Really Awesome Black Bean Burgers
from J. Kenji López-Alt, https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-black-bean-burger-recipe

Really Awesome Black Bean Burgers

Complex and satisfying with a robust texture that even carnivores love.

FMM: I have not tried this recipe yet, but when I worked at Doc Watsom's Pub, they served a veggie burger that I really liked eating for a change. They bought them frozen, but I did look at the ingredients once and remember they contained mushrooms. I would like to add some mushrooms to these. They would need ot be roasted along with the black beans to remove some of the moisture. See Ultimate Veggie Burger

Why It Works

In its ideal form, a black bean burger should be moist and meaty, with a patty that holds together and forms a substantial crust, packed with robust bean flavor and the seasonings that complement it.

Scan your way through the internet or the cooking section at the bookstore and you'll find recipe after recipe for black bean burgers that follows the same basic procedure: Chop your black beans in a food processor along with some aromatics; stir them together with eggs, breadcrumbs, and some more whole or partially chopped beans; form them into patties; and cook. I've followed a half dozen of these recipes, and while most of them produce pretty good flavor, they all have one fatal flaw: mushy texture.

This is because a black bean burger patty is made up of already-cooked ingredients. Raw meat has long, sticky proteins that cling together. As a meat patty cooks, those proteins remain entangled while contracting and changing shape. This is what creates that springy and juicy texture. On the other hand, a black bean patty is made up mostly of starch and proteins that have already been cooked once. They no longer cling together in the same way and don't really change shape when you cook them for a second time. Eggs can help mitigate this to a degree—they are a source of raw proteins that help to bind the chopped beans together as they cook—but they never get as firm or sticky as an entire patty of raw meat.

Instead, I took a cue from a recipe for roasted chickpea and kale salad and noted how baking canned beans can turn them dense and meaty without rendering them inedible. I spread a couple cans of drained beans onto a baking sheet and tossed them into the oven. They go from soft and mushy to dense, meaty, and packed with intense black bean flavor. I tossed them into the food processor to grind them up for burgers. After combining them with my egg, aromatics, breadcrumbs, cashews, and cheese, I formed them into patties and seared off a few in a cast iron skillet. Tons of bean flavor, plenty of juicy, salty pockets of cheese, and a texture that is tender but not a bit mushy.

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 large poblano pepper, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 1 teaspoon sauce
3/4 cup roasted cashews
1/2 cup finely crumbled feta or cotija cheese
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 large egg
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cheese for topping, such as pepper jack, cheddar, muenster, or Swiss (optional)
6 to 8 hearty hamburger buns, toasted
Condiments as desired, such as chipotle mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, or mayonnaise
Toppings as desired, such as shredded lettuce, sliced onions, and pickles

Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread black beans in a single layer on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Roast until beans are mostly split open and outer skins are beginning to get crunchy, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

While beans roast, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and poblano and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add chipotle chile and sauce and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.

Place cashews in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until chopped into pieces no larger than 1/3-inch, about 12 short pulses. Add to bowl with onion and pepper.

When beans are slightly cooled, transfer to food processor. Add feta or cotija. Pulse until beans are roughly chopped (the largest pieces should be about 1/3 of a full bean in size). Transfer to bowl with onion/pepper mixture. Add bread crumbs, egg, and mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper. Fold together gently but thoroughly with hands. Patty mixture can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days at this stage.

To cook indoors: Form bean mixture into 6 to 8 patties as wide as your burger buns. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add 4 patties and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until well browned and crisp on first side, about 5 minutes. Carefully flip and cook until second side is browned, about 5 minutes longer, adding cheese if desired. If cooking more than 4 burgers, cook in batches, keeping cooked burgers on a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet in a 200°F oven while second batch cooks.

To cook on the grill: Light 2/3 chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Alternatively, set half the burners on a gas grill to the medium-high setting, cover, and preheat for 10 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Form bean mixture into 6 to 8 patties as wide as your burger buns and brush top sides with oil. Place on hot side of grill oiled-side down and cook without moving until first side is well browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Brush tops of burgers with oil. Carefully flip and continue cooking until second side is browned, 3 to 5 minutes longer, topping with cheese if desired.

Spread top and bottom buns with chipotle mayonnaise or other condiments as desired. Add toppings to top or bottom bun as desired. Place patties on bottom buns, close burgers, and serve immediately.

Servings 6 to 8 patties

Notes

Patty mixture can be made through step 4 and stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before forming patties and cooking as desired. To freeze, place formed patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in freezer until fully frozen, about 1 hour. Remove from freezer and cut parchment around each burger. Stack frozen burgers with the parchment in between each layer. Transfer to a zipper-lock freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To cook frozen burgers, break apart and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet or cutting board and allow to thaw at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking as directed.