Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burger

This Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burger is a great way to switch things up on burger night. Packed with good-for-you ingredients, these burgers are scrumptious and fulfilling. Perfect for lunch, dinner, or as a fun addition to lunchboxes. They can also be prepped ahead of time, perfect for freezing and having on hand for a busy day.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burger

Full disclosure: making these sweet potato and black bean burgers is going to take more time than it would to put together a beef patty.

BUT most of the time needed is hands-off oven time; not actually requiring any effort on your part, which is a huge bonus!

It is super popular with all 3 kids and my beef burger loving husband, and I was able to cram a helluva lot of veggies in there, which is always a big win in my books.

This recipe is:

• vegetarian (vegan options provided below),
• gluten-free (we use almond meal instead of regular flour to bind the burgers together),
• egg-free,
• easily made allergy-friendly with a few easy substitutions,
• freezer-friendly,
• easily meal prepped in advance.

How To Make These Vegetarian Burgers The Same Shape So They Cook At The Same Time.

This is one of my favorite kitchen hacks.

To make these burgers all the exact same size, use a measuring cup lined with cling wrap to make perfect little circle patties.

I tend to use ⅓ cup sizes for my burgers but have also used ¼ cup to make mini burgers to serve as little sliders.

A Note On Ingredients For Making The Perfect Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burger.

We fit A LOT of veggies into these burgers.

Like a lot.

Here are some tips and substitutions to make these veggie burgers work for you:

• Sweet potatoes: can sub in regular potato or pumpkin if preferred
• Baby spinach: can sub in shredded kale or English spinach
• Black beans: can sub in other beans like cannellini or chickpea if preferred. You can also make your own slow cooker black beans if you prefer to have control over salt content.
• Feta cheese: can sub in vegan feta to make these burgers vegan
• Almond meal: this is used to keep the burgers gluten-free, however, if you are avoiding nuts, regular flour can easily be subbed 1:1. You could also sub out the almond flour for some oat flour if you still want it to stay gluten-free.

Hack: Make Your Own Almond Meal

To make your own almond meal, or any other nut meal, you don’t have to make a special trip to the grocery store.

Simply place some almonds in a food processor and pulse them until they resemble a slightly coarse flour.

How To Serve Bean Burgers

When it comes to serving the burgers, use your creativity and make it the most epic burger imaginable, or you can keep it super simple.

You do you.

We like to serve a freshly cooked sweet potato and black bean burger with some lettuce, tomato, mayo, red onion, and lots of avocado on a seeded bun.

They are also great:

• wrapped in some lettuce leaves if you want to keep things lower in carbs. Baby cos, baby gem, and iceberg lettuce work well for this
• the burgers are great thrown into wraps for lunch with some salad leaves and a dollop of hummus
• serve with a side of easy sweet potato skins

I promise that even the most staunch beef burger advocate will be surprised at how tasty these burgers are, especially when fully loaded in a delicious bun.

Tips, Tricks, and Substitutions

Can Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger Be Fried Instead Of Baked?

These veggie burgers can definitely be fried if that is your preference, however I have found that they hold together a lot better if they are baked.

Plus it means you don't have to stand over the stove and watch them - just pop them in the oven and let the timer do the work for you.

They can also be cooked in the air-fryer if you have one.

To cook in the airfryer: You may have to work in batches depending on the size of your machine. Cook in the air fryer for about 5 minutes on each side.

Can These Burgers Be Frozen?

Once cooked, these burgers can be cooled and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days.

This recipe is also great for freezing and eating later.

Simply place the cooked and cooled burgers in a single layer in a airtight container and store in the freezer for about 2 months.

Can These Be Made Vegan?

Without the feta cheese these burgers would be vegan.

Simply omit the cheese or substitute it for some vegan feta cheese (some vegan cheese around these days are amazing!).

Happy Eating

xx

Recipe

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burger

Whole Food Bellies

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers are a great veggie burger option that are both filling and delicious. A Fantastic way to sneak vegetables into the kids.

4.87 from 44 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipes!

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Anytime

Servings 12 serves

Calories 130 kcal

Clicking any equipment link above will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 cups cubed sweet potatoes
• 2 tbsp plus 2 tsp avocado oil, divided (or cooking oil of choice)
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch salt
• ½ red onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 cups baby spinach,
• 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped
• ½ cup almond meal See notes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
• Place the cubed sweet potatoes on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with 2 teaspoon avocado oil. Sprinkle with cinnamon and a pinch of salt and toss to coat. Roast the sweet potatoes for 25 minutes, turning once halfway through the cooking time, until tender and lightly browned. Reduce oven to 375 degrees.
• Heat a tablespoon of avocado oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Add the cumin and paprika and cook for one more minute until the spices are nice and toasty. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a food processor and set aside
• In the same saucepan, heat the remaining tablespoon avocado oil over medium heat. When hot, add the chopped spinach and a pinch of salt and cook for 4-5 minutes until wilted and tender. Transfer to the food processor bowl with the onions. Pulse for a couple of seconds until well combined but not a paste
• Add the roasted sweet potatoes and black beans to a large bowl. Mash until the end result is quite smooth but still with some chunks. Add in the feta cheese, cilantro, onion mixture and almond meal. Stir to combine.
• Line a ⅓ cup measuring cup with plastic wrap and a baking tray with parchment paper. Fill the lined measuring cup with the sweet potato mixture and push down lightly to ensure the burger will stay together. Lift out and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
• Pop the burgers in the oven for about 35 mins, flipping after 20 mins to ensure even cooking.
• Serve on fresh bread, buns or lettuce leaves with sliced avocado, mayo, red onion and tomatoes.

Notes

For the almond meal just pulse some almonds in a blender or food processor until they resemble a fine meal. Alternatively, use any nut or oat flour of choice. Regular old wheat flour works as well.

Store leftovers covered in the fridge for a few days or freeze for longer term storage.

Nutrition

Calories: 130kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 5gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 70mgPotassium: 242mgFiber: 4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 3740IUVitamin C: 2.6mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 1.4mg

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment HERE and let us know how it was!

This post has been updated from the original June 2019 post to include more information for readers.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Don’t forget to follow Whole Food Bellies on Pinterest for more recipe inspiration! Or if Pinterest isn’t your style, bookmark this post! Let’s keep the conversation going- join my Facebook group! 

If you liked this recipe, here are a few other dinner recipes you’re sure to love!

• Vegan Tomato Cream Sauce with Pasta
• One Pan Lemon Parmesan Chicken with Garlic Butter Veggies
• Instant Pot Lemongrass Beef Brisket Noodle Soup Salad Bowl
• Air Fryer Paleo Meatloaf Sliders
• Vegetarian Sausage Rolls