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
I love these burgers! Great flavor and texture, the quinoa and beets are great additions.
I’m so glad you loved the burgers!
DELISH! Easily the best black bean burger I’ve ever made. Will be making these regularly.
These were great. I did make some changes because of another recipe that I love. I adjusted the beat to a whole small beet and added a chopped date because I love the sweet taste they add. Due to the extra moisture from the whole beet, I also added a little oat flour to adjust the moisture content and then followed the rest of the recipe to a T. Loved them and your blog and both books! Keep it up!
Like very much the recipes, they look healthy and delicious!!
Thank you so much for sharing…
Muakkkk
I think I might be allergic to quinoa. ? Do u know of a good substitute for quinoa? Cuz I’d love to try this recipe!!
you could try millet?
These are amazing – thank you so much for the great recipe! 🙂
I am a HUGE traditional burger fan, but after having to switch my diet earlier in the year to a more friendly paleo/glycemic diet (I.e. Beef is pretty much a ‘no’ for me in any shape or form, as to keep my hormone issues in check) I’ve tried so many bean burger alternatives to make – and I finally I found one that stuck together (yay!) – and tasted amazing!
Yours!
*Just as a side note for my go at the recipe: I didn’t have walnuts on hand, but I used almond meal as a substitute; and I used an egg rather than the flax egg. Both substitutions seemed to hold up. But I’d imagine if you were to stick to the recipe as is, it would still be great! Also, my oven heats up quickly, so instead of pre-heating at the beginning, I pre-heated while the firmed patties were resting in the fridge and I found that to be a-ok in my case.
Thank you again for the great recipe, and I’ll definitely be trying some more from your beautiful site! Cheers!
Thanks Kristen, I’m so glad you liked them! Thanks for listing your alterations too, I’m so glad you were able to use what you had on hand!
I decided to do a search, to find the perfect veggie burger recipe…well, i search no more! these are great, and all basic ingredients in my pantry…going to make a double batch now, and freeze for summer fun!!!
Prepped these last night and baked for dinner tonight. INSANE! Flavor was wonderful. I made a chipotle mayo and had the burger with avocado, red onion and argula. I’m in love. Thank you. Definite staple for my summer eating. I love ur recipes.
thanks Danielle – I’m so glad you liked them!
I can’t wait to try these!! Thanks for sharing!!
I am a fan of burger and I always make my own burger at home however, with beef and chicken patties. I didn’t know that you can make patties with black beans and walnuts. Should give this a try.
Always love good, solid veggie burger recipes and I need more in my life! It’s got so many nourishing ingredients so I can’t wait to give it a go! That chipotle mayo sounds about like the most perfect thing. I’ll be dippin oven fries in that! Thank you for this Jeanine!
My husband (who loves his meat) said this was the best veggie burger I have ever made. This is a keeper. I used regular quinoa instead of red quinoa.
This veggie burger is DELICIOUS! I’ve already made it twice and I definitely will keep making it! I made a Bloody Mary ketchup to eat with it and it’s so awesome! Thanks!
Thanks! I’m so glad you like it – how do you make your bloody mary ketchup?
I make it with 3/4 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup horseradish, 2 teaspoons hot sauce, 1 teaspoon celery salt and 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. It is spicy and delicious! Makes the burger satisfying with some baked french fries to dip into!
These burgers look & sound delicious! I have a tree nut allergy as well so any suggested alternatives for the nuts would be great! Lovely recipe Jeanine!
– xx Val xx
http://www.officialvalbarnes.tumblr.com
I haven’t tried it (so I can’t say for sure) but I’m thinking sunflower seeds would replace the walnuts just fine.
Just made this and it was awesome! They held together really well.
Hi Rachel – i’m so glad you liked them!
These are so delicious! This weekend I served the burgers with a poached egg on top for brunch…yum.
Hi Carol, so glad you liked them! Thanks for letting me know!
I made these last night and oh my, the mayo and ketchup alone were yummy! My mom has recently switched to more of a plant based(sometime’s vegan as you say haha) diet and we both loved these. The only problem I had was trying to flip the patties in the oven, I let them bake for 15 mins and then tried to turn them but they were still mushy so I let them bake the rest of the 10 mins on the same side and it was still a bit mushy. They crumbled when I transferred them to the buns but were definitely cooked all the way. I’m not sure where I messed up but I would love to make these again.
Hi Andrea – so glad you liked them! They can be tricky since there’s no egg here… Try adding more flax to help bind them a little more (maybe 2 teaspooons or so)… and/or, try letting them sit longer in the fridge to firm up before you bake them.
I have been searching for a good veggie burger! I just made these last night and they were great. I made them as a slider with slow roasted tomatoes, fried onions and an aioli. Next time I need to make the chipotle mayo. Thanks for sharing!
so glad you liked them – sounds delicious with slow roasted tomatoes!
These were the first black bean burgers I have ever made that were not mush inside. They were just perfect. Loved the flax egg idea. Definately a keeper. I did add a little whizzed Kale and left out the beet. Dried spices were ground, not whole. Wonderful flavor. Thanks for this.
so glad you liked them!
Oh no! I forgot to chill them! I hope that step wasn’t too important!