Today, it’s all about burgers.

Well, not so much “traditional” burgers, but spicy black bean and edamame burgers!

Have you ever tried a veggie burger or black bean burger? I remember experiencing one for the first time a few years back, and I was hooked. I really like when a veggie or bean burger has a bold flavor of its own, and isn’t trying to masquerade as meat. I’ve tried a few products in the past that were supposed to taste like meat, but they just don’t. And I say – what is so wrong with beans and veggies? They have such great flavor on their own, so I decided to let them shine. They worked out really well at a recent cookout; since I couldn’t eat the beef burgers provided, the black bean and edamame burgers were a flavorful option that didn’t make me feel left out. I was inspired by this recipe over on The Kitchn, but made my own changes for my taste!

Now, if you know me, you know I am a fan of spice. So it should come as no surprise that I decided to kick these burgers up a notch with sriracha, cayenne, and chili powder. If you aren’t able to handle a little bit of heat (and that is ok), feel free to take it down a notch by removing or reducing the amount of those ingredients. And if you’re looking for even more kick, you can slather a helping of chili lime garlic aioli on top of your burgers…it’s a great combo!

And on a side note: have any of your spice lovers out there tried out Boar’s Head’s new 3 pepper colby jack cheese?!?!? It is definitely for hot heads out there, and is perfect on top of this burger. Or just to eat slice by slice out of the fridge. I might have done that. Just saying. Ok, on to the recipe – don’t delay!

Spicy Black Bean and Edamame Burgers

Ingredients

2 cans (14oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup edamame

1 cup carrots, shredded

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 large yellow onion, diced

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp sriracha

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tbsp spicy brown mustard

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Olive oil

Instructions

1. Saute yellow onion, garlic, and carrots in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Cook until onions are translucent and carrots are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

2. Set aside about 3/4 cup of the black beans, then add the remaining beans to a large bowl and mash them (I used a potato masher). Add soy, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, sriracha, cilantro, mustard, panko crumbs, and onion/carrot mixture. Fold until ingredients are combined. Then, carefully fold in the remaining black beans and the edamame into the mix.

3. Next, create the burger patties. Scoop a generous portion of bean mixture into your (clean) hands and roll into a ball. Flatten on a clean surface and shape into circular patties about 1/2 inch thick. I made my burgers a size that would fit the buns I had, and this mixture created 8 black bean burger patties.

4. When patties are shaped, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

5. When you are ready to cook the black bean burgers, preheat your oven to 400° F. Heat a frying pan over medium heat, and add a small amount of olive oil. One or two at a time, set the burger patties in the pan to brown the outsides. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, then remove from the pan and place on a foil lined baking sheet. You don’t have to take this step if you don’t want to, but I like getting the browned/crispy texture on the outside of my burger patties.

6. When all of the black bean burger patties are browned and on the baking pan, place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.

7. You can serve these burgers immediately, or refrigerate them for later use. If you want to place them on the grill to heat up, wrap them loosely in tin foil and place on the grates for 5+ minutes until warmed through. Place burger patties on a bun and dress with the toppings desired (may I suggest some chili lime garlic aioli?). Enjoy!