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Bittman’s Smashed Bean Burgers for a Grill, Griddle, or Pan

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Makes 4 large or 8 slider-size patties 1x

Time 40 minutes, plus 1 to 12 hours for chilling

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup rolled oats (not instant), plus more if necessary
  • 3 tablespoons Bob’s Red Mill Organic Chia Seeds
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder or spice blend of your choice
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 cups cooked black, white, or red beans, chickpeas, or lentils, (or drain two 15-ounce cans, rinse the beans well and refrigerate the leftovers for something else)
  • 1 small onion, cut into chunks
  • Bean-cooking liquid or water if needed
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil for cooking, or more as needed
  • Burger buns or slider rolls and all your usual fixings

Instructions

  1. Put the oats, chia seeds, chili powder, and some salt and pepper in a food processor. Let the machine run for 30 seconds, then check. The oats and seeds should bust up a bit to become the texture of steel cut oats; if not, repeat once or twice more. (Or put the ingredients in a medium bowl and use your hands and a fork to crumble the mixture as best as you can.)
  2. Add the beans and onion to the food processor and pulse, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed, until the mixture is thoroughly combined but not puréed, about 1 minute. (If you don’t have a food processor, put everything in a large bowl and use a potato masher.)
  3. Stop and squeeze a clump in your palm. At this stage, you want a moist consistency that will easily stick together without crumbling. If it is too wet and sticky, add more oats; if it’s too dry, add bean-cooking liquid or water. In either case, add the ingredient 1 tablespoon at a time and pulse (or mash) after each addition. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir a couple times with a soft spatula to make sure the ingredients are evenly distributed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 12 hours; see the recipe note).
  4. When you’re ready to cook, prepare a gas or charcoal grill for direct cooking over medium- to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the burger mixture and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper if you’d like. Spread the remaining 2 tablespoons oil onto a large rimmed baking sheet, leaving some oil on your hands. Shape the mixture into 4 large or 8 small balls; put them on the baking sheet. Use a stiff spatula and your hands to smash the burgers as thinly as you like; you should be able to go as flat as 1/4-inch thick without crumbling. Gently coat the patties on both sides with oil. Be generous, using more oil as needed until the burgers are shiny.
  5. When the grill is hot, brush the grates well to clean them. Use the stiff spatula to put the burgers directly over the fire. On a gas grill, adjust the heat so the patties sizzle around the edges. (On a charcoal grill, be prepared to check earlier if the fire is hot.) Close the lid and cook until the burgers release easily and are as charred as you like, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn and repeat on the other side. (While the burgers cook, toast the buns on the grill if you like.) Serve hot or warm on buns or rolls with all your fixings.

— Recipe developed by The Bittman Project for Bob’s Red Mill

Recipe variations

Bittman’s Smashed Bean Burgers in a Pan (or on a Griddle). In Step 4, instead of smashing the burgers on the oiled baking sheet, put the 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, carefully smash the balls into patties with the stiff spatula directly in the pan; adjust the heat so they sizzle without burning. Cook, undisturbed, until brown and crisp on one side, 3 to 5 minutes. Add more oil if the pan looks dry, then turn the burgers over carefully and cook until they feel firm and are browned on the other side, another 3 to 5 minutes.

Bittman’s Grilled or Pan-Cooked Bean Burgers or Sliders. In Step 4, heat the grill for direct cooking over medium heat or follow the variation above to cook in a pan, except set it over medium (not medium-high) heat. Instead of smashing the burgers, shape the patties for burgers or sliders between 1/2- and 1-inch thick. Increase the cooking time to 5 to 7 minutes a side, depending on the thickness of the burgers.