The Halfway Burger


With a recent trip to the commissary to get groceries and almost $200 later I realized that we need to cut back on eating as much meat as we do. I don't plan on going vegetarian, the Mr. wouldn't be too thrilled with that, plus I love my hamburgers but I do want to try to incorporate more meatless dinners in our weekly line up. It might just help that small but expensive shopping trip we took, last just a little bit longer. Which is where I came up with this recipe. It isn't a vegetarian burger but it is a nifty way to stretch a pound of ground beef and make your dollar last a little bit longer. This is also a good burger to help you prepare for the world of vegetarianism if you are making the switch but are not willing to say goodbye to your burger. You can slowly over time add more beans while reducing the meat until it is just beans.


I had heard on the television about mixing black beans with ground beef and it sort of stuck with me. These are very deceiving burgers though because they look like a normal burger but they will fill you up before you know it. I really liked the mix of the beans with the meat because it makes the burgers really smooth almost like a buttery texture. To add to that the sweet chipotle mayo that adds a little bit of heat, the juicy sweet pineapple and the crunchy onion rings, I don't know if I will ever look at a burger the same way now. I used dried beans that I cooked myself. I actually make a batch of beans and then store them in the refrigerator for later dinners. I know that I have said this before but dried beans are the way to go. Not only are they cheap but you can control how much sodium is in there and you can flavor your beans to the dishes that you are making.


  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 4 pineapple rings
  • 16 onion rings
  • 1 c. black beans
  • 1 c. mayo
  • 1/2 c. pineapple
  • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce


  1. Mash beans and mix with ground beef until combined. Grill 3 minutes on eat side or to your liking.
  2. Meanwhile, mix the chipotles, 1/2 c. pineapple and mayo into a food processor and blend until smooth. Also bake your onion rings until crispy.
  3. Once burgers are done assemble with a pineapple ring, mayo and four onion rings.


This post is submitted in
Homemaker Monday
Motivate Me Monday
Just Something I Whipped Up Monday
Mad Skills Monday
Mouthwatering Monday

10 comments:

Gabrielle @ i.gourmet said...

Wow this is awesome! Thanks for visiting me at i.gourmet!

Reeni said...

Love the idea of beans and meat together! I never had a combo of the two in a burger. And the onion rings look crazy good on here!

Melinda said...

What a great idea to hide some cheap and super nutritious beans in a hamburger! Love it!

Debbi Does Dinner Healthy said...

I love stretching meat to see how far it will go!! These look awesome!

☺lani☺ said...

This looks yum too! What a coincidence! Yeah, I added more breadcrumbs with the ground to make more patties! Happy Mid-week!

Julie said...

Hmm...wonder if anyone around here would notice if I put beans in the burgers. They look good to me!

Shandy said...

What a delicious looking burger! I love how you stretched the meat by mixing in the black beans. I am a stickler for reducing sodium intake and cooking your own beans is truly smart! Those onion rings are impressive too =).

Sweet And Crumby said...

This sounds great! THanks for sharing the idea and recipe!

Vittoria said...

What a NEAT burger! I love the idea of beans mixed with the meat and the onion rings on top sound so delicious!

Unknown said...

What a great idea! I've had some trouble making decent bean-only burgers (fall apart or too dry), but the fat from the meat would keep everything together and tasty.