There is nothing that makes me salivate more than barbecue sauce. I’m so not even kidding, I literally start salivating at the first smell and sign of it. Maybe it’s because I grew up on barbecue, I’m not sure, but it remains my favorite flavor component of a meal to this day. When you add it to sweet potato chickpea burgers, it becomes insane.
One thing that does not make me salivate is chickpeas. Chickpea burgers, in particular. The smell of chickpeas and the taste leaves a lot to be desired. Now, I LOVE hummus, but that is because the chickpeas are totally creamed and masked with lots of lemon juice and spices. I have never found a chickpea burger recipe that I have liked, as they are always SO DRY. And, well, they taste too strong of chickpeas.
Well, I finally conquered that chickpea burger problem. I masked the flavor with my great love of barbecue sauce….and oh boy, this barbecue sauce. Fat-free barbecue sauce that is so delicious! I created a new barbecue sauce recipe to use in these burgers. Now, you don’t HAVE TO make this one below, you can use storebought to keep the recipe under 8 ingredients, but I’d highly recommend making my version as that is what I tested these burgers with and it’s soooooooooooo dang good. I have another barbecue sauce on my blog that is the component in my Oat-Free Spicy Barbecue Lentil Loaf and it has been super popular, however, there were a few people who didn’t like how spicy it was and who don’t like molasses.
Well, this barbecue sauce is without spicy heat and molasses and I’ll be damned if I don’t like it better. It is the epitome of the barbecue sauce I grew up on and I borderline, wanted to drink it. Now, if you choose to go with a storebought barbecue sauce or your own homemade version, then this recipe is only 4 ingredients (+ salt)! Wow. I really recommend my barbecue sauce below though since that is what I tested it with.
Another ingredient I used to mask the chickpea flavor and further enhance the smoky barbecue sauce flavor is sweet potatoes! My word, these vegan smoky barbecue sweet potato chickpea burgers are so flipping fantastic and smells insane as they are baking.
After the huge success of my Fat-Free Baked Mexican Black Bean Burgers using potatoes and cornmeal, I was dying to create another burger.Those have been SO popular, in fact, many saying it is the best vegan burger they’ve had and is now their GO-TO burger. Well, add this one to the list. These are moist, not dry like most chickpea burgers, crispy exterior and full of barbecue flavor.
You have to make these…they take just minimal prep, no food appliance needed to blend, no oil and they are super healthy and baked, not fried.
Looking for more healthy oil-free baked veggie and/or bean burgers? Check out this amazing Black Bean Burger!
I can’t wait to hear what you think! It’s super important to me to hear your successes in the kitchen, so please leave me feedback after you make these below! In addition, you can tag me with your photo on Instagram @thevegan8 with my hashtag #thevegan8!
Smoky Barbecue Sweet Potato Chickpea Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can low-sodium 425g chickpeas, drained and rinsed well (or 1 1/2 cups cooked, 255g)
- 1 cup cooked mashed sweet potato (230 g, either roasted whole or microwaved, don't steam)
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons smoky barbecue sauce either your favorite storebought or my recipe below is recommended!
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder optional for kick of heat
- Optional veggie add-ins: corn green onions, chopped parsley (I didn't add any)
- 1/4 cup coarse medium-grind cornmeal not corn flour (it must be medium-grind or the burgers will be too mushy, I use Bob's Red Mill)
- 5 Minute Smoky Barbecue Sauce makes about 1 1/4 cups
- 1 cup tomato puree/sauce mine has added salt only
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke don't omit!
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce I use a vegan & gluten-free one from Whole Foods
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- If making my barbecue sauce (recommended!!) then simply combine the "5 minute smoky barbecue sauce" ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Now, try not to eat it all with a spoon. It tastes even better after sitting in the fridge overnight, so make it the day before the burgers if possible. You will only need 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons of the sauce for the burgers, reserve the rest for topping the burgers with.
- Next, cook your sweet potato whole (with skin on) either by roasting it at 400 degrees (fahrenheit, 205 degrees celsius) until super soft or cook it in the microwave. Steaming or boiling is not recommended, as too much water will get in the potatoes. Let it cool some before peeling off the skin and mash it completely with a fork. Measure out 1 cup fully filled (no gaps) mashed sweet potato.
- Drain and rinse your chickpeas and pat dry. Add them to a large bowl and mash completely with a fork to where no visible whole chickpeas remain. Add the cooled potato to the chickpeas.
- Add the barbecue sauce (only 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons), cornmeal, salt and chili powder (if using) to the mix and stir until combined and thick. Taste and add any more salt if needed or spice. Note: the batter will be moist and soft, not stiff like you might expect, but they will be completely firm by the end of baking. Place in the fridge for at least 20 minutes to firm up some.
