Delicious plant-based Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea Burgers with smoky barbecue sauce! Made with wholesome ingredients, are oil-free, gluten-free and loaded with flavor!
VEGAN SWEET POTATO CHICKPEA BURGERS
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 vegan sweet potato chickpea burgers, it becomes insane.
THESE SWEET POTATO CHICKPEA BURGERS ARE:
- vegan
- gluten-free
- low-fat
- oil-free
- full of flavor
- easy
- healthy
- crispy exterior
- smoky
- satisfying
- moist
- simple and quick to make
- baked
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
You only need 6 main ingredients for these oil-free sweet potato burgers!
- Chickpeas
- Sweet potatoes
- Barbecue sauce: I provide a really simple 5 minute barbecue sauce below that I used for these burgers. You can also use a store-bought or my most popular, Texas BBQ Sauce.
- Chili powder
- Smoked paprika
- Medium grind coarse cornmeal: This specific type of cornmeal is more gritty than regular and is exactly what helps to give a great texture to these burgers.
- Optional veggie add-ins of green onions, corn and parsley
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN SWEET POTATO CHICKPEA BURGERS
Step 1: Make the barbecue sauce first.
Step 2: Add the drained and patted dry chickpeas to a large bowl and mash with a fork.
Step 3: Add the cooked and cooled sweet potato to the chickpeas.
Step 4: Add the remaining ingredients and combine until thoroughly mixed.
Step 5: Chill chickpea burger mixture in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Step 6: Form 5 even patties using a 1/2 measuring cup and packing it in.
Step 7: Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes on the first side and 10-15 minutes on the 2nd side.
EASY BARBECUE SAUCE
The 5 minute barbecue sauce below is really simple and quick to make, also fat-free. But I create a lot of barbecue sauce recipes, so if you are a fan of them, check these out and feel free to try any of them:
- Spicy Molasses BBQ Sauce (for use in my vegan lentil loaf recipe)
- Texas BBQ Sauce (my fave!)
- Smoky Apple Barbecue Sauce
STORING THESE BURGERS
I have not tried freezing these, but I think that would work okay. Make sure to wrap them up tightly and seal them inside a sealed container after wrapping them. I would thaw them first and then reheat them on low in the oven at 300°F for about 10-15 minutes until hot.
MORE VEGAN BURGERS AND BURRITOS
Readers love these Fat-Free Baked Mexican Black Bean Burgers that also use potatoes and cornmeal.
Looking for more healthy oil-free baked veggie and/or bean burgers? Check out this amazing Black Bean Burger!
Cajun lovers, check out these Cajun burgers.
And for another delicious recipe using both sweet potatoes and chickpeas, check out these Sweet Potato Chickpea BBQ Wraps!
You have to make these vegan chickpea burgers. They take just minimal prep, no food appliance needed to blend, no oil and they are super healthy and baked, not fried.
Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea Burgers
Ingredients
- one 15 oz can low-sodium chickpeas, drained and rinsed well (or 1 1/2 cups cooked, 255g)
- 1 cup (230g) cooked mashed sweet potato (either roasted whole or microwaved, don't steam)
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (150g) smoky barbecue sauce (either your favorite store-bought or my recipe below is recommended!)
- 1/4 cup coarse medium-grind cornmeal (it must be medium-grind or the burgers will be too mushy, I use Bob's Red Mill)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Optional veggie add-ins: corn, green onions, chopped parsley
5 MINUTE SMOKY BBQ SAUCE
- 1 cup tomato puree/sauce
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- I use this scale.
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, chili powder, smoked paprika and salt 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°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Form the mixture into patties using a 1/2 cup measuring cup by packing it in and flattening the top. 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!
Notes
STORING THESE BURGERS
I have not tried freezing these, but I think that would work okay. Make sure to wrap them up tightly and seal them inside a sealed container after wrapping them. I would thaw them first and then reheat them on low in the oven at 300°F for about 10-15 minutes until hot.Nutrition
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Hi! I hate barbecue but I presume you need it for moisture. What else could I use?
PS. Love your sweet potato chocolate chip muffins!!
Thanks Rachel! Hmmm, since it’s a large amount of the liquid in the recipe, I really don’t know. The recipe is based off of that flavor. I might suggest trying to find a sweet potato burger that doesn’t use bbq sauce maybe??
Maybe ketchup would work as a substitute for the barbecue sauce?
Loved this recipe! The bbq sauce recipe was awesome. These really come together as a filling, satisfying meal! Will definitely add this to our list of regular options for burgers. Since it’s just 2 of us we will likely halve the recipe next time. Also we used a bit less bbq sauce and a bit more chickpea to balance out the consistency to adjust for our taste.
So happy you enjoyed it Meg!
These are so delicious
Great recipe for veggie burgers! My husband eats leftover burgers cold from the fridge, if there happens to be one leftover.
So good!
Well, wonderful lady, you’ve done it again! This is so good my husband said he prefers it to store bought!
Amazing Eva!!
Love love love!! I have made these twice this summer and they are my new favourite veggie burger. The second time I made them for my vegan family I doubled the batch to freeze a few, but they were all eaten in one meal so I’m glad I doubled up! The cornmeal works as a good binder and the homemade bbq sauce is delicious. Can’t wait to make them again!
It’s really fantastic recipe. I made it today and all my family members appreciate that so I want to say thanks for the recipe and all credit goes to you.
This is my first veggie burger attempt and I love how they came out!! My only substitution is I had to use spinach instead of green onions cuz that’s what I had.
I ate it bun less on a bed of lettuce and tomato topped with extra BBQ sauce. Delish!! 😀🤤
My husband and I loved these! thank you so much for sharing the recipe!
I’m so glad Sheree!
I have made this sauce for the first time, so yummy!!!
Delicious! It is so refreshing, knowing I can use turn to your website for oil free recipes. And your recipes are delicious! We made these yesterday for Labor Day and they were a huge hit. I made zero substitutions. We topped the burger with BBQ sauce, avocado, spring mix lettuce, catsup and mustard. The crowd went wild – phrases were thrown around like “this is the best damn burger I’ve eaten”, “who needs meat when a burger tastes like this”, “I think I’m going plant based”, “why can’t we get food like this in a restaurant”.
Somehow I successfully managed to keep one burger from their gripping clutches last night and I had to hide it in my fridge! Today, the geek squad was at my house, where one serviceman was proudly expressing he was a vegan for 5 months. I really had to really ponder if I wanted to share the surviving burger. Kindness won, the service man was ecstatic – as I was sparing him restaurant food and money (most likely the latter, lol). He left with crumbs on his lips and shirt, recipe in hand, with your website listed at the top of the page so he could further his culinary experience with you. Thank you for providing such excellent tasting recipes. Hats off to you Brandy!
This review made me ecstatic to read, wow, what awesome feedback from everybody! Thank you Persiphone for the awesome comment!
It’s yummy. i made a little bit spicy but it was a first attempt
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!
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/
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.
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 😊
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 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!
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!
This comment made me so sad that I felt the need to comment myself. These burgers were absolutely amazing. Simple ingredients, fairly straight-forward. I don’t see how anyone would “gag” with eating these. I loved them and will make them again.
That’s so sweet, thank you so much Emily!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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 🙂