Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers are the perfect way to use up a leftover baked sweet potato. You don’t even need a food processor to make them!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Featuring canned beans and mashed sweet potato, this veggie burger recipe is naturally gluten-free and vegan. If you don’t keep oat flour on hand, you can make it at home by simply blending oats in your blender.

Paired with oat flour and BBQ sauce, these burgers have plenty of flavor without a hefty list of spices. For a grain-free option, you can use ground flax seed instead of oat flour with similar results.

If you prefer a different flavor profile, try adding a squeeze of sriracha for spice, or add in chili powder or smoked paprika for a smoky flavor. 

How to Make Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Rinse and drain the canned black beans, then spread them out in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet.

Place them in the oven for 15 minutes to remove any excess moisture. Once they start to split, remove the pan from the oven and set it aside.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion until softened, about 5 minutes, then add in the garlic and stir for one more minute. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, combine the sauteed onion and garlic, cooked black beans, sweet potato, oat flour (or ground flax seed), BBQ sauce, cumin, and salt.

Use a fork to stir the mixture, mashing the beans to help the batter stick together. 

You don’t want to mash all of the beans, as they help add texture, but you want it mashed enough that you can form and shape the burger patties. The batter will be relatively sticky.

Use a 1/3 cup measure to scoop the black bean mixture and drop it onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use your hands to flatten the mixture and shape it into a burger patty about 3/4-inch thick. (Use wet hands to prevent sticking, if necessary.)

This recipe should make 8 to 9 burgers.

Bake the burgers at 350ºF for 20 minutes, then use a spatula to gently flip them over and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes. The finished burgers will feel a little dry around the edges, but still slightly soft to the touch in the center. 

As they cool, they will firm up and dry out a bit more, so don’t overcook them.

Serve warm on your favorite hamburger buns with lettuce, tomato, red onion, and any other toppings you love. Sauteed peppers or creamy avocado are also excellent additions.

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. The burgers will be slightly drier when reheated, so I recommend adding a good sauce on top for moisture. 

Looking for a side dish for these burgers? Try No Mayo Potato Salad, Baked French Fries, or Cabbage Salad.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers are the perfect way to use up a leftover sweet potato, with no food processor required.

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 (15 oz.) cans black beans , drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ yellow onion , chopped (about 1 cup)
• 3 garlic cloves , minced
• ½ cup mashed sweet potato (from a baked sweet potato)
• ¼ cup oat flour , or ground flax seeds
• ¼ cup BBQ sauce (see notes)
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spread out the black beans on a large rimmed baking sheet so that they are in a single layer. Place them in the oven to dry out until they start to split, about 15 minutes.

• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Saute the onion until softened, about 5 minutes, then add in the garlic and stir for one more minute. Remove from the heat.
  

• In a large bowl, combine the sauteed onion and garlic, beans, sweet potato, oat flour (or flax seed), BBQ sauce, cumin and salt. Use a fork to stir the mixture, mashing the beans to help the batter stick together. You don’t want to mash all of the beans, as they help add texture, but you want it mashed enough that you can form and shape the burger patties.

• Using the same baking sheet from earlier, line it with parchment paper. With a 1/3 cup measure, scoop the black bean mixture and place the mound on the prepared baking sheet. Use your hands to shape it into a burger about 3/4-inch thick. (Wet hands will help prevent sticking, if necessary.) This recipe should make 8 to 9 burgers.

• Bake the burgers at 350ºF for 20 minutes, then use a spatula to gently flip them over and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes. The finished burgers will feel a little dry around the edges, but still slightly soft to the touch in the center. As they cool, they will firm up and dry out a bit more, so you don’t want to over cook them.

• Serve the burgers warm with your favorite buns and toppings. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 of 8 burger patties. This information is automatically calculated and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
Thanks to Serious Eats for sharing this brilliant bean-drying technique.
Update Note: This recipe was updated in April 2024 with new photos, but the original recipe has not changed.

Nutrition

Calories: 106kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 2g, Sodium: 449mg, Potassium: 242mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1200IU, Vitamin C: 2.5mg, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 1.4mg

If you try these black bean sweet potato burgers, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like them.