Houston's Restaurant Copycat Veggie Burgers

Claire #3's Note:

This is a recipe I am slowly trying to clone. So far, this is the closest I've come. I'm not so sure Houston's uses an egg white, but I added one to help bind the mixture together. Also, the cheese is optional. Houston's definitely grills their buns in butter, so that's probably another reason why their burgers are so good. If you try this and have any tips for me, please let me know. Thanks!! P.S. Thanks for the reviews. I don't have premium (yet) and can't email you all thank yous, but I'm reading the reviews and appreciate the input.

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 4

Yield: 4.0 burgers

• 4 tablespoons hickory barbecue sauce
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans , drained
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 tablespoon oat bran
• 2 tablespoons onions , finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped canned beets
• 1 teaspoon beet juice
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeno pepper , chopped
• 1 egg white , add more if needed (to bind)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 slices monterey jack cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Stir together barbecue sauce and molasses. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mash beans. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the barbecue mixture (reserving remaining for brushing) and remaining ingredients -- rice through egg white. Form into four 6 oz patties.
3. Heat olive oil in a cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium. Grill burgers for 2 minutes on one side. Turn and brush with remaining barbecue/molasses mixture. Top with Monterey Jack and grill for another 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.
4. Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions and mustard on a bun which has been grilled in butter.

Reviews

[foodforjoe]

Made this last night with a few modifications and nailed it. I would blind taste test this against Houston's any day.

First make your own bbq sauce, 2 tablespoons each of soy, molasses, honey and Hoisin. Stir and put to the side.

In another large bowl dice beans as recipe calls for then add half of the bbq sauce, save rest for when cooking patties.

Cook 1 and half cups of brown rice (I used brown jasmine) and roast two beets (go online to see how, really easy, olive oil and salt sealed in aluminum foil at 375 till soft to the touch. Half of a white onion, sautéed, when each is done add to beans (dice beets and add any juice from foil)

Add 1 teaspoon each of chili powder and salt.
1/4 teaspoon each of ground cumin, smoked paprika and ground black pepper.
1 diced fresh jalapeno
4 diced garlic cloves.
2 teaspoons of olive oil
2 each of dried prunes, plums and figs - diced
1 egg or egg substitute

Take your time, should be about 50 minutes and everything around room temp. They stayed together perfectly.

To cook, get a cast iron skillet smoking, add a coat of olive oil, place patties and drip bbq sauce on top, flip after 2 minutes and repeat with sauce. Add monterey jack slices and cover for two minutes. Get good buns and broil with olive oil.

They need nothing else, meat eaters loved and veggie%u2019s said it was better than houstons. Worth the work, one hour total. I made 6 patties with leftovers.
Good luck and enjoy

[Chef #1572125]

I used to work at Houston's in Miami and I prepped these veggie burgers. The recipe has chopped FIGS in it and tons of garlic.

[Herb-Cat]

Pretty good. I've never put beets in veggie burgers (or anything for that matter :D) and they add a really nice background flavor! I baked the patties then lightly fried them before serving. They help together ok, but that is an aspect that would need tweaking (I used 1 whole egg). Thanks!