The best spicy vegan Tex-Mex burgers (+video)


Every time when I make a really good burger patty recipe, I think that this is it. It cannot get any better than that! Like with these bean and zucchini cutlets and jumbo beet and pickle burgers. They are absolute staples in our house. And according to the good comments and statistics, you love them too! And now I welcome a brand new shiny member into my kitchen favorites: this Tex-Mex burger! What an absolute perfection. This was something really special indeed.


What makes these patties so great? First of all, the texture is perfect. It's because I used my good old trick: one can chickpeas and one can kidney beans. Works every time. Chickpeas are dryer and kidney beans are mushier. Together they make a fabulous patty. This is the very base of the patty. Then I added chopped onions. Because onions always make any patty even better. Canned corn and jalapeños were added too. My stomach actually growled right now thinking about it. Juicy and crunchy corn and spicy sour pickled jalapeños. Now it was time to add oat flour, which makes a good binder and also makes these patties gluten free. Finish the patty dough off with some salt, paprika powder and chili flakes, and the best spicy vegan burgers are waiting for you.


I also have a mouthwatering burger sauce recipe for you. It's nut free and soy free, but absolutely mindblowing. And it uses the marinade from the jalapeño peppers to make it spicier. So you take a fresh burger bun of your choice, slather some creamy hot burger sauce on it, add the perfectly crispy and spicy patty and some slices of ripe avocado. I have died and gone to burger heaven!


Preparation time: 25 - 30 minutes

Serves: 8 large burgers

Ingredients:

For the patties:

  • 14 oz / 400 g can of kidney beans or other canned beans
  • 14 oz / 400 g can of chickpeas
  • 2 medium onions
  • 5 heaping Tbsp drained canned corn 
  • 5 heaping Tbsp chopped pickled jalapeño peppers
  • 4 heaping tsp paprika powder
  • ½ cup / 80 g oat flour (or whole-wheat flour)
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • 4 tsp dried chili flakes 

For the burger sauce:

  • 1 cup / 150 g peeled sunflower seeds
  • 2 heaping tsp paprika powder
  • 4 Tbsp marinade of pickled jalapeños
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup / 240 ml cold water

For serving:

  • 8 burger buns of your choice 
  • 2 - 3 ripe avocados

Directions:

Drain and rinse the beans. Mash them with your hands. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Mash them with your hands and add them to the mashed beans. You don't need to purée them. You can even leave some chickpeas whole. Just make sure you have a fairly mashed mixture to work with. Add thinly chopped onions, canned corn and chopped jalapeños. Mix everything with your hands. Add paprika powder, oat flour, salt and dried chili flakes. Mix everything with your hands, until you have a nice patty dough. Heat up a pan and pour plenty of oil in it. Form large patties (the same size as your burger patties) and cook them on both sides until crispy. In the meantime, you can make the burger sauce:

Boil the sunflower seeds for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse carefully with cold water. Add the drained and rinsed seeds to a blender along with paprika powder, jalapeño marinade, soy sauce or tamari, salt and cold water. Blend until smooth. If needed, tilt the blender a little bit while it's working, so everything gets blended. It should take a couple of minutes and you should have a smooth burger sauce.

Now take the bottom piece of a burger bun and spread some burger sauce on it. Add the patty and more sauce. Now add avocado slices. Spread some sauce on the top bun and then push it onto the patty. Serve right away!