Finally, an easy vegan black bean burger recipe made with sweet potatoes as a binder! These Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers come together in one bowl, and they don't require any additional cooking. They're baked in the oven, and the result is a super hearty, slightly sweet and smoky patty that will be your new favorite vegan burger!
In order for bean burgers to be a weeknight meal for me, they have to meet these 3 criteria.
One, all ingredients must come together in one bowl. I don't want to do a ton of dishes!
Two, there is no pre-cooking. I do not want to saute onions before adding them to the bowl. (My pinto bean burgers require onion sautéing, so I make those on the weekends). This recipe has finely grated onion, allowing us to skip the pan sauté step.
Three, they must be baked and not fried. I don't want to babysit the patties in the pan; I want to toss them in the oven and forget about them. This is weeknight cooking for me!
These sweet potato black bean burgers meet all of these criteria, when I have a leftover roasted sweet potato. I have instructions for making one from scratch in case you don't have any leftover sweet potatoes in your fridge from your meal prep.
Ingredients for Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers
- Sweet Potato. One large sweet potato, about 13-14 ounces.
- Black Beans. One 15-ounce can of black beans that has been drained, rinsed and lightly pat dry.
- Onion. Half of a small white onion that we will grate on the large holes of a box grater. Don't chop the onion--use a box grater or a food processor for an ultra-fine texture.
- Garlic Powder. Half a teaspoon of dried garlic powder/ garlic granules.
- Smoked Paprika. This is not the same as regular paprika. Ensure the label says 'smoked paprika.' This is such an important part of the flavor profile of these sweet potato black bean burgers, so do not skip.
- Panko Bread Crumbs. One and a half cups of Panko bread crumbs bind the filling together.
- For serving: store-bought guacamole, hamburger buns, sliced red onion and mayonnaise. (Or, anything you like on your burgers; see below for topping ideas).
How to Make Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers
If you don't have a leftover cooked sweet potato, peel and dice a sweet potato. Place it in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil.
Simmer the sweet potato for about 15 minutes, until tender. Drain in a colander and let cool slightly. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425-degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the sweet potato in a large bowl. Drain, rinse, and pat dry the can of beans, and add to the bowl. Mash with a potato masher. If you don't have a potato masher, you can use a pastry blender or two forks. It doesn't need to be completely smooth. Add the grated onion and stir it in very well.
Next, stir in the garlic powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, and salt. Stir this very well to ensure the mixture is homogenous. Then, stir in the Panko bread crumbs.
Press the sweet potato black bean burgers mixture flat in the bowl, and then divide the mixture into four even portions.
Scoop out each quarter, shape it into a ball and then press it flat into a patty shape. Place the patties on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray, and bake for 15 minutes. Flip and bake for another 15 minutes.
How to Serve
I serve these on a soft, fluffy buns (you can make your own brioche hamburger buns here). Here are so topping ideas for you:
- Guacamole - Guacamole, vegan mayonnaise and thin slices of red onion are my first choice.
- Barbecue - Top with your favorite barbecue sauce and fried onion rings.
- Spicy - Mix some sriracha into vegan mayo and spread it on the bun. Top with sprouts, lettuce and tomato and serve.
- Herb - Black beans and sweet potatoes are great with cilantro! Puree cilantro, lime juice and one clove of garlic in a food processor or blender with vegan mayo and spread it on the buns!
How to Store Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers
These patties can be kept in the fridge (tightly wrapped) for up to 3 days before being baked. After baking, store leftover in the fridge in a food storage container and eat within 3 days.
You can freeze raw or cooked patties in freezer storage bags (doubled wrapped) for up to 3 months. To defrost, thaw in fridge overnight.
This recipe uses sweet potato as a binder, and does not require oats. It is entirely vegan. Panko bread crumbs help bind it, too. If you're looking for a black bean burger without sweet potatoes, my regular black bean burger recipe uses just bread crumbs and feta cheese.
Yes, you can absolutely cook this in the air fryer. Place a liner in the air fryer, and preheat to 400-degrees. Cook the patties for 10-12 minutes, flip and cook for another 8-10 minutes. They're done when they're golden brown and crispy on the edges. This recipe does not have any eggs or any animal product that truly needs to be cooked to an internal temperature. Vegan burgers in the air fryer for the win!
Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers
Vegan sweet potato black bean burgers are baked, not fried, and made in one bowl.
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato (13-14 ounces)
- 1 15-ounce can of black beans, drained, rinsed and pat dry
- ½ small white onion, grated on a box grater
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups Panko bread crumbs
- For serving: brioche buns, store-bought guacamole, mayo and red onion slices
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425, and spray a baking sheet with a thick layer of cooking spray. (You can also just brush oil on the pan).
- Peel and dice the sweet potato, and place in a saucepan. Cover with just enough water, and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool.
- Add the sweet potato to a large mixing bowl, and add the beans on top. Mash the beans into the sweet potatoes. It’s okay that it’s super chunky.
- Grate the onion on top of the mixture in the bowl, and stir it in very well.
- Add the garlic powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, and salt. Stir very well to mix.
- Finally, stir in the bread crumbs until well-mixed.
- Press the mixture flat in the bowl, and then roughly divide it into quarters. Scoop out each quarter, make a ball, and then press flat into a patty.
- Place the patty on the prepared baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes. Flip and bake for another 15.
I like to serve these on toasted brioche buns with store-bought guacamole on one side and vegan mayonnaise on the other side. Lettuce and red onion slices are good, too!
Notes
These patties can be kept in the fridge (tightly wrapped) for up to 3 days before being baked. After baking, store leftover in the fridge in a food storage container and eat within 3 days. You can freeze raw or cooked patties in freezer storage bags (doubled wrapped) for up to 3 months. To defrost, thaw in fridge overnight.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 469Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 1016mgCarbohydrates: 77gFiber: 14gSugar: 9gProtein: 18g
Chris
Would you please tell me the weight of one, small white onion? Every white onion I've seen is rather large. Thanks.
BeanRecipes
1/4 cup of grated onion 🙂