We’re always looking for ways to spice up a old favorite, and this black bean burger with chipotle mayo has proved to be a hit by vegetarians and meat lovers – an often difficult feat. So for those of you have children who are picky eaters, or in my case, an East Texas boyfriend who doesn’t like “girly” food, I promise this adaptation of Skinny Taste‘s spicy black bean burger will win over even your biggest skeptic.
The fresh veggies, cilantro, and cumin make this burger a super flavorful, yet easy, weeknight classic. For a slightly healthier option, I swap the potato bun for two pieces of butter lettuce and use avocado oil mayonnaise in the chipotle mayo.
Admittedly, I’m a huge baby when it comes to spicy food – like die at even the slightest hint if jalapeno – so I choose to forego the cayenne pepper hot sauce in the mashed bean mix that the original Skinny Taste recipe called for. And for my fellow hot sauce wimps, the chipotle mayo provides plenty of heat.
Meal Prep Tips: I recommend doubling the recipe and freezing some extra patties to speed up the cooking after a long day, or in advance of your next tailgate party. For individual prep, such as lunches for work, make sure to keep your lettuce separated from your patty so it doesn’t get soggy. Be sure to spritz your avocados with lime juice to keep them green and fresh!
(Pictured above are my go-to meal prep containers: $12 15-pack by Freshware found on Amazon. Click here to shop.)
And if you think you have a lot of ingredients (cilantro, black beans, chipotle chilies, onions) left over, check out our Black Bean and Chicken Enchilada Soup!
If you try our black bean burger with chipotle mayo, we’d love to see your photos! Tag us on instagram @fridgetofork, and be sure to let us know how it turned out in the comments below.
Black Bean Burger with Chipotle Mayo
- Serves: 4
- Yield: 4 patties
Ingredients
Chipotle Mayo
- 3 1/2 tbsp. light mayonnaise (I prefer Primal Kitchen avocado oil mayonnaise)
- 1 tbsp. chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce
Black Bean Burgers
- 1 fl oz can reduced-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 1/2 c roughly chopped onion
- 3 tbsp. roughly chopped cilantro
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 c quick-cooking oats
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper hot sauce
- 1 tbsp. ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- cooking spray or oil mister
- 8 leaves of butter lettuce
- 1 medium Hass avocado, thinly sliced
Instructions
Chipotle Mayo
- In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise with chipotle. Set aside or refrigerate for later.
Black Bean Burgers
- In a medium bowl, mash the black beans with a fork or potato masher until thick and pasty.
- Add red bell pepper, onion, cilantro, and garlic to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add in oats, egg, hot sauce (optional), cumin, and salt, and pulse a few more times until mixed.
- Fold the processed ingredients with mashed black beans until fully mixed.
- Using hands, make 4 patties and put them onto a wax-sheet lined baking sheet. (If the mixture is too wet, try refrigerating for 20 minutes or add a tablespoon of oats.)
- Freeze the patties for at least 2 hours before cooking.
- To cook, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and spray with oil.
- Cook frozen burgers for approximately 7 minutes per side, or until browned. To grill, place patties on a lightly oiled sheet of foil over the grates and cook 7 to 8 minutes per side as well.
- Wrap cooked patties in butter leaf, top with chipotle mayo and avocado, and enjoy!
