These Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers are insanely good — they’re robustly flavored, thick, hearty (without being soggy!), and easy to make, thanks to a few shortcuts.
Try some of our other vegetarian burgers like this Black Bean Burger or this all-purpose Veggie Burger.
Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger
There are few savory combinations I love more than sweet potatoes and black beans. These Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burrito Bowls are a particular favorite containing that combo. So, naturally, it was time these two ingredients made it into a vegetarian burger recipe!
During the summer, my kiddos ask for this beef burger recipe just about every night. So, while I’ll oblige to beef burgers at least once a week, I like to also incorporate some burger patties that have a few more veggies. Cue: this recipe! It’s loaded with good-for-you ingredients and tons of veggies, but also totally family friendly. Even my cheeseburger-obsessed hubby will admit these veggie burgers are crazy good!
Shortcuts
Short-Cuts
- Cooked brown and wild rice: Any cooked and leftover grain will work. To keep things as easy as possible, we use this packaged rice blend and microwave it for 1 minute. One container is the perfect amount here. Virtually no prep time, but good grains in your burger!
- Use pre-minced garlic from the jar to save chopping time.
- Use a large (12-cup) food processor (here’s the exact food processor I use) to quickly break down and incorporate ingredients. Using a large food processor, the Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger patties will be ready in a jiffy!
- Typically, sweet potatoes take quite a bit of time to cook until tender and they’re hard to chop when they’re raw. So we use a shortcut here: the microwave oven. Microwaved sweet potatoes have tender flesh and soft skins that peel off in a cinch.
- Canned beans: While you can use dried beans and cook them (here’s our favorite Black Beans recipe), using canned beans is a great shortcut.
Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger Toppings
- Lettuce: Butter, Romaine, Boston, green leaf lettuce — they all work for this vegetarian delight. We typically use green leaf lettuce.
- Avocado: A good, ripe avocado is unbeatable! The combination of the Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger patty with a ripe, creamy avocado is the best! See “quick tip” below.
- Tomatoes: A good thick-sliced tomato is a tasty topping.
- Red onion: Thinly sliced red onion or pickled red onions make a flavor statement. We use half the red onion for the patty filling, so you’re left with half to add to the burgers!
- Mayo. We love Hellman’s/Best Foods® on these burgers — the better the mayonnaise, the better the flavor. Don’t skimp here — the mayo pulls everything together beautifully!
Quick Tip
You can tell if an avocado is ripe when it yields to gentle pressure (think: touching the tip of your nose). Can’t find a ripe avocado? We love having these perfectly ripe avocado minis on hand. Grab the pack that lists “Hass Avocados” only in the ingredients instead of getting the guacamole blends! A packet (or half of one) works great instead of avocado on these burgers.
The Best Buns: Brioche!
In my opinion, there is nothing better than a Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger on a brioche bun. And once you have those buns, you’ve got to toast them with some melted butter. Trust me–they’re the best! Rub softened butter generously on the insides of the bun. Place them (butter side facing down) on a large pan or grill over medium heat. Toast buns for about 30 seconds to a minute or until golden brown. Remove from heat. Subsequent batches will be quicker as the pan continues to get hotter!
Variations
- Make a burrito: Grab your favorite tortilla, crumble a patty (or two) inside, along with cheese. Fold it up and cook for a few minutes per side in a skillet to get the tortilla crispy. Serve with your favorite toppings like guacamole, sour cream, salsa, etc.
- Lettuce wrap: Add a crumbled burger patty, veggies, and cheese inside a piece of lettuce. Drizzle a sauce (like this Cilantro Lime Sauce) right on top.
- Make a southwestern salad: Break up a Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burger over a bed of lettuce and add other southwestern veggies. Drizzle a chipotle dressing (like the dressing on this Chipotle Chicken Salad) on top!
- Vegetarian nachos: Crumble the patty on top of tortilla chips, add plenty of cheese, and heat in the oven. Add your favorite nacho toppings such as pico de gallo, guacamole, and fresh lime.
- Add to chili: Make this Vegetarian Chili and crumble a few patties into it.
How To Make A Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger
Our top tips for success on this recipe:
- Dry the beans completely: wet beans = too much moisture!
- Chill: These patties get wet in the fridge, but firm up perfectly when we freeze them for 25-30 minutes. Once the patties are chilled thoroughly, they’re ready to cook!
- Use panko breadcrumbs: Panko is similar to regular bread crumbs, but it creates a much crunchier, crispier, lighter, and more delicate result. Using panko ensures a more nuanced texture than regular bread crumbs deliver.
Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger FAQs
How do you keep black bean burgers from falling apart?
To keep these burgers from crumbling:
- Don’t leave out the mayo – This acts as a binder for the ingredients.
- Thoroughly compress the patties – Press the ingredients firmly together.
- Don’t skip the freeze – Popping the patties in the freezer helps them firm up and the ingredients stick together.
What can I use as a binder for a black bean burger?
I use mayo to help bind the ingredients together! Pulsing the ingredients in a food processor also helps to bind everything together.
Why are my black bean burgers mushy?
Mushy burgers can happen for a few reasons:
- The beans weren’t thoroughly dried.
- Ingredients were left out, or the recipe was changed/altered.
- The patties weren’t chilled sufficiently in the freezer.
- The patties weren’t cooked properly. (They need to brown nicely, which gives them a fantastic char and texture.)
Storage
Frozen Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers
Since we freeze the burger patties before cooking, it’s also the perfect opportunity to save some for later! Tightly wrap individually frozen patties and then add them to a large freezer bag. You can cook the patties straight from the freezer, adding a couple of minutes to cook time as needed.
More Sweet Potato and Black Bean Recipes:
- One-Skillet Sweet Potato Burrito Bowl with melted cheese
- Sweet Potato Nachos with black beans and corn
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato and Black Bean Egg Rolls with an irresistible sauce
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas with brown rice and salsa
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili with the best seasoning blend!
Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Sheet pan
- Aluminum foil or parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 pound, 5 ounces sweet potatoes see note 1
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans
- 3/4 cup grated carrot 1 to 2 carrots
- 1/3 cup grated red onion 1 onion
- 1/2 cup dry-roasted cashews
- 1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro optional
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons mayo
- 1-1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese see note 2
- 3/4 cup cooked brown rice or cooked wild rice, see note 3
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- Olive oil
- Serving suggestions see note 4
Instructions
- Wash and scrub sweet potatoes, then pierce with a fork. Microwave until fork-tender, 5–8 minutes, rotating halfway. Cut in half lengthwise, let cool slightly, and peel. Coarsely chop to measure 1-1/3 cups and set aside.
- Drain and rinse black beans, then set aside to dry. Grate peeled carrots and 1/2 of a large red onion. Measure 3/4 cup of grated carrots and 1/3 cup of grated onion (lightly packed), and set aside.
- Pulse cashews in a large food processor until coarsely chopped. Add black beans, red onion, carrot, sweet potato, garlic, cilantro, paprika, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Pulse 5 times, scrape sides, and pulse 5 more times until well mixed. Add mayo, panko, and Parmesan. Pulse 10 times, stirring in between. Add cooked rice. Blend and pulse 3 times, scrape edges, and pulse 3 more times, just to incorporate rice. See note 5 for troubleshooting.
- Pack the mixture into a 1/2-cup measuring cup and place on a parchment or foil-lined sheet pan, making 9 mounds. Distribute any remaining mixture evenly. Spritz your hands with cooking spray, shape each mound into a 3/4-inch thick, 4-inch wide patty. Freeze patties 20–30 minutes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Add 3 patties from the freezer and cook until golden and crispy, 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining patties. Avoid crowding the pan.
- Toast buns (see note 6). Spread mayo on the bottom bun, then layer with lettuce, veggie patty, avocado, tomato, and onion. Add mayo to the top bun, assemble, and enjoy.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
