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!
PREP TIME: 20 minutesminutes
COOK TIME: 10 minutesminutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutesminutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients
For the burgers
½ cup (60grams)chopped walnuts or pecans, omit for nut-free
1teaspoonoil, or use water for oil-free
1mediumonion,diced finely
4clovesgarlic, minced
375g | 540ml | 2slightly heaping cupskidney beans, canned or cooked from dry
1 x 212g (7.5oz)canchipotle 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
remaining liquidfrom 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
3tablespoonsmaple syrup
¼ cup (60mls)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
Success 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.
Storage & reheatingShaped 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.