Guilt-Free BBQ: Red Hot Black Bean Burger + Baked French Fries

Filed under Live Well Recipes on May 22 13 by Lauren D'Alessandro

Enjoy a burger and fries at your next summer BBQ—minus the guilt! Black bean burgers are one of my favorite non-meat burgers. They’re so flavorful and hearty, and I actually prefer them to ground beef. Kick this ordinary burger up a notch with the delicious spicy flavors of hot sauce and red peppers, and add a side of baked fries to round-out the meal!

Red Hot Black Bean Burger

Makes 4-6 burgers

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 small red pepper
• 1 egg (or substitute)
• 2 15 oz. cans of black beans
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 2-3 tbsp hot sauce
• Grated carrots (optional)
• Spinach or arugula (optional)
• Whole grain burger bun

Directions

1. Heat a skillet or grill to medium-low heat.
2. Rinse and drain the beans and place in a large mixing bowl.
3. Finely chop onions and red peppers and add to bowl. Add eggs, hot sauce, and breadcrumbs. Using a potato masher, mash the beans and mix the contents of the bowl together. You could use a food processor for this part, but I prefer to do it by hand—I think it gives the burger a better texture, and being able to see the red pepper and bean skins give it more color.
4. Divide the mixture evenly and form burger patties (make sure you firmly mash the ingredients together). Heat the patties on the skillet or grill for about 5-6 minutes on each side until the patties are thoroughly browned.
5. Lightly toast your bun, if desired, add your finished black bean patty, and top with a bit of grated carrots and arugula (I used spinach, because that’s what I had, but I like the flavor of arugula best with this burger).

Baked French Fries

Makes one serving of french fries.

Ingredients

• Medium Potato (for multiple servings, use one potato per serving)
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Chile powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475°F.
2. After washing the potato, carefully slice lengthwise into long pieces. For shorter fries, like mine, cut the longer strips in half once again.
3. Soak the potato pieces in hot water for about ten minutes.
4. In a small bowl, drizzle fries with olive oil and add salt, pepper, and chile powder to taste. Stir until evenly coated.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay fries on top. Cover with tin foil and bake on lower rack for five minutes.
6. Remove tin foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through cooking.
7. After fries have cooled a bit, serve them plain or with your favorite ketchup or dipping sauce.