One bowl and one pan – now, that’s my kind of healthy meal. I’ve never been a fan of doing extra dishes and extra chopping/prep. I mean… who is a fan of more work? As a working mom who likes to fit a workout in, I don’t have that kind of leisurely time.

These black bean burgers are super simple and quick to make. Even my 2-year-old loves them! We usually make ours Mexican-style with chili spices, avocado, and jalapeño. But, you could really make them any style you want… think Greek, Italian, American. The possibilities are endless.

Using pre-cooked brown rice and quinoa, canned beans, and ready-to-go flavors makes this recipe achievable even on a weekday. We use one can of low-fat retired black beans so we don’t have to do any mashing or pureeing.

Ingredients:

• 1 can low-sodium black beans
• 1 can low-fat vegetarian refried black beans (found in Mexican section at most grocers)
• 1 pouch precooked brown rice and quinoa blend
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup raw oats
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• dried or fresh herbs of choice
• salt and pepper to taste
• Coconut oil for pan searing

Method:

1. Mix all of the ingredients together well in a large bowl.
2. Place in fridge to firm and bind for about 15 minutes or so.
3. Heat some coconut oil in shallow pan over medium heat for a few minutes.
4. Form mixture into patties (whatever size you prefer), and place in pan about 1-2 inches apart.
5. Flip patties after about 5 minutes, or once the bottom is  browned. Add more patties to pan as previous patties finish cooking and are removed. You will need to add more oil as you go.

Serve with toppings of choice. Try swapping the chili powder for other spices if you prefer. Eat these on 100% whole wheat buns or sliders, sprouted bread or English muffins, or by themselves without bread! We even topped them with fried eggs one night! (Pictured below.)