Lip-smacking brown rice-based Spicy Chipotle Red Bean Burgers with an incredibly delicious & sticky, sweet, spicy adobo sauce that takes them right OVER the top! Packed with flavour and texture and really easy to make.
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Move over Vegan Black Bean Burgers and Kidney Bean Burgers because Spicy Chipotle Red Bean Burgers are comin' on through!
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These delicious burgers are red bean and brown rice-based which gives them great texture on the inside (unlike a straight-up bean burger) and even better, crispy, chewy texture on the outside once they are cooked up. The rice kind of goes nubbly and nutty in a way that no other ingredient in the veggie/bean burger world would. Plus there's all of that spicy, smoky flavour from the chipotle, and extra spicy deliciousness from the quick and easy adobo sauce served with them. So good!
They are really easy to make and a wonderful way to use up leftover cooked brown rice. Tell me I'm not the only one who always cooks too much rice? I usually use leftovers in my Brussel's Sprout & Cashew Fried Rice or my Mushroom Fried Rice, but to have another extremely tasty option is just perfect as it happens all too often. Leftover rice will never be an issue again!
Ingredient notes
Here are the main ingredients we are working with and why:
- Kidney beans - These are big and creamy when mashed and hold the burgers together well. They also work really well with the chipotle flavours and give the burgers a great colour.
- Cooked brown rice - Brown rice works much better than white rice in this recipe and gives the burgers a great, hearty texture.
- Walnuts - For even more texture and nutty flavour. Pecans would work too or omit them if you don't do nuts.
- Onion, garlic, cumin - Flavour!
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - The moisture from the canned peppers is necessary and their flavour is incredible. The peppers are used in the burgers and the remaining sauce is used to make the adobo burger sauce.
- Ground flaxseed & arrowroot powder - The glue that holds these burgers together. They need the power of both. Arrowroot also thickens the burger sauce and ensures it stays nice and clear and glisteny in a way wheat flour doesn't.
- Cilantro - More flavour. Omit if you aren't a fan, or use flatleaf parsley instead.
That sticky sauce for drizzling your burgers .... I hate to waste anything and it uses up the adobo sauce left in the can after you use the peppers in the burgers. Add a drop of maple syrup to sweeten up the fieriness a bit, some arrowroot to thicken it a bit and wow...It turns into the most delicious and fiery sauce that compliments the burgers perfectly.
How to make Spicy Chipotle Red Bean Burgers
(For detailed measurements and instructions, see the printable recipe card).
These burgers are easy to make in just a few steps. Here's how:
- Toast the walnuts and saute the onions with the garlic for max flavour.
- Mash the beans and mix them together with everything else.
- Form the burgers by squeezing the mixture together really well in your hands then chill for 30 minutes before cooking in a skillet or oven.
- Make the quick and easy sauce while the burgers are chilling or cooking.
Success Tips
For the very best results when making this recipe follow these tips:
- Brown rice gives a much better texture than white rice.
- Stick to the recipe and don't make any major adaptions or you risk the burgers not sticking together well or falling apart when cooking.
- The chilling step is necessary to give the arrowroot and flaxseed time to bind and "glue" the burgers together before cooking.
- To cut the heat, omit the adobo sauce and top the burgers with a less spicy topping like guacamole, avocado dressing or ketchup.
Serving suggestions
Serve the spicy chipotle red bean burgers in a bun, flatbread or lettuce wrap with plenty of the sticky adobo sauce. Some salad leaves, tomato, salty vegan feta, guacamole or sliced avocado make great toppings.
They are also great served simply with a fresh salad. Try them with a simple leafy salad or with my kidney bean salad, cooling watermelon mint salad (it works great with anything spicy), or tomato chickpea salad.
Leftovers are great eaten cold for snacks or crumbled over a salad for lunch and can also be reheated.
Storing & reheating
Shaped burgers will keep uncooked in the fridge for up to 2 days but make sure they are covered well so they don't dry out.
Cool leftover cooked spicy red bean burgers quickly, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Reheat on a baking tray in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes or until piping hot throughout.
Leftover sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week and can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
Recipe FAQs
Chipotles in adobo are smoked and dried jalapeño peppers that are rehydrated and canned in a sweet, spicy and tangy sauce. They are packed with flavour and great for adding to all sorts of meals like stews, chili, soups, seasoned beans, marinades, glazes, taco and burrito fillings etc.