- Preheat an oven to 375 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Form the mixture into patties using a 1/2 cup measuring cup. You will get 5 burgers this way. If you want them more slider size, use a 1/4 cup. The mixture should be fairly easy to form into patties with your hands. Flatten them to about 3/4 inch.
- Bake for 30 minutes on the first side. It will take this long to cook before you will be able to flip them. Remove and you must flip them carefully using a metal spatula. Using a spatula should make it fairly easy to slide it underneath the burgers. They should have started to form a cooked bottom. It they are sticking too much, cook them a few minutes longer until they come up better. After flipped, cook 10-15 more minutes until they have a nice golden brown top. The longer you cook them, the crispier the exterior will be. Let them cool 10 minutes to firm up some before eating.
- Layer your burgers with avocado,tomatoes, extra barbecue sauce, lettuce or any toppings you desire!
OK – I’m heading to the store to get sweet potatoes because I’m so excited to try this!
Awesome, let me know how they turn out please, yay! Thanks Valerie!
I stumbled upon this blog while on pinterest, and normally I don’t really pick up interest on the blogs since I’m on a manhunt to find that delicious recipe!
However, The fact that you have so many Gluten Free AND Vegan recipes makes my heart and stomach sing! I’ll be looking at this blog more often!
I made these today. YUM! ” Winner winner chickpea dinner” lol
Don’t throw away the chickpea liquid from the can! You can whip it like egg whites to make mousse. Google aquafab meringue or vegan meringue or chickpea liquid whip
Hi Car! Oh yes, I’m very familiar with that, I’ve seen it everywhere on the web but I’m thoroughly grossed out by the chickpea smell and especially the liquid so I’m not quite brave enough (yet) to try it, lol! Maybe one day. 🙂
I totally saved my juice to try it! Can’t wait!
I was just thinking “Oh its Saturday, let’s go see what new recipe goodness Brandi is up to!” These little burgers look like they might explode with flavor. For real!
Awww Natalie, that made me smile, thank you so much for catching on to my Saturday posts! I was actually thinking of switching them to Fridays instead since people seem to be so darn busy on Saturdays! Oh, and yes, tons of flavor! I needed to mask the chickpeas as much as I could…I just don’t like their flavor too much, but they are yummy when seasoned right and at first I was just using chickpeas and barbecue sauce and then I thought, NO, this needs sweet potato….it solved the moisture issue AND complimented the bbq flavor 🙂
Wow Woman! You’re becoming quite the ‘Burger Queen’ lately. Those look spectacular…particularly since I’m doing a Raw diet this month. Mouth watering indeed!!!!!
Burger Queen….I like the sound of that, thank you so much Angela!!
Not familiar with ‘liquid smoke’ – do you think using smokey paprika would work?
Love your site! I’m new to it and enjoying it a lot.
Hi Jane! Liquid smoke can be found at any grocery store in the condiment section usually near the soy sauce, bbq sauces, etc. It’s a small skinny bottle and cheap. It really does give that signature flavor differently than smoked paprika, so that would be best! However, if you want to do smoked paprika, start out with 1 teaspoon and taste and add more if you like, but get the liquid smoke if you can, it’s worth it. Let me know after you try them 🙂
Hi Brandi. Thanks for your quick reply! I forgot to say I am in Australia! So often things than are just normal run of the mill grocery items for you are ‘specialty’ items for us! Particularly if they are associated with Mexican cooking I have found. Canned smoked chillies is another example! Anyway, i found a website that specialises in USA foods but they want $6 for the bottle of smoke, $20 minimum order and $9 for postage!! . So I think I might have to try the smokey paprika at least for now! But you never know, one day I may find it? Thanks again!
Brandi, wow these look delicious! I’m a big sweet potato and chickpea fan so these burgers are pretty amazing to me! Your pictures I have no words, so beautiful just make me hungry! The flavors of the barbecue sauce are outstanding! Do I need say more? This is just a win-win combination!
Aww thanks Florian so much for the compliment on my photos! So sweet! And yes, these burgers were so moist and delicious, even the picky hubby who HATES chickpeas gobbled them up and called them a “winner”. 🙂
Ahhh gotcha, sorry to hear so many things are hard to find, but I understand! Smoky paprika will still give a nice smoky flavor. Let me know when you make them! Thank you! 🙂
Coles has these products
I live in Brisbane Qld and have found the elusive Liquid Smoke in Green Edge vegan cafe and store. Hope this helps.
Why would anyone want to use store bought sauce when they can make yours!?!?! Silly people, ;). These look delicious!! I admit I can handle the dry stuff, but burgers are much better when held together with a great sauce. That bread too..oh man this is the perfect summer food.
Rightttt?! Seriously, this BBQ sauce is my new favorite…..will only be making this going forward! SO GOOD. Thank you!
