Black Bean Burgers with Green Tea Basil Aioli

Why We Love This Recipe For Black Bean Burgers with Green Tea Basil Aioli

Last night I made these black bean burgers with green tea basil aioli from the cookbook Steeped: Recipes infused with Tea. We had them for dinner and the whole family devoured them. My six year old even asked if she could take one to school for lunch!

As a meat eater who loves to eat vegetarian several nights a week, I am what I call an equal opportunity burger lover! I love me a good homemade veggie burger: From my Chickpea Burger recipe to these Southwest Bean Burgers. Burgers of any shape and size are always a win! To get a sense of some of my faves, here is a list of other Healthy Burger Recipes.

That’s why I knew I had to share this recipe with you all because this was one of the best veggie burgers I have made. The texture of the half mashed/half whole beans with the toasted pecans is absolute perfection!

And the super flavorful basil and garlic aioli brings a lot to the plate too! This was my first time using matcha, which is powdered green tea, and I loved the flavor it added to the aioli. It is quite unexpectedly savory.

Key Ingredients For This Recipe

Black beans

Any canned black beans that you normally use are fine. Just make sure to rinse them thoroughly before combining with the remaining ingredients.

Matcha green tea powder

Try to find matcha powder that is vivid green in color for the best flavor. You can get a culinary grade, which is perfect for cooking and baking, but any matcha you have access to will be great. You can also use it for Matcha Lattes or add it to smoothies. Try my Super Green Tea Antioxidant Smoothie or make this Matcha Cake recipe.

Basil

Fresh basil can be found in the produce section of any large grocery store. The leaves should be bright green with few brown/pale spots or imperfections.

Egg yolk

The egg yolks are needed to make the homemade aioli. If you are concerned with the safety of eating raw and undercooked eggs look for pasteurized eggs.

Pecans

Pecans are used in the black bean burger mix and are essential for the best texture. Although pecans are definitely recommended here, if you can’t find them you can use walnuts instead.

Step-by-Step Instructions to Make These Black Bean Burgers

Step 1: Preheat oven

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2: Cook vegetables

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Swirl the pan to coat. Add carrot, onion, garlic, bell pepper and salt and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes.

Step 3: Make bean burgers

Drain 1 can black beans and transfer to a food processor. Add the pecans and the vegetable mixture. Pulse until the mixture becomes a coarse paste. Drain the remaining can of beans and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the purée bean mixture and stir to combine. Add the eggs, breadcrumbs and red pepper flake and stir to combine. Mound ½ cup-fulls onto the prepared baking sheet (a ½ cup dry measure works well.) press lightly to flatten leaving space between burgers. Bake until completely dry and a little crisp, about 45 minutes.

Step 4: Make aioli

Purée the basil, garlic, yolks, lemon juice, matcha and Dijon in a food processor or blender. Gradually drizzle in ½ cup olive oil while the motor is running until the mixture is thick, smooth and the oil is completely integrated. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 5: Serve black bean burgers

FAQs and Expert Tips

Additional Black Bean Recipes To Try

• Your kids will love you for making this Healthy Chicken Quesadilla with Black Beans.
• Sick of regular hummus? Try this Black Bean Hummus!
• These Five Ingredient Black Bean Croquettes are a super easy vegetarian appetizer to serve at a Cinco de Mayo party.
• This Black Bean Quinoa Salad with Mango and Avocado is incredibly refreshing.
• My Mexican Jicama Shrimp Salad is the perfect light meal and the leftovers will make a stellar healthy lunch too.