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Healthy family recipe: Pinto bean and corn burgers

Try this Southwestern inspired pinto burger tonight for dinner!

    by Anna Nguyen
    Published 

Looking for a break from a regular burger that still packs in the protein? This burger fits the bill. This worked well for me as a weeknight dinner and my family liked it. I made some adjustments such as using dried cilantro because I didn't have fresh on hand, panko instead of regular bread crumbs, thawed frozen corn instead of canned corn, and I added in chili powder. I left out the jalapenos since I thought it would be too spicy for my girls.

You can make a spicy mayo to go along with your burger. I mixed 1/2 cup of mayo with 1 tablespoon of Cholula sauce and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Add more hot sauce if you'd like! I served this with homemade guacamole and chips.

Pinto bean and corn burgers

Ingredients:

  1. 1/2 cup dry whole wheat breadcrumbs (or whole wheat panko breadcrumbs)

  2. 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (or 1 tablespoon dried)

  3. 2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño pepper (optional)

  4. 2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

  5. 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

  6. 1 teaspoon chili powder

  7. 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

  8. 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  9. 1/8 teaspoon salt

  10. 1 large egg

  11. 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained

  12. 1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no salt-added whole-kernel corn, drained (or 1 cup thawed frozen corn)

  13. 4 whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted

  14. 4 Romaine lettuce leaves and any other toppings you'd like

Directions:

To prepare burgers, combine the first 10 ingredients in a large bowl. Add pinto beans and corn; partially mash with a fork. Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each portion into a 3 1/2-inch patty, and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until thoroughly heated. Place patties on bottom halves of buns; top each patty with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 lettuce leaf, and top half of bun.

Adapted from Cooking Light

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