Southwestern Chipotle Black Bean Burger
A vegetarian burger with black beans, chipotle peppers, avocado, and lime crema for a Southwest flavor.
- Prep
- 20min
- Cook
- 12min
- Total
- 42min
- Serves
- 4
- Calories
- 620per serving, est.
By Time for Burgers, updated
Crushed tortilla chips sit alongside the breadcrumbs in these patties, soaking up moisture from the beans and adding a toasted corn taste that plain crumbs lack. The rinsed beans are mashed only until mostly smooth, so a few whole pieces give the patties some structure in the pan.
Two chipotles in adobo bring smoke and steady heat, and pepper jack adds a little more. Lime crema, avocado and cilantro cool it back down. Cook over medium heat, not high, so the outside crisps while the middle heats through.
Southwestern Chipotle Black Bean Burger
Prep 20 min, cook 12 min, total 42 min. About 620 calories per serving.
timeforburgers.com/recipes/southwestern-chipotle-black-bean-burger
Serves 4.
Ingredients
Instructions
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In a large bowl, mash black beans with a fork until mostly smooth but still slightly chunky. Mix in breadcrumbs, crushed tortilla chips, beaten egg, minced chipotle peppers, ground cumin, salt, and pepper. Form into 4 equal patties and refrigerate for 10 minutes to firm up.
While patties chill, whisk together sour cream and lime juice to make lime crema. Set aside.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook black bean patties for 4-5 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy on the outside and an instant-read thermometer in the center reads 160°F (71°C), since the mix contains raw egg. Add pepper jack slices in the last minute.
Toast whole wheat buns until lightly golden.
Assemble burgers: spread lime crema on bottom buns, add lettuce leaves and tomato slices, place black bean patties with melted pepper jack, top with avocado slices and fresh cilantro, then crown with top buns.
Tips
- After rinsing, spread the beans on a clean towel for a few minutes. Surface water is the main reason bean patties turn mushy and break when you flip them.
- Adobo heat varies by brand. Start with one chipotle, taste a pinch of the mix before the egg goes in, then add the second if you want more.
- Give the patties the full 10 minutes in the fridge, longer if you have time. Cold patties keep their edges in the hot oil and flip cleanly.
- The mix contains raw egg, so cook the patties until the center reaches 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
Substitutions
- Vegan: replace the egg with a flax egg (15 ml ground flaxseed plus 45 ml water, rested 5 minutes), skip the pepper jack and use a dairy-free yogurt for the crema.
- Gluten-free: replace the breadcrumbs with more crushed tortilla chips and use gluten-free buns. Most corn tortilla chips are gluten-free, but check the bag.
- Greek yogurt instead of sour cream: a thicker, tangier crema with less fat.
- Monterey Jack instead of pepper jack: the same melt with less heat, if the chipotles are already plenty.
Make ahead & storage
Shape the patties up to 1 day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge, or freeze them between sheets of parchment and thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking. Cooked patties keep 3 to 4 days; reheat in a skillet to 165°F (74°C). The crema keeps 2 days, but slice the avocado only when serving.
