Why This Black Bean Burger Recipe is Worth Trying
This Best EVER Black Bean Burger with Slaw recipe is one that I’ve worked and reworked for years until I could honestly say that it is the best black bean burger I’ve ever eaten. I have been eating black bean burgers ever since I went vegan (four years ago). The overwhelming majority of the black bean burgers I’ve eaten, while flavorful, lack any sort of real texture. I don’t care how much umami you inject into something—if it’s just a big ball of mush in your mouth, it’s not going to taste great. So, over the years, I’ve employed all sorts of little tricks to maximize flavor while also maintaining texture.
I Hate Black Bean Burgers That Fall Apart, Don’t You?
I don’t know about you, but I hate food that is difficult to eat. It’s one of the reasons I always steered clear of “wings”—I hated getting my hands so messy. Korean cuisine is actually a fairly neat affair—from the eater’s point of view. The use of chopsticks facilitates precision and minimal touching of food, unless of course you want to (like when you’re eating lettuce wraps or rice cakes). It thus always drove me CRAZY whenever I bit into a sandwich or burger and the insides simply oozed out the sides and onto my plat or, worse, my lap.
You Can Watch Me Make a Version of These on my Instagram
So, these Black Bean Burgers with Slaw incorporate all my little tricks, some of which I picked up from veteran cooks, to make sure each bite is satisfying and bursting with flavor. I remember the first time I made these on my Instagram stories (tKV 14 in my Highlights), everyone was AGOG at the “CRUNCH” they heard when I bit into it. When I made these for my husband last night (after wrapping up a Chibo class on how to make these), my husband commented, “MAN!! These are the BEST!!” And let me tell you, he is a right old connoisseur of black bean burgers (it’s one of his favorite foods).
Live Testimonials From Folks Who’ve Tried This Recipe
Here’s a little clip from my Chibo class, where some of the participants raved about this Best EVER Black Bean Burger with Slaw:
Summary of My “Tricks”
I know a lot of you weren’t able to join the class (they sell out pretty quickly). So, I thought I’d put down the recipe here, so that you could try it for yourself. Here is a brief summary of my tricks:
- Roast the beans in the oven until they split apart, to dry them out and add texture.
- Add walnuts (toasted if you want!) to provide a little extra fat and bite.
- Bind the patties with aquafaba (the bean juice left in the can).
- Add onions and garlic sauteed with soy sauce for extra umami.
- Dredge the patties in potato starch and coat with bread crumbs for CRUNCH.
- Top burgers with vegan cheese, caramelized onions, and a slaw to add extra texture and balance out the flavors with a little acidity.
And with all that, you should be more than READY to have the Best EVER Black Bean Burger with Slaw of your ever-loving life. So, have at it!!
Best EVER Black Bean Burger with Slaw
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans with liquid
- 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
- 1/2 large red onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce use tamari to stay gluten free
- salt
- pepper
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 Tablespoon onion powder
- 1/2 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 cup potato starch
- 1 cup bread crumbs regular or gluten free
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 small carrots
- 2 small cucumbers
- 5-6 leaves red cabbage
- 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 4 slices vegan cheese
- 4 hamburger buns vegan/gluten free
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Empty 1 can of beans into colander over a bowl to collect the liquid. Donot discard liquid.
- Once beans are fully drained, spread them in one layer on baking sheet. Place in oven for ~13 mins, until beans begin to split apart.
- Chop up 1/2 onion and 3 cloves garlic. Saute with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
- Season with salt and pepper. When onions start to brown, deglaze pan with 11/2 tbsp soy sauce and ½ tbsp of maple syrup.
- Set aside 1/2 sauteed onions. Place remaining half in food processor and pulse 3-4 times. Dump into a large bowl.
- Add 1/3 cup of walnuts to food processor and pulse 5-6 times and place in large bowl with onions.
- When beans are cooked and out of the oven, place in food processor and pulse ~15-17 times until they have consistency of small pebbles. Add to large bowl.
- Add rice, 1-2 tbsp potato starch, 1/2 tbsp onion powder, 1 tbsp garlic powder, ½ tbsp chili powder and 2 tbsp reserved liquid from can of beans.
- Mix with a spoon or your hands until a "dough" forms. Quarter the dough and divide into 4 pieces. Shape each piece into a thin patty.
- Dredge each patty in potato starch, coat with reserved bean liquid, and then coat with bread crumbs. Set aside in refrigerator.
- Julienne 1 carrot, ½ cucumbers, and 2-3 cabbage leaves and place in a large bowl. Add 1 tbsp mustard and 1 tbsp maple syrup, together with salt and pepper. Mix.
- Add 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to a large pan over medium high heat.When pan is hot, add patties (do not crowd pan).
- Cook for ~5 mins and flip. Add cheese to each patty. Cook on stovetop with lid on the pan to melt cheese OR place in the oven at 450 degrees F for 3-4 minutes.
- Assemble by adding patty to bun, topped with caramelized onions and slaw. Serve with your favorite side dish (fries, duh).
