After immersing myself in the world of the Pioneer Woman, it was only natural to want to try one of her recipes at home. Browsing her blog for vegetarian options, I stumbled upon her recipe for Black Bean Burgers. While past attempts at chickpea burgers at home were disappointingly dry, these Pioneer Woman Black Bean Burgers looked promising – moist, easy, and definitely worth a try. Coincidentally, Ree’s show was on TV as I was planning meals for the week, and she featured carrot fries, which seemed like the perfect side. So, carrot fries were added to the menu as well!
The Pioneer Woman black bean burgers turned out to be incredibly delicious, satisfyingly hearty, and full of flavor. However, reflecting on the cooking process, there are a couple of tweaks that could elevate this recipe even further. Ree Drummond recommends frying the burgers in a mixture of equal parts olive oil and butter. Unfortunately, we were out of butter and had to substitute with margarine. In hindsight, butter would have made a significant difference, lending a crispier, more burger-like texture to the patties. While they were still fantastic, they were slightly on the softer side.
The flavor profile, while good, could also benefit from a bolder element. This could easily be achieved with a flavorful sauce or a sharper cheese. Following Ree’s lead, we topped our burgers simply with melted Swiss cheese, mayonnaise, lettuce, and red onions. For future iterations, however, I envision incorporating shredded sharp cheddar or even bleu cheese directly into the black bean mixture. Melting mild Swiss on top would still provide a lovely melt, but the added cheese within the patty would introduce a welcome punch of flavor. These Pioneer Woman black bean burgers are definitely destined to become a regular summer meal, and these minor adjustments will only make them even better.
As for the carrot fries, we replicated Ree’s method but opted for a local brand of Tuscan herb-infused olive oil and fresh rosemary instead of thyme. The result? They were devoured in minutes!
