Appetizers, Grills, International, Salads, Vegan
Published on March 8, 2021
Comments 12

Quinoa Burgers

written by

Meatless Mondays just got even better with these ridiculously easy and delicious Quinoa Burgers. Yes I get it, I’m probably giving way too much importance to Quinoa of late. The fact is, I now substitute Quinoa for rice most often, and now hooked and a diehard Quinoa fan. As a result, I almost always have leftover Quinoa in the refrigerator and looking for creative ways of using it before it heads to the bin.

Leftovers always make for interesting innovations in my kitchen and the Quinoa quite often gets turned into a spicy Curried Quinoa or Potato Quinoa Patties. The burgers worked out very flavourful and packed with clean  and wholesome ingredients.

Last week I gave the Quinoa Burgers a try and they sure turned out great. Best part is they freeze well too for the weeks ahead when you need a vegetarian fix. Of late I seem to be going Vegan almost three to four times a week and quite enjoying it. Well, I do cook Meat and chicken for the family, however quite happy to fix myself a meat-free meal. In Fact the carnivores  in the family love this addition to our repertoire.

While the following are some key ingredients, please feel free to experiment with various other vegetables like corn, potatoes, bell peppers, green onions, flax seeds, chipotle chiles (for a mexican twist up) and spices of your choice. You may even add in some grated mozzarella, crumbled feta or cheddar cheese as a variation.

These crispy and versatile Quinoa burgers are sure to keep your tastebuds satiated!

Best part is that you have a healthy and scrumptious meal ready in less than 30 minutes.

 

Simple Ingredients That Make Up This Meat- Free Burger

  • Cooked Quinoa (white or the multi coloured work well too)

  • Canned Black Beans ,Kidney Beans or Cannellini Beans

  • Seasoning and Spices

  • Tomato Paste

  • Grated Carrots for some flavour, Corn , Bell peppers  or grated Zucchini are a great addition.

  • Bread crumbs

  • Cornflour (optional)

 

Tips To Keep The Burger From Crumbling:

 

  • Now you may use egg if you like, however  if you would like a vegan option the bread crumbs along with some cornflour work really well.
  • Adding in some mashed potatoes gives the burgers some good binding and will help keep the burger together.
  • Try and limit the use of too many veggies as they are high in water content and will turn the mixture into a mushy mess.
  • I’ve used just a little bit of grated carrots for texture and flavour, ensure you squeeze out all the water from the carrots before adding them to the mixture.
  • Feel free to add a bit more breadcrumbs or cornstarch if the mix feels too wet and does not form well.

 

How To Cook  Perfect & Fluffy Quinoa:

 

 

Cooking Quinoa:

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup White Quinoa (approximately 185 grams)
  • 2 Cups Water

Directions:

  • Add the quinoa to a fine mesh colander and wash and rinse the quinoa under running tap water a couple of times to get rid of the bitterness
  • Add the rinsed quinoa to a pan and add in two cup of water.
  • Place the pan on a stovetop and keep this on medium-high and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat to medium and let this simmer uncovered till all the water is absorbed (approximately 10-12 minutes
  • Take the pan of cooked quinoa off the heat and gently fluff the grains with a fork. Cover and let it rest and cool for an hour or two before using it in the recipes.

 

Looking For More Recipes With Quinoa?

Do take a look at some previous posts on how to creatively use up leftover Quinoa:

 

 

Some Wonderful Salads That Pair Well With These Quinoa Burgers:

  1. Crunchy Oriental Salad:

2. Bocconcini Salad:

3. Warm Beetroot & Feta Salad:

3

 

Recipe For Quinoa Burgers

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 can black beans or kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 1 small carrot (grated finely)
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon (cornflour, optional)
  • 1 tablespoon Olive oil

Directions:

  1. Cook the quinoa.
  2. In a mixing bowl add the black beans and mash really weel. Add the cooled quinoa to the black beans and the add in the paprika, cumin powder, dried oregano, salt and pepper, grated carrots and tomato paste and mix well.
  3. If the mixture feels to wet, add some cornflour for binding.
  4. Form them them into four patties.
  5. Heat a pan over medium heat and add some olive oil.
  6. Fry the patties for about 5-6 minutes on each side till they are well browned.
  7. Place them between burger buns with topping  of your choice (lettuce, tomatoes, sauteed mushroom and caramelised onionsI
  8. Or if you prefer a gluten free version then serve the Quinoa burgers on a bed of lettuce.

12 Comments

    • cookingwithshy says

      Oh that sounds wonderful Judi! Yes this too has a small about of black beans and turned out quite well. hope you are well;))

      Reply

Leave a comment