I don’t know about you, but I just love the combination of sweet potatoes and black beans. And in a burger … it’s a perfect fit!
My favorite restaurant at college in Chapel Hill was called the Flying Burrito, and my favorite dish was their “Flying Mayan” — a (whole wheat – augh) burrito with spiced sweet potatoes and black beans tucked inside. Ever since, I’ve been hooked on that flavor combination and I often make my own gluten free take on The Flying Mayan with my homemade gluten free flour tortillas.
But even more handy is to merge those delicious flavors into a veggie burger, don’t you think? That’s where these gluten free Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers were born.
I’ve experimented with a few other ingredient combinations (rice, wild rice, quinoa …) and they all work out to be yummy, it’s just how well they hold together into a veggie burger. Since there’s no egg or other binder, the sweet potatoes are the real meat of this healthy burger, and they take to these spices like they were born together.
Served on a homemade gluten free hamburger bun, it’s truly a match made in heaven.
What’s your favorite topping for a burger? Put it all on this homemade gluten free sweet potato black bean burger, and you’ll love it all the more!
Oh, and did I mention that these babies cook up perfectly in an air fryer?! So quick, too! Since there’s no meat or egg or dairy in this recipe, the only thing you need to do is cook them long enough to be hot or crunchy on the outside, which the air fryer is super good for. Otherwise, feel free to old school fry these veggie burgers or of course, to grill them.
If you’d like more information about air fryers and to find other gluten free recipes for air fryer, search “Air Fryer” in the search bar at the top of every page at gfJules.com or hop to my Air Fryer Review.
Ideally, allow time to wrap these gluten free sweet potato black bean burgers in plastic wrap and refrigerate to help them hold together better. It’s not an essential step if you’re pressed for time, but especially if grilling, you’ll want to budget time for some refrigeration first.
If you’d like to try another fun gluten free veggie burger recipe (made with lentils), hop to it! This one is more of an Asian flavor veggie burger — try them both and see which you like better!
Happy healthy burger season!
Gluten Free Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger Recipe
Gluten Free Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger Recipe
This delicious sweet potato and black bean flavor combination works insanely well as a gluten free and vegan veggie burger!
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato (~1 1/3 cups, cooked and mashed)
- 1 1/3 cup cooked rice, wild rice or quinoa
- 1 cup black beans, cooked or canned, rinsed and drained
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon dried onion or 1/4 cup+ diced onion
- 1 Tablespoon cumin
- 1 Tablespoon dried or 1/8 cup fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Boil or microwave one large sweet potato. Once fork tender, cut in half and set aside until cool enough to handle.
- Prepare rice, wild rice or quinoa according to package directions and set aside.
- Cook or rinse and drain canned black beans.
- Dice carrot (and onion if using fresh) and saute in 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil until soft.
- Mash sweet potato and add black beans. If you prefer for the beans to be more integrated and less obvious, mash the beans as well. Otherwise, add beans and rice to the sweet potatoes and stir to mix.
- Add carrot, onion and spices to the mixture and stir to integrate.
- Form the burgers into approximately 7 patties, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook and serve.
- AIr fry at 400F for approximately 8 minutes or pan saute or grill just until warmed through.
- Serve warm on a gluten free bun with your favorite toppings and condiments.
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Just make your sweet potato black bean burgers. The flavor was great but the Consistency was soft. I made them with quinoa so I think rice would make them firmer. I also broiled them in my toaster oven since I don’t have a large enough air fryer. Next time I will try rice and maybe even add a little breadcrumbs. Overall they were good.
Hi Phylis, the quinoa would definitely make a difference, but you should still be able to use it. Just remember that the consistency of the mash before cooking will largely be what you wind up with in the final burger, so if it’s too soft, then add the gluten free bread crumbs or more quinoa/rice or whatever else you prefer to get the texture where you like it before cooking so that you’re pleased with the burgers in the end. Same goes for if the burgers are too dry or crumbly before baking — add more moisture! I hope that helps! These are fun because there’s really any number of ingredient combos you can pick to make them your own!
~jules
This burger is delicious! The flavors are balanced out perfectly. It is not sweet. I froze the rest for a convenience food. Thank you!
So glad you loved this recipe, Leslee! I have started to double it when I make it because it really is SO good and I love to have LEFTOVERS!!!!!
~jules
These are very delicious! The spices really balance out the flavor. Quinoa gave it a nice texture. I am freezing the rest to have a nice vegan convenience food! Thank you!
I have been on a veggie burger kick lately and was looking for one with wild rice. The sweet potato is a bonus! I’m wondering how these might be with spinach added too.
Oh I bet that steamed spinach stirred in would be beautiful and tasty!!! Let me know how it goes!
~jules
Love the addition of sweet potato in here. I bet that lends great flavor. Can’t wait to try.
My husband wants to cut down on meat so this would be a great option.
I just made them again last night, Sandi, and the meat eaters and vegetarians alike all loved this recipe!
~jules
This looks incredible! I love veggie burgers. This sounds right up my alley 🙂 Have you tested how well they freeze?
This looks like the perfect picnic food for this summer!
It’s awesome — even cold!
~jules
What a great burger substitute! Can’t wait to try it out 🙂