Say goodbye to mushy, bland veggie burgers forever! This quinoa burger is tangy and spicy, with a delicious hearty texture and perfect crispy edges.
I’m not sure where to begin with this quinoa burger recipe. It has a wonderful meaty texture with lightly crisp edges, a spicy, tangy flavor, and a gorgeous red color. Plus, it’s totally vegan and gluten-free! What’s not to love?
I’m looking forward to making this quinoa burger for cookouts all summer long, and I hope you are too. On the off-chance that you have leftovers, pop them in the freezer! They reheat perfectly for quick weeknight dinners down the road.
Quinoa Burger Recipe Ingredients
I set some strict veggie burger criteria for this recipe: no eggs, no cheese, no oats. I really wanted to make it vegan and gluten-free so that everyone could enjoy it, but I didn’t want to use oats instead of bread crumbs because they make for gummy burgers. If you haven’t figured it out by now, quinoa was my solution! It gives these patties a better texture and a little more protein. I stir some into the patty mixture and press more onto the outside of the patties to create a crispy coating.
Here’s what else is in them:
- Black beans create the bulk of these burgers and help make them cohesive. Use canned, or cook your own.
- Walnuts give the burgers a hearty bite and earthy flavor.
- Shallot and garlic add sharp depth of flavor.
- Balsamic vinegar and vegan Worcestershire sauce make them nice and tangy.
- Cumin, cayenne, and coriander add complexity and a little heat.
- Grated beet and tomato paste amp up the red color. The tomato paste also adds an intense savory flavor.
- Flaxseed adds healthy omega-3 fats and ties it all together.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Quinoa Burger Serving Suggestions
I encourage you to slather the quinoa patties with chipotle mayo or this chipotle sauce (vegan option included!). Otherwise, anything goes. Load them up with tomatoes, lettuce, red onion or pickled red onion, dill pickles, mustard, mayo, and ketchup, or add pickled jalapeños for extra heat. No matter what toppings you choose, serving them on homemade hamburger buns will make them even better.
To round out the meal, serve your quinoa burger with sweet potato fries, air fryer French fries, or parsnip fries. They’re also fantastic with grilled veggies like zucchini, asparagus, or potatoes, corn on the cob, or a summer salad. Any of these salad recipes would be great:
- Easy Pasta Salad
- Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad
- Creamy Coleslaw
- Easy Macaroni Salad
- Best Broccoli Salad
- Summer Fruit Salad
- Watermelon Salad with Feta
For more salad ideas, check out this post!
More Favorite Sandwich and Veggie Burger Recipes
If you love this black bean quinoa burger recipe, try one of these sandwiches or veggie burgers next:
- Best Veggie Burger
- Portobello Mushroom Burger
- Falafel Burgers
- BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches
- Crispy Cauliflower Po’ Boy Sandwich
- Caprese Sandwich
Looking for more quinoa recipes? Find my favorites here.
Quinoa Burger
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, chopped (1/3 cup)
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- Pinch of cayenne
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire, or soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste, or ketchup
- 1 tablespoon grated beet, (optional, for color)
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1 cup , divided
- 3/4 cup cooked red quinoa, divided
- heaping 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and fresh black pepper
Hamburger Buns, Chipotle Mayo, or Chipotle Sauce, and desired fixings
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 with a metal baking sheet inside.
- In a small bowl, stir the flax & water together and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the shallot, garlic, and pinches of salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes until translucent. Add the cumin and coriander, stir, and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Add the Worcestershire, balsamic, tomato paste, grated beet, walnuts and the first 1/2 cup black beans, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir and cook for another few minutes and turn heat off.
- Let cool slightly, then add the contents from the pan to the food processor. Add the flax egg and pulse until everything is combined but not pureed.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of black beans (smash them a little as you stir), and 1/2 cup of the quinoa. (You can taste & adjust seasonings at this point). Stir until this is all very cohesive then divide into 4 segments and roll into balls.
- Place the 4 balls on a plate and sprinkle them with the remaining 1/4 cup quinoa. Gently roll them so the quinoa coats the outside of the balls, then press each in the palm of your hand to form patties. Place on parchment paper (on a plate) and chill for 20 minutes.
- Transfer the parchment w/ your patties onto the pre-heated baking sheet. Drizzle a little olive oil on top and bake for about 15 minutes. Flip and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes until the outside is not mushy.
- Let cool slightly and serve with desired fixings.
This post is sponsored by Sir Kensington’s.Â
These look absolutely delicious! I stumble onto your blog every few months and love it so much every time. I’m finally having the clearheadedness to add it to my bookmarks page so I can visit it more often! Just out of curiosity (and I know someone else mentioned this), have you tried freezing them? I seem to have lots of free time on Sundays, but none throughout the week and would love to be able to munch on these delicious treats anytime I pleased. Thank you so much for your beautiful blog!
I haven’t tried (but I should try so I can answer this question better!)
I made these last night and they were one of the best! My meat-eating husband said he liked them better than meat and the flavor was amazing. Definitely going into the regular rotation. Thank you!
ha – yay, I’m so glad. Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Fabulous! Even my meat-eating mother-in-law loved these! Thanks for the recipe. Kidsbestnutrition.com
I’m so glad – thanks for coming back with feedback!
Made these today! Great recipe! Thanks so much!!
This site rocks, how did it take me so long to find it? I’ll definitely be featuring you in my blog tonight after I eat this?!!!
ha, thanks 🙂
I just made these DELICIOUS burgers and they are AWESOME! Very easy to make and didn’t take long at all. I made a few small substitutions because I was totally out of cumin (used fresh parsley, paprika, and montreal seasoning), and I used apple cider vinegar instead of balsamic. My whole family loves them (even my picky eater – he’s 4) and now I have the perfect vegan burger! Thank you!
so glad you liked them!
your blog is BEAUTIFUL!
http://www.aboutfoood.com
Hi there- Silly question: Can I use an actual egg? Don’t happen to have ground flax. Although, I do have chia? Also, can you sub other nuts for the walnuts depending on what you have? Almonds, etc.?
Thanks!
yes – you can absolutely use an egg (1 egg should be fine). I want to say almonds would work but I haven’t tried them so I can’t say for sure – I would grind them up before adding them to the other ingredients just so they don’t turn out crunchy. I also think ground sunflower seeds would be a nice substitution.
So I’ve had this recipe bookmarked since you posted it earlier this month and I’m currently sitting on a bunch of leftover black beans and quinoa, which makes me think this is the perfect recipe to try out over the weekend! Do you have any suggestions for how to make these ahead of time and freeze, or whether they would freeze well in general?
I haven’t tried freezing them yet… (I will at some point because for the effort I’d love to be able to keep some on hand). If you make them one day ahead and chill over night I’m thinking that would actually help their cohesion. If you try freezing them before I get the chance, let me know how it goes?
I’ll be making these later today and hopefully thawing them in the near future when the weather is warmer. (Will it ever be warmer?) Because the recipe is vegan, I don’t plan on cooking them at all before I freeze them, but I’ll keep you posted on this adventure!
let me know how it works out!
Curious – did anyone try freezing these?
I made these last night…they are incredible!!! So flavorful and delicious. I couldn’t be happier with how they turned out 🙂 They were a bit too wet to roll into a ball, but I managed to make them work (and even flip them!). Now if only I had some of that fancy ketchup to put on top of them…
Hi Margaret – I’m so glad you liked them (and managed to flip them!).
Best veggie burger ever! and.. something which is now close to our heart .. its Gluten free.
Going to give this one a shot.. Burger + kids = win 🙂
Great recipe!!! I made black bean burgers the other month which was delicious but will have to try yours – adding walnuts sounds like a really good idea!
i have a tree nut allergy? Could I omit walnuts or will it change the consistency of the burger? Or is there a substitution? thx.. these look delish!
I haven’t tried it without nuts, so I’m not exactly sure how different the consistency would be – I’m sure it can be done, I just don’t have an exact written recipe alternative (this time). Let me know if you give it at try 🙂
This is gorgeous! I have made quinoa burgers before, but never with black beans. I am craving this!!
Lucky me, I discovered your blog yesterday when I had a fridge full of roasted beets, quinoa and parsnips. I made the burger and fries tonight and they were great! The only issue is that the burgers didn’t hold together very well. Next time should I cook them longer? Chill them longer? Not blend as much? Either way, I’m so glad to have found your blog – I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
You want to blend until you have a chunky refried bean texture. Then when you add the remaining beans and quinoa be sure to mix everything really well so it’s all very much sticking together. Roll them together tightly in your hands to form the patties, if they feel too fragile at that stage, I would chill them longer. Let me know how that goes!
I made these for lunch today. They were as delicious as the pictures look. I will definitely make them again!
so glad you liked them!!
Wow do these ever look good. I just bought some black beans yesterday so I will certainly give this recipe a try 🙂
Ummm, I LOVE those condiment jars!! Oh my goodness. Plus, this recipe obviously looks amazing. That first photo is one of my all time favorites on L&L. You guys are just so dang inspiring and bursting with talent.
thanks Ashley 🙂
I’m new to this blog (love it!), so excuse me if you have posted about this before, but do you make your own GF buns or recommend a store-bought brand? Thanks!
Thanks & welcome! I don’t make my own… pictured are actually whole wheat (not gluten free) buns from the Rudi’s brand. They make gluten-free ones as well, as does the Udi’s brand. I’ve gotten both at Whole Foods (and other organic grocery stores).
these look amazing! now i need to get a food processor, it’s been on my mind. any suggestions on size and brand!?
I use a 4 Cuisinart (this one: http://www.cuisinart.com/products/food_processors/dlc-4chb.html). I use it all the time because it’s small and convenient and not too much of a mess. I usually make small batches of things so it works for me (there are just 2 of us).