Thai Chickpea Burgers

I grew up in a very carnivorous household. I'm pretty sure that the idea of a bean burger is downright offensive to my parents (hi Mom and Dad. please let me come home still.). As a result, I didn't try a bean burger for the first time until I was in college (desperate times in the dining hall freshman year). To my surprise, it was really good. I personally don't enjoy veggie burgers, but bean burgers are different enough that they don't disappoint my raised-on-grade-A-beef taste buds.

Am I saying that these will make you want to ditch meat forever? No. Definitely not. I wouldn't want to either. That being said, these are a nice way to switch things up and save a little cash. Just don't expect them to be like meat. They aren't. They're very different in both flavor and texture. But different is good. Trust me.

Thai Chickpea Burgers
Ingredients
1 can chickpeas
1 can canellini beans
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup shredded carrot
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, roughly chopped
sesame oil for cooking
buns

sauce (adapted from How Sweet Eats)
1/2 cup Thai chili sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sriracha (or more/less, depending on your spice preference)

1. Start by making the sauce. Combine all of the ingredients in a small pot over medium heat. Stir until smooth. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook for about 1 minute. Let cool, and sauce will thicken.
2. Mush the beans using a potato masher or fork. If you want smoother burgers you can use a food processor or blender, but I don't mind minor chunks. It adds texture in my opinion.
3.  Add the egg, breadcrumbs, carrot, cilantro, and about 1/2 a cup of the sauce.
4. Form the mixture into patties. I made 4 but they were pretty big, so it's up to you. Sliders would be yummy! The mixture is going to be pretty sticky and wet.
5. Add the burgers to a pan with a little bit of sesame oil over medium high heat. Cook for about 5 minutes on either side.
6. Serve the burgers topped with the sauce and some chopped peanuts. Enjoy!