Hi! Help us find a substitute for liquid smoke that is all natural & does not contain toxic caramel color because I’m dying to try this! Thanks! 😀
Hi Crystal, I’m not aware of any that doesn’t contain caramel color. You can certainly try using smoked paprika and it will give some smoky flavor but not the equivalent of the liquid smoke. I would start out with 1 teaspoon and taste and adjust as needed.
Brandi, Crystal – Trader Joes sells a smoked sea salt that may work for you as a sub for the liquid smoke. It’s what I like to use instead of liquid smoke. Cheers!
Thank you so much for sharing Maggie!
These burgers are wonderful! The whole kitchen smelled like Worcester sauce as they cooked. My one downfall for me on these always seems to be the “first flip”. Despite following the directions to a T, they still seem to fall apart a bit. Nothing that a little remolding doesn’t fix though. Keep up the killer recipes Brandi! BTW, the BBQ sauce rocks!
Yay! Thank you so much Lori for the feedback, so glad you enjoyed them so much! And yes, at the first flip, they are pretty delicate so you really have to slide with a thin spatula underneath, but mine definitely did not fall part at all…so if yours are too delicate, then they made just need a couple more minutes cooking before flipping and hold the top with your other hand and flip and it should flip well. Also, make sure your chickpeas are fully mashed in the mix too and that really helps them stay together and they firm up a lot in the last 10 minutes and cooling.
So glad you love the bbq sauce too..I can’t get enough of it, haha!
I love chickpeas, but I agree that they can cook up dry. My chickpea burger isn’t dry at all, it depends on what you put in it, like sweet potatoes. That’s such a great combo Brandi! These look great. I also agree that homemade BBQ sauce is so much better than store bought.
Thanks so much Linda! I’ll have to check yours out! So far, every single one I’ve tried has been so dry it’s miserable to eat, no thanks!! These are definitely moist and so delicious!
Sweet potatoes and chickpeas are just the best combo! I love the sound of the barbecue flavours too, perfect for summer! These burgers sound heavenly – nothing beats a good veggie burger!! I really need to get my hands on some liquid smoke.
Thank you so much Harriet! Liquid smoke and a good amount is a key ingredient in this bbq sauce…I love the stuff! And I really wanted a smoky burger!
Oh my word!! These are beautiful! Sheer perfection!! I absolutely adore this recipe and LOVE that you added avocado!! SO fun! …you may be salivating over BBQ sauce, but I’m salivating over this whole meal right here!! YUM YUM YUM! Thanks for sharing and I hope that you have a great week!! 🙂
Awww thank you so much Cailee! That is sooo sweet of you to say that! Perfection?! Wow, you made my day! The avocado on a burger with smoky barbecue is kind of a must, right?! 😉
I made these yesterday and even with bottled barbecue sauce (because I don’t have liquid smoke) they were delicious. They came together really easily and quickly, firmed up nicely and I enjoyed them with baby potatoes and a steamed corn on the cob. I’ll definitely make these again.
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! I’m so glad you enjoyed these! Thank you for making them!
No way! Did we seriously just post sweet potato chickpea burgers on the same week? I have to say, I love your take on this burger. And I am totally with you on how much I hate a dry burger! I love that you used BBQ sauce to keep it juicy. Great flavor pairing ;p Mmmmm…now I’m hungry! Great post.
Love these burgers and the bbq sauce sounds delicious!! I love a fast smoky sauce I can slather on everything. Delicious!
Thanks for a great recipe. Made these last night and the family LOVED them!! Didn’t use your bbq sauce recipe as I’d just made some last week to keep on hand. But will definitely give yours a try when I run out.
Sue that is wonderful!! So glad your family loved these so much! Thank you so much for the feedback!
Hey Brandi! I made your delectable burgers inclusive your tasty BBQ sauce! What a fabulous combination too! xxx
These are the best vegan burgers I have earn in a while & that sauce is amazing! xxx
Your drool worthy photos made me want to lick the screen,…really! xxxx
Aww you are so sweet Sophie! Thank you for the compliment on my photos and soooo thrilled these are best burgers you’ve made, that makes me happy. Thank you so much for making them!!
These sound so good! I like how you used sweet potato and cornmeal too, along with plenty of liquids to keep them moist. 😉 And BBQ sauce, that’ll be a nice change to the usual tahini and chickpea combo. I look forward to trying these out!
Thank you so much! Yes, the cornmeal is my trick to help bind them and give them texture whereas most burgers call for flour! Let me know if you try them!
Girl, you know a good veggie burger is my weakness!! These look delish. Love how you put them on cute little bread pieces. Perfect for a party! Or better yet, just make them all like you’re going to a party and just eat them all yourself. That’s what I’d do. LOLOL!!! I could literally live off of veggie burgers so two thumbs up from me!!
