Southwestern Black Bean Burgers

black bean burger on a bun with melting cheese, lettuce, and pickled onions on a wood serving tray with tortilla chips.

5 from 1 vote

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These Southwestern black bean burgers use a few tricks to give you the flavor and mouthfeel that is everything you need to make a veggie burger ready for your favorite burger toppings.

Prep Time30

Cook Time8

Total Time38

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Unspecified

Servings:

Calories: 284kcal

Author: Joanne Stekler

Ingredients

2 cans black beans 30 ounces total or about 3.5 cups of cooked beans
1 ounce tortilla chips
½ cup cooked quinoa
½ cup corn kernels frozen or fresh
2 green onions tops only, chopped fine
1 garlic clove minced
¼ cup cilantro chopped
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne or other spicy ground pepper optional
2 eggs
1 tablespoon neutral oil like vegetable, corn, or safflower for frying

Instructions

Rinse the black beans and drain. Put them in a large roasting pan and bake at about 375°F for about 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool at least slightly.
2 cans black beans
In a large bowl, use your hands or a potato masher to crumble the tortilla chips into very small pieces.
1 ounce tortilla chips
Add the beans and mash with a potato masher or fork until the beans are mostly mashed but some large pieces remain.
Add the quinoa, corn, green onions, garlic, and cilantro, and mix.
½ cup corn kernels, 2 green onions, 1 garlic clove, ¼ cup cilantro, ½ cup cooked quinoa
Add the spices (cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper). Feel free to add a pinch of hot stuff like cayenne or chili powder if that makes you happy. Mix until uniform.
1 tablespoon cumin, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon cayenne or other spicy ground pepper
In a small bowl, beat the eggs for a few seconds to combine and then add it to the bean mixture. Stir the eggs into the mixture until it comes together. This can be made ahead and held in the refrigerator for a few hours.
2 eggs
Form into patties of desired size and fry in a thin layer of oil on a griddle, cast iron skillet, or other frying pan, about 5 minutes on one side. Flip and cook an additional 3 or so minutes until browned.
1 tablespoon neutral oil like vegetable, corn, or safflower

Notes

This recipe makes four large burgers or three large burgers and two half-sized burgers for the kiddo.

Don't skip drying the beans - this is what prevents you from having a mushy bean burger! The crushed tortilla chips, quinoa, and egg serve as the binders, but they're not enough.

Letting the bean mixture rest for 30 or minutes may help your bean burgers firm up even more.

Serve on buns or in a bean burger bowl with your favorite toppings.

Nutrition