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Pinto Bean Cakes

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Southern
Keyword bean-cake-recipe, easy-pinto-beans-recipe, pinto-bean-cakes-recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 136kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
  • 2 15 oz cans pinto beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 tsp Cajun or Creole seasoning
  • 1 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt adjust to taste
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp all purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne or paprika
  • 1 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs OR fresh breadcrumbs divided use
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • peanut or vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

  • Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crispy. Remove to paper towels to drain, then crumble.
  • In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt butter with red bell pepper and green onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes or just until the bell pepper has softened.
  • To the skillet add beans, Creole seasoning, granulated garlic, garlic salt and onion powder.. Cook for 2-4 minutes just until the beans are heated through.
  • Remove from heat and mash together using a potato masher or fork. Let cool slightly.
  • Next, add 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, flour, egg and bacon. Mix well
  • Form into 8-10 even bean cakes about 1/2 inch thick. Coat on all sides with reserved bread crumbs.
  • Drizzle a large skillet with oil. Cook beans cakes over medium-high heat for 2 minutes per side or until golden brown. If frying in batches, wipe skillet clean between each batch.
  • Serve warm with topped with sour cream and Southern Chow Chow.

Notes

    • Cajun Seasoning: Different Creole and Cajun seasoning blends have varying amounts of sodium. Adjust the amount of salt used in the recipe depending on the brand you use.
    • Adjust the Seasonings: It's also important to take into consideration how the pinto beans were seasoned. If they were heavily salted, you may want to omit salt or taste and adjust to your personal preference.
    • Herbs: You could use fresh chives in place of green onions or add fresh parsley or cilantro.
    • Protein: You can omit the bacon for a vegetarian bean cake or add diced ham in place of bacon.
    • Beans: You can replace the pinto beans with black beans for black bean cakes or use the same amount of light red kidney beans.
    • Butter: You may choose to use the bacon grease to saute the veggies and omit the butter.
    • Black Pepper: You can replace the cayenne pepper with black pepper to your taste.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 136kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 334mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 505IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg