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The very best Crispy Quinoa Burgers Topped with Sweet Potato Fries and Beer Caramelized Onions. Perfectly spiced vegetarian quinoa burgers, pan-cooked until extra crispy on the outside, yet soft and cheesy in the middle. Top each burger with beer caramelized onions and spicy gluten-free sweet potato fries. Yes, this burger is every bit as DELICIOUS as it sounds. It’s the ultimate quinoa burger that’s anything but boring. Perfect for your game day eats…and any other burger day in between.

side angle photo of Crispy Quinoa Burgers Topped with Sweet Potato Fries and Beer Caramelized Onions

Sandwiches of any kind are one of the foods I struggle with most when it comes to photography. It’s stupid, but because I struggle with them so much I always avoid sharing any kind of sandwich recipe. I literally cringe at the thought of photographing them. The fear of an ugly food photo stops me in my tracks.

I know, I know, stupid. But hey, look at me today! Here I am with my favorite quinoa burger. I can’t say I find these photos are Pinterest worthy, but it’s a burger, and it may never be gorgeous. The brothers said they looked good, Mom said they look good. So I’m trusting their opinions and sharing despite what I think.

Point is that these burgers have been a favorite since the very, very beginning of HBH. And with the Super Bowl on Sunday, I obviously had to share them…these really are the BEST quinoa burgers.

Yes, these burgers are EVERYTHING. And that’s not an exaggeration in the least, they just have so much going on. These are what we call the “epic” crispy quinoa burger. Crispy, cheesy burgers topped with melted Gruyere cheese, buttery beer caramelized onions, spicy-sweet potatoes fries, fresh herbs, and even a little avocado.

Everything about this recipe is SO GOOD. These are not your average quinoa burgers.

Crispy Quinoa Burgers Topped with Sweet Potato Fries and Beer Caramelized Onions | halfbakedharvest.com #quinoaburger

The burger details…

Here is what I will say, this is not my most “super simple” recipe. But nothing about making these burgers is hard. There are a handful of steps, and you do need to have a little time to make them. But you can do so much ahead of time, and trust me, the extra time in the kitchen is worth it.

Start with the burgers themselves in a large bowl. The mixture is made up of quinoa, white beans, bread crumbs, and egg. The key to creating the best quinoa burger? The combination of the spices and cheese in the burgers themselves. You have to give them flavor, so I use a touch of chipotle chili powder and plenty of sharp cheddar cheese.

Form the quinoa mix into patties and keep them covered in the fridge while you prepare the sweet potato fries.

quinoa burger mixer before forming the burgers

Now for those sweet potato fries…

They’re simply the best thing to ever be put on top of a burger. Dramatic, but true.

I like to cut my fries super thin and skinny and then toss them with a mix of chili powder and smoky paprika. Roast in the oven until crisp on the outside, but still soft in the center. Fair warning, these fries are addicting. You might just double the recipe. Some for the top of the burger and some to snack on.

Just a thought…

Sweet Potato Fries

Ah, and those beer caramelized onions…

Yes, you need these too, because you can never go wrong with caramelized onions. I know it seems like a bit much, but go with me on this.

Using beer to caramelize the onions not only adds additional flavor right into the onions but it also helps them to cook down and caramelize faster. If you love caramelized onions, you will love these onions even more. They’re truly so good, even onion haters enjoy them.

Once the onions are cooked, the fries are ready, and the burgers have been crisped in the skillet, it’s assembly time. Find your favorite buns, toast them up, then add a cheesy burger to each bun. Add the beer caramelized onions and sweet potatoes. At this point, you could be done. OR you can take the burger a step further with mashed avocado, a fried egg, and fresh herbs.

Do what you’d love most here, completely up to you as to how you finish these. Just be sure not to skip the onions or the fries. These are two key toppers that you really do NEED.

side angled close up photo of Crispy Quinoa Burgers Topped with Sweet Potato Fries and Beer Caramelized Onions

A few tips…

The burger patties themselves don’t need to be put in the fridge for chilling. I just recommend doing so while you make the fries for a nice texture. If you need to pan-fry these up right after forming, that works just as well.

You can make the burgers up to four or five days in advance and keep in the fridge. Or you can pop them in the freezer for up to four months. If you plan to freeze the burgers, I like to wrap in parchment paper for storage.

