Black Bean Smash Burgers are not your basic bean burger. They’re charred and crispy on the outside, tender but not mushy on the inside, with bold and smoky flavor. The patties are blanketed with a gooey pepper-jack cheese and served with a chipotle ketchup and ALL the toppings. So easy, incredibly satisfying, and so delicious. They’re sure to be your new best friend!
My husband and I have a go-to restaurant around the corner from us for whenever we’re in the mood for take-out burgers. And while I would normally order a meaty hamburger from any other burger joint, this place has the MOST amazing vegetarian burger. Seriously, despite a menu full of delicious juicy burgers, I order their bean burger every single time. It’s INSANE how good it is! This Black Bean Smash Burger recipe is inspired by that burger.
One of the problems I find with bean burgers is they’re either too mushy or too dry or too bland. That’s not this recipe. Between the beans, the spices, the binding ingredients (egg, breadcrumbs and sriracha), and then pressing and cooking the “smashed” burgers in a hot skillet, these burgers have a ton of killer texture and flavor.
How to Make Black Bean Smash Burgers
This recipe is a double win win. For one, they’re incredibly delicious. And two, this recipe comes together in less than 20 minutes! The effort is so minimal!
- Step 1: Combine all the bean burger ingredients into a large bowl. I’ve seen some recipes where the beans are dried out to help with the texture, however, I don’t find that’s a necessary step. Just make sure the beans are completely drained after they’re rinsed.
- Step 2: Using a fork, the back of a spoon, or a potato masher, mash the beans until the mixture is mostly smooth but still somewhat chunky with some little chunks of bean, maybe a minute or two. This is important for the overall texture of the burger. Overly mashed beans will give you a mushy burger.
- Step 3: Divide the bean mixture into 4 equal portions. Roll them into a ball and then form into a thick patty, about an inch or two thick.
- Step 4: Heat canola oil in a large cast iron skillet. Once hot, place your burgers in the pan. With the back of a wide spatula, smash the burgers until they’re about half an inch thick. Cook for one to two minutes. Then flip the burgers, add the cheese and cover the pan to melt the cheese. Finish cooking for another one to two minutes.
- Step 5: Prepare the chipotle ketchup by mixing the ketchup and chipotle powder.
- Step 6: Serve on buns with lettuce, tomato, red onion, and dill pickles.
Freezer-Friendly
You can make these burgers ahead of time and freeze for later. Just stack the uncooked bean patties between layers of parchment and store in a freezer safe container.
If you make these Black Bean Smash Burgers with Chipotle Ketchup make sure to leave a comment or give it a rating! And if you’re into taking photos of your food (like me), be sure to give me a tag on Instagram!
Black Bean Smash Burgers with Chipotle Ketchup
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 5 Minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 Burgers 1x
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: American
Description
Black Bean Smash Burgers are not your basic bean burger. They’re charred and crispy on the outside, tender but not mushy on the inside with bold, smoky flavor. They’re blanketed with a gooey pepper-jack cheese and served with a chipotle ketchup and all the toppings. So easy, incredibly satisfying, and so delicious. They’re sure to be your new best friend!
Ingredients
For the Black Bean Burgers:
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2c. whole wheat bread crumbs
3 tbsp. minced cilantro
3 Tbsp. minced red onion
2 tsp. sriracha
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. canola oil
Pepperjack cheese
For the Chipotle Ketchup:
1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 tsp. chipotle powder
Serve with:
Hamburger buns
Lettuce
Tomato slices
Red Onion Slices
Dill pickles
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the black beans, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, bread crumbs, cilantro, red onion, sriracha and lightly beaten egg. Mash with the back of a spoon, fork or potato masher. Mash until evenly combined, mostly smooth but still slightly chunky. Divide the bean mixture into 4 equal portions. Then shape into a thick patty.
- Warm canola oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the bean burgers one at a time smashing them down with the back of a spatula until they’re about 1/2 inch thick. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the patties, place a slice of cheese on each burger, cover the pan with a lid to melt the cheese and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until they’re browned and warmed through.
- To make the chipotle ketchup, combine the ketchup and chipotle powder in a small bowl.
- Serve the smash burgers on buns with lettuce, tomato slices, dill pickles and chipotle ketchup. Enjoy!
Keywords: bean burger, vegetarian, black beans, chipotle, pepperjack, freezer-friendly, dinner, meal-prep, smash burger, meatless monday
If You Like These Black Bean Smash Burgers, You Might Also Like:
Lentil Sloppy Joes with Creamy Cabbage Slaw
Sriracha Buffalo Blue Cauliflower Wraps
