Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers

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If your burger night could use a little shake-up, these Sweet Potato Black Bean burgers are the upgrade you didn’t know you needed! 

Veggie burgers can sometimes get a bad wrap, but these are hearty, flavorful, and anything but boring! If you’re looking for a plant-based dinner option that actually satisfies, these black bean burgers will check all the boxes. Mashed black beans and sweet potatoes create a soft, hearty base while sautéed onion, garlic, and green chilis add warmth and depth to each bite. These patties are baked on a sheet pan for easy cooking!

Serve on a bun of choice with lettuce, spicy aioli and pickled onions makes the perfect balance of savory, creamy and tangy. Perfect for weeknight dinners, meal preppings or casual hosting!!

Why You’ll Love This Black Bean Burger Recipe

• A delicious plant-based meal! If you’re on the hunt for a plant-based meal that delivers in presentation and flavor, these black bean burgers check all the boxes. 
• Oven-baked and easy! No need to fire up the grill. These patties are baked on a sheet pan for easy, hands-off cooking. 
• Super cozy! The hearty black bean and sweet potato mixture is seasoned with a warm cumin spice mixture that makes these a super cozy dinner option.

How to Make Black Bean Burgers, Step by Step

Step 1: Preheat the oven and roast the sweet potato.

Start by roasting the sweet potatoes in the oven. You’ll want to roast them in the oven at a high temperature of 425°F for 25-30 minutes. Once you take them out of the oven, make sure to let them cool for about 10-15 minutes.

How to roast a sweet potato: Slice the sweet potato in half lengthwise. Use a fork to poke holes in the skin-side of the sweet potato. (This will help to release steam as the sweet potatoes cook.) Drizzle the potatoes with some olive oil and use your hands to rub the oil on the surface. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet flat-side-down.

Step 2: Sauté onions, garlic, and chilis.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking in the oven, fire up a stovetop burner to saute the onions. 

You’ll saute the onions and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat. You will season and cook down the onions, garlic, and green chilis until they are soft. They’ll develop a warm, rich flavor that is going to taste delicious when mixed in the burgers.

Step 3. Mash the mixture and form into black bean patties.

Once your sweet potatoes and onions are cooked, grab a large mixing bowl to mix and mash the black bean patties. 

Everything in your mixing bowl:

• Sweet potato insides
• 2 cans black beans (drained)
• Sautéed seasoned onion mixture
• Eggs (lightly whisked)
• Panko egg crumbs
• Fresh cilantro

Start by mashing sweet potato and black beans with a fork. It’s okay to have some whole beans not mashed. Once you have the black bean-sweet potato base, mix in the onions, cilantro, panko, and eggs until the mixture comes together. 

Using your hands, form the mixture into even-sized patties. We recommend scooping about 1/2 cup of veggie burger mixture for each burger. One batch of this mixture will make about 6 large black bean burger patties.

Step 4. Bake, assemble, and enjoy your burgers!

Place the patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes on each side, flipping halfway through. This will make them crispy on both sides. 

While they’re baking, mix the aioli sauce and prep the rest of your burger toppings. 

Tips for Making Black Bean Burgers

• Use bread crumbs and eggs as binders. Unlike meat patties, veggie patties need something extra to hold them together. Breadcrumbs and eggs are going to create structure to hold these burgers together as they cook.
• Flip the burgers halfway through. To get crispy edges on both sides of the burgers, flip them halfway through cooking. Start by cooking them for 10 minutes on one side before flipping them to cook an additional 10 minutes on the other side.
• Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. These burgers can tend to stick to the surfaces they are cooking on, so make sure to like your baking sheet with parchment paper for easy, stress-free removal.
• Add extra seasonings. Black beans can taste pretty bland by themselves, so we recommend adding herbs, seasonings, and spices to enhance the flavor. We blended a mixture of chilis, cumin, smoked paprika, onion powder, cilantro, and lime juice to give the patties a vibrant flavor.

What is a good binder for burgers?

Breadcrumbs and eggs are a great binder for veggie burgers.  If you are looking for a gluten-free option, we recommend swapping breadcrumbs with gluten-free oats or almond flour.

Do I need a food processor to make these sweet potato black bean burgers?

Fancy equipment is not necessary for these burgers! You can easily mash the patty mixture with a fork. It may take a bit more muscle 

How to Serve Black Bean Burgers

Serve these burgers sandwiched between a bun or go bunless! Whatever your preference, you are going to have a delicious burger. 

These burgers are pretty forgiving and pair well with any of your favorite burger toppings. We love our burgers on brioche buns and topped with lettuce, cheese, pickled red onions, and aioli sauce.

Serve with a side of: chips, roasted veggies, French fries or a side salad. 

How to Store Black Bean Burgers

If you have leftovers, store the cooked burgers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 30-40 seconds or in the oven at 300ºF for 5-8 minutes until warm.

Recipes for parties and hosting:

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