Easy Pinto Bean Burgers with Spicy Chipotle Sauce

When you're unsure of what to make for dinner, these delicious pinto bean burgers come to the rescue. With a hands-on prep and cook time of just 30 minutes and an ingredient list of mostly pantry items, this vegetarian friendly recipe is a lifesaver and one of my favorite ways to get extra veggies in our diet.

Even better, the quick creamy chipotle sauce that I spread onto the tasty burgers doubles as a dip and spread for more of my favorite dishes, from tacos to French fries.

We have many friends who are vegetarian, so I always like to have some meatless dinner options up my sleeve. These easy burgers are a go-to recipe. Instead of buying frozen black bean burgers or other vegetarian burgers from the store, I make them myself. These bean burgers only have the good stuff in them--simple ingredients with no fillers or unpronounceable things in them.

Plus, I can make these ahead of time. Busy weeknights aren't as tricky when I have a batch of these burgers ready to go in the fridge or freezer. That's right: they freeze beautifully too. Give them a try. I bet even the meat-eater in your life will love them.

While you're at it, I suggest making a double-batch of the spicy chipotle sauce and keeping some on hand in the fridge. It's really delicious as a dip for my baked onion rings, ham and cheese empanadas, and tostones recipes. I also use it as an extra sauce option for my ultimate bacon cheeseburger and for my barbacoa tacos recipes. Intrigued? Let's make those veggie burgers!

Ingredients

Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this pinto bean burger recipe:

• pinto beans
• panko bread crumbs
• ground cumin
• garlic powder
• kosher salt
• green onions
• roasted red peppers
• eggs
• hot sauce
• vegetable or olive oil
• sour cream
• mayonnaise
• chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• garlic
• maple syrup
• lime juice
• crusty buns
• lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, and avocado slices for serving

(See printable recipe card at the end of this post for quantities.)

Instructions

Now that we've got our ingredients, let's get cooking!

1. First, pulse the beans in a food processor until chopped. Add the cumin, garlic powder, salt, green onions, hot sauce, and roasted peppers and pulse until combined.

2. Next, transfer the burger mixture to a medium bowl and stir in the panko and eggs. Shape the mixture into 6 patties and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, garlic, maple syrup, and lime juice in a small bowl. Season with salt to taste.

4. Finally, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the pinto bean patties, in batches, 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Serve warm on buns with the sauce and your favorite burger toppings.

Hint: Look for canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce among the Mexican and Latin American products at the grocery store. These peppers are soft so don't be fooled by the dried peppers or ground chipotle pepper in the spice aisle.

Substitutions

Need to switch out some ingredients? Here are some substitution ideas for this recipe:

• Pinto beans - Instead of pinto beans, try your favorite type of bean like black beans, cannellini beans, Great Northern beans, and red kidney beans. Canned black-eyed peas and lentils are also great.
• Burger bun - I opted for crusty hamburger buns for this recipe to provide a nice contrast to the tender burgers. Feel free to use your favorite type of bun.
• Panko - Regular dry breadcrumbs can be substituted for panko or go for gluten-free panko breadcrumbs for a gluten-free burger.

Variations

Here are some more ways to add a twist to this recipe:

• Super spicy - Go up to two chipotle peppers for the sauce and increase the amount of hot sauce in the burger patties. You can also add a little cayenne to the patty too.
• Deluxe - Top these delicious burgers with your favorite sliced cheese and crispy bacon.
• Sliders - These make great sliders. Instead of 6 large patties, make 18 sliders and use dinner rolls or slider buns instead.

Equipment

Here's the equipment you'll need for this recipe:

• measuring spoons
• chef's knife
• dry measuring cups
• medium mixing bowl
• small bowl
• food processor
• large skillet
• metal spatula

Storage

Store the pinto bean burgers and the sauce, bread, and toppings in separate airtight containers for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Freeze the veggie burger patties in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. The sauce doesn't freeze well.

Frequently asked questions

Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips

When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:

• Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
• When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
• I tested this recipe using a gas grill. Keep in mind that your cook times may be different if using a different type of grill.
• When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

Food safety

Follow these food safety guidelines when making this ultimate cheeseburger recipe

• Cook the burgers to a minimum temperature of 165°F
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw eggs
• Wash your hands after touching raw eggs
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.