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
The taste of the end product was pretty good, but I found the instructions very confusing. One of the steps towards the end mentioned an egg. I didn’t know if that was a typo, because it was not mentioned in the list of ingredients.
I also found the mixture to be difficult to form into a burger, because it kept falling apart.
Any tips would be appreciated!
I would want to try to make it again if someone could offer advice.
And I’d also like to know if there is indeed an egg in this recipe! All it says is “egg”. Does that mean one egg, or more?
Did you get an answer to this? The ingredients called for ground flax and water. The instructions said to use the “flax egg” which is what ground flax and water are called when used as an egg replacement. Since she didn’t call it flax egg in the ingredients, it is confusing.
Hi Stephanie, I’m sorry, that wording is confusing. I referred to the water + flax mixture that you make in step 1 as a “flax egg,” but I’ll change that to say “flax mixture,” so it’s more clear.
I accidentally overcooked some black beans so was looking for a recipe to use them and found this! I always mix red quinoa into white (because it looks more appealing) so I don’t have red only. And I only have pickled beets. So I will try with what I have on hand. They won’t look the same but I will adjust the balsamic for the inclusion of pickled beets and see how they turn out. Great inspiration!
I have made these before and LOVE them. I want to get back into making them again…but I am living in a place (small island in South Pacific) that doesn’t stock ground flax or flaxseeds. Is there a substitute you can suggest please?
Hi Mary-Kate, I think chia seeds could work, or if not vegan an egg (minus the 3 tablespoons water) would work too.
This might be a dumb question, but do you grate the beet raw & by hand?
Hi Renee, yep, we grate it raw! You can do it by hand on a box grater or use a food processor grater attachment.
We LOVED this recipe! It’s perfect. I 1.5-times’d the recipe so I could use a whole can of black beans. We might not even have to use the egg replacement. They seem to hold together quite well without it.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Yum, even the bean resistant husband and toddler enjoyed them!!
I got part way through making these and then realised I didn’t have any black beans left! So I subbed them for finely diced cooked mushrooms and they worked Beautifully!! Thanks for the brilliant recipe.
What is the “flax egg” in step 5?
Hi K, it’s the mixture you make in step 2. That wording is confusing, we’ll update it.
Doesn’t seem to be updated. Where’s the egg come from?
One TBS ground flax mixed with three TBS water; let sit for five minutes.
Can these be cooked in a pan instead of the oven ?
Yep, that should be fine!
My daughter has a nut and soy allergy. What can be sub for the walnuts? As for the soy sauce, do you think coconut amino acids are a good sub?
Hi JP, try these black bean burgers instead – they’re totally nut free: https://www.loveandlemons.com/black-bean-burger-recipe/
Such a fabulous recipe! I’ve tried so many veggie burger recipes and I’ve never found one I enjoyed as much as this. I did add a bit more shredded beets and it held up perfectly. I topped the burgers with avocado, sliced tomatoes from the garden & grilled hatch chilies.
Im thrilled this made 4 burgers, I froze 2 so we have an easy dinner to look forward to another night.
Oh I bet they were yummy with the hatch chiles. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Incredibly tasty with good mouth appealing texture and visually attractive – like the comment says, seems like it would be yummy to meat eaters too. I used tomato sauce instead of tomato paste (I added a bit more quinoa to absorb moisture). I practice zero waste and don’t favor single use disposable parchment paper, so I skipped using it and put the burgers right onto a slightly oiled metal baking sheet — burgers didn’t stick.. I used quinoa from Loop (a no waste company where you return the container the quinoa came in). Way to go — substantive, healthy gluten-free vegan burger — thank you!
hello!
I have started making your receipes for two weeks now, and wow just love all the vibrant colors and different ingredients!
I plan on making your quinoa burger, except I wanted to see if I could substitute. I don’t feel like making the trek into town again.
Can I sub:
Instead of Walnuts use Cashews
Instead of Quinoa and use a blend of quinoa/millet/buckwheat
Hi Den, I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the recipes! I think these modifications should work – it’s hard to say if they’ll hold together the same way without trying myself.
Hi Jeanine,
I wanted to let you know I used the substitutes and the quinoa burger turned out wonderfully! Thank you so much for another delightful recipe. I can’t wait to try this again but next time try it without substitutes all the way!
I’m so thrilled to hear that, thanks for letting me know!
I really enjoy making (and eating) these black bean burgers. I’ve tried several recipes, including my own concoctions and this is definitely our favorite vegan burger recipe. I love how it looks like a real burger with the red quinoa and beet color inside.
Hi Anna, I’m so glad you loved these!
These are sooo good. Making them nearly every week. Using 1 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp cayenne and 1 tsp paprika (no cilantro). Serving with avocado lettuce, tomato and gochujang sauce.
these are the literal best black bean burgers I’ve ever made. they are SO FLAVORFUL!! Was looking for a gluten free burger, that didn’t use gluten free bread crumbs or oats. YUM!