These sweet potato black bean burgers are a delicious, simple, hearty, lightly spiced, smoky plant-based burger option. The burgers are super versatile, easy to prepare, and freezer-friendly. Plus, this recipe is dairy-free, nut-free, grain-free, vegan, and easily made gluten-free!

Summer may be over, but BBQ food never goes out of style. With that in mind, I’ve had a busy couple of weeks getting my favorite plant-based burger recipes ready to share with you – including a Pumpkin Bean Burger With Spicy Mayo Sauce, Homemade Vegan Falafel Burger, Sweet Potato Burger With Portobello Mushroom Bun, and this sweet potato black bean burger. 

This easy veggie burger recipe is one of my all-time favorites, with the combination of creamy sweet potato, flavorful black beans, and several spices. The result is a Mexican-inspired burger that you can serve mild or spicy, perfect for impressing friends and family. 

And don’t be fooled – the simple ‘sweet potato black bean burger’ title doesn’t do these burgers justice. These are my absolute favorite vegan black bean burgers – not too mushy yet tender in the middle, with a crisp outside. The flavor is a wonderful combination of sweet, savory, and smoky, with the optional element of additional spice.

More so, this black bean burger recipe contains just a few ingredients – most of which are probably already in your pantry. If not, then there are several simple ways to adjust the recipe to what you have available. Even better – the recipe is made up of just a few simple steps – for a delicious, wholesome meal. 

Unlike many recipes out there, these sweet potato black bean burgers are also 100% grain-free. Instead, you’ll notice that this recipe has a higher bean to potato ratio than many others. This helps keep the burgers from being ‘mushy’ (the bane of all plant-based burger makers out there!). Plus, because of the large amount of black beans – there is also leniency within this recipe to add a little extra sweet potato, if that’s how you prefer them, flavor-wise.

The ingredients

For the vegan black bean burger patties

Black beans: You can use home-cooked or canned beans (drained and rinsed). You could sub pinto beans, white beans like cannellini, or possibly even chickpeas (though I haven’t tried with the latter). 
Sweet potato: You can sub pumpkin or butternut squash – though the liquid content will differ so additional binder may be needed.
Onion & garlic: If you can’t get fresh then you may be able to substitute powdered – though I haven’t tried this.
Binder: I often use bread crumbs. For gluten-free burgers, you can use certified gluten-free oats and lightly pulse them to break them up slightly (they don’t need to be flour consistency).
Spices: Smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper (and optionally chili powder). Read the recipe notes section for additional variations and methods for making spicy black bean burgers, etc.

Suggested serving options

Within this particular post, I served these burgers in buns with lettuce, tomato, plant-based cheese, avocado, and ketchup. However, there are multiple ways that you can enjoy these black bean burgers.

• For Mexican burgers: You can serve with homemade guacamole, salsa, and salad veggies. Serve it along Easy Mexican Black Beans as well.
• With A Spicy Sauce: Like the spicy mayo I use here, or a creamy chipotle sauce – use a combination of dairy or plant-based mayo or yogurt, chipotle paste, and a little sweetener such as maple or agave. (I usually make just enough for a single batch of burgers and just season, taste, adjust – until I find what I like.) 
• With red pepper sauce: I’ll often add a dollop of this Simple Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (reduced to thicken) or Gluten-free Muhammara Dip (Roasted Red Pepper Dip) to the burgers.

Minus the bun

• With Pasta: Serve them chopped up within pasta dishes or in place of these ‘shroom meatballs.
• Crumbled: Crumble the patties over salad and/or grain bowls for a simple, flavorful addition to a healthy meal.
• As a filling: Use these black bean burgers within quesadillas, wraps, tacos, and even in place of falafels – like in these falafel wraps.

With these side dishes

• The Guide to Perfect Crispy Baked Fries
• Healthy New Potato Salad With Green Beans
• Simple Nutritious Garlic Sautéed Spinach
• Healthy Taco Salad Recipe (Mexican Salad)
• Simple Lebanese Pita Salad (Fattoush)
• Easy Spinach and Blackberry Salad

The step by step instructions

First, peel and chop the sweet potatoes into small cubes. Then roughly chop the onion and garlic.

I actually left the garlic whole while roasting, but you could chop it further.

Place on a baking tray and spray with some olive oil or another cooking spray.

Roast the sweet potato, onion, and garlic for 25-30 minutes at 180ºC/350ºF. Flip them halfway through cooking.

In the last 15 minutes, add the beans to the oven as well. This allows them to bake and dry for a bit. You can skip this step if you prefer the burgers wetter/mushier.

Remove the garlic skin and then add all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor and process them into a slightly chunky paste.

Taste the raw vegan burger mix and adjust the seasonings to your liking if needed.

Next, form the patties. You can use a large ice-cream scoop or around 1/3 cup to measure them out evenly and then shape by hand. The mixture shouldn’t be sticky or too dry and crumbly.

You could also use a burger press or metal rings to evenly shape the patties.

To cook the black bean burgers, heat a neutral oil in a large skillet and pan-fry the burgers over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side, until browned and crispy.

You could also oven-bake the burgers. To do this, place them on parchment paper and lightly spray with a little neutral oil. Then bake in a preheated oven at 180ºC/360ºF for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through (flip once, halfway for best results).

To assemble the burgers, simply layer with the veggies of your choice, avocado mash (or guacamole), and sauce.

Chef Tip: You can leave your burger buns as is, lightly fry them in the pan, toast them, or even broil/grill them in the oven for a minute or so until warm and toasty.

How to make ahead & store

The uncooked burger mix: Can be covered and stored in the fridge for 3-4 days before cooking. This can be in a large bowl of the mix or as pre-formed patties. The uncooked patties can also be frozen for up to three months.

The cooked patties: are best eaten immediately. However, they can be frozen for up to three months. To reheat, you can bake them in the oven or allow to thaw and then lightly fry for a few minutes until warmed through and crispy.

Recipe notes & variations

• To add spice: Feel free to add some cayenne pepper, chili powder, chipotle powder, or even a chopped jalapeño pepper to the burger mixture for spice.
• This burger is fairly good for adding extra veggies: mushrooms, shredded carrot, corn, etc. Just make sure to adjust the amount of potato/beans or breadcrumbs/oats to keep the correct consistency.
• The sweet potato: You could alternatively microwave, bake, or pressure-cook the sweet potato. The texture will change slightly depending on the method you choose. I like roasting them for a slightly caramelized crispiness before blending the burger patty mix. Adjust the amount of ‘binder’ needed based on how ‘wet’ your potatoes are.
• You can leave the sweet potato unpeeled if preferred. The skin will still mash in the food processor.
• You can optionally add some ground flaxseed or pumpkin seeds to absorb some moisture further and add some texture and nutrients.
• Feel free to experiment with the seasonings. These sweet potato black bean burgers pair well with many herbs and spices and global flavor profiles.

If you try this sweet potato black bean burger recipe, then let me know your thoughts in the comments. I’d also really appreciate a recipe rating and would love to see your recreations – just tag @AlphaFoodie.