If you don’t have dinner plans for tonight, I’ve got you covered. Whether you’re reading this on the day I publish it, Cinco de Mayo, or some random Tuesday in July, these Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers are a good idea.
I’m of the camp that veggie and/or bean burgers are always a good idea. It’s probably my #1 most ordered item when I go to restaurants. Without a doubt, I prefer a good veggie burger to a good hamburger.
I know not everyone agrees with the whole veggie burgers > hamburgers assessment, but even if you don’t, I think you’ll love these.
I wanted to make them as simple as possible. Even though I adore these Beet Burgers, they are a bit of a process. These Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers are pretty simple. The most “difficult” part is getting the sweet potatoes and quinoa that’s used to make them cooked. If you’re a food prepper, cook them both on Sunday or whatever day you do your food prep. If you stay home during the day, roast those babies in the oven and cook the quinoa while you’re doing something else. If you’re rushing to get dinner done and the sweet potatoes aren’t cooked, use the microwave. They’ll be done before your quinoa is cooked. I know, I know. The microwave isn’t the “healthiest” option, but hey, something has got to give sometimes, you know?
Once you’ve the tators and quinoa cooked, you’re golden. Mix up the rest of the ingredients and you’re a few minutes away from feasting on Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers.
I flavored these with some of my favorite Mexican-inspired spices and herbs. It’s perfect for Cinco de Mayo or anyday you’re craving those flavors. Fresh cilantro, chili powder, and cumin, along with a hint of lime. Pretty much my favorites together.
I’m not saying it’s mandatory, but it’s an excellent idea to top your burg with some fresh guacamole. This is my absolute all-time favorite recipe that always gets rave reviews.
I pan fry these in a little bit of oil, which gets them crispy on the outside. They stay tender on the inside, but not totally mushy. They are veggie and bean burgers, so they don’t have the texture of a hamburger, but they are firm enough to stay together. If you want to bake them, that’s fine, they just won’t have that nice crispy exterior.
I also served these with some cold beer, because it just seemed like the right thing to do. The healthier option would be to exclude the beer, but a cold beer with a veggie burger tastes so good! Moderation.
These burgs are vegan and gluten-free (you’d need to get a gluten-free bun, of course) and 100% satisfying. All I think they need is a nice salad for a side dish and you’ve got yourself a meal. Add I hope you love them!
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Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers
These Sweet Potato Black Bean burgers are vegan, gluten-free, and bursting with flavor. They are easy to make with a crispy exterior and tender inside!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 22 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: dinner
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal+3 tablespoons water (or 1 egg)
- 1 cup cooked mashed sweet potato (from 1 large or 2 smaller sweet potatoes)
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- oil (I like avocado oil for this)
Instructions
- Mix together your flaxseed meal and water and set it aside until it gels.
- Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Use a potato masher or the back of a large spoon to mash the beans, leaving a few in tact for texture.
- In a large skillet, heat a thin layer of oil over medium high heat.
- Form the sweet potato mixture into 6 patties.
- When the skillet is hot enough to sizzle, add the patties, in batches if necessary. Cook on one side until a crispy exterior is formed, about 5-7 minutes.
- Carefully flip each patty and cook an additional 5 minutes on the second side.
- Serve with your favorite toppings like guacamole. Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 burger
- Calories: 111
- Sugar: 1.3g
- Sodium: 222.2mg
- Fat: 1g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 20.5g
- Fiber: 6.6g
- Protein: 5.7g
Note: The prep time does not include cooking time for sweet potato and quinoa.
Healthy Living Playbook!
Looks delicious! What type of bun did you serve these on?
I used a 10 grain bun that was baked fresh from our “healthier” local grocery store (Dorothy Lane Market if you are local). 🙂
Hi, do the nutritional facts include the bun?
No, they do not.
Can I freeze the patties after or before cooking?
After is better.
Great timing! I was looking for a good veggie burger this week, to put on my summer recipe calendar and voila! Although I won’t be able to wait until summer to try it! Thank you thank you thank you!
I love when that happens!
Was wondering are the really soft? Look and smell amazing !
They are soft on the inside and get crispy on the outside. I find that if I make them too stiff, they get dried out. I hope you enjoyed them!
I made this recipe for myself and my boyfriend yesterday. He was a strict vegetarian for about four years, so he’s definitely had his fair share of veggie burgers. After he polished off the last of them, he said they were his favorite veggie burger that he ever had! He doesn’t usually throw around the word “favorite” lightly, so I know he is a big fan. Thanks for the recipe. It’s absolutely one of our favorites!
★★★★★
Oh that makes me so happy! Thanks for taking the time to let me know, Courtney. 🙂
Amazing! I have been a vegetarian for over 3.5 years and haven’t found anything quite this tasty and it was very inexpensive to make. Love it!
★★★★★
I’m so glad to hear that! 🙂 🙂
Would these work on the grill?
I’m wondering the same thing. They look fantastic!
Thanks, Becky! I’m not sure as I haven’t tried it. I worry about them falling apart, but it could work. Please let me know if you give it a try (and I’ll do the same if I try it). 🙂
I did them on the grill. As long as you make them thick enough and don’t get tempted to turn them over too soon or too much, you’ll have minimal problems. You could put some foil on the grill but I didn’t find it necessary. I had some left over (we had a big party) so I just reheated the grilled burgers on the stove. So good! I just came searching for the recipe because I want them again. They are my favorite ever meatless burger.
★★★★★
Though I will say a little oil on the grill to keep it from sticking would be good. Especially if you try to turn them over too soon.
★★★★★
So glad to hear that you made these on the grill! I’ve been wanting to try it! Thanks for the feedback. 🙂
Cook the veggie burgers on the Square grate with holes on four sides and bottom,used to cook veggies on the grill. You’ll find them in BBQ grill sections of most stores. The grate has fluted sides.
Oh that’s a good idea!
That’s a great question! I haven’t tried it. I *think* it would work, but I hate to say that without trying it. Please let me know if you do.
Hi. Can u sub for the quinoa and if so what?
You could try breadcrumbs or rolled oats.
Could you sub quinoa for brown rice? And if I don’t have flaxseed do you think I could just did an egg as an ingredient binder?
Yes, I think both of those substitutions would work!
Could these be frozen? I’m probably the only person who would eat these at a family bbq!
Haha! My family bbq would probably be the same. 😉 Yes, I do think these would freeze well.
I’m allergic to quinoa. Would rice work instead?
Yes!
These taste SOOOOO good, but I absolutely can’t get them to hold together! Which ingredient should I add more off if the mix is too runny? I SO want this to work!!!
I would mash them a bit more if you haven’t already. If the mixture feels too wet or sticky, add some more quinoa. If you don’t have more quinoa on hand, you can add breadcrumbs or oats. If it’s not sticking together but is dry, try to add another flax egg. I hope this helps! Sorry they weren’t holding together for you. Veggie burgers can be finicky sometimes!
Thanks!
Can you use chia seeds instead of flaxseed?
Looking for some new summer veggie burger recipes and these look great! I love using sweet potato but haven’t done quinoa yet in a burger, can’t wait to try them!
I hope you love these, Deryn! 🙂
Yum!! For those of us who are not concerned with it being vegan, do you think a cheese would be good on this, or would it be too weird with the flavor? Trying to please some carnivores, so I’m thinking if I’m not giving them meat I could at least throw some dairy on there 🙂 just not sure what type would taste good! Let me know if you have a suggestion, thanks!
I suggest cheddar. It usually works well with these flavours but melt it. Melted cheddar is always better 🙂
So sorry I missed your comment back in June. As Annita suggested, cheddar would be great here. I also think some crumbled Cotija would be fantastic.
The tanginess of the goat cheese would be great
I have made these and LOVED them, however, we dont have any more quinoa but I was wondering if riced califlower would work?? I am guessing the quinoa is a good sponge for certain things within this dish but maybe not.
Thank you!!
★★★★★
I have never thought of riced cauliflower as a substitute for something like this, and I’m really not sure if it would work. I really can’t say either way–sorry! Please do let me know if you try it, though.
Thank you so much for this recipe! We love it at my house, specially the hubby! Lol Very good bold flavor! I’m making a big batch of this and freezing it for later use and even for when I have people over! Thanks again!
★★★★★
You’re welcome! Thanks for the feedback! 🙂
I’m excited to try these burgers. They look very tasty!! But I’m wondering if they would freeze well and if so, how long would they last in freezer?
I’m sorry, but I haven’t tried freezing these so I’m not sure! I have a feeling they would freeze well and would probably last 3 months in the freezer.
I’m making them now and I’m having a hard time keeping them together..
I’m sorry to hear that, Mixsi. I hope they worked out for you. I’ve gotten a lot of good feedback from these and I’ve not had trouble with them. In general, if I find a veggie burger falling apart as I try to flip it, I usually have good luck just forming it back together with the spatula and once it’s cooked it stays together better. Without being there, though, it’s hard for me to determine what happened with your particular batch.
We made these tonight, and they were as delicious as they look! My daughter and I have been experimenting with vegan eating and have had a few recipes that were better left online :). This one is perfect! We made a double batch and will freeze them. My husband (steak and potatoes all day every day) said after a bite, “hmm…pretty good.” He didn’t want to trade for steak, but that is high praise. I will say that they almost burned on “medium high” heat, but we kept an eye on them and it was no problem. I love that this recipe didn’t call for a food processor, because we don’t have one. HIGHLY recommend!
★★★★★
Thanks so much for your feedback, Donna. I really appreciate it! “Pretty good” would be high praise for a veggie burger from my husband as well. If I get a pretty good, I know it’ll be much loved by most people.:)
I can’t wait to try these burgers, they look amazing. I!ll let you know how it goes.
Thanks, Patty!
Didn’t work at all. Burgers didn’t hold together. Made a double recipe and not sure what to do with it now.
★
It’s hard for me to troubleshoot without being there to actually see what yours look like, but I’m sure there’s a way to salvage it. Maybe you didn’t mash the mixture enough and need to mash it more. You could add another flax egg and see if that helps. I’m sorry these didn’t hold together well for you!
I tried this recipe out tonight, they were extremely flavorful however the texture was like very runny mashed potatoes. They had no form at all. they were a complete mess to eat, even after pan frying them. I tried the recipe to the exact measurements as well. Maybe there is some other way to get them to hold together a bit more, then this recipe would be perfect.
★★★
Eeek! That doesn’t sound right at all. I’m sorry you had trouble with these staying together. Without being there and seeing the burgers, I can’t really speculate as to what went wrong as I mine haven’t turned out anything like runny mashed potatoes in the times I’ve made these.
Delicious! I was looking for something fun to do with my last sweet potato — I appreciate that all the ingredients are things people tend to have on hand. Would definitely make again!
★★★★★
Thanks for the feedback, Becca! I appreciate it. I’m glad you liked these. 🙂
These look great! Do they freeze well?
Yes, they do! I have only tried cooking first, then freezing. Then just reheat in the pan (microwave would probably work also).
These look delicious! Is the 1 egg a substitute for the flaxseed meal + water or just the water?
Emily The egg would be a substitute for the flaxseed meal and water (which makes a flax egg).
I’ve never had a veggie burger before in my life and didn’t think I would like them. I just tried out this recipe and it blew my mind. So good! Even my carnivorous husband likes them. Thank you for this recipe!
Yessss! I love hearing this. Thanks so much, Jessica. 🙂
Hi! They were good, but definitely need a cup of breadcrumbs!
Literally my favorite!!
★★★★★
SO happy to hear that, Kelly! 🙂
Hey! I tried this recipe last weeks, and the burger just floated out when I took a bite. It was way to mushy..
I’m really sorry to hear the consistency wasn’t to your liking. I’ve always thought these were the right consistency, but everyone has different preferences. You can always add some breadcrumbs to make it more dry.
I just made these. I needed a quick healthy vegan meal after shopping for a Mother of the Bride dress for 5 hours. i didn’t want to wait to cook any quinoa so I left it out and added some chickpea flour to bind it. Tasted fantastic! I would know, I’ve had my fair share of Veggie burgers. I didn’t have cilantro so I left that out too. Made 3 big burgers which I cooked and put in the fridge for another time.
★★★★★
Thanks for the feedback Camille! Glad you liked these. 🙂
How much chickpea flour did you add?
Just made this recipe for my parents tonight and it was a hit! I love that the simple base of ingredients (bonus-we already had them all stocked in the pantry) makes such a flavorful, filling dish. I am so looking forward to having leftovers tomorrow and I am saving this recipe so I can meal prep the burgers for lunches in the future. Thank you!
★★★★★
Yay! So glad to hear this, Lizzy! 🙂
Love Love Love these! Had to sub lentils as I was out of black beans…amped up the spices also.
Fried them up in coconut oil…delish. Thank you for such an amazing recipe…love the zesty lime
★★★★★
You’re welcome, Melinda!
I’m finding this post far after publication, but the timing was still perfect for me! My carnivorous hubby ordered his first black bean burger ever yesterday. He loved it and wants me to start making them at home. The spices in this recipe look perfect and I love the addition of the sweet potato for all it’s nutritional value. Can’t wait to try them!
Perfect! I hope you love these Kristi! 🙂
I’m an vegetarian and must say this recipe looks great. Just wonder if I can replace quinoa with something else?
★★★★
Would rice work for you?
I’m going to make these tomorrow and don’t have cilantro! Do you think they’d be good without? Any ideas for substitution?
Excited to try these. They look great!
I would just leave it out. I think they’ll still be good without it!
How long if you want to put it in the oven?
★★★★★
I’ve not tried it, but I would guess 25 minutes.
“Thank you for sharing, Keep bringing more!!
Will hear from you soon.
Cheers!!”
★★★★★
I made these last night as a meatless Monday dinner and they were delicious. I did have some trouble getting them to stay together, but I added bread crumbs in addition to the quinoa and that seemed to do the trick. Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★
You’re welcome!
I love veggie burgers and have been searching for a good homemade recipe. I will be making this again! 🙂 I added a little hot sauce and onion powder to mine along with all your ingredients. SO GOOD.
★★★★★
How much chickpea flour did you add?
These look great. I don’t have black beans on hand but have pinto beans, red kidney beans, black lentils, green lentils, and red lentils, as well as chickpeas. Would any of these be a good substitute?
I would try the pinto beans or red kidney beans!
I am not sure what I did wrong but mine were a bunch a mush. I did the egg instead of flaxseed. Maybe next time I’ll use the flaxseed.