Black Bean Burgers (Meal Prep + Freezer Friendly)

Black bean burgers!  I’ve been loving meatless Monday recipes lately – cooking seems to go so much faster when you don’t have to prep meat.  If I’m prepping meat, it usually involves way too much hand washing, not to mention disinfecting every surface that touched — or may have touched, or was in the same general area as — said meat.

Going meatless with these black bean burgers is the perfect way to avoid all that hassle but still enjoy the comfort of biting into a nice, juicy burger.  Black beans, the base of these patties, pack a protein punch while also being higher in fiber than ground beef.

I also love prepping sweet potato fries and freezing them, which makes this meal twice as easy to serve!  For the sweet potato fries, I give them a partial peel, then microwave 30 seconds to 1 minute (just to make them a bit easier to cut).  Then, slice and dice into French fry shape, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and bake at 450°F until your desired crispiness (I usually do 30-40 mins, flipping halfway through).  As with all my freezer meal recipes, let cool safely in the fridge and then freeze until ready for use.  They can be reheated directly from frozen in an oven at 450°F for ~20 minutes.

These burgers pack a Mexican/southwest kick, with jalapeños (scrape out the seeds if you don’t want the heat!), cumin, and chili powder.  They would be great with a slice of pepper jack, a chipotle ranch aioli, or – OMG – some queso.  WHY didn’t I think of that sooner?!  Ok, next time I make these I’m definitely drizzling them with warm queso!

I also served with some of my mom’s classic broccoli slaw, for a cool crunch to balance the plate.  I love making a huge batch of this and eating it with anything and everything, or by itself straight out of the fridge.  I’ll post that recipe sometime!

Cooking these is as simple as a few pulses in the food processor, forming patties, and a quick pan fry.  You know I hate dirtying the food processor, so I usually do a double batch and freeze in sets of 4.  These do best when reheated in the oven, to help maintain that crispy crust on the outside.  Bonus – reheat those fries and toast some buns all at the same time!

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Vegan Black Bean Burgers (Meal Prep + Freezer Friendly)

Black beans, corn, and jalapeños come together for this simple southwestern black bean burger recipe!  Crispy exterior and tender in the middle, these are the perfect addition to your next cookout!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Healthy, Vegan

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Author Sam @ Busy Girl Bites

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz can black beans (do NOT drain)
• 1/2 15 oz can corn rinsed and drained
• 1 jalapeno pepper stalk/core removed
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika

Instructions

1. Open can of beans and measure 2T of liquid.  Add liquid into base of a food processor.  Rinse and drain the beans as usual.

2. Add 1/2 can of beans and jalapeño to the food processor.  Pulse until combined and firm.

3. Stir in remaining beans, corn, and spices.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Form into 4 patties.

4. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium high heat.  Add patties and cook until crispy brown crust has formed, about 5-7 minutes per side.

Meal Prep Instructions

1. To freeze:  allow to cool safely in the refrigerator overnight.  Freeze in an appropriate container.

2. To cook:  from frozen, bake at 400°F ~20 minutes or until heated through.  Or, thaw overnight and bake at 350°F for ~10 minutes or until heated through.