I don’t know if it’s the change of weather or what, but lately I have been kind of turned off by all meat except chicken and turkey, and even then, I’m just meh about it right now.
When I was in the 8th grade, I decided to become a vegetarian and stayed that way until my freshman year of college. I don’t know what it was, but the taste and texture of all meat just turned me off and I couldn’t eat it anymore. I did occasionally have tuna which I guess really made me a pescetarian, but whatever. It drove my family crazy as they always had to make special accommodations for me. I lived off of side dishes, salads, and veggie burgers.
When I got to college though, I started thinking about giving chicken a try again. I was sitting around with some of my friends one night who were eating some fried chicken and it just smelled heavenly to me. We were discussing getting an apartment together the following year so that we could get out of the dorms. I had also told them about my thoughts of eating meat again and that’s when they gave me an ultimatum. They told me that I couldn’t live with them unless I tried to eat some chicken. I know, so rude…But, anyway, I did it. I couldn’t bear living in the dorms another year. I ate the chicken and they allowed me to live with them.
Despite bring meat back into my diet, I still typically eat vegetarian 2-3 times a week. Hubs wanted burgers for dinner the other night and while I was happy to oblige, I didn’t really want a beef burger. I wanted a black bean burger. A spicy black bean burger!
While my husband is a total carnivore and wouldn’t touch one of these burgers, I can tell you that you really won’t miss the meat when you bite into one of these! The black beans get roughly chopped in the food processor which gives them a meaty texture. And a blend of spices add a great flavor and give the burger a nice kick!
These burgers cook best when frozen since it helps the burger stay together. But since you are freezing them, you can make a bunch at once and just pull one out whenever you want one. These are great for a quick lunch or for dinner with a side of veggies or fries. My favorite topping is just sliced avocado and some sriracha mayo!
Ingredients
- 1/3 medium yellow onion, cut into wedges
- 1 can (15-ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. sriracha (can adjust amount or leave out)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 4 hamburger buns
- toppings of your choice
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, add the onion wedges and chop. Pour in the black beans and pulse 2-3 times until the beans are just partially smashed (do not fully chop all of the beans).
- Pour the bean and onion mixture into a bowl. In a small bowl, mix together the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and the salt. Add the egg, spice mix, and the sriracha in with the bean mixture. Mix well. Stir in the panko crumbs until everything is well-combined. Form the mixture into four evenly-sized patties with your hands.
- Cut up some wax paper into 3 squares (about the size of the patties). Stack the patties, placing a square of the wax paper in between each patty and place into a freezer bag or container. Freeze for at least 2 hours before cooking.
- If using a grill pan, spray with non-stick spray. Cook the burger for about 7 minutes per side. You can also bake the burgers if desired (bake at 375, you may need to cook them for a little longer if baking, though I have not tried baking these yet).
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