Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers
on Oct 25, 2023, Updated Jul 13, 2026
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These Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers are hearty, smoky, naturally vegan, and surprisingly sturdy. Unlike many homemade veggie burgers that crumble apart, these patties hold together beautifully thanks to mashed sweet potato, black beans, oats, and ground flaxseed.
They’re perfect for baking, pan-frying, grilling or air frying, making them an easy meatless dinner that’s packed with fibre, plant-based protein and flavour.
5-Star Review
Love this recipe. So flavorful! I make the whole batch and freeze some for later. They heat up really well in the air fryer.
Why You’ll Love Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers
- Blend of sweet, spicy and smoky flavours.
- Hold their shape making them ideal for baking, pan frying, grilling or air frying.
- Vegan, gluten-free, nut-free so suitable for a variety of dietary needs.
- Each burger contains approximately 7 grams of plant-based protein, nearly 9 grams of fibre and just 160 calories, making them a satisfying option for lunch or dinner.
- Easy to make with simple ingredients.
- Freezer-friendly and great for meal prep.
- Perfect for BBQ season.
- Customizable with different spices and vegetables.
- Serve on a bun or as a salad topper.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make the recipe and any substitutions you can make. Use the recipe card with the full list of ingredients and measurements at the bottom of the post when you’re ready to make the recipe.
- Black Beans: Canned works great, just drain, rinse and you’re ready to go. Kidney beans or white beans also work here. Black beans provide protein, fibre and structure. Be sure to drain and rinse them well to remove excess moisture.
- Sweet Potato: You’ll need about 1 cup cooked, use this method for baking sweet potatoes beforehand. Mashed sweet potato acts as both the binder and moisture source in these burgers. Orange sweet potatoes create the best texture, though white sweet potatoes or yams can also be used.
- Corn: Corn can be thawed frozen or canned that has been drained and rinsed.
- Oats: Quick oats produce the best texture, but rolled oats can be used if pulsed a few times in a blender or food processor first.
- Flax: Helps to bind the recipe. Make sure you use ground flaxseeds, not whole flax seed.
- Jalapeno: Adds a bit of heat and flavor, make sure you de-seed it otherwise they’ll be very spicy. You can omit the jalapeno if you’re sensitive to spice.
Variations & Additions
- Spicy Burgers: Add diced 1-2 chipotle peppers, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 2 tsp chili powder, or 1 tbsp adobo sauce or hot sauce to the burger mixture for a fiery twist.
- Add Herbs: Mix in fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley, or chives for a burst of freshness.
- Cheesy Burgers: Integrate up to 1/2 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese or 2 tbsp nutritional yeast into the burger mixture.
- Nutty: Add up to 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans for more texture.
- Quinoa: Add up to 1/2 cup cooked quinoa for additional protein and texture.
- Extra Veggies: You can add up to 1 cup shredded carrot or 1 red or green pepper. Cut the pepper into small chunks before adding to food processor with the onion and jalapeno.
- Slaw: This Apple Beet Slaw, Spicy Carrot Slaw, Quick Pickled Red Onions or the sesame slaw from this Peanut Chickpea Tacos recipe are all good veggie burger toppings.
- Bowl: Crumble the burger over a vegan grain bowl or power bowl with quinoa or brown rice, mixed greens, roasted vegetables, and a drizzle of tahini dressing.
- Breakfast: Serve the burger patty with avocado and this Tofu Scramble Recipe for a high-protein vegan breakfast.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Quick Tip: You will need 1 medium or 1 cup of cooked sweet potato for this recipe. If you don’t have that prepared, start that first. You can use this tutorial for how to bake sweet potatoes or prepare them any way you normally would.
Step 1. Add the jalapeno and onion chunks to a food processor and pulse a few times to process into a rough chop.
Step 2. Add the cooked sweet potato and drained black beans, reserving ⅓ cup of the beans. Pulse until mostly smooth, leaving some texture. Avoid over processing, as a few whole beans help create a better burger texture.
Step 3. Add the food processor mix and the rest of the ingredients, including the reserved beans, to a bowl and mix. Chill the mixture in the fridge for 20 minutes while you pre-heat the oven to 400F.
Step 4. Shape into 6 patties. Bake for 10-15 minutes, carefully flip, then bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned and heated through.
Cooking Methods
You can cook these burgers in the oven, air fryer or on a BBQ or they can be pan-fried.
- Grill: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and oil the grates well. Chill the shaped patties in the fridge for an extra 20-30 minutes before grilling so they hold together better on the heat. Grill for 4-5 minutes per side, flipping only once with a wide spatula (not tongs), until well marked and heated through.
- Air Fry: Preheat the air fryer to 350°F. Cook for about 5 minutes per side, flipping halfway through, until firm and lightly golden.
- Baking: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes per side, flipping once, until firm and lightly browned. Spray with a bit of oil for extra browning.
- Pan Fry: Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat with a touch of oil or cooking spray. Cook for 3-5 minutes per side until golden and heated through.
Expert Tips
- Don’t overprocess the beans. Leave a few whole or partially mashed beans for the best texture. Over processing can make the burgers dense and mushy.
- Drain the beans well. Excess moisture is one of the main reasons veggie burgers become soft or fall apart.
- Chill the mixture for at least 20 minutes. This allows the oats and flax to absorb moisture, making the patties much easier to shape and helping them stay together while cooking.
- Wet your hands before shaping. If the mixture feels sticky, lightly damp hands make forming the patties much easier.
- Don’t flip too early. Let the burgers cook until a crust forms before turning them. This helps prevent breaking.
- Adjust the consistency if needed. If the mixture seems too wet, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of extra oats. If it’s too dry, add 1 tablespoon of mashed sweet potato or a splash of water.
