1 tsp. ground coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 (15 oz.) can well drained black beans
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup extra panko bread crumbs

To fry

• 1/3 cup oil

Assembly

• 5-6 each Hawaiian hamburger buns, buttered and toasted
• Romaine lettuce leaves
• Sliced red onions
• Sliced tomatoes
• Mayo

Instructions

Bean patty

Heat 3 tbsp. of oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add red onions, green onions, and garlic, then cook for 2-3 minutes until onions are soft. Next, add all the dried spices, salt, and pepper, then cook for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool a bit.

In a bowl, mash drained black beans with a fork or with a clean hand, leaving 1/4 of the beans whole. Next, add the eggs, cooled onion mixture, cilantro, flour, 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs, and mix very well. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for couple of hours. This process will help with forming your patty.

After two hours, divide the bean mixture into 5-6 evenly sized patties, depending on size of hamburger buns you are using. I made 5 patties with mine.

Place 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs in a shallow baking dish and set aside.

To fry

Heat 1/3 of oil in a large non-stick pan or an electric skillet over medium heat. Carefully dredge the bean patties in panko bread crumbs. Fry the patties for 3-4 minutes on each side until nicely brown. Adjust the heat if browning too quickly!

Assembly

On the cut side of the buns, spread a generous amount of mayo. Then, you can stack your patty, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. Place the top bun to finish your burger and serve!

Serves 5-6

Did you make this dish? I’d love to know how it turns out! Feel free to like this post and comment or use the hashtag #globaldinein on Instagram. If you would to be notified of upcoming posts, please consider subscribing to my blog!