These black bean burger bowls are so delish! A crispy smashed black bean burger with cheddar cheese on top of crisp romaine, tomatoes, red onion and a dill pickle vinaigrette. Yum!
Now this is how I like my dinner to look!
These black bean burger bowls have a simple base of lettuce, tomato and pickled onions, only to be topped with cheesy black bean burgers, your favorite condiments and pickle dressing!
Yep yep yep. Give me alllll the pickle dressing.
I LOVE a good burger bowl or burger salad. There is something so refreshing about the burger on top of crisp lettuce with lots of toppings. And while I normally make these with beef burgers, lately I’ve been doing a black bean version.
And it’s fabulous!
This burger recipe comes from my black bean smashburgers and oh my gosh, it’s excellent. I love how it has a bit of texture and really comes across as quite similar to a beef burger.
The ingredients are also really simple and there is some grated cheese in there – so it holds together nicely in the pan. I like to smash them down into the pan a bit to get those crispy crunchy edges. Nothing better than that!
Once the burgers are cooked, I throw some more cheese on top. Since I have cheese IN the burger and ON the burger, I don’t add cheese to the salad bowl.
I realize this is shocking since cheese is my entire personality. So add it if you wish! I find that it doesn’t really need more.
Of course, any of your other favorite burger toppings can find their way into this bowl. Or condiments. I like a drizzle of mustard. I like mustard just as much as I like pickles – in fact, I’d like to drizzle about three kinds of mustard on this bowl!
You can always use ketchup. Even BBQ sauce or honey mustard. Or a good burger sauce, like my howsweeteats house sauce. Sometimes I’ll use that as an extra drizzle of dressing and it’s really good.
But speaking of the dressing!
Pickles are my love language.
Yes, I live for pickles. I’ve loved them since I first started eating!
This pickle vinaigrette is one of my go-tos and has been for YEARS. It’s so tangy and pickle-y and briney and is perfect if you’re a huge pickle lover like I am.
Not only do I love the flavors in this bowl, but I adore the texture. There is so much crisp, refreshing texture, crunchy bites too, and paired with the zippy dressing?
Dreamy!
I can get behind this meal every day.
Black Bean Burger Bowls
Black Bean Burger Bowls
These black bean burger bowls are so delish! A crispy smashed black bean burger with cheddar cheese on top of crisp romaine, tomatoes, red onion and a dill pickle vinaigrette. Yum!
black bean burgers
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ⅓ cup seasoned bread crumbs
- ½ cup freshly grated cheddar cheese
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 to 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 4 slices cheddar cheese
- mustard, ketchup, any condiments you love
pickle vinaigrette
- ¼ cup diced dill pickles or dill relish
- 3 tablespoons dill pickle juice from a jar of dill pickles
- 2 tablespoons diced shallot
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- kosher salt and pepper
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
salads
- pickled onions, for topping
- 8 to 10 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- kosher salt and pepper
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- a few spoonfuls of hamburger dill chip pickles
black bean burgers
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Place the black beans in a bowl and use a fork to coarsely smash them. I like to leave a mix of whole beans and smashed ones.
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Add in the egg, bread crumbs, cheese, paprika, garlic powder and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Mix together until combined.
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Use your hands to bring the mixture together. It should be moist and mashed enough to bring together and form a patty. If not, use the fork to mash more of the beans.
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Divide the mixture into four equal portions. Form them into balls.
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Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the black bean ball and press it into the skillet. Use the back of a jar or glass (I spray mine with nonstick spray) and press the patty down into the skillet, smashing it into the thinnest patty possible. Use the glass around the edges to smash the pieces together if they come apart. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until golden. Gently flip the burger over.
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Cook on the other side until it’s brown and golden and crisp. Add a slice of cheddar on each burger and let it melt. Assemble the salad and top with the burgers, dressing and condiments of your choice!
pickle vinaigrette
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In a bowl, whisk together the pickles, pickle juice, shallot, garlic, mustard and honey. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and whisk until the mixture comes together. While whisking, stream in the olive oil until the dressing emulsifies. This stays great in the fridge for a few days!
Major fave.