Black Bean Burgers

Thought I would stick with the healthy kick at least a little while longer and make a recipe that was delicious but super healthy to pack in my lunch this week as well.  I have been trying to get in more fruits and veggies and less meats and dairy so I thought what a better way to do that than with black bean burgers.  I'm not usually a veggie burger person but something about black bean burgers has always been deliciously yummy to me.  I love their spicy flavor and meaty texture.  I hate buying them at the store though. They're more expensive than real hamburgers!!  If I'm eating healthy I don't think it's fair to make my wallet suffer too... so I made some cheap ones on my own! :)

Turns out finding a black bean burger recipe online can be pretty tough.  I didn't have much to go with except complaints of a lot of reviewers stating that the recipes online left you with sticky patties that almost certainty fell apart while trying to turn them.  I knew that wasn't what I wanted so I thought I would investigate.

This recipe definitely took a lot more experimentation than most of my others.  Seemed I was just as susceptible to the dreaded crumbling as all my friends before.  The burgers were just too wet to stay together and I didn't want to keep adding breadcrumbs after breadcrumbs to get them to stick... I mean it's supposed to be a *black bean burger* not a *breadcrumb* burger!!  Finally I tried something odd, after I finished rinsing and draining the black beans I poured them out onto paper towels and patted them until completely dry.  After that they were sticking together perfectly.  Don't skip this step, you'll find yourself with a mess!

Black Bean Burger Recipe

Ingredients

yields 4 patties
1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup cooked brown rice (or quinoa)
1/4 cup corn kernels
1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped (remove seeds to reduce the spice level)
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 T. chunky salsa
1/4 t. garlic powder
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1) Rinse the beans and drain well.  Excess water will cause the patties to fall apart so be sure draining them well... I would recommend pouring the beans out onto a few clean paper towels and patted them completely.  Place the beans in the food processor and process until chunky (you want it to be like a chunky black bean dip) and pour into a large mixing bowl.

2) Gently mix all remaining ingredients into the processed beans until well combined.  Set aside to rest for 20 minutes.  This will allow the breadcrumbs to have time to soak up and remaining liquid from the beans and salsa.

3) Heat 1 t. oil in a sauce pan over medium heat until hot and shiny.

4) Shape the black bean mixture into patties and place into the hot oil.  Cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side.  Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve and retreat in the oven set to 350 for 10 minutes or in a microwave.