Sweet potato and lentil veggie burgers loaded with smoky maple bbq flavor. Perfect to prep for a day of grilling out or to enjoy at home!

BBQ Lentil Sweet Potato Burgers

Summer is so close I can almost taste it. Barbecue, cold watermelon, fresh strawberry pie… Mmm, mmm.

We even had farm fresh zucchini at our dinner on Saturday. Apparently the warm winter made for an early harvest this year. I have plans to share more on that whole experience soon but I wanted to make sure to get the recipe for these lip smackin’ burgers up in time for any barbecues this weekend.

BBQ Lentil Sweet Potato Burgers- a healthy and flavorful vegetarian burger that puts meat to shame!

Y’all know I’m totally that girl who brings veggie burgers and sprouted whole grain buns to a barbecue. There’s no shame in my game! Especially when they taste as good as these do.

Sweet potato and lentils with smoky maple barbecue sauce is what cookout dreams are made of, my friends.

BBQ Lentil Sweet Potato Burgers- a healthy vegetarian burger that puts meat to shame!

I even had a few of my very non-vegetarian coworkers ask me what I was eating as the scent wafted through the break room earlier this week. I think it went something like, “that smells hecka good!”. It’s funny, I had never heard anyone say hella or hecka until I moved to California but it seems to be a thing here.

Anyways, these tasty burgs are based off my favorite classic lentil burger with just a few modifications. Because the sweet potato sort of acts as a binder, I reduced the egg count to just one (or one flax egg for a vegan version) and added smoky maple barbecue sauce in place of the tomato paste and Worcestershire. I did keep the sunflower seeds and walnuts for an extra boost of protein and texture but if you prefer to make them nut-free you can always leave out the walnuts and substitute extra sunflower seeds.

BBQ Lentil Sweet Potato Burgers- a healthy and flavorful vegetarian burger that puts meat to shame!

BBQ Lentil Sweet Potato Burgers- a healthy and flavorful vegetarian burger that puts meat to shame!

Basically they can be made vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free, if necessary. So that settles that. Veggie burgers for everyone! :)

Seriously though, if you like barbecue flavor, you absolutely have to try these! They rocked my veggie burger world.

BBQ Lentil Sweet Potato Burgers- a healthy and flavorful vegetarian burger that puts meat to shame!
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BBQ Lentil and Sweet Potato Burgers

Sarah Rotavera
10 burgers
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 2½ cups cooked lentils, approx. 1 cup dry
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion, approx. 1 small onion
  • ½ cup finely chopped carrot, approx. 2 large carrots
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ⅓ cup sunflower seeds, raw or roasted
  • ⅓ cup walnuts, or sub extra sunflower seeds for nut-free version
  • 1¼ cup panko breadcrumbs, whole wheat or GF
  • ¼ cup flour, I like chickpea flour
  • ¼ cup flax meal
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ⅓ cup mashed sweet potato , from approx. 1 medium-size cooked sweet potato
  • ½ cup barbecue sauce , such as my homemade vegan BBQ sauce
  • 1 egg, or flax egg (1T flax + 3T water*)
  • extra virgin olive oil , for cooking
  • suggested toppings: lettuce, barbeque sauce, avocado, red onion

Instructions
 

  • Start by cooking the sweet potato by either microwaving on high for 7-8 minutes or baking in the oven at 400°F for 30 minutes to an hour. Set aside and allow to cool.
  • Using a food processor, finely chop the onion, carrots, garlic, walnuts and sunflower seeds then transfer to a large bowl. I prefer to process each ingredient individually to achieve the best texture.
  • Next add the cooked lentils to the food processor and pulse until they appear slightly pureed, then transfer them to the bowl as well. *Be careful not to over process the lentils. You don’t want them to turn to mush–there should still be some shape to at least half of them. See picture in the post as an example.
  • Once you have all of the vegetables, lentils, nuts and seeds in the bowl, add the sweet potato, breadcrumbs, seasonings, and the flax meal. Stir everything together.
  • Pour in the barbeque sauce and the egg (or flax egg), and stir until well-combined. Sprinkle in the flour a little at a time as you continue to stir. If the mixture seems too wet, add more flour as needed.
  • Scoop about ¼ cup of the mixture out to form individual patties with your hands, making sure to keep them flat with rounded edges and somewhat smaller than the bun. They will hold together better if they aren’t too thick or too big. At this point you can refrigerate them until you are ready to cook (for up to 2-3 days) or cook them right away.
  • When you’re ready to cook them, start by warming olive oil over medium-heat in a skillet for at least five minutes. Once the skillet is thoroughly heated, cook the burgers on each side for about 5-6 minutes. I like the push the edges of the burger to the side of the pan as I cook them to make sure they are cooked on the sides as well. Serve on a warm bun with desired toppings and dig in!

Notes

*to make a flax egg combine 1 tablespoon ground flax seed + 3 tablespoons water and allow to thicken for five to ten minutes.
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