- For grilling, chill the patties first. Refrigerate shaped patties for an additional 20-30 minutes before grilling to help them hold their shape.
Recipe FAQs
If your burgers are falling apart, the mixture is usually too wet or wasn’t chilled long enough. Make sure the black beans are well drained, measure the cooked sweet potato accurately, and refrigerate the mixture for at least 20 minutes before shaping. If needed, mix in an extra tablespoon or two of oats.
Yes. Finely chop the onion and jalapeño by hand, then mash the cooked sweet potato and most of the black beans with a potato masher or fork. Stir everything together in a large bowl until well combined, leaving some of the beans whole for texture.
Yes. You can prepare the burger mixture up to 24 hours in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator. You can also shape the patties ahead of time so they’re ready to cook when needed.
Yes. These burgers hold together well on the grill, but they work best when chilled first. Cook over medium heat on a clean, lightly oiled grill for about 4-5 minutes per side, flipping carefully with a wide spatula.
Yes. Air fry at 375°F (190°C) for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. Lightly spray the patties with oil for a crisp, golden exterior.
Yes. You can freeze the patties either cooked or uncooked for up to 3 months. Freeze them in a single layer until solid before transferring to a freezer-safe container or bag with parchment paper between each patty.
For the best texture, reheat in a 350°F oven or 350°F air fryer for 8-10 minutes until heated through. Microwaving works but softens the exterior.
At least one reader made these with regular potato instead because their family doesn’t care for sweet potato, and it still turned out well. Good to know if you want the texture without the sweetness. I haven’t tested this myself.
Yes. If you can’t do corn, just leave it out, or swap in finely diced bell pepper for the same pop of texture and color.
Storing and Freezing
- Fridge: Store cooked, cooled patties in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer at 350°F for 8-10 minutes rather than the microwave, which softens the crisp exterior.
- Freezing cooked patties: Let the patties cool completely, then arrange in a single layer on a parchment-lined tray and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag or container, separating layers with parchment so they don’t stick together. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in the oven or air fryer at 375°F for 12-15 minutes, or thaw in the fridge overnight first and reheat for 8-10 minutes.
- Freezing raw patties: Shape the patties and freeze them raw the same way, on a tray until solid, then bag them up. This is the better option if you want fresh-cooked texture later. Cook straight from frozen, adding about 5 extra minutes to the bake, pan-fry, or air fry time in each method above.
If you make this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I love to hear from you. Thanks for trying my recipes! – Deryn
Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers
Ingredients
- ½ medium red onion
- 1 jalapeno, stem and seeds removed
- 1 can black beans (15 oz), drained and rinsed
- 1 medium sweet potato, cooked, peel removed (about 1 cup cooked, approx. 300 g)
- ⅓ cup corn kernels, canned or frozen
- ¾ cup quick oats, 75 g
- 3 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
- 2 tbsp ground flax seed
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- pinch of black pepper
Instructions
- Slice the onion into wedges; the jalapeno in half and remove seeds, and add both a food processor. Pulse a few times to roughly chop.
- Add cooked sweet potato and the drained and rinsed black beans, reserving ⅓ cup beans. Process until mostly smooth. Do not over process the beans
- Add remaining ingredients, including reserved beans, to a medium mixing bowl. Add processed potato mixture to bowl and stir to combine.
- Place the bowl of burger ingredients in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes. During this time, preheat the oven to 400 F if baking, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Once chilled, divide the mixture into 6 patties (or up to 8 depending on size) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes each side, spraying with oil if desired. If not baking, burgers may also be pan-fried for 3-5 minutes on each side in a good non-stick pan, using non-stick cooking spray or a touch of oil to cook, if needed.
- Serve on a bun with your favourite burger toppings such as mustard, ketchup, onion, lettuce and tomato.
Made these today and they were super yuuummy!! I also substituted the oats for millet flakes and everything held well together 🙂 Will definitely make it again, thanks for this lovely recipe.
I have tried other recipes.
This is the best so far !
Holds together well….awesome flavors!
Freezes well.
Thank you
From a happy family in New Zealand !
You’re welcome, from Canada! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I love peanut butter however my granddaughter has a severe allergy to it so we don’t have it our house. I wanted to try the other recipe you had but it has peanut butter so I will try these are they sound delicious. If you have other recipes that are peanut free, I would love to try them.
You can use almond butter or sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter in the other one, and more or less make that substitution for any of my recipes that use peanut butter. I also have this quinoa burger if you’re looking for burgers.
Mmmmm!
So good. Love the recipe.
I am seriously getting hooked on Deryn’s recipes. They are so simple, easy and delicious! I am new to plant-based cooking and have been looking for a great burger recipe for some time now. I loved the south-west flavours and all of the vegetables! Another amazing recipe – I can’t wait to try another!!
We can’t do corn – what would you suggest in substitute? Extra black beans?
You should be able to leave it out or maybe do some diced bell peppers. Enjoy!
I love the simple and healthy ingredients, the straight forward way of making i, the texture and the final product.
My daughter has celiac, and she was so excited to eat it and said it is the best GF, vegan patty we have made so far at home.
One thing I will add is maybe ginger or curry or another spice to balance the sweetness from the sweet potatoes.
Thanks, Deryn, for sharing this amazing recipe with us!!
These sound so good! Would luv to make them but OATS are not my friend anymore! My digestive system isn’t having it. lol Any thing else I could use??
You could try quinoa flakes or breadcrumbs. Let me know if you try it!
I made these with regular potato cos my family doesn’t like sweet potato and they turned out lovely.
Excellent! Full approval from all at dinner last night. Don’t skip chilling in the fridge step. I think that helps with shaping and keeping them from falling apart. PLan to make more to stick in freezer and would like to try BBQ for cooking. PS. spicy chickpea burgers are also a favourite.
So glad you enjoyed them!