Cans of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are easily found in most grocery stores in the US and Canada. For my UK readers, they might be a bit harder to find in the supermarkets but you can find them at any Mexican grocery store or pick them up from Amazon .
There isn't a good substitute in this recipe. Dried or fresh chili peppers don't have the moisture needed to hold the burgers together and they also don't have the same concentrated smoky flavour. You also need the sauce from the can to make the burger sauce. I would advise looking for another recipe if this is an ingredient you can't or don't want to use.
This recipe was originally published on April 23rd, 2017 and has since been updated, renamed and republished. The recipe itself remains the same. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for following A Virtual Vegan!
Recipe
Spicy Chipotle Red Bean Burgers
Author:Ingredients
For the burgers
- ½ cup (60 grams) chopped walnuts or pecans , omit for nut-free
- 1 teaspoon oil , or use water for oil-free
- 1 medium onion ,diced finely
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 375g | 540ml | 2 slightly heaping cups kidney beans , canned or cooked from dry
- 1 x 212g (7.5oz) can chipotle peppers in Adobo Sauce , a few grams either side is fine if your can is a slightly different size
- 2 cups (250 grams) cooked brown rice , weighed/measured while cooked
- ½ cup (45 grams) ground flaxseeds , must be ground not whole
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder , or cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds , or ½ a teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 handful cilantro , chopped (or flatleaf parsley)
For the sauce
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot powder , or cornstarch (cornflour in the UK)
- remaining liquid from the chipotle peppers can , there should be a couple tablespoons in there at least. That's all you need to make this sauce awesome. If you have a bit more feel free to add more though
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ cup (60 mls) water
INSTRUCTIONS
For the burgers
- Toast the walnuts or pecans gently in a dry pan over medium heat for a couple of minutes , moving them around frequently. Once they looking golden and smell toasty, remove from the heat and set them aside.
- Sauté the onion with the oil or a tablespoon or two of water until it is starting to just turn golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the drained kidney beans and mash them with a potato masher. They don't need to be pureed, just smushed up, some more than others is good for texture.
- Use a fork and take the chipotle peppers out of the can, leaving as much sauce as you can behind. Chop them finely and add them to the kidney beans. Keep the sauce in the can for a bit later. Be sure to wash your hands well after handling them.
- Add all of the other ingredients (the walnuts, garlic, onion, rice, flax, arrowroot, spices and cilantro) and stir really well until they are all combined.
- Take scoops of the mixture (I used a ¾ cup measure so they were all even size) and squeeze them together into balls REALLY well in your hands. Once in a compressed ball place on some parchment paper on a tray and flatten the tops with the palm of your hand so that they are burger shaped and about 1 inch high. Smooth around the sides once you have flattened them if any cracks appear. Once they are all shaped pop them in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes but you can leave them for longer, even up to a few days if you make sure they are well covered so they won't dry out.
- Once the burgers have chilled, you can cook them in a skillet over medium heat, or bake them in the oven.If using a skillet cook them for about 6 to 7 minutes on each side, or until the outsides are golden and crispy. You can do this in a dry non-stick pan or use a little oil if you prefer. If oven baking, cook them at 400°F (200°C) for about 25 minutes, turning over at halftime, or until they are piping hot all the way through and crunchy on the outside.
For the sauce
- To a small pan, add the arrowroot powder. Spoon in the adobo sauce from the can of chipotles. Give it a whisk/stir to work out any lumps, then add the maple syrup and water. Whisk well over medium-low heat until thickened and glossy. Serve warm or cold over the burgers.
NOTES
- Brown rice gives a much better texture than white rice.
- Stick to the recipe and don't make any major adaptions or you risk the burgers not sticking together well or falling apart when cooking.
- The chilling step is necessary to give the arrowroot and flaxseed time to bind and "glue" the burgers together before cooking.
- To cut the heat, omit the adobo sauce and top the burgers with a less spicy topping like guacamole, avocado dressing or ketchup.
Storage & reheating Shaped burgers will keep uncooked in the fridge for up to 2 days but make sure they are covered well so they don't dry out. Cool leftover cooked spicy red bean burgers quickly, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Reheat on a baking tray in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes or until piping hot throughout. Leftover sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week and can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
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Jesse-Gabriel says
Mmm, der Burger sieht großartig aus, so yummi!
Viele Grüße,
Jesse-Gabriel
Jan says
Made them. Loved them. Thank you!
Linda says
This is going to be my new go to veggie burger! They are so delicious!