Spicy Vegan Chili Burgers

What do you get when you take the rustic, spicy, bold flavor of homemade veggie chili and infuse it into a burger? My

These sassy, robust veggie burgers are speckled with red beans and brown rice, onion, a hint of kale, garlic and plenty of earthy chili powder spice – accented by paprika, black pepper. I’ve also tossed in some spicy chopped vegan sausage for some extra richness.

Each hearty burger patty was quickly cooked then placed on top of a toasty sprouted grain sesame bun, nuzzled against a silky swirl of chipotle Vegenaise. Some crisp vibrant onion, tomato, sprouts and green leaf lettuce stacked on top. And don’t forget that creamy avocado. Ring the dinner bell because your chili (burger) feast is ready! And did I mention how easy this recipe is? Super easy!..

freshly made chili burger patties..



Dream Feast. I made these chili burgers over the weekend and fell in love with them! I served them as burgers the first night, then the next day, reheated a leftover patty to serve with my dinner salad (which had freshly grated beets, tomatoes, sprouts, tahini hemp raw kale, avocado..) Also at the table that night, an oven-baked, sticky sweet, sweet potato and some smoky peppered shiitake mushrooms. It was so amazing!

So if you loved my Sweet Potato Tahini Burgers – you will love this recipe. It is a lot spicier with a more textured bite – but just as EASY! And that is the best part. Easy easy easy. yummy yummy yummy.

Quick note on the rice. For extra ease I used some pre-cooked rice that you simply heat in the microwave. But if you make rice yourself just be sure it isn’t too wet. Short-grained brown rice is recommended. And your rice is a little on the wet side, heat it in the microwave a minute or so to dry it out a bit. Drier, stickier rice soaks up flavor better and acts as a better sticky binder for the burger patty. The nutritional yeast can also help to dry out and bind the patty.

Patty before going in my saute pan..



Spicy Vegan Chili Burgers

makes 4 large patties

15 ounce can of kidney beans, drained

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice, short grain (the stickier the better)

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2-4 Tbsp nutritional yeast

2 tsp hemp seeds

1 tsp salt-free chili spice powder (blend)

3/4 tsp paprika

1/4 cup red onion, diced

1/3 cup finely chopped kale

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 link (about 1/3 cup) of Spicy Vegan Sausage, diced (optional)

*Field Roast or Tofurky brands

1/4 tsp salt

fine black pepper to taste

*my “salt-free chili powder” contained black pepper, paprika, onion, garlic, ground chili, turmeric and more.

optional add-in’s:

* roasted corn

* chopped peanuts

* lentils

* chopped bell pepper

* parsley

* ground flax seeds

* diced cooked sweet potato

* drizzle of pumpkin seed oil

* my favve… diced jalapeno and/or cayenne for more HEAT

..and more..

For burger assembly, I used:

* Sprouted Wheat Buns

* spicy mustard and chipotle vegan mayo (a dash of chipotle powder to regular vegan mayo)

* tomato + onion + lettuce +sprouts

* avocado tossed in lemon juice and pepper

Directions:

1. Add your cooked brown rice and drained kidney beans to a large mixing bowl. With a large fork, mash the kidney beans. Mash at least 60-75% of the beans to create a pasty texture.

2. Toss in all the remaining ingredients – add the nutritional yeast one teaspoon at a time and use to thicken as needed. It also adds a lot of savory cheezy flavor.

3. Heat 1 Tbsp of safflower oil in a large saute pan.

4. Shape patties. You should get about 4 large patties from this recipe.

5. Add patties to sizzling hot oil. Allow patties to absorb some of the oil then quickly flip so that each side gets a thin layer of oil for the saute process.

6. Cook about 3 minutes on each side. You want the burgers to be well-browned, but not burnt. I like to finish my burgers in the oven by baking at 350 for about ten minutes – this really crisps the edges up nicely. This step is optional though.

7. Remove from oven or saute pan and place on a plate until ready to assemble burgers.



No Fry Method! Yes, you could absolutely just bake these burgers in the oven. I’d suggest 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Or do a combo method of a quick saute then finish in the oven to bake.

Assemble with: green leaf lettuce, sprouts, avocado, chipotle vegan mayo, spicy mustard, tomato, dash of pepper, and sprouted wheat buns. Serve warm.