Black Bean Rice Burgers

Mardi Gras 2023. The seventh documented Mardi Gras. Beignets by Colette. Dirty rice by Rémy. Jambalaya by Tommy. The kitchen is shared — three cooks, three dishes, one table. This is the dream I didn't know I was dreaming when I started writing seven years ago: a kitchen where the cooking is communal and the tradition is alive in multiple hands and the roux is being stirred by people I made and people I married and people who will carry the spoon after my hands are done.

Rémy's crawfish claws: version 2.0, second year, still holding. He's twelve and still wearing them to the parade, and I will never be the one to tell him to stop, because the crawfish claws are not a costume. They are a testament. They are proof that a boy who put on cardboard claws at five and never took them off has become a twelve-year-old who makes dark roux and hunts deer and reads Julia Child and still — STILL — shows up to Mardi Gras as a crawfish because the crawfish is who he is and who he's always been and who the bayou made him.

The jambalaya is always mine to carry at the Mardi Gras table — but some nights after the parade is over and the roux has rested and Rémy has finally, reluctantly, set down the crawfish claws, I want something I can throw together fast with the same communal energy, the same “everyone grab a spatula” spirit. These Black Bean Rice Burgers have become exactly that: a weeknight echo of the shared kitchen, something Colette can press into patties while Rémy seasons and I man the skillet, because the best cooking in this house was never really one cook’s job.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice, cooled
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/3 cup finely diced yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil, for the skillet
6 burger buns
Toppings of choice: lettuce, tomato, avocado, pickled jalapeños

Instructions

Mash the beans. In a large mixing bowl, add the drained black beans and mash roughly with a fork or potato masher, leaving about a third of the beans whole for texture.
Combine the base. Add the cooked rice, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, egg, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Stir until the mixture holds together. If it feels too wet, add breadcrumbs a tablespoon at a time.
Form the patties. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and shape each into a patty about 3/4-inch thick. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes to firm up.
Cook the patties. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook patties in batches for 4–5 minutes per side, until a deep golden crust forms and the patties are heated through. Do not press down — let the crust build.
Toast the buns. While the last batch cooks, toast the burger buns cut-side down in the same skillet for 1–2 minutes until lightly golden.
Assemble and serve. Layer each patty onto a toasted bun with your preferred toppings. Serve immediately while the crust is still crisp.

Nutrition (per serving)

Black Bean Rice Burgers — The Communal Table That Feeds Every Tradition