059 / 75 · Pasta, Rice and Grain Meals

Black Bean Cheese Rice Patties

8 patties and lime-yogurt dip;2 meals of 4 patties with half the dip · Active 50 min · Total 1 hr 35 min

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Black beans, cooked rice and a measured amount of cheddar make compact pan-fried patties with a cool lime-yogurt dip. The rice begins cooked, quickly chilled and within its original short storage window. It is not raw grain that will somehow soften inside a patty. The useful beginner task is mashing enough beans to create a binder while leaving the rice grains and some bean pieces distinct.

Jump to ingredients

Original hand-drawn illustration of black bean cheese rice patties.

Make the binder before the shapes

Crush the drained cooked beans with a fork until roughly half become a rough paste. That paste, beaten egg and breadcrumbs help the cooked rice hold together. Stir in the measured cheese and green onion, then chill the mixture briefly. Divide the entire mixture into eight equal amounts rather than guessing the first few and leaving a tiny final patty. Each should feel compact enough to lift without deep cracks. A short stay in the refrigerator helps crumbs absorb moisture; it does not reset the age of either cooked beans or rice.

Give a crust time to form

Use a nonstick skillet and cook four patties at a time. A crowded pan makes turning more awkward and encourages pieces to break. Leave the first side alone until golden, then support the whole disc with a wide spatula. The center needs to reach the rice-reheating endpoint, not just develop a brown surface. Put the first batch on a clean plate during the brief second batch, keeping the yogurt dip cold. The full measured frying oil is counted in the estimate, even if a little stays on the pan.

Plan these as an eat-now meal

The rice in this base has already been cooked and chilled, so frying the patties is its one reheating. Serve the finished patties promptly and do not refrigerate a spare batch for another reheat tomorrow. Make half the quantity from the beginning if one person needs a smaller meal. The lime dip is a separate measured component, not an unlimited topping; divide it with the eight patties to keep the stated two portions meaningful.

Ingredients

  • About 1 1/2 cups fully cooked unsalted black beans, drained (240 g)
  • About 1 1/3 cups cooked long-grain white rice, promptly chilled and refrigerated within its original 24-hour limit (200 g cooked)
  • 1 large egg, beaten (50 g edible without shell)
  • 2/3 cup loosely grated cheddar (60 g)
  • 3 tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs (20 g)
  • 2 tablespoons finely sliced green onion (20 g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (1 g)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml/about 13.5 g), divided
  • About 2/3 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt (150 g)
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice (10 ml/about 10 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g), divided
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (0.3 g)

Set out

Large mixing bowl, Fork, Small bowl for dip, 30 cm/12-inch nonstick skillet, Wide spatula, Clean plate for first batch, Knife and board, Grater, Kitchen scale, Food thermometer, 2 serving plates

Allergens

Egg, Milk, Wheat; check breadcrumb labels for other added allergens. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Check the cooked rice’s original cooling and cooking time; it must have been chilled quickly, ideally within 1 hour, and still be within 24 hours of that cooking. Keep it cold until mixing. Mash drained cooked black beans in the bowl until about half are a rough paste.
  2. Mix in cooked cold rice, beaten egg, cheese, breadcrumbs, green onion, cumin, pepper and two-thirds of the salt. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Stir yogurt, lime juice and remaining salt together in the small bowl and keep refrigerated.
  3. Weigh the finished patty mixture and divide into 8 equal portions. Press into compact discs about 2 3/4 inches/7 cm wide and 1/2 inch/1.5 cm thick.
  4. Heat half the oil in the nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook 4 patties for 5–7 minutes per side, turning once, until golden and the thick centers reach 165°F/74°C. Move to a clean plate and repeat with remaining oil and 4 patties. Serve 4 per person promptly with half the cold dip. Discard uneaten finished patties instead of saving them for another rice reheating.

A useful kitchen skill

Mash a binder before shaping, portion by the whole mixture weight and count a cooked-rice ingredient’s reheating only once.

A useful detail

The 95-minute total includes mixture chilling and two full frying batches. The estimate uses 200 g cooked rice and 240 g cooked drained unsalted beans; it does not use either dry weight. Egg is included in the rice mixture, and the higher 165°F/74°C endpoint covers the leftover-rice reheating.

Another way

  • Use 240 g drained canned black beans instead of boiled unsalted beans, following the label and using their own nutrient profile.
  • Use 60 g whole-milk mozzarella instead of cheddar for a milder finish and a revised estimate.

Keep it well

Keep the uncooked mixture chilled and cook within the rice’s original 24-hour window, or sooner if another ingredient’s deadline requires. Once the chilled rice has been fried in these patties, eat immediately and discard uneaten finished patties. Do not cool or freeze them for a second reheating. Keep unused dip refrigerated and follow the yogurt’s label.