Vegan Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers (Printable version)

Hearty plant-based patties with roasted sweet potatoes and black beans, served with creamy zesty avocado lime sauce.

# What you need:

→ For the Burgers

01 - 1 large sweet potato (about 12.3 oz), peeled and cubed
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 can (14 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
04 - 1/2 cup rolled oats
05 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
08 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
09 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
13 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

→ For the Avocado Lime Sauce

14 - 1 ripe avocado
15 - 2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
17 - 1 garlic clove
18 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
19 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ To Serve

20 - 4 vegan burger buns
21 - Lettuce leaves
22 - Tomato slices
23 - Red onion slices

# Steps to follow:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Toss sweet potato cubes with olive oil and spread on the tray. Roast for 20-25 minutes until tender. Let cool slightly.
02 - In a food processor, pulse oats into coarse meal. Add roasted sweet potato, black beans, red onion, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, pepper, cilantro, and lime juice. Pulse until just combined but still chunky, avoiding overmixing.
03 - Shape mixture into 4 equal burger patties. Place on a plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up.
04 - Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Lightly oil the surface and cook patties for 4-5 minutes per side until crisp and golden brown.
05 - Blend avocado, vegan mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic clove, and cilantro in a blender or food processor until smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
06 - Toast burger buns if desired. Assemble with lettuce, tomato, red onion, sweet potato black bean patty, and a generous dollop of avocado lime sauce. Serve immediately.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • They're naturally hearty enough that you won't miss meat, and the spice blend makes your kitchen smell incredible while they cook.
  • The avocado lime sauce is bright and creamy without any dairy, making every bite feel indulgent instead of restricted.
  • You can make the patties ahead and freeze them, so weeknight dinners become actually doable.
02 -
  • If you overmix the burger mixture, you'll end up with dense, heavy patties instead of ones with interesting texture—pulse just until combined and stop.
  • Letting the patties chill really does make the difference between ones that hold together beautifully and ones that fall apart on the skillet.
03 -
  • Don't skip roasting the sweet potato—it's what transforms this from mushy to magnificent, and it takes the same time as prepping everything else.
  • The moment you see the edges of your patties turn golden brown, that's when they're actually done; overcooking is the only real way to ruin them.
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