Finally the search for the perfect black bean burgers is over! These Mashed Potato Black Bean Burgers make a healthy and filling meal, or you can make them into sliders for a mouth-watering vegetarian option on the game day appetizer table.

It’s been about a year since I left America, destined for Holland, the tulip-man, and at least 147 stroopwafels. With this big milestone reached, I’m realizing there are a few things I miss terribly about America, like:
- Watching all the awards shows. Sunday nights spent watching the Golden Globes and Oscars were the best kind of nights, but now here I am, not even knowing that they were happening before it was too late (P.S. what is this La La Land I’m just now hearing of?)
- Knowing things about things. What’s cool in America now? What are people wearing? Are choker necklaces still a thing? Have jelly shoes come back yet?
- 24 hour anything. In Holland, shops close by 5pm, and if you need something on Sunday? Forget about it.
- Chipotle. No explanation needed, right?
- Free water in restaurants. Like, why do I have to pay more for water than for beer. Why?
- Game days. As a Penn State alum, it’s been pretty hard finding anyone here to share my enthusiasm about this season.
So today I’m making something to bring a little game day spirit to this side of the pond…Mashed Potato Black Bean Burgers!
You can make them into mini-sliders or full size burgers, top them with the humble basics or the extravagant extras (being Dutch, the tulip-man’s will most certainly consist of no less than 1/2 jar of mayonnaise). But whichever route you go, these make a really tasty vegetarian addition to the game day apps table!
Ingredients
Burgers
- 1 15-oz can black beans 1 ½ cup, 425 g, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup roughly chopped white onion
- ½ red bell pepper seeds removed
- ½ jalapeno seeds removed
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp smoked paprika or 1 adobo chili
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 egg
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup Idaho Spuds Three Cheese mashed potatoes
- ½ tsp each of salt and pepper
To Serve
- 8 hamburger buns or 12 to 15 mini buns if you’re making sliders
- Optional toppings: cheese, tomato, lettuce, red onion, pickles, condiments
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). Spread black beans onto a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until beans have split open and are slightly dry*.
- In a food processor (or chopping finely by hand), combine onion, red bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, paprika, and cumin. Spoon mixture into a large skillet and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat until fragrant. Try to squeeze out excess moisture with your spatula and place back in the food processor.
- To the food processor add baked beans, egg, bread crumbs, mashed potatoes, salt, and pepper. Pulse until roughly combined (you can also combine and mash by hand).
- Form mixture into 8 regular-sized patties, or 12 to 15 mini patties if you want to make sliders**.
- To cook, you have a few options. For burgers that are quite firm all the way through, bake on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet at 375 degrees F (190 C) for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. For burgers that have a crisp outside and softer inside, brush with oil and grill or cook on in a skillet, 5 to 8 minutes per side.
- Serve warm on buns with whatever toppings you fancy. Keep leftover in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
Tips & Tricks
- *If you’re short on time you can skip this step, but it adds a really nice texture to the burgers.
- **At this point you can store the patties in an airtight container and keep in the fridge until ready to make, up to 3 days.
Nutrition Information
Huge thanks to Idaho Spuds for sponsoring this post! Go big on game day with these potato-packed recipes, and enter to win a big adventure in Boise, ID to here. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Karoline says
What if there is no way you can get a hold of Idaho Spuds Three Cheese mashed potatoes? What can you use as substitute?
Sarah says
Hi Karoline! Good question 🙂 You can replace the Idaho Spuds with mashed potatoes that are seasoned with milk, butter, salt, and a bit of parmesan.
Nimi says
Hi, I’d love to make this, please can you provide a substitute for an egg.
Sarah Bond says
Hey Nimi! I haven’t tried this without egg so it’s hard to say for sure, but a “flax egg” may be able to hold everything together!