Thank you so much Sophia! Yes, I cut up a big ciabatta loaf into little squares and thought they would look pretty for the photos that way, haha!
these are my new favorite. Can’t wait to make them again. And the sauce was soooo good.
Yay! SO happy to hear that Sewezi, thank you so much for the feedback!!
Oh WOW! I made these last night. I almost didn’t even get to the burgers because I was so wowed by the barbecue sauce!! YUMMY! And the burgers were really good as well! I had them for leftovers tonight. SO good. Thanks for another winner!
Awesome Julie! I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback!
Any idea how well these will reheat in the microwave? I’d love to take leftovers to work!
Hi Alexis! I haven’t tried reheating these in the microwave. I usually reheat my burgers in the toaster oven, but I honestly can’t imagine why it wouldn’t work…hopefully they will stay together just fine.
These burgers are really flavorful. Hubby really enjoyed them. I do think I will try Japanese sweet potatoes next time because I had a little hard time keeping them together and i think it’s because my regular sweet potatoes were so moist. Another excellent recipe Brandi!
I’m so glad you and hubby loved them, thank you for the feedback! Yes, that or you could always add a bit more cornmeal or just chill the batter longer. Than you Estee!
I absolutely LOVED the BBQ sauce and have since made another DOUBLE batch! thanks again
Awesome Estee! Isn’t it the best?! I seriously cannot get enough of it either…I borderline just eat it with a spoon, haha!
Hey Brandi! This is a wonderful recipe, thank you so much for sharing! I can’t wait to see what you come up with next 🙂
Aww thanks so much Elisa! I’m so glad you loved it!
I have to keep a log for my physician and where I can find the nutritional content?
Hi! I will try to get it added today to the recipe but you can always use caloriecount.com as well to log in the stuff fairly quickly. I do know this burger is extremely healthy and lowfat. I’ll get it up in a little bit 🙂
These are SO awesome!!! The day I made it, I served with lettuce, tomato, grilled onion and ranch on Dave’s Killer Bread: https://www.facebook.com/Pebblesk9/posts/1487456468213099
And THEN, I did this with the leftovers: https://www.facebook.com/Pebblesk9/posts/1488910654734347
Thank you so much!!!! XOXO, Pebbles
Oh wow! Looks so amazing!! Thank you so much for making them and I’m so thrilled you loved them so much!! Thank you very much for the feedback! xx
These are officially my favorite bean burger! This batch I took your tip snd added corn to the mix. I can’t believe how good this recipe tastes! Thank you for coming up with it!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that Valerie! I’m so glad these are your favorite, thank you so much!
As a sweet potato lover I knew I’d make these sooner or later! So last weekend my dad made beef burgers and I made these, guess which ones were a bigger hit??! 😉 Not sure if it was the delish burgers or the fantastic sauce or the combination of both but it was so DELICIOUS! Next time I’ll make these even better – by making a double amount haha!! Thank you for sharing the recipe ♥
Haha!! Awesome! I love it when the VEGAN burger outshines the regular burger!! Yes, it’s definitely the combo of both, that’s why I wanted to combine both barbecue sauce and the sweet potatoes, because I knew they would both compliment each other so well! Thank you so much for the feedback, so glad these were a hit!
This was delicious. Made a couple of tweaks – date paste instead of the syrup, smoked paprika instead of the liquid smoke. Added the parsley and chili powder and chopped green onions. Simply delicious. Put this one in my keeper file. Found out the hard way that a small sweet potato only equals about 1/2 a cup. These held together beautifully. Looking forward to leftovers. Thanks so much.
Wonderful Susan!! I’m so glad you loved these so much! I always add the chili powder too and so glad you added the options I mentioned and enjoyed them! So glad to hear date paste worked instead of syrup too! Thank you so much for the feedback!
Just want to clarify before I make them…sweet potato or yam? I suppose either would work? My kiddos love anything BBQ so I am hoping this is their new favorite meatless burger! (Just found your site the other day! Your recipes are so easy and my kids love picking out what we will make next. They have a running list!)
Awww I’m so happy to hear that they are loving the recipes, thank you! I think sweet potatoes or yams would both work…they taste the same if I’m not mistaken?? I don’t think it would make much of a difference. I always buy labeled sweet potatoes, but I think either would work. Let me know how they turn out! 🙂
Found this recipe while hunting for something for a veggie friend coming over. Made enough of these for all of us and we weren’t disappointed. Great recipe, thank you.
I’m so glad to hear these were a hit! Thank you so much for the feedback!
I wanted to cook my friends a meal, and as one of them is a vegan, I wanted a meal that he could eat too. So unbelievably happy I found this recipe, they went down an absolute storm! Needless to say I will be making them again, and have passed it on to several people now.
