My friend Deb made these black bean burgers for me once, and I was hooked. Through trial and improv, I have now made them my own. By the way, you don’t have to be a vegetarian to crave them. Everyone loves them because they are bursting with flavor. Enjoy!
-Erin
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup onions (finely chopped)
1 can black beans (drained)
1/3 cup kernel corn (I use Mexican corn in a can or frozen corn thawed)
1/4 cup salsa (heat of your choosing)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/2 cup dry unseasoned bread crumbs
2 egg whites (lightly beaten)
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro (finely chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Mash beans with a fork.
Mix in onions, corn, salsa, garlic, salt, pepper, and cilantro.
Mix in bread crumbs and egg whites.
Form into round patties about 1/2 inch thick (makes 4-5 patties)
Cook on medium hot skillet in olive oil for 6-8 minutes.
Best if you reduce the heat to medium once you put the burgers in the pan to let them brown slowly for several minutes. Try to flip once. If you flip too many times, the burgers will fall apart.
The black bean mix is fairly wet and sticky before you cook them in a pan. I use peanut or olive oil in the pan and wait for it to get good and hot before I put the wet burger on the skillet. I leave them for five minutes in the pan before I turn them. There should be a nice golden crisp on the outside of the burgers---part of what makes them so good.
Alternatively, you can grill them, but you will need to use one of those wire mesh grill pans to prevent them from falling through the grate.
http://www.sisterhoodofthesensiblemoms.com/recipes/main-dish/black-bean-burgers/For ease of grilling, you can use something like this:
Or something like these grill mats:
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