Plantain Black Bean Burgers
Sweet and spicy, these plantain black bean burgers are sure to wow guests and have everyone asking you for more! The sweet plantains are combined with smokey cumin and paprika and have just a hint of red pepper spice that balances out the sweetness perfectly. These vegan, gluten free burgers can be made on the grill, on the stove or baked in the oven. They are so easy to make and pair perfectly with your favorite Mexican dishes or served as a burger with my favorite topping, avocado and sriracha!
I was first introduced to plantains in Key West on a family vacation during college. Before that, I’m not sure that I had ever even heard of plantains. We lived in a relatively small town and we didn’t yet have a Whole Foods within 100 miles. At the time I was a vegetarian and was excited to try new things! Most of the menu at this Cuban restaurant was off limits but that was ok, we came for the black beans and plantains, and we were not let down!
My love affair with plantains was solidified the first time I made plantains at home. With just a little heat and some coconut oil, this starchy banana gets super sweet and carmalized. I have plantains besides my eggs and avocado toast more often than I should admit. And you almost never get a picture of them on instagram, I gobble them up way to fast for that! If you haven’t tried plantains, what are you waiting for? Go out and buy a few. Make this recipe and also do yourself a favor and simply remove the skin, and cut the plantains into 1 inch rounds. Add small amount of coconut oil (1-2 tsp.) to a frying pan and caramelize them on both sides. Serve hot, maybe sprinkle with honey and cinnamon for a yummy easy dessert!
Ok enough about plantains, I could gush about them for hours. These plantain black bean burgers are so easy to make! The great thing is you don’t even need a food processor, just a sturdy fork and patients. I like to smash my black beans with a fork, so that they don’t get purified into a hummus like pulp. I like for them to have some texture left! The burgers only take about 5 minutes to bring together and they cook up in about 6-7 minutes on the stove/grill.
The sweetness from the plantains is mellowed out with some very bold spices. Cumin, paprika, and red pepper all help balance out the burger and make them savory enough to call dinner. The sunflower seeds bring a crunch to the burgers, and if you have them on hand, I highly recommend adding them. Pumpkin seeds or chopped almonds or walnuts would also be great in this dish.
Surprise your family with this healthy meal. Having a meat free cookout (or at least the option of a veggie burger) is a great way to offer healthy alternatives to heavy burgers and hotdogs that might otherwise be served. Maybe you can be the person that introduces someone to the deliciousness that is plantains!
Plantain Black Bean Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 ripe plantain - mashed
- 12 oz organic black beans (1 can) - rinsed and mashed with a fork
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 3 tbs. coconut flour
- 2 tbs. ground flax
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper
- 3 tbs. sunflower seeds
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mash black beans and plantain.
- Add spices, ground flax and coconut flour. Stir to combine.
- Add sunflower seeds and stir to incorporate
- Let sit 2-3 minutes while pan or grill is heating up over medium heat
- Spray the pan liberally with coconut oil or nonstick spray.
- Form the plantain bean mixture into patties, I made 5 palm sized burgers out of this mixture.
- Grill or sautee for 3 minutes over medium heat.
- Carefully flip burgers and cook 3-4 more minutes on second side.
- Serve with lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, sriracha on gluten free bun or over salad
Nutrition Information
What about you?
- Have you tried plantains before?
- Did you ever try new food on vacation? What did you try?
- Plans for 4th of July cookout?
Quick and tasty.
So glad you enjoyed these burgers! Thanks for coming back to leave a review, it’s very appreciated! Happy cooking – Sam
This recipe is excellent! I made these and they held together beautifully. I froze some uncooked patties for later use. Best vegan & gluten free burgers I’ve tried so far! I added a bit more salt.
I absolutely love this! Pinned and tweeted. Thank you so much for bringing such a masterpiece to our party. I hope to see you tonight at 7 pm. We can’t wait to party with you! Lou Lou Girls
Thanks for sharing on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday – Link Party!! Hope to see you again tomorrow!! Pinned!
Yum! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! This post has been pinned on the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! I love having you and can’t wait to see you next week!
Hubby and I were just talking the other day about finding a bean burger recipe. You have landed in right in our laps :-)
Thanks for linking up to Marvelous Monday on Smart Party Planning.