Black bean smash burgers

For our money, smash burgers are superior to the quarter-pounder style for one crucial reason: better texture. Thinner patties mean more surface area hits the griddle, so whether you’re dealing with beef or beans, you’ll wind up with a more flavorful patty and a satisfyingly caramelized crust—complete with frayed, irregular edges that get nice and crispy. Skinny patties are also key for veggie burgers in particular, because thicker ones tend to have creamy interiors that lead to a homogenous soft-on-soft situation once you stack them on a bun.

To simplify the patty-making process we’re skipping a few superfluous steps, which means these burgers can go from mixing bowl to griddle in less than 20 minutes. We’re using a base of black beans and leftover rice, the latter of which is a cheat code for adding texture, chew, and those blessed crunchy bits. The other major time-saver: We’re skipping the sautéed onions and garlic a lot of recipes rely on for a much-needed hit of umami, and instead adding cumin, smoked paprika, tomato paste, and nutritional yeast to get a similar effect. We’re also forgoing the food processor, a common tool in veggie-burger prep, because it makes it too easy to overblend and wind up with mush. And, finally, we’re binding it all together with some breadcrumbs and the liquid from the same can of black beans instead of fussing with a slurry. (Take that, chickpea water!) 

Smash burgers are too delicate for the grill (you won’t get a good crust that way, either), so a cast-iron pan or griddle is best for these babies. For fixins, you can go with your favorites. As for us? Plenty of pickles and our special sauce are nonnegotiables—as is a nicely toasted bun. 

Black Bean Smash Burgers

Yield: 4 double-patty burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 14-ounce can black beans
• 3 tablespoons black bean brine, from one can black beans
• 1 cup leftover or frozen and thawed rice 
• ½ cup plain breadcrumbs
• ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more if needed
• 4 hamburger buns, toasted 
• Special Sauce, optional*
• For serving: shredded iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced red onion, thinly sliced tomato, and sliced pickles

Procedure:

1. Make the bean mixture. In a large bowl, use a fork or potato masher to coarsely mash the black beans. Stir in the black bean brine, rice, breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, cumin, salt, pepper, and paprika.

2. Form the patties. Use your hands to form the mixture into 8 balls (about ¼ cup each). In 2 batches, place 4 balls 6 inches apart between two silicone mats or pieces of parchment paper. Use a heavy skillet to gently smash the burgers to create patties about ¼ inch thick and 4 inches in diameter. 

3. Cook. Heat canola oil in a large cast-iron skillet on medium-high. Use a thin metal spatula to transfer 4 patties to the skillet. Cook undisturbed until golden brown underneath, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook until the edges are golden, 2 minutes more. Repeat with remaining patties, adding more oil if necessary.  

4. Assemble. Spread cut sides of the buns with special sauce, if using, and build burger with two patties and desired toppings. 

Notes and Substitutions:

• *For a shortcut sauce, stir 2 tablespoons of finely chopped chipotles in adobo into 1 cup mayonnaise. 
• Leftover cooked patties can be frozen for up to 3 months. Store in freezer bags separated with pieces of parchment paper to prevent sticking.