I created this delicious black bean and sweet potato burger patty recipe so that it is very easy for anyone to make. In case you are wondering… no they do not fall apart – whoop whoop!

You’ll find that less effort is needed than other similar vegan burgers. I’ve intentionally kept them simple because I know that you are much more likely to make it if there is less fuss involved. You can freeze these black bean sweet potato burgers too making them excellent for budget batch-making.

Black bean sweet potato burgers that don’t fall apart!

People often ask me how they can stop their vegan black bean burgers from falling apart. I would say use this recipe haha! These black bean sweet potatoes do not fall apart.

A binder is super important. Having a good binder makes all the difference.

The trick to making good black bean sweet potato burgers is to get everything to squash together nicely. Both mashed or blended sweet potatoes and black beans act as a binder.

How easy is that!?!!

When you first make these you will probably find the mixture quite squidgy. If you put them in the fridge to chill you’ll soon notice that they firm up.

You’ll need to cook the sweet potatoes first to soften them

The sweet potatoes act as a binder for these black bean burgers. So you need to cook them first. 

For this recipe, I chose to boil the sweet potatoes for the simple reason that boiling is quicker than baking. Boiling also leaves a higher moisture content in the sweet potatoes. This means that not only do you get bigger black bean burgers, but they also are more moist and creamy. 

If you want to bake your sweet potatoes, then please know that baking also works. Keep in mind, however, baking will yield less volume of sweet potatoes (less weight) since the oven will suck out more of the moisture than boiling. This means your black bean burgers will be a little smaller than if you opt to bake rather than boil your sweet potatoes.

Canned versus freshly cooked black beans for burgers

You can use either canned and drained black beans or freshly boiled for this burger recipe. 

The main difference is that canned black beans are often softer and less black.

I am quite a fan of batch-making black beans. This is economical to do if you have a freezer since you can batch-make and then freeze them in containers for later use.

You can read all about black beans and how to cook them from dry here: How to cook black beans from scratch (and everything you need to know about them)

What are good spices and herbs to put in your black bean sweet potato burgers?

In addition to the natural nuttiness of the black beans, this recipe has a nice balance of warming spices. I am using smoked paprika, ground coriander and chili for a little bit of kick. In the right proportions (as per my recipe below), these spices lend themselves nicely to a delicious-tasting vegan burger.

I have also chosen to use dried onion to make things super simple for you. This saves you the bother of having to fry your onion. Because let’s face it we all love less washing up! Dried onion powder gives a nice layer of depth and subtle intensity to your black bean burgers.

Sweet potato is also a key ingredient, bringing in a very gentle, healthy sweetness.

You’ll definintely find a nice balance of flavours in this black bean and sweet potato burger. Scroll down for the recipe (you are almost there).

Continue to Content

Black bean sweet potato burgers

Yield: 8 to 10 patties

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Black bean and sweet potato burgers that don't fall apart. Delicious, nutritious, gluten-free and vegan.

Print

Ingredients

• 750g (1⅔ lbs) sweet potato
• 500g (1⅒ lbs) black beans
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon crushed chili in a jar (or ¼ teaspoon chili powder)
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• Small handful fresh parsley

Instructions

1. First thing is to boil your sweet potatoes. If they are not organic then peel the skin off. If they are organic they you can leave the skin on if you prefer, for extra goodness. Chop them into cubes and boil for about 15 minutes or until you can pierce a fork through them.
2. If you are using canned beans then this recipe needs about 2 cans drained. It doesn't matter if your weight is slightly under or over. Drain your beans very thoroughly. If you have cooked your own black beans instead then measure 500g (or about 1lb).
3. Crush your garlic cloves.
4. Chop your parlsey, finely or roughly.
5. Once the sweet potato is cooked you need to throughly drain off the water. You can wait for it to cool down or make the burgers when the sweet potato is still warm.
6. Add all ingredients into a mixing bowl and either mash with a potato masher or use a hand blender to blend the ingredients together. Make sure everything is thoroughly mixed while leaving some whole beans or rustic chunks of sweet potato.
7. Shape into patties. You should get 8 to 10 depending on size.
8. If your mixture is warn then they will be softer. I recommend chilling your shaped burgers in the fridge for a while before you use them, if you have time. They will firm up nicely. If you don't have time then you can use them as they are.

Baking your black bean burgers...

1. You can bake these in a hot oven (say 200C/400F or slightly lower) for about 25 minutes and they will tan nicely on the outside.
2. Alternatively you can grill or broil them. 7 minutes on each side should be perfect. You can also fry them.
3. These black bean sweet potato burgers freeze well. Simply separate layers with parchment paper in a plastic or glass container with a lid. You can either defrost before use and cook as above or bake from frozen, allowing a little extra time for thorough baking.

Notes

Baking or boiling your sweet potato? You can bake your sweet potato instead of boiling, but please note you will end up with less volume as baking sucks out the moisture.

Alternative to black beans? You can use a different bean instead of black beans, but please note the end result may be softer or firmer.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Other gluten-free vegan black bean recipes… 

How to cook black beans from dry?

Pin your black bean sweet potato burgers recipe
for later…