Warmer weather is here, which means so is grilling season! While this used to mean vegans and vegetarians were SOL for menu options, today is a new day, and now veggie burgers are all the rage. Seriously, they’ve come so far from the grassy, cardboard patties they used to be, to now evolving into drool-worthy versions like this Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger, that I highly recommend pairing with my Ultimate Guacamole!
This is a recipe I have played with and adapted many times over the years, and that’s really the beauty of it. You can adjust the ingredients slightly to your taste buds, so long as you can still get the patty to come together. Want a touch a sweetness? Add some corn. Want more salty crunch? Add some tortilla chips or crispy onions. Don’t have sunflower seeds? Any nut will work! The one detail I will never skip out on though, is topping the burger with my Ultimate Guacamole, or even just fresh avocado, because it makes the flavors come together even more, and adds the buttery goodness that avocado does to literally ANYTHING you put it on!
While I don’t actually grill these Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers, they are the perfect substitute for non-meat eaters at your summer parties, so they can still feel included 😉 Plus, between the black beans (feel free to add another can if you want!), quinoa, oats, and flax, they’re still packing a protein punch, while also adding in a dose of healthy fibers and numerous vitamins + minerals.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do, be sure to tag me if you share on social media!
- Yield: 8
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cooked sweet potato
- 1 cup cooked quinoa - heaping
- 1T avocado oil
- 1 large red onion - minced
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 2T ground flaxseed + 5T water*
- 1 can black beans - drained and rinsed
- 3/4 cup oat flour - simply oats ground very fine
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds - finely chopped pistachios work too!
- 2T packed fresh cilantro
- 1T dried oregano
- 2 tsps chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp adobo sauce - this doesn't make the burger spicy, add more if you like heat!
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- juice from one lime or lemon
- Avocado/Guacamole - for serving!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut 3-5 slits into a whole sweet potato, place on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and bake 30-40 minutes, until soft. (You want the potato to be soft and mashable, but not super caramelized, or else your burger will be very "sticky" and hard to form). *This can be done up to 5 days in advance.* When the potato is done, turn the oven heat down to 375F if baking the burgers the same day.
- Cook quinoa according to package instructions. *Can also be done up to 5 days in advance.
- Preheat the oven to 375F, if you haven't done so already.
- Preheat a medium skillet with the avocado oil. Add the minced onion and sauté 5-6 minutes until soft. Crush the garlic into the skillet, cooking another minute until fragrant.
- In a small bowl, combine the flax seed and water and allow to sit 5 minutes to form the "flax egg"
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked sweet potato, quinoa, onion, garlic, and drained and rinsed beans. Using a handheld masher, or a large fork, mix and mash together until the beans are mostly smashed.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients, including the flax egg, adjusting the seasonings to taste. If the batter feels too sticky (as mentioned above) add more oat flour, 1T at a time.
- Form the mixture into 8 even burger patties, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 375F 30-35 minutes, flipping halfway through. If you want them extra crisp, place under the broiler 1-2 minutes at the end. Serve hot garnished with avocado, guacamole, and/or salsa!
*If you're not vegan, you could replace this with two eggs