Vegetarian burger with smoky charred flavor
- salt to taste
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 egg beaten
- fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1 cup short grain brown rice cooked
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 beets shredded
- 2 tbs cider vinegar
- 1 14 oz. can black beans drained & rinsed
- juice from 1/2 of a lemon
- 2-3 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/2 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbs flour
- 6 slices monterey jack cheese
- Carbohydrate 31.5001303276741 g
- Cholesterol 55.94 mg
- Fat 14.4819248243674 g
- Fiber 7.72656137858215 g
- Protein 15.5759989086004 g
- Saturated Fat 6.36142403658357 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (200g)
- Sodium 210.943322205614 mg
- Sugar 23.7735689490919 g
- Trans Fat 0.827140047955083 g
- Calories 315 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook brown rice just beyond al dente (50 minutes). Drain & set aside.
- While rice cooks, heat olive oil in a skillet, saute the onion until soft and transparent. Add the shredded beets. Cover & cook until beets are completely tender (~10-15 min). Add garlic & saute until fragrant (1-2 min). Add vinegar and deglaze the pan. Remove heat from pan.
- Place beans in a large bowl and partially mash with a fork. Add the rice and beet mixture. Add lemon juice, spices & flour. Mix until dry flour incorporates. Add the beaten egg (be careful that the heat from the beets doesn't cook the egg...either temper the egg or allow the mixture to slightly cool before adding the egg).
- Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet on high heat (cast iron will give the best flavor, but if you don't have one, use a non stick skillet). Using your hands, scoop about 3/4 to 1 cup of the mixture, shape into a 1/2" thick patty and place in skillet. It should immediately begin to sizzle, if not wait until it does before adding more patties to the skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes then carefully flip. (It should be charred). It may fall apart slightly, just reshape using the spatula. If using cheese, add it now. Cook the other side another 3-4 minutes.
- Prepare the buns with lettuce, tomato, pickle, cucumber...whatever you like. Honey mustard would probably go wonderfully.
When working with plant-based patties that lack the natural structural proteins of ground meat, managing moisture is the primary engineering challenge. Shredded beets release significant water as they cook, meaning the covered pan technique must be followed by proper evaporation over heat to concentrate sugars before the vegetables ever meet the bowl. Short grain brown rice acts as a structural anchor here, but it requires cooking slightly past standard tenderness—around 50 minutes—so the grains can hydrate fully and knit the loose bean mixture together without needing excessive amounts of flour.
Assessing doneness on a thick vegetarian patty requires relying entirely on visual and auditory cues rather than probing with a thermometer. High heat in a cast-iron skillet is mandatory for achieving the necessary exterior crust, which provides both structural integrity and deep savory notes through the Maillard reaction. Listen for the initial aggressive sizzle when the raw patty hits the hot oil, then watch the edges; once the lower perimeter darkens visibly and the center begins to firm up after three to four minutes, the patty is ready for a careful turn with a wide spatula.
Temperature control during the binding phase prevents the raw egg from scrambling prematurely upon contact with hot vegetables. Allowing the cooked beet and rice mixture to cool slightly before incorporating the binder ensures smooth emulsification without rubbery pockets of cooked egg white ruining the interior texture. Seasoning heavily with smoked paprika and coriander compensates for the natural earthiness of the beets, cutting through their sweetness with sharp, phenolic compounds.
Prepared patties hold their shape remarkably well when frozen raw on a parchment-lined sheet pan before transferring to an airtight container for up to one month. Cooking them straight from frozen requires lowering the skillet heat slightly by medium-high to ensure the center thaws and warms through completely before the exterior achieves a dark char.
