These crispy black bean smash burgers are a flavorful blend of mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. Cooked till crisp around the edges and layered with creamy toum.
Why You’ll Love These Black Bean Smash Burgers
- Bold and satisfying flavor. The mix of mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, hoisin, and spices gives these burgers incredible depth.
- Perfectly crispy edges. The smash technique guarantees a golden crust with a tender interior.
- Freezer-friendly. Make a batch in advance and cook straight from the freezer. A great recipe to make a double batch of.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Black Beans: You can also use red kidney beans.
- Mushrooms: Shiitakes offer great umami and fast cooking. Baby bella or oyster mushrooms also work.
- Onion: I used white onion, but red onion works too.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Use the kind packed in oil. If not a fan, swap for some jarred artichoke hearts instead.
- Panko: Alternatively, regular breadcrumbs can work too. Just note that some brands may have more seasoning or sodium to them, so adjust sodium as needed.
- Hoisin sauce: Your favorite BBQ sauce can act as a great substitute.
- Vegan mayo: I personally like the brands Just or NotCo.
- Ground flax seeds: This acts as our egg. You can get the same result using ground chia seeds.
- Garlic: Pre-peeled is totally fine here.
- Lemon: Fresh juice is best!
- Spices: I used coriander and allspice. I have also experimented with smoked paprika and cumin with great results. Truly, flavor it how you like.
How to Make Veggie Smash Burgers
Bake the beans: Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread beans on a parchment-lined tray and bake for 10 minutes to remove moisture. Let cool.
Make a flax egg: Mix flaxseed with 2 tbsp of water. Set aside to gel.
Sauté veggies: In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-low. Cook mushrooms on one side and onions on the other. Let mushrooms cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, then toss and cook 2–3 more minutes. Stir onions regularly until soft and golden, 5–6 minutes.
Add garlic: Stir mushrooms and onions together. Add garlic and sauté for 3 minutes until fragrant.
Blend burger mix: Add mushroom mixture to a food processor with sun-dried tomatoes, coriander, and allspice. Pulse to finely mince. Add beans, panko, flax egg, cornstarch, mayo, and hoisin. Pulse until mixture holds together, don’t over-process. Chill for 15 minutes.
Make the toum: Halve garlic cloves and remove any green sprouts. Blend with lemon juice and salt until foamy using an immersion blender. Slowly blend in oil until emulsified. Chill until ready.
Form and cook burgers: Heat griddle with a little oil. Scoop 1/4 cup burger mix, roll into a ball, flatten between parchment into a patty. Cook patties 2–3 minutes per side, brushing with extra hoisin after flipping.
Assemble: Toast buns. Spread with condiments, layer with lettuce, patties, toum, tomato, and pickled onion. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Adjust the burger dough as needed. If the mixture is too wet and not holding together, add more breadcrumbs. If the mixture is too dry and crumbling, add another tablespoon of mayo or a splash of water.
- Avoid using too much oil on your griddle. You just need enough to prevent the burger from sticking. I find adding too much oil makes the patties too loose and then they start to fall apart. I found cooking them in a griddle the easiest.
- Do not use olive oil in your toum. It will impact the flavor of the sauce and turn it a different color. I recommend using a neutral oil like avocado oil or canola oil.
- Remove sprouts from your garlic. If you are not sure if your garlic is fresh, cut the cloves in half and inspect the center for any green sprouts. If you see them, remove them as they can make the toum taste bitter.
- Your toum will be a little thinner using this method. Toum is usually made in a food processor, and this method yields a thicker fluffier consistency. Using the immersion blender takes less time, but may yield a thinner consistency that still tastes amazing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Flatten the patties between two smaller pieces of parchment paper and stack them on top of each other in a resealable frozen bag or airtight container and place in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to cook, let the burger slightly thaw as you heat up your griddle then carefully peel the parchment away and cook on the griddle.
Instead of bread crumbs try gluten-free oats or crushed corn tortilla chips. Make sure either option is ground up so that it can act similarly to the panko.
Searing a thick bean burger on the stove top on both sides will not appropriately cook the center of the patty, which leads to a mushy texture. Making the patty thinner will give you crispy edges and firmer center. If you want a thicker burger, I recommend this recipe instead.
You can store the toum in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 month.
Make It Balanced
Beans are a great way to get in protein and fiber. To max out the nutrition on your burger, consider loading it up with all the veggie extras. Think lettuce, tomatoes, onions, or any other of your favorite veggie add-ins!
More Plant-Based Recipes for Any Gathering
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Description
These crispy black bean smash burgers are a flavorful blend of mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. Cooked till crisp around the edges and layered with creamy toum.
- Preheat the oven to 400F and line a tray with parchment paper. Place the beans on the tray and spread them out in a single layer. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes to help cook off excess moisture then set aside to cool.
- Add the flaxseeds to a small bowl with 2 tbsp of water. Mix together to make a flax egg and set aside to gel.
- Add about 1 tbsp of oil to large griddle or skillet over medium-low heat. Add the mushrooms and spread them out over one side and the onions on the other side.
- Allow the mushrooms to cook undisturbed for 3 minutes then give them a toss. Sprinkle them with a pinch of salt and continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes until they become more golden brown in color. For the onions, sprinkle with a good pinch of salt and stir them regularly until they are soft and golden in color, about 5-6 minutes.
- Once both the mushrooms and onions are cooked, stir them together in the pan, then add the garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes or until the garlic is softened and fragrant.
- Transfer mushrooms, onions, and garlic to a food processor along with the sun-dried tomatoes, coriander, and allspice. Pulse together until the ingredients are finely minced. Add the beans, panko, flax egg, cornstarch, mayo, and hoisin sauce then process on low until the mixture holds together and is easy to shape (avoid over-processing to avoid mushiness). Place the mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes while you make your sauce.
- Cut your garlic cloves in half and remove any green sprouts that may appear. This will remove any bitterness from the sauce. Place the cloves in a blender cup with the lemon juice, and salt. Use an immersion blender and blend on high until you are left with a foamy paste. Add in the oil and blend again for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce is fully emulsified. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
- Heat your griddle up again over medium-low heat with a drizzle of oil and start shaping your patties. Grab 1/4 cup of the bean mixture and roll it into a ball. Place the ball between some parchment paper and use a grill press or spatula to flatten the ball into a thin patty. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
- Place the patties on the heated griddle and sear for 2-3 minutes or until the edges start to crisp up, then flip. Cook again for 2-3 minutes, making sure to brush a little extra hoisin sauce over top the cooked side of the burgers.
- When done cooking, you can transfer the burgers to a wire rack, and toast your buns as desired.
- To assemble, spread your preferred condiment over your buns. Layer the bottom bun with lettuce, then one patty. Spread the toum over the patty, then top with a second patty and layer with more toum. Top with some tomato slices and pickled onion if desired then enjoy.
Notes
Air Fry the beans. If you don’t want to use the oven, place the black beans in an airfryer at 370F for 6-7 minutes.
Adjust texture. Add breadcrumbs if too wet, or a splash of water or mayo if too dry.
Don’t over-oil. Too much oil on the griddle can make patties fall apart.
Skip olive oil in toum. It can make the sauce bitter. Use neutral oils like avocado or canola.
Check your garlic. Remove green sprouts to avoid bitterness. Toum texture may vary: Immersion blending yields a slightly thinner but still delicious result.
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