Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers

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These vegan sweet potato and black bean burgers are smoky, spicy and a little bit sweet! A delicious crowd-pleasing veggie burger recipe that’s super easy to make and perfect for everything from cookouts to busy weeknights.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger on a cutting board with glass of iced tea in the background.

When it comes to veggie burgers, black beans are where it’s at. They’re convenient, super healthy, and downright delicious when blended up with zesty seasonings.

But why stop at just black beans? There are so many delicious foods that compliment black beans really well, and sometimes it’s nice to add a little something extra to your black bean burgers. That’s where sweet potatoes come in.

I’m basically in love with the combination of sweet potatoes and black beans, as evidenced by my sweet potato black bean chili, tostadas, and burrito bowls.

In the case of these burgers, sweet potatoes add a touch of earthiness and sweetness, taking them over the top as far as flavor goes. Sweet potatoes also pair really well with some of the spices I love to use in my burgers, like cumin, garlic, onion, cilantro and chipotle peppers.

All in all these spicy patties are a total flavor-bomb!

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Ingredients You’ll Need

Sweet potato. You’ll need one medium orange sweet potato, which may be labelled as a “yam” at the supermarket, depending on what region you’re shopping in.
Rolled oats. Oat flour or panko breadcrumbs can be substituted if needed.
Black beans. We’re using canned black beans to keep things simple. If you prefer to cook your beans from scratch you’ll need about 2 cups of them (measured after cooking).
Red onion.
Garlic.
Canned chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. These will add heat and smokiness to your burgers. Look for them in the international aisle of the supermarket. If you’re not into heat, just use a small amount of adobo sauce and no peppers, or leave both out and add a teaspoon of smoked paprika for some heat-free smoky flavor.
Ground cumin.
Fresh cilantro. Cilantro haters can leave this out.
Salt.
Burger buns. Make sure your buns are vegan, as some brands contain milk derivatives.
Toppings. Use what you like here! I’m always big on classic toppings like lettuce, tomato, onion, and ketchup. These burgers also go particularly well with sliced avocado or guacamole, salsa or hot sauce.

Tip: Use certified gluten-free oats and buns if you need to keep these burgers gluten-free.

How They’re Made

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!

Start by baking your sweet potato. Simply poke a few holes in it with a fork or knife, then stick it right on the oven rack and bake it until it’s soft.

Tip: Short on time? Microwave your sweet potato instead. Poke holes in it like you would if you were baking it, then place it on a microwave-safe dish. Zap it for 4 to 5 minutes.

Place your rolled oats in a food processor bowl.

Blend the oats to a coarse powder.

Tip: If you don’t have a food processor, simply substitute oat flour or panko breadcrumbs for the oats. Mash the beans with a fork and mix everything in a mixing bowl.

Ingredients for making Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers in a food processor bowl.

Once your sweet potato has cooled, scoop out the flesh and add 1 cup of it to the food processor bowl, along with the beans, onion, garlic, chipotles, adobo sauce, cumin, garlic and salt.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger mix in a food processor bowl after blending.

Run the machine for a few seconds at a time until the ingredients are finely chopped and well-blended. Don’t overdo it or your burgers will be mushy. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl well.

Two Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger patties on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Shape the burger mixture into 4 large patties (or 6 small ones) and bake them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Pair of hands holding a Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger.

Stuff the patties into buns, pile on the toppings, and enjoy your black bean sweet potato burgers!

Meal-Prep Tips

You have a few options as far as prepping ingredients in advance to save time on the day of serving these burgers:

The onion can be diced in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a day or two.
The sweet potato can be baked in advance. Store your baked sweet potato in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Alternatively, you can do all steps of the recipe except baking and shaping the burgers in advance. Store the blended up burger mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Leftovers & Storage

Leftover sweet potato black bean burger patties can be stored in an airtight container or bag in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

More Vegan Burger Recipes

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