Thank you! 🙂
I made these tonight for our Labor Day dinner. I doubled the recipe, but otherwise made it exactly as you posted it, and they were amazing!!! I generally don’t like veggie burgers because they’re mushy, and I was skeptical that these would bake up crispy and firm, but they did, and they were so tasty! I didn’t make my own BBQ sauce–I used Organicville Tangy BBQ Sauce, and it was great in these.
I’m so grateful to people like you who post delicious vegan recipes like this one!
Thank you so much for such kind feedback AB! I’m so happy to hear you loved these so much and enjoyed them. Thank you very much for making them and leaving feedback!
Hi. I love the look of this recipe. I have a sensitivity to corn. Do you have any suggestions for a substitution? Maybe rolled oats or sorghum flour? Thanks.
Are these freezable? I was thinking about making them ahead for this week…
Hi Shaan! I haven’t froze them before, but I would think they’d be just fine. Just make sure to cook them first and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and inside another container and then I’d reheat them low in the oven around 300 degrees. Let me know what you think of them!
This recipe is amazing! I have been trying to get my partner to cut back on meat and i thought i would give this a go. He was pretty unsure at first but after a couple of bites he was very impressed. Especially as he hates chickpeas. Said we can have this every week!! Thanks so much from the other side of the globe 😀
Yay! So so happy to hear that Stephanie! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback, I really appreciate it!
I make these all the time as part of my food rotation…makes a great loaf BTW!
I double the BBQ sauce recipe , to have on hand in the fridge.
Hubby hates sweet potatoes, loves these..HMMMMMM Am I wrong to be deceptive? LOL.
Thanks Brandi
Thank you so much Susan for the wonderful feedback! And wow, so awesome to hear this makes a loaf too, thank you so much for letting me know. I really appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback!
Oh and p.s. my hubby hates sweet potatoes too but LOVES these, so funny! I think it’s the BBQ sauce that helps win them over 😉
These are great! We think they make a good BBQ Chicken sandwich replacement. My only complaint is that they take quite a bit longer than the total time posted (doesn’t include time for letting them set and cool at the end, plus one has to cook the sweet potatoes). Not a big deal (totally worth the time and it’s not like it’s hands on time) but I planned starting to make them an hour before dinner and I should have planned for at least an hour and a half.
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback Emily! I’m so happy to hear these were a hit! Sorry about the prep time, I just realized I forgot to include the chill time for these, correcting it now! Sorry about that! Thank you for making them!
No worries at all. It’s just helpful information. I’m going to go search your blog for more recipes now! Thanks for having such a great blog. We are easing our way into the vegan lifestyle and having easy and yummy recipes is making it a lot easier.
This recipe is awesome! I doubled it and froze them to pack for my husband and I to take to work for lunches. They are just as good thawed and my husband loves them!
I’m so happy to hear that Kelsey! Thank you so much for leaving feedback and so glad they are such a hit!
I just made these tonight and the flavor was delicious!!!, but the med grind cornmeal made them really gritty and hard to chew….I am not sure what happened! 🙁 Maybe I should less next time because I feel like I may be the only one having this problem!?
Hi Kelly! Wow, that’s very odd, the cornmeal should hardly even be detectable, are you sure you didn’t use too much of it? I make these almost weekly and we never have an issue and this is the first time a reader has said this. Did you use the Bob’s Red mill? Maybe you got a really coarse cornmeal, is all I can think of. Regardless, I’m so glad you loved the flavor, so thank you for that feedback!
Making these for supper tonight. The BBQ sauce is AMAZING and it hasn’t even sat more than 5 minutes. The burgers before being cooked are wicked good. Can’t wait to pop them in the oven tonight! Yum!
Will leftovers keep well in the fridge? Thanks!!
Yes! I would just reheat them at 300 in the oven to crisp them back up 🙂
Do these freeze well? I find myself making them all the time and would be nice to make a double batch and freeze some.
Hi Linda! I haven’t tried freezing them personally, but I think other readers have. I would think as long as you bake them first and then seal them tightly and just reheat in the oven around 300, they should be fine.
I am so going to take the plunge and make this I love chickpeas!! Brandi, can you please tell me what brand of liquid smoke you use and where I can find it? I currently have one I found at whole foods but it has “caramel color” and natural flavors. Have you found one that has better ingredients? I am not expecting it to be perfect, but I would love to know what you use and where to find it! Thanks!
“
Hi Marinna! This is the one I use now, no added color! http://amzn.to/1QnvEi6
Only ingredients are water and natural hickory smoke flavor.
I LOVE LOVE LOVEEEEEEE THIS BURGER!
This is by far the most successful veggie I have ever made from someones plant based blog! THANK YOU THANK YOU for this amazing recipe! I will be making these often and I can’t wait to try your other burgers!! YUM!(((:
Thank you so much Kaleigh for the awesome feedback! I’m so happy this is the best veggie burger you’ve ever had, thank you!
