jalapeno popper stuffed black bean burgers with tomato corn salsa
Exceptionally indulgent, massive vegetarian burgers even a meat eater can tout for president.
Veggie burgers aren’t an easy endeavor – nor are they ever remotely close to the meat ideal. Only time I’ve tasted a veggie burger and thought it could pass respectively involved the Beyond Burger meatless substitute. I always chortle a touch when someone claims a black bean patty tastes JuSt liKe thE rEAl thInG. No, it doesn’t. Stop kissing your own ass. Most of us know better.
To me, perfectly mimicking beef or turkey is not the point of a veggie burger. A veggie burger should give an umami, savory experience, should not be bland but tinged with all sorts of appropriate spices, should not ooze fat molecules like a hunk of beef. Rather, my enjoyment of a bean or grain patty revolves around texture (is it tender, or tough, or clearly missing a binder?), taste balance (is it well spiced, or blah as a bowl of plain yogurt [which I love, but not exactly great between two buns]?), and content (did someone add lard just for the hell of it, or are the ingredients simple?)
TL;DR. Judge a veggie burger against another veggie burger, not against a meat burger. And stuff them with jalapeno popper filling, while you’re at it.
This meal involves two black bean patties stacked onto one another, and filled with a cheddar and jalapeno-infused cream cheese typical of the stuffed pepper rendition. In other words, a total monstrosity.
As I’ve said at least thrive in this writeup already, black beans constitute the base. Whip up the drained and dried beans with panko, flour, and egg to bind; and garlic, chili powder, cumin, Worcestershire, and soy sauce for a pleasant Tex-Mex infusion. Patting the beans is important to ensure a minimal moisture level, since the egg and Worcestershire and soy sauces add some moisture back into the mix. Bean burgers will be a bit wetter, but shouldn’t be a pile of slop.
Cover and refrigerate the burger batter. While those hang out, roast a couple jalapenos for the popper filling. Roasting is important and should not be skipped. After the peppers are nice and charred, sweat them in a bag for a few minutes to make them easier to peel. Then, dice them.
Mix together a simple blend of cream cheese, the roasted jalapenos (remember those? I just talked about them about two sentences ago), cheddar cheese, and chives, to spoon onto the patties.
Now for the fun part. Form the black bean batter into eight large patties. Divide the filling amongst four of them, leaving a 1/4 inch border or so. Top each with one of the other quatrain, pinch and smooth the edges to seal. I give each a gentle squish on the top for a more burgeresque and less hockey puck shape.
I chose to fry these burgers because I like me a crispy yet still moist patty. A good amount of oil really helps since very little fat exists in beans. 3-4 minutes per side does the trick. Set them on paper towels to drain any excess plant blubber.
The corn salsa is delightful and summery, great for an otherwise intense dish. Toss together corn, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt.
Toast up a few pretzel buns and assemble the burgers at will! I added some arugula for green, no mayonnaise because I hate mayonnaise, then a burger and a big sprinkle of salsa. Serve with napkins.
Black bean burger deluxe, ya’ll.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
PS: this Bubbly Basil Blackberry Tequila Cooler tastes real pretty alongside these burgs.
Ingredients
- 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 4-6 tbsp all purpose flour
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 block cream cheese, softened
- 2 jalapenos
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 tbsp chives, minced
- pretzel buns, tomato corn salsa, and arugula, to serve.
tomato corn salsa
- 1 cup corn, frozen, canned, or fresh
- 1 roma tomato, diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 2 tbsp cilantro
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Set jalapenos on a baking sheet and roast 15-20 minutes, turning two or three times, until charred all over. Remove from the oven and place in a plastic storage bag. Seal and let the jalapenos sweat while you prepare other components of the dish.
- In the bowl of a food processor or high speed blender, whip together black beans, panko, garlic, egg, chili powder, cumin, Worcestershire, soy sauce, and a pinch of salt and pepper. With a spatula, stir in flour one tablespoon at a time until a sticky but cohesive mixture forms. You may need up to 6 tbsp but do not exceed this amount. Pour batter into an airtight container and set in the fridge at least 20 minutes. The chilling time will help set the batter.
- Meanwhile, make the salsa. Combine corn, tomato, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Cover and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Remove burger batter from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature while you prepare the jalapeno popper filling. Peel the skin off the jalapenos and remove the cap. Slit in half and scrape out the seeds, then dice into small pieces. In a bowl, stir together cream cheese, jalapenos, cheddar cheese, and chives. Taste for salt and pepper.
- Form four patties out of half of the black bean batter. The batter may still be sticky, but that's okay! They will set beautifully when cooked. Spoon about 2 tbsp jalapeno popper filling to each burger. Pat the remaining batter into four patties and set atop the filling. Pinch the two layers of burger together to seal the filling.
- Line a plate with paper towels. Heat 1/4 cup olive or avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Set burgers with about 1/2 inch space between them – you may need to do two batches – and cook 5 minutes per side, flipping once. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook an additional 3-4 minutes to set the inside of the burger. Move burgers to the paper towel lined plate to drain.
- Slice four burger buns in half. Toast under the broiler for 3-4 minutes if desired. Add a tuft of greens to the bottom bun, then slide a burger overtop. Sprinkle with tomato corn salsa.
