Hemp Burgers
These Hemp Burgers are infused with flavor thanks to sweet potato and the right mix of spices. We love veggie burgers for quick weeknight meals. Don’t forget to add some avocado slices and serve them with some Vegan Aioli on top and Air Fryer French Fries on the side.
Weeknights are for easy vegan dinners if you ask me. That’s because we’re busy playing tennis, guitars, or whatever else we’re doing. Dinner has to be easy! That’s one reason I love veggie burgers. Some of my favorites are Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers or these Vegan Big Mac Veggie Burgers. Now, these Hemp Burgers are on our favorite list, too.
Why This Recipe is a Winner
- Adding sweet potatoes creates the perfect texture for veggie burgers and they add a hint of natural sweetness, too
- Chickpeas add filling fiber and texture as well
- Green onions and cilantro add so much tasty flavor, making these burgers delicious to the very last bite!
What You Need
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- Sweet potato — You’ll need a medium sweet potato, roughly 5 inches by 2 inches.
- Chickpeas — This recipe uses a 15-ounce can of chickpeas or 1 3/4 cup of cooked chickpeas.
- Hemp seeds — You can find these at most stores these days. I buy them as part of my regular vegan shopping at Costco.
- Green onion — You’ll need 3 stalks of green onions.
- Cilantro — You can grow your own fresh cilantro or buy it in the produce section of your grocery store. If you have cilantro haters amongst your group, substitute fresh parsley.
- Garlic — You’ll need 2 cloves of garlic.
- Flax — You’ll need 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds.
- Bread crumbs — Use regular bread crumbs or substitute gluten-free bread crumbs to make these into gluten-free hemp burgers.
- Nutritional yeast flakes — You can find nutritional yeast flakes in health food stores or online.
- Salt — Table salt or sea salt will work fine.
Ingredient Spotlight
What Are Hemp Seeds?
Hemp seeds come from the hemp plant, which is a different plant that is part of the same species as cannabis. Hemp has only trace amounts of the psychoactive component THC, making it safe to consume. Hemp seeds are loaded with nutritional benefits, such as healthy fats and protein. They have a slightly nutty flavor and you can eat them raw or cooked. You can find hemp seeds at many stores these days, including Sprouts, Target, some grocery stores, and online.
How to Make Hemp Burgers
- Cook the sweet potato in a microwave until tender, and chop it into cubes.
- Pulse sweet potato chunks and chickpeas in a food processor together until mostly combined.
- Pulse most of the hemp seeds and the rest of the ingredients until combined.
- Make four patties, pressing reserved hemp seeds into both sides of the patties.
- Cook the patties in a heated skillet until browned on both sides.
- Turn the heat down to low and allow the burgers to firm up.
Here are more detailed, step-by-step instructions.
Step One: Cook the Sweet Potato
- Wash the sweet potato and prick it with a fork several times.
- Place it in the microwave and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender.
- Let it sit until cool enough to handle, then chop it into cubes (with the skin on).
Step Two: Make Veggie Burger Batter
- Place sweet potato chunks and drained chickpeas in a food processor together. Pulse in short bursts until mostly combined, leaving some texture.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of the hemp seeds.
- Add the remaining hemp seeds and the rest of the ingredients to the food processor.
- Pulse in short bursts until combined, leaving some texture.
Step Three: Make and Cook Patties
- Place a skillet over medium heat and spray with vegetable spray.
- Make four patties out of the mixture, pressing some of the reserved hemp seeds into both sides of the patties.
- Cook the patties for 5 minutes on each side until brown.
- Turn the heat down to low and allow the burgers to sit for 5 to 10 minutes in the warm skillet to firm up.
You can make four larger patties or six smaller patties, based on your preferences.
Marly’s Tips
For patties with firmer texture, let the patties sit until completely cooled or you can make them a day ahead and refrigerate them. Then reheat before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Serve patties on buns with your favorite burger toppings, like Vegan BBQ Sauce, Onion Confit, Vegan Big Mac Sauce, and more! Here are even more veggie burger topping ideas:
- Chopped veggies, like lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and onions
- Vegan Guacamole
- Vegan Mayo
- Tahini Sauce
- Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing
- Vegan Cheese Sauce
You can buy vegan buns these days, but you can also make homemade vegan buns yourself!
Storage Tips
Store patties in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. They can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Veggie Burger Favorites
If you love these hemp burgers, be sure to try these veggie burger and sandwich spread favorites, too:
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Hemp Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato (skin on)
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
- 1 cup hulled hemp seeds, divided
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 2 stalks green onion, root ends removed and chopped
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (substitute fresh parsley)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- ½ cup bread crumbs (see notes for gluten-free)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Wash the sweet potato and prick it with a fork several times. Place it in the microwave and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender. Let it sit until cool enough to handle, then chop it into cubes (with the skin on).
- Place sweet potato chunks and drained chickpeas in a food processor together. Pulse in short bursts until mostly combined, leaving some texture.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of the hemp seeds. Then add the remaining hemp seeds and the rest of the ingredients to the food processor. Pulse in short bursts until combined.
- Place a skillet over medium heat and spray with vegetable spray.
- Make four patties out of the mixture, pressing some of the reserved hemp seeds into both sides of the patties. Cook the patties for 5 minutes on each side until brown. Turn the heat down to low and allow the burgers to sit for 5 to 10 minutes in the warm skillet to firm up.
- Serve patties on buns with your favorite burger toppings, like Vegan BBQ Sauce, Onion Confit, Vegan Big Mac Sauce, and more!
Recommended Equipment
(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)
Notes
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This post was originally published in 2014 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.
Very tasty. I added an egg to the recipe and skipped the cilantro, My yield was 6 large burgers. Per recipe suggestion, I served it with bbq sauce. Easy, quick dinner in my opinion. Thank you.
So glad you liked these veggie burgers, Barb!
This looks awesome! I love homemade veggie burgers. Can’t wait to try.