By far my favorite recipe!! I have made them and love them. My husband loves them. They are currently cooking right now because my grandsons are on their way to devour them! Thank you!!
I’m so happy to hear that Tanya! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback, I really appreciate it!!
My local grocery store didn’t have corn meal only corn flour, so I bought that & I had read that Panko crumbs could be used as a cornmeal replacement so I bought that too. – which would I be better off using?
Hi Kany! Corn flour is not going to help give them the texture needed, so I guess I would go with the panko crumbs, although I’ve never used them. The cornmeal is gritty, which helps with the texture. Panko crumbs are a bit lighter too I believe, so you may need more. Just add enough to where you are able to form the patties and they are sticky. Just keep in mind that the burger texture will be different without the cornmeal but the flavor should still be good.
Hi Kany! Corn flour is not going to help give them the texture needed, so I guess I would go with the panko crumbs, although I’ve never used them. The cornmeal is gritty, which helps with the texture. Panko crumbs are a bit lighter too I believe, so you may need more. Just add enough to where you are able to form the patties and they are sticky. Just keep in mind that the burger texture will be different without the cornmeal but the flavor should still be good.
Oh my gosh!! I’ve tried sooo many veggie burgers and they are always mushy and fall apart! Everything about these burgers is just PERFECT! First, the home-made BBQ sauce is out of this world! I don’t think I’ll every buy BBQ sauce again! The burgers were crispy, tasty, and just down right delicious! Next time I need to double to recipe so I will have some to freeze!
Yay Reagan! I’m so happy to hear that, these are a favorite around here too! Thank you so much for the awesome feedback!
So I just found this recipe and it looks great except I don’t do corn and see that you say that corn flour will not even work, so I assume there is no substitute????
Hi Donna! You can try subbing in dry couscous or millet or even rice flour…I haven’t tried any of those and the texture may vary some, but should be a decent sub.
Have you tried freezing these?
Hi Tammy, no I have never froze them, but I think they should be okay as long as they are wrapped and sealed really tight, I just haven’t tried personally yet.
Great recipe. I’ve got some vegan friends coming over for a bbq this weekend and i’ve been looking for something to cook them. This fits the bill perfectly.
Wonderful William! I hope they are a hit with everybody!
These were A W E S O M E! Seriously….any meat eater would NEVER miss having a meatfilled burger after this. I have made many a veggie burger but your genius in using cornmeal (I’m guess what it HAS 2 b) made these so firm and the texture much more like the meat-burgers many crave. Don’t get me wrong i can enjoy a mushy veggie burger too but man… this was the best! DEF my go-2 fav recipe that will b in rotation!! I have never felt so Un-deprived yet eating.
I can’t wait til some one starts up a grill, i’m gonna do them on there to see how they fair grilled.
When I found your blog and mutual penchant 4 extreme BBQ love…. I knew we were 2 peas in a pod. Natch, this is the first I have made from your blog bcz… BBQ! Sweet Potato… And I did not make your BBQ sauce yet but only because I have a giant jug full 2 use up… but I will! & will comment on that only after I do!
I had mine with a toasted bun, lettuce, tomato, avacado & onion. I think from now on toasted buns will b mandatory… seriously!
Thanks so much 4 sharing your creation(s)!!!! U’re on permanent bookmark!
Oh wow Ceacea, I’m so sorry I missed this comment! I’m so thrilled you loved these burgers so much, that makes me happy to hear! Thank you so much for the feedback!
I’m excited to make these for Memorial Day weekend so I have a question….how do you think they’d do on an actual grill? I’d rather not turn on the oven when everyone wants me to grill. Thanks!
Hi Eva! I have honestly never tried them on a grill so I can’t really say, but I do know that the first cooking time before they are flipped, they are really fragile, they firm up a ton at the end of cooking and while cooling some, so I’m just not sure without ever trying it. Let me know if you try it, I’d love to hear!
The texture… the BBQ flavor… everything was perfect… These were absolutely delicious! They are now apart of my recipe rotation!
Yay! So happy to hear that Toni! These are my favorite, so glad you loved them!
Made these last night and they are to die!! I will definitely be making them again! This is my first time making one of your recipes. I recently went shopping and have everything to make 5 more of your recipes. I’m newly vegan and I can’t tell you how much your website has helped me! Thank you for all of your hard work!! I’m a huge fan!
Aww thanks so much Melissa, that makes me so happy to hear you loved them so much! Thank you very much for the feedback and 5 star rating!
Another amazing recipe. I made it with your barbecue sauce, and I utilized my food processor to help with smashing up the chickpeas and getting everything mixed. They came out great, and everyone loved them. Thank you!
These were delicious! I had the leftovers the next day cold over salad and they had firmed up even more and were great. Happy to have this recipe in my rotation.
