One of my talents is making a veggie burger out of just about whatever I have in the kitchen at any given time. Black bean burgers, sweet potato burgers, even tempeh burgers…I’ve made them all! But I have a few secret ingredients that I like to include when I can, to make my burgers extra delicious. Quinoa is one of them! Quinoa burgers are where it’s at! See, quinoa improves homemade veggie burgers in a few key ways.
Texture. Bean burgers are great, but they can get a bit mushy and sometimes lack texture. Quinoa breaks up all that mashed bean, for a burger that you’ll really enjoy biting into. Flavor. Quinoa itself has a mild, nutty flavor that I really enjoy in my burgers. For even more flavor, I like to cook my quinoa in vegetable broth instead of water! Nutrition. Quinoa packs a heavier nutritional punch than other ingredients you might use as fillers in your veggie burgers (like panko breadcrumbs).
Ingredients You’ll Need
Rolled oats. Quinoa. I used red quinoa, because the color really works well for burgers, but white or black quinoa (or a mix) will work just fine! Kidney beans. We’re using precooked or canned kidney beans. Feel free to substitute another type of bean if that’s what you’ve got! Black beans, lentils, chickpeas, and cannellini beans would all work fine. Onion. Garlic. Tomato paste. Spices. We’re using mild chili powder and ground cumin. Red wine vinegar. Feel free to substitute another type of vinegar, such as apple cider or white vinegar. Hot sauce. Use as much or as little of this as you’d like, or leave it out for heat-free burgers. I’m a fan of Cholula with this recipe, but feel free to use your favorite hot sauce. Salt & pepper. Canola oil. You can substitute just about any high-heat oil, such as corn, olive, or coconut oil. You could even make these burgers oil free if you cook them using a really good nonstick pan. Burger buns. Check the ingredients list to make sure your buns are vegan. I used Dave’s Killer Bread buns for my burgers. Toppings. Get creative here and use your favorites! Try lettuce, tomato, avocado, vegan mayo and vegan cheese!
Tip: Want to keep these quinoa burgers gluten-free? Just use certified gluten-free oats and gluten-free burger buns!
How They’re Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Start by cooking your quinoa. You can find details on how to do that here. Once the quinoa is cooked, set it aside while you gather the rest of your ingredients.
Tip: For the most flavor, I recommend cooking your quinoa in broth for this recipe, but this isn’t strictly necessary.
Place the oats into a food processor bowl. Blend the oats to a powder. Add your quinoa, some red beans, onion, garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, red wine vinegar, and salt. You can optionally add some hot sauce too! Pulse the food processor just until everything is finely chopped and mixed. Don’t overdo it! You want to keep some texture in the mixture.
Oil up a skillet and place it over medium heat. Shape your quinoa burger mixture into patties and place them in the skillet. Let them cook for about 5 minutes on each side, until lightly browned and crisp.
Stuff the patties into buns. Pile the toppings onto your quinoa burgers and dig in!
Tip: This recipe makes 6 medium-sized burgers, but you could also make it into 4 giant patties!
Leftovers & Storage
Leftovers quinoa burger patties will keep in a sealed bag or container in the fridge for about 3 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
Prep-Ahead Tip
You can store the quinoa burger mixture before cooking but after blending. Before shaping the burger mixture into patties, transfer it to a sealed container and refrigerate or freeze. Then, when you’re ready, thaw the mixture, shape it into patties, and cook them according to the recipe.
More Vegan Quinoa Recipes
Quinoa Chili Mediterranean Quinoa Salad Vegan Cabbage Rolls Lentil Quinoa Tacos Curried Quinoa Fried Rice
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