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This sweet potato black bean burger is loaded with Southwestern ingredients and a great healthy alternative to a beef burger.
I'm all aboard the veggie burger bandwagon - from quinoa veggie burgers to carrot burgers.
So I admitted before I've become hooked on veggie burgers. While they can take a little bit of time to make, they always make 8-10 patties, which means since it's just my wife and me - 4 to 5 dinners.
The veggie burger that started it out for me in changing my ways (yes I still love a good standard burger) was actually from the blog Cookie + Kate. As our family is all about sweet potatoes, this was the one that convinced me to give it a try and I've never looked back.
While these veggie burgers are easy to make, you do need to give yourself some time to prepare them as you have to bake the sweet potatoes and cook the quinoa before combining all of the ingredients.
The spices add a smoky flavor that can pass for being on the grill, which is an added bonus. If you are going to skip out on toppings, the one I think is a must is the avocado. It just goes well with the flavors!
So for those that were like me just a couple of years ago and frowned upon veggie burgers, I suggest you give this sweet potato burger a try. And for those that are already fans, hopefully these become part of your regular rotation!
Jump to:
Recipe Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes - the star of the show.
- Quinoa – has a ton of healthy benefits and thickens the mixture.
- Red onion - a little goes a long way as it is a stronger onion flavor.
- Garlic - adds flavor to the burgers.
- Cilantro - adds some freshness.
- Egg - binds the veggie burgers together.
- Cumin, paprika, coriander, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper - adds flavor to the sweet potato burger.
- Old-fashioned oats - helps bind everything together.
- Black beans - gives you the needed protein and adds texture.
- Buns – from bread thins to pretzel rolls, any sandwich bread will work.
- Cheese, lettuce, tomato, etc… – use whatever toppings you desire.
How to Make Veggie Burgers
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and place cut side down on sheet pan. Roast for 35-40 minutes or until you can easy squeeze the sweet potato so it would fall out of skin. Once cooked, remove skin and place in large mixing bowl.
- While sweet potatoes are roasting, rinse the quinoa and bring to boil in 1 cup of water. Once boiling, cover and reduce to low and cook for 15 minutes. Add to bowl with sweet potatoes.
- Grind the oats in a food processor until broken up but not turned into flour. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl with the sweet potatoes and quinoa, add the onion, cilantro, garlic, egg, cumin, paprika, chili powder, coriander, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper and mash until sweet potatoes are completely mashed. Add the black beans and oats to the sweet potato mixture and mix until the mixture holds together. (It's ok if the black beans get slightly smashed)
- Use ½ cup measuring cup and scoop out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press down to desired thickness. It should give you 8 patties. Bake in oven for 20 minutes at 400°F before flipping and baking another 20 minutes. This should give you enough consistency to be able to freeze or cook the rest of the way to eat now.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat with enough oil to cover bottom of skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side. If using cheese add after flipping. Add toppings of your choice and serve immediately.
Are Veggie Burgers Actually Good for You?
The truthful answer is it depends. If you buy a veggie burger from the freezer isle, chances are it is not the best for you, but by making them homemade, you can make them quite healthy and this sweet potato black bean burger fits that category.
Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are super popular these days and there is good reason for it. Some of the health benefits of sweet potatoes include:
- Great source of fiber, vitamins and minerals.
- Promotes gut health.
- Regulates blood pressure and sugar levels.
- Helps with keeping healthy vision.
- May improve brain function.
Can I Make these Vegan/Egg Free?
Yes you can use any egg substitute like flax or chia eggs, or 1 tablespoon of vegan mayo. If using flaxseed or chia seeds, stir 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal or chia seeds in 2 ½ tablespoon water and let sit for 5 minutes before using. (This replaces 1 egg)
I personally don’t eat vegan so don’t make a ton of vegan meals but these will taste just as good with the substitutes. There are also plenty of options for vegan cheese as well these days.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
I've made plenty of veggie burgers in the past few years and discovered that there are three keys to keeping your burgers together.
- Oats - by placing old-fashioned oats in the food processor and pulsing a few times, you create a healthy binder that is better than flour.
- Eggs - eggs help bind the burger. I originally didn't use eggs and found that they just didn't hold together like I wanted but just 1 egg makes all the difference. As mentioned above, you can use a vegan substitute.
- Bake - bake the patties before freezing or cooking the rest of the way. By baking the veggie burgers for 40 minutes (20 minutes per side), you allow the outside of the patties to develop a crust. You can then freeze from here or finish on the stove-top to develop a charred crust.
Other Veggie Burger Recipes
- Sun-Dried Tomato Chickpea Veggie Burgers
- Butternut Squash Burgers
- Cauliflower Veggie Burgers
- Green Chili Veggie Burgers
- Black Bean Veggie Burgers
If you’ve tried this sweet potato black bean burger or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs sweet potatoes
- ⅓ cup uncooked quinoa (1 cup cooked)
- ¾ cup red onion, chopped
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 (15.5 oz can) black beans, rinsed and drained
- vegetable oil
- buns, toasted
- toppings (cheese, avocado, lettuce, ketchup etc...)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and place cut side down on sheet pan. Roast for 35-40 minutes or until you can easy squeeze the sweet potato so it would fall out of skin. Once cooked, remove skin and place in large mixing bowl.
- While sweet potatoes are roasting, rinse the quinoa and bring to boil in 1 cup of water. Once boiling, cover and reduce to low and cook for 15 minutes. Add to bowl with sweet potatoes.
- In a large mixing bowl with the sweet potatoes and quinoa, add the onion, cilantro, garlic, egg, cumin, paprika, chili powder, coriander, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper and mash until sweet potatoes are completely mashed.
- Grind the oats in a food processor until broken up but not turned into flour. Add the black beans and oats to the sweet potato mixture and mix until the mixture holds together. (It's ok if the black beans get slightly smashed)
- Use ½ cup measuring cup and scoop out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press down to desired thickness. It should give you 8 patties. Bake in oven for 20 minutes at 400°F before flipping and baking another 20 minutes. This should give you enough consistency to be able to freeze or cook the rest of the way to eat now.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat with enough oil to cover bottom of skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side. If using cheese add after flipping. Add toppings of your choice and serve immediately.
Notes
- Oats - by placing old-fashioned oats in the food processor and pulsing a few times, you create a healthy binder that is better than flour.
- Eggs - eggs help bind the burger. I originally didn't use eggs and found that they just didn't hold together like I wanted but just 1 egg makes all the difference. As mentioned above, you can use a vegan substitute.
- Bake - bake the patties before freezing or cooking the rest of the way. By baking the veggie burgers for 40 minutes (20 minutes per side), you allow the outside of the patties to develop a crust. You can then freeze from here or finish on the stove-top to develop a charred crust.
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