Wondeful Liz! I’m so glad to hear you loved these, thank you so much for the feedback!!
I found your recipe earlier this week and followed it(sort of). I didn’t really want the tomato-based sauce since my kids don’t like it. I did use the spices and liquids you called for and two eggs for binding(we are vegetarian). The first two that I cooked on a cast iron griddle crumbled pretty bad but after I went back and read the recipe, I realized I’d left the cornmeal out! Wow, what a difference that makes! Actually, I used grits because I didn’t have cornmeal. They were amazing and all of my picky eaters said they were a keeper recipe! YAY!! We are going to experiment with black beans and sweet potatoes with sausage seasonings in the near future.
That is such wonderful news Molly, so glad they were a hit!
Hi there, I was looking for a veggie burger to make for my vegetarian son who will be visiting. These look awesome and I’m sure I will love them even if he doesn’t. Do you know if they will hold up on the grill? I would guess I’d have to bake them first and thrn grill?
Hi Nancy! These are one of my most popular recipes, even with meat eaters, so fingers crossed that he likes them. These unfortunately will not hold up well on a grill I don’t think, unless, like you mentioned, baking them first so they are more firm. I just have never tried. I would be careful about overcooking them though so they don’t dry out. I do have delicious Mexican black bean burgers as well that should hold up well on the grill though, so these are an option too.
https://thevegan8.com/2015/05/13/fat-free-baked-mexican-black-bean-burgers/
Let me know what you try!
With the black bean burgers, they may work best before the first flip to cook them on sprayed foil as they may be too tender to cook directly. I do know they work on a grill pan, but not sure about an actual grill.
The flavor of this recipe is really awesome! Garbanzo beans happen to be my favorite beans, and I love making sandwiches, hummus, and soups with them. Sweet potatoes are one thing I don’t like, so I try to make recipes that mask them well since sweet potatoes are so incredibly healthy. This recipe did it! Plus I’m always down for trying all of the smoky recipes here. 🙂 Great way to add sweet potatoes in that I was looking for!
Thank you so much Jessica! So glad you enjoyed them!!
Just made these tonight as a part of my food prep !!! They look smell and taste amazing 🙂
Curious can I freeze these or have you tried ?
I made a total of six and not sure I can finish them all!
Thanks !!
Oooh, yay! So glad to hear you loved them! I have never froze these, I eat them too fast, haha! But I would think they’d freeze ok. Just reheat in the oven on low, like 300 when reheating. That is what I would try anyways. Thank you for the feedback!
Once again so much yum! I was a bit worried because I think mine were a bit too wet and I could have refrigerated them longer but with a bit of care, they flipped just fine and were delicious! I made them because my father-in-law who is a die hard crappy eater is staying with us. He’s trying to eat the way we do and had ordered a veggie burger from a local place that was just…not good. I decided he would never switch the way he eats if he doesn’t get a good burger once in awhile so I looked for one here and hit the jackpot! The barbecue sauce is so easy and so delicious; I’m glad there’s some left over.
As an aside, I really appreciate all the work you do in recipe creation and instruction. I have yet to make a recipe that wasn’t a winner and that didn’t perform like you said it would. Even though I had those worries I mentioned at the top, I knew it would turn out all right because A), you mentioned the wet consistency but that it would flip okay and B) it’s obvious the pride and care you take, that you aren’t just throwing ingredients together, hoping it’ll work. Thanks so much for all you do . I also love that you respond to (almost?) everyone who writes. I haven’t seen anyone who does that and it’s so nice.
Hi Elyse! Oh my goodness, you are such a sweetheart, thank you so very much for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment, it really made me smile! And yes, I do try to respond to every reader comment. Sometimes I miss some, simply by accident of getting a little behind when so many come through, but I try to check up on them each day and respond. I’m so very happy to hear you loved these burgers so much, and even moreso, your father-in-law! That is just amazing to hear!
Thank you again so much for the comment!!
Hi! I’m wondering what I could substitute the corn meal for. I can’t tolerate corn meal. It gives me wild heartburn 🙁
Hi, I am wondering if 230 g raw sweet potatoes = 230 g mashed?? And also approx how long in the oven or microwave? Thanks!
Yes! It’s the same. But I would cook the potato whole (with skin on). Depending on the size of the potato, it could be anywhere from 5-8 minutes in the microwave. Just cook it until squishy soft. If baking, it would be 30-45 minutes. It’s best to do it that way and then measure mashed.
I finally got around to making these, they are easy to make once you figure out how to roast a sweet potato. Anyway I used a brand name of BBQ sauce GF and vegan and some sweet and spicy mustard, added no sodium canned corn about 1/2 a can. I will eventually get around to making these again with a Jalapeno or red bell pepper for the extra Heat! These turned up to be pretty good. I will make the BBQ sauce that is contained within the recipe next time. 1 can of chick peas and a sweet potato are enough for one meal for me I usually eat about 2-3K calories a day. This made 10 patties I ate 7 of them in one sitting, but the 2 things I really enjoy are sweet potato and chick peas, Om nom nom. But being this is a quick throw together meal for a day or 2.
So glad you enjoyed them Chad! Thank you! Yes, I would definitely recommend my BBQ Sauce next time, it’s the only one I’ve ever used or tested with this recipe and it’s so good and takes just 5 mins 🙂 I have listed right on step 2 how to roast the potato, haha. Make sure you follow the directions I provide, it is to make sure the end result is obtained! You must have made your patties really small to get 10 of them! This makes 5 normal size burgers, which is listed in step 5 using a 1/2 measuring cup, just fyi. I remember you saying how you skipped reading the directions on my last burger recipe, lol. So, just want to make sure you have success so the directions are there for a purpose to help readers out!
I used my own bbq sauce that I make from scratch which is very similar to yours but spicier, added fresh garlic, spring onions and fresh rosemary….was sooooo good! Will definitely be adding these to my rotation.
Do they freeze?
SO happy you loved these Christy, thank you! The fresh herbs sound lovely. I have never tried freezing these, sorry, so I don’t know. I always post a recipe fairly soon after creating them so I never know the freezing question, haha. I would assume they would freeze fine though.
Hi Brandi I absolutely LOVE this site. I am going to make a few recipes this week. What would you say the sub is for cooked chickpeas to a can of chickpeas please? I’ll keep you posted on the recipes I make. Thanks for sharing!!!!!!
Hi Michelle! One can is equivalent to 1 1/2 cups 🙂
although these don’t taste like real burgers, they’re really good!
Glad you enjoyed them! Definitely, they aren’t supposed to taste like meat, they are supposed to taste like a BBQ chickpea burger!
I could not find the BBQ sauce with this recipe???
Hi Joycd! It’s right there on the recipe! Listed as “5 Minute Smoky Barbecue Sauce” and the ingredients for it right below it.
These were delicious! I actually steamed my potatoes and didn’t have an issue with texture at all. I placed them in freezer immediately following for about 15 minutes so they’d stop cooking and firm up. BBQ sauce was awesome as well! Thanks for sharing.
Yay! So glad to hear you loved these Lindsey, thank you for the wonderful review!
This recipe sounds amazing, and would love to try it, but what is liquid smoke? I live in the UK and have never heard of this!? Is it a joke? Thanks!
Hi Lindsay! No, it’s not a joke, Haha. It’s a liquid flavoring that tastes like smoke so it gives s wonderful smoky flavor to the burgers. Very delicious and popular here! If they don’t sell it there try adding smoked paprika instead and probably double it since the smoky flavor isn’t as intense as liquid snoke.
Sorry but none of the 6 members in my family liked these. Couple even gagged.
Hi Dawne, sorry to hear that! Weird too, because as you can see from all the amazing reviews above, all other readers have loved them so much and so do we! Did you change the recipe and use the correct cornmeal? These are one of my most popular recipes so I’m surprised but thanks for trying them though!
I have just made this sauce for the first time & wow, so yummy!!!
So awesome to hear that Tania, thank you so much for making it and letting me know!
I guess I’ve never made this burger 😱. Ok so I am lazy today and didn’t have or want to make BBQ sauce, so I used TJ’s Golden Carolina sauce. It worked perfectly. This burger has such great flavor and texture once it’s cooked. Soo good!! We love it and will make often this summer!!
So happy you loved these Estee! Thank you so much for making them and the lovely review!!
I want to try these but I have looked and looked through this page and I can find the ingredients for the BBQ sauce.
Hi Dianna, it’s listed right underneath the burger ingredients right on the recipe printout. Under: 5 Minute Smoky Barbecue Sauce 😊
Can these be pre-made and stored overnight?
Yes, I don’t see why not! Haven’t tried it, but you can try it and see. I think they would be fine. Just don’t bake them first.
Hey There i am very impressed by your recipe and i am inviting few of my friends at my home for party but the problem is that most of them did not like potato. so please tell me what should i use instead of potato? thanks
Thank you Mickey! I would make another recipe since this one is based on sweet potatoes. I have this black bean burger recipe that readers love too. It uses some potato to bind the burgers but it doesn’t have any potato taste. Just make sure to follow the instructions so that it blends right and you get the texture right. I also have a Cajun Red Beans and Rice Burger.
https://thevegan8.com/2015/05/13/fat-free-baked-mexican-black-bean-burgers/
Being a vegan, this is one of the best vegan burger recipes I’ve tried. Thank you so much for sharing.
Yay! That makes me so happy to hear!