Quick and easy Black Bean Burgers spiced with roasted poblano, ancho chile, smoked paprika, cumin and a touch of garam masala! These vegetarian burgers are perfect for grilling this summer!

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 5 burgers
  • Category: Appetizer, Snack
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 poblano pepper (roasted, skin and seed removed)
  • 15.5 oz can black beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1.5 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
  • 2/3 cup mixed nuts
  • 1 small red onion (chopped)
  • 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons garbanzo bean flour
  • salt (to taste)
  • black pepper (to taste)
  • 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons oil + 1 teaspoon oil (divided)

Method

  1. Roast poblano pepper on direct heat till charred, around 6-7 minutes. Remove the skin, stem and seeds.
  2. Transfer the roasted poblano pepper to a food processor along with black beans, nutritional yeast, ancho chile, cumin powder, smoked paprika and garam masala.
  3. Pulse few times, till everything is combined. Remember to not pulse it too much, we don't want the material to turn into a smooth paste. This is important for texture. Set aside.
  4. In the same food processor, pulse nuts till coarsely ground. Again, make sure to not grind them to a smooth powder, chunks are important. I used roasted mixed nuts here, you may use only walnuts/pecans/cashews. Set aside.
  5. Add 1 teaspoon oil to a small pan. Once hot, add onion and garlic.
  6. Cook till onion and garlic turn light golden in colors, around 4-5 minutes.
  7. Transfer the sauteed onion and garlic to a large bowl. Add the bean-poblano mixture to it and also add the pulsed nuts.
  8. Mix everything together. Add salt, pepper, chopped cilantro, garbanzo bean flour and lemon juice. Mix using your hands.
  9. Add bread crumbs and mix everything together till you have a nice dough.
  10. Divided the dough into 5-6 equal parts and shape into a burger patty.
  11. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet. Cook the burger patty in hot oil till golden brown from both sides.
  12. Enjoy with your favorite toppings - lettuce, onion, tomato, sriracha!

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.