Fry

Cheesy Chili Pepper Pinto Sliders with Caramelized Onions

July 24, 2011
0
0 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

I have lived in Texas for most of my life and enjoy a steak just as much as the next guy. However, when it comes to burgers, I enjoy a hearty bean burger just as much as a juicy hamburger. You don't like bean burgers? Have you ever made your own?

These sliders are refreshingly spicy due to the combination of spices, jalapenos and parsley. I used a slice of a specialty blend of colby and pepperjack cheeses and golden, caramelized onions to take things over-the-top. However, experimenting with toppings is half the fun. These sliders will satisfy meat-eaters and vegetarians alike!

***On a side note: do not make the patties too thick to avoid having mushy sliders.*** Also, I apologize that the ingredients are slightly out of order. The "reorder/drag ingredients" feature was not working on my computer. —sweeteats34

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Ingredients
  • 1-2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 6 ounces portobello mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 1 medium jalapeno, finely chopped
  • 2 small sweet red chili peppers, finely chopped
  • 15 ounces can of pinto beans
  • 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
  • salt + pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons rice flour
  • all-purpose flour to lightly coat the patties
  • 4 hamburger buns or another roll of similar size
  • 4 slices of cheese (I used a colby/pepperjack blend)
  • sliced onions, caramelized
Directions
  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes or until the onions become somewhat translucent.
  2. Add the jalapenos, chili peppers and garlic. Cook 2-3 minutes and add the mushrooms and salt & pepper, to taste. Cook 5-10 minutes or until most of the moisture has evaporated off. (At this point, I drizzled a bit more oil over the mushroom mixture.)
  3. Meanwhile, mash the beans in a large mixing bowl. Add the cumin, chili powder, parsley and rice flour. Then, add the mushroom mixture to the mixing bowl. Stir well, taste and add more salt & pepper, if needed.
  4. Divide the mixture into four sections within the bowl and form each section into a patty of similar size to the rolls you have chosen. Dust each patty with flour. ***You want the patties to be somewhat thin to ensure they become cooked throughout and are not mushy.
  5. There are two approaches that you could take to cook these sliders: First, you could broil the patties. This took me about 15 minutes per side in the toaster oven, but will depend on your broiler setting and shape/size of patties. If you take this route, I would suggest drizzling oil over the side that is exposed to the broiler for a crispier exterior. Second, you could fry the patties in a frying pan on the stove until golden brown on each side.
  6. While the patties are cooking, butter and broil your buns and saute some sliced onions until golden brown. Top the buns with a patty, cheese and the caramelized onions.
  7. EDITED TO ADD: I just reheated one of the frozen patties for dinner. I actually split my patty into 2 (meaning the recipe would make 8, not 4), fried them in a non-stick pan with a few tablespoons of canola oil until nicely browned on each side and served them on toasty sandwich thins! Highly recommended for this recipe!

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2 Reviews

MyCommunalTable July 25, 2011
This has all the elements that make a successful "veggie" burger to me. Mushrooms, some heat, and some beans. All these have to be present to have some substance. This looks great. I am saving this to use on our Meatless Mondays. Great touch with the carmelized onions.
aargersi July 25, 2011
I love the idea of a bean burger! Will try - maybe next time my veg-head sisters are here we can actually have a burgers-n-fries day!!!