Southwestern Black Bean Burgers

The original for this recipe was from America's Test Kitchen.  I saw it on their Instagram feed and when I clicked I could actually see the whole recipe!  It just looked so tasty, so I copied it right away before they could change their mind and put it behind a paywall of some kind.  I didn't make the mayonnaise sauce that they recommended, figuring I'd try the burgers with regular toppings and then make the sauce some other time if I feel like it.     

I did make a mistake and started putting them together right when I wanted to cook them.  Unfortunately, they need at least an hour for the ingredients to sort of meld together.  It meant I was really hungry by the time they were finished that evening.  Here's a reminder to, you know, read whole recipes before you start them.  Also, I don't have a food processor, so I chopped/mashed everything by hand.  It wasn't hard at all.  

Also, I don't usually have tons of hot sauces in the house, and the recipe was a little sparse with the details on what kind of hot sauce to use.  I used Frank's Red Hot, but I might put in more next time or switch up the sauce.  It was good, just not particularly spicy if that's your thing.  

I cooked 3 at once, and froze the other 3 patties for later.  The pre-cooked ones reheated nicely in the microwave for lunches, too. (The leftovers were better than beef burgers and cheaper, too.)

Ingredients:

• 2 (15-ounce) cans  black beans, rinsed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 scallions, minced
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (or more, to your taste)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon table salt
• 1 ounce tortilla chips, crushed coarse (about 1/2 cup, and I used Tostitos bite-sized)

Directions:

1. Spread rinsed beans onto rimmed baking sheet lined with triple layer of paper towels and let drain for 15 minutes. 
   
2. In large bowl, whisk eggs and flour into uniform paste, then stir in scallions, minced cilantro, garlic, hot sauce, cumin, coriander, and salt.
   
3. Crush up tortilla chips until relatively fine (I crushed them in a bag).  
4. Mash up black beans (I smooshed mine with a fork on a cutting board) and stir in chip crumbs. 
5. Stir egg mixture in until combined. 
   
6. Cover and refrigerate, for at least an hour and up to 24 hours.  
7. Divide bean mixture into 6 equal portions. Using lightly moistened hands, tightly pack each portion into ½-inch-thick patty. 
   
8. To freeze patties (for up to a month): transfer to parchment paper and stack (w/ parchment between layers).  Wrap in plastic wrap and place in zipper-lock freezer bag. Thaw patties completely before cooking.)
9. Heat oil in a skillet on a medium heat until shimmery (or, like me, use some Pam spray).  Cook patties until well browned on one side, 5 to 7 minutes.  Then flip and cook until the other side is well-browned and crisp.  
   
10. Serve with your favorite toppings--I did a cheese slice, tomatoes, pickles, avocado slices, ketchup, and mustard.