Black Bean Veggie Burger

Ingredients

• •2 cans (540 ml each) canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• •½ cup breadcrumbs (plain)
• •1 large egg
• •2 garlic cloves, minced
• •¼ cup red onion, finely diced
• •1 tsp smoked paprika
• •1 tsp cumin
• •½ tsp chili powder
• •1 tsp each salt and pepper
• •2 tbsp olive oil
• •4 pepper jack cheese slices
• •1 ripe avocado, sliced
• •3 tbsp mayonnaise
• •1 tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
• •4 burger buns
• •for topping romaine lettuce and tomato slices

Directions

1. 1Spread black beans on a baking sheet and bake at 200°C for 10 minutes to dry them out slightly — this is the secret to a patty that doesn't fall apart.
2. 2Transfer warm beans to a large bowl and mash roughly with a fork, leaving about one-third of the beans partially whole for texture.
3. 3Mix in breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, red onion, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper until the mixture holds together.
4. 4Divide into 4 patties about 2 cm thick; refrigerate for 10 minutes to firm up.
5. 5Heat olive oil in a non-stick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat; cook patties for 4–5 minutes per side until a dark crust forms.
6. 6Top each patty with pepper jack cheese in the last minute; cover the pan to melt.
7. 7Stir together mayonnaise and chipotle to make chipotle mayo.
8. 8Toast buns, then build: chipotle mayo, lettuce, tomato, black bean patty, avocado slices.

💡 Drying the beans in the oven before mashing is the key step — skipping it leads to a wet mixture and patties that crack. For a vegan version, replace the egg with 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp water.

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