The Best Black Bean Burgers

[Granny Smith]

The Best Black Bean Burgers I’ve Ever Had

Ingredients

2 (14 ounce) cans black beans, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper (1/2 of a pepper)
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (1/2 of a large onion)
3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 Tablespoon)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup bread crumbs or oat flour
1/2 cup feta cheese*
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons ketchup, mayo, or BBQ sauce
pinch salt + pepper

Instructions

Sauté chopped pepper, onion, and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until peppers and onions are soft, about 5-6 minutes. Place in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients (cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, bread crumbs, cheese, eggs, Worcestershire, ketchup, salt, and pepper). Stir everything together, then add the black beans. Mash with a fork or potato masher, leaving some larger chunks of beans.

Form into patties– about 1/3 cup of mixture in each.

To bake: Place patties on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F (191°C) for 10 minutes on each side, 20 minutes total. To grill: Place patties on greased aluminum foil and grill 8 minutes on each side. Heat temperature is personal preference as all grills differ. Generally, black bean burgers should grill on medium-high heat about 350°F (177°C) – 400°F.
Serve with your favorite toppings. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

*If you don't have Feta cheese, you can substitute vinegar cheese crumbles or whatever other cheese you might like. I used vinegar cheese and had to add 1/2 t. extra salt to make up for the salt that's in Feta.

Freezing Instructions: Cooked or uncooked black bean burgers freeze wonderfully for up to 3 months. Stack between parchment paper in a freezer container or zipped-top bag. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat to your liking or, if uncooked, cook according to instructions. If desired, you can skip thawing and reheat/cook from frozen for an extra couple minutes.

Vegan: These black bean burgers are not vegan. To make vegan, leave out the cheese, replace the Worcestershire sauce with a different vegan condiment (your favorite BBQ sauce would be great!) and replace the eggs with 1/3 cup mashed sweet potato.

Easy: You can chop several peppers, onions, and garlic and cook them in olive oil. When they're tender, spread on a tray and freeze. Once they're frozen, put them into a Ziploc bag or other freezer container. To use in this recipe, a scant cup works fine. You don't even need to thaw them first. 

[Valerie]

These were really good. I used white cheddar, since I didn't have feta. I used barbecue sauce last time, like it said, but next time I'll try it with A-1.

[Granny Smith]

I'm going to try it again with home-cooked black beans, cheddar cheese, and seasoned with Lipton's Beefy Onion Soup mix, instead of salt. I plan on putting the beans on to soak tonight. Haven't decided what other changes I might make. I might add some mayo for the mouth-feel.

[Granny Smith]

I did them exactly how I said, including the mayo. I also added 1 T. Worcestershire sauce. I used 3 cups of cooked black beans (that's including the juice), then proceeded with the recipe. I think these are the best ones so far. I have enough beans left from a pound to make one more batch, so it's cheaper, too.

[upnorthlady2]

I have made bean patties similar to the original recipe given by Gayle above, but instead of using Feta I have used cheddar like Valerie did. They are good. sometimes I use different beans like pinto or Jacob's Cattle or small red beans. I grow my own beans, and they cook up a lot quicker than store beans. I also like black beans, rice and cheese and chopped veggies in a burrito for a portable lunch.

[Granny Smith]

I've switched to cheddar. It's cheaper and more readily available. I just finished making a batch. Instead of one of the cans of beans, I used a cup of cooked quinoa. The batch I made before this was made with a up of cooked rice. I made a few other changes, too, just to simplify them. I have been making these every week. I make them a little different each time.

[Granny Smith]

I am still eating these regularly. In fact, I eat one just about every day. I make 8 at a time, put them in buns, and wrap them in waxed paper and put them in the fridge. When I want one, I pop it in the microwave and heat for 30 seconds, then add whatever toppings I want, usually just homemade Big Mac sauce.

I've been making them with other types of dried beans, mostly pinto, because the black beans aggravate my gout. I really can't tell any difference in the flavor.