These black bean burgers are so delicious, and I dare to say, that even my diehard meat-loving friends are going to be a fan too!

I topped these fit for a king burgers with caramelized onions and homemade chipotle sauce (that you’re going to want to put on just about everything!).

As I was testing recipes and searching the web for the perfect black bean burger, I discovered that drying the beans in the oven for a little bit really helps with the taste and texture.  You can definitely skip this step, but I highly recommend that you don’t.

My choice of toppings is just a suggestion, but I feel like the flavors really play well with each other.  Feel free to check out the recipes below↓…I think you’ll be very happy that you did!

Ingredients:

• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons (27 grams) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for cooking
• 1 cup (160 grams) yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup (40 grams) grated carrots
• ½ cup (15 grams) corn, fresh or frozen…this is optional, but recommended!
• ¼ cup (4 grams) chopped cilantro
• ½ cup (55 grams) panko breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 large eggs*  
• Hamburger buns, toasted
• Pepper Jack Cheese
• Chipotle Sauce (Recipe below)
• Caramelized Onions (Recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and put the drained and black beans on a large baking sheet.  Place them in the oven and let them bake and dry out.  This will take about 15-20 minutes.  Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet.

Dice the jalapeño peppers and onions.  Sauté in small fry pan for a couple of minutes and then add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Continue to stir so the garlic doesn’t burn.  Remove from heat and let them cool slightly.

Add carrots, cilantro, cumin, onion powder, kosher salt, chili powder, eggs (or flax seed mixture) and breadcrumbs to a food processor along with the onion and jalapeno mixture. Blend until everything is fully combined. Add the corn (if using) and black beans. Pulse until the mixture looks combined but some beans are still visible, about 8-10 times. *The eggs can be replaced with 2 tablespoons (2 grams) ground flaxseed, soaked in 6 tablespoons water for five minutes.

Wet your hands and divide the bean mixture into 4 patties about 1 inch thick and 3 inches across.  You want them to nice and big so they fit nicely in your burger bun.  I suggest that you refrigerate the burgers for 30-60 minutes.  This allows the flavors to come together, and prevents them from falling apart when cooking.

Heat olive oil in the a large skillet over medium/low heat until it starts to glisten.

Add burgers to the skillet and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and repeat on the other side. During the last minute, top the burgers with cheese.

Toast burger buns and spread each with 2 tablespoon chipotle mayo, top with romaine lettuce and 2 tablespoon caramelized onions. Transfer burger patty directly to prepared buns and top with the remaining bun halves. Serve immediately.

Caramelized Onions:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 medium yellow onions
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar (this is optional)

Instructions:

• Peel the onions and cut them in half. Slice them into half-moon shapes about ¼ inch thick.
• Heat the butter and olive oil in a large non-stick skillet set over medium/low heat.
• Cook until golden and caramelized, stirring occasionally. This will take about 45-60 minutes.  If the onions seem like they are browning too quickly, add 1-2 tablespoons of water and turn the heat down a little.
• if you would like, you can add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar to the last 5 minutes of cooking.  This is optional.

Chipotle Sauce:

This chipotle sauce is so easy to make and big on flavor!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (220 grams) mayonnaise
• ½ cup (97 grams) sour cream
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 garlic clove)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Instructions:

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor (I like to use my Bullet mixer for this, but a blender would work well too.)

These burgers were inspired by The Modern Proper.

I hope you give these mouthwatering burgers a try, and if you do, please tag me Instagram @goodeatsbymimi.  I would love to hear from you and see your photos!