It’s been a while since we’ve brunched on this blog. I still regret that I didn’t manage to work a holiday brunch into my content calendar this year, but I suppose that’s what next year is for. But enough about regret, let’s talk about today’s Huevos Rancheros Brunch Burger, a real looker if I do say so myself. What you’re looking at here is a refried bean and wild rice burger patty perched on top of a bun slathered with a simmered tomato salsa and blue corn tortilla chips topped with a sunny-side-up egg. There are some avocado and jalapeño slices in there as well for good measure. Sound good? Good! Let’s dive right in.
Brunch is all about indulgence. Breakfast can be indulgent but it’s mostly all business. It’s less syrup, more yogurt. Less bacon, more whole-wheat toast. The tragedy of the everyday breakfast is the amount of indulgent breakfast-assigned foods you have to forgo. Unfortunately, consuming a ton of bacon on a Monday is generally frowned upon. But when it comes to brunch, all of the breakfasty foods you denied yourself are suddenly at your disposal. It’s is your right, nay duty, to go a little wild. And for that reason, I think the success of any brunch hinges on whether or not you need a nap afterward. Let’s just say, I lost a good hour of my day after eating this Huevos Rancheros Brunch Burger.
Now, if you took a peek at the recipe below, you may have noticed this is a lengthy recipe. That’s because I’m asking you to make your refried beans from scratch. Emphasis on “asking” not telling. You can totally crack a couple of cans of refried beans and make the patties with that. I just happen to be a bean snob and since the burger patties are 75% beans, I think it’s a good idea to spend some time on them. And in defense of the beans, making them is chill and inactive and you can do it well in advance. So maybe think about it?
Once your beans are through the soaking and simmering process, the rest of the recipe is a breeze. But there is one other snag, I want to make you aware of. This recipe yields 8 burgers. It’s just hard to make a small amount of refried beans. Now, if you don’t happen to have seven extra people on hand, you can fry and freeze the patties you don’t have mouths for. They can be revived from frozen in a 375°F oven for about 20 minutes. If you’re going to go through the trouble of making refried beans from scratch, you might as well get some convenience meals out of them.
If you have any lingering questions about this Huevos Rancheros Brunch Burger check out the video below. And if you enjoy it, feel free to check out my YouTube channel. There’s a ton of fun stuff and tasty recipes there and you get to see me make a fool of myself on the regular. My lousy french alone is sure to provide minutes of entertainment. Yes, minutes!
Enjoy!
Huevos Rancheros Brunch Burger
Equipment
- 1 Large skillet
- 1 heavy bottom pot
- 1 small saucepan
- 1 Large Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
Refried Bean Burger Patties
- 1½ cups dried pinto beans **
- 1 large white onion divided
- 3 cloves garlic smashed and peeled
- 3-4 sprigs fresh oregano ***
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp kosher salt divided
- ½ cup uncooked long-grain and wild rice blend
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ⅔ cup masa harina
- 1 large egg
- 1 (127 ml, 4.2 fl oz) can chopped green chilies
- neutral oil for frying
Salsa
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots sliced into half-moons
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1½ cups pasata
- 1 jalapeño quartered and sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro finely chopped
- 1 lime juiced
Huevos Rancheros Brunch Burgers
- 8 burger buns split
- 1 batch Salsa warmed (see above)
- Tortilla chips
- 1 batch Refried Bean Burger Patties fried (see above)
- 8 large eggs fried
- 2 avocados sliced
- 2 jalapeños thinly sliced rings
Instructions
For the Refried Bean Burgers
- Cover the pinto beans in 2-inches of cold water. Let them soak for 8 hours or overnight.1½ cups dried pinto beans **
- Cut the large white onion in half. Cut one of the halves in half and peel it. Set the onion aside.1 large white onion
- Pour the soaked beans into a large pot and cover them with at least 2 inches of cold water. Add the onion quarters, garlic, bay leaves, and fresh oregano. Bring the mixture to a boil and add half of the salt before reducing to a simmer. Let cook for 1-2 hours or until the beans are very soft.3 cloves garlic, 3-4 sprigs fresh oregano ***, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp kosher salt
- While the beans are simmering, cook the rice. Place the rice in a small saucepan and add the water. Bring the mixture up to a boil, before adding the remaining kosher salt and reducing to a simmer. Cover and let cook for 15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. Fluff the rice with a fork and set it aside.½ cup uncooked long-grain and wild rice blend, 1 cup water, 1 tsp kosher salt
- Once your beans are practically falling apart, drain them and reserve their cooking liquid. Remove the aromatics from your beans and discard. Give the beans a taste and if they need a little salt, add it now. Give the remaining onion half a quick dice.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil, into a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onion and a pinch of salt. Sauté until softened. Add your beans and cumin. Toss the beans to coat them in the cumin and oil.2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp ground cumin
- Add roughly a 1/2 cup of the reserved bean cooking liquid and mash the beans using a potato masher. At this point, you have to sort of feel things out. How smooth do you want your beans to be? If your beans get too thick while you’re mashing, add a little more of the bean cooking liquid. But don’t add too much, we don’t want the beans to be runny. **** Once your beans are where you want them, we’re just going to transfer them to a bowl and set them aside to cool.
- Once your beans are cool enough to work with. Add the rice to the bowl with your beans. Next add the masa harina, egg, and the can of green chiles. Using your hands mix the ingredient together until a cohesive mixture forms. Divide the mixture into 8 even pieces and form those pieces into patties, they should weigh about 100g each.⅔ cup masa harina, 1 large egg, 1 (127 ml, 4.2 fl oz) can chopped green chilies
- Heat about an inch of neutral oil in a large cast-iron skillet. Once the oil is shimmering, add the patties. Don’t add more than four to the pan at a time. Fry the patties until golden and crispy on both sides. Transfer the burgers to a cooling rack suspended over a small baking sheet to drain. Place your finished patties in a low 150° F before frying the remaining burgers. *****neutral oil for frying
For the Salsa ******
- Pour the olive oil into a skillet and place it over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Once the shallots are just translucent, add the garlic and saute for about a minute more.1 tbsp olive oil, 2 shallots, 2 cloves garlic
- Stir in the tomato paste and the cumin before adding the passata. Bring the mixture up to a simmer and add the jalapeño. Simmer for 10 minutes before finishing with the lime juice and the fresh cilantro. Keep warm until ready to serve.1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1½ cups pasata, 1 jalapeño, 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, 1 lime
For the Burgers
- Wipe out the skillet you used to cook the burgers and add another tablespoon of oil. Turn the heat up to medium-high and once the oil is shimmering, crack in the eggs. Once the eggs are in, reduce the heat to low and cover the eggs. This will steam the surface of the yolks and get rid of any sliminess.8 large eggs
- While your eggs are cooking, slice an avocado and a couple of buns. Reheat the salsa you made earlier, if necessary. I like to start the plating process before my eggs a done, so my burger is ready for them, the second the yolk is where I want it.8 burger buns, 2 avocados
- Start by spooning some salsa on the bottom bun and covering it with tortilla chips. Place your refried bean burger on top of the chips, then your perfectly fried egg, and a final spoonful of salsa. Finish with avocado and jalapeño slices if you want a little extra kick. Serve immediately.8 burger buns, 1 batch Salsa, Tortilla chips, 8 large eggs, 2 avocados, 2 jalapeños, 1 batch Refried Bean Burger Patties
