Yesterday marked the one-year release anniversary of my book, The Yearlong Pantry and in honor of that, I thought it was time to share one of the recipes I most love from the book: A Black Bean Smash Burger.

When I moved to California over a decade ago, In-N-Out fast became the thing I was asked about—had I tried it? What did I think? Was it truly a California institution? At first I was a bit surprised because fast food wasn’t really my area of expertise and it felt like there were so many other things to be excited about when moving to California.

At any rate, the conversations got me thinking about what a vegetarian smash burger would look like and after numerous iterations, I landed with this recipe. But before you make it, there are a few things to know.

Getting a Smash Burger Right

There are a few tips to ensuring these burgers are just right. For starters, don’t skip the waiting time with the bean mixture. This helps the mixture be a little more cohesive. In terms of size, don’t think larger patties will be better. The smaller patties make them easier to flip and in terms of flipping, don’t rush cooking the first side—the edges should be crispy before flipping. And finally, the cheese is important—it acts as the glue that holds everything together.

These patties are a bit finicky but in my mind, worth it!

About the Sauce

The spread is a version of thousand island but I find tends towards slightly sweeter with the help of ketchup and sweet pickle relish. You can swap out for your favorite burger sauces as desired but I’ll tell you, I think the sauce makes the burger.

And the Onions

Finally, in the book we call these caramelized onions but really they are really more griddled onions as you don’t have to cook them for a long period of time. Ideally the onions are soft and beginning to brown—no long caramelization required.

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Black Bean Smash Burger, In-N-Out Style

4 double-patty burgers

Thousand Island Dressing

• ¼ 60g mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
• ½ teaspoon yellow mustard
• ½ teaspoon rice vinegar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Black Bean Patties

• 1 ½ cups 280g cooked and drained black beans
• 6 tablespoons 24g Japanese-style panko
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons red miso
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

Griddled Onions

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 1 medium yellow onion (diced)

To Serve

• Avocado or other neutral high-heat oil (for frying)
• 8 thin slices cheddar cheese
• 8 lettuce leaves
• 4 thick slices tomato
• 4 sesame buns
• Pickle slices (for serving (optional))

1. Make the dressing: Combine the mayo, ketchup, pickle relish, mustard, vinegar, and salt in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until it is needed, at least for 30 minutes.
2. Make the black bean patties: Pulse the black beans in a food processor until the beans have a mashed texture. Transfer to a bowl and add the panko, egg, miso, salt, paprika, and garlic powder. Stir until well combined, then set aside for 20 minutes.
3. Cook the onions: Heat the oil in a well-seasoned griddle or cast-iron pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion pieces are tender and starting to brown, 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
4. Cook the patties and serve: Return the griddle to medium heat and drizzle liberally with avocado oil. Lightly wet your hands and form the black bean mixture into eight balls that are slightly larger than golf balls.
5. Place the black bean ball on the hot griddle. Lay a piece of parchment paper on top, and using the back of a spatula, and your hand, press until the patty is flat and only ¼ inch (6 mm) in thickness. Repeat with as many patties as you can fit on your griddle, working in batches as needed. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, adding oil to the pan as needed to maintain a thin layer for frying. Once the bottom of each patty is quite brown and crisp, flip and add a slice of cheddar cheese. Cook until the second side is brown and crisp. Transfer the patties to a plate and repeat until all patties are cooked, adding more oil if needed.
6. Lightly toast the buns on the griddle. Spread a small bit of sauce on the bottom bun, then layer with two patties, lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles if desired. Spread a bit more sauce on the top bun and add to the burger.

Notes

These burgers showcase a technique I use for burgers and when making fritters: flattening them in the pan. There’s just no use getting your hands messy only for the thing to fall apart once it hits the pan. By flattening in the pan, the burger (or fritter) begins cooking, holding together right away, which helps the patty stay together as it flattens. This is also not a time to skimp on oil. The charm of these burgers is their crispy, slightly greasy bits.

Be patient. As long as you have a decent understanding of the heat on your stovetop, you’ll be okay. There’s a higher probability you’ll flip it too soon than there is that you’ll burn it.

Make Ahead: The patties can be frozen and kept for up to 3 months. To do this, sandwich each ball in between pieces of parchment and press down to form the patty. Freeze like this and when you ready to use it, peel off the parchment and place the patty in a hot skillet. The dressing will last up to a week in the refrigerator.

*Recipe republished from my cookbook, The Yearlong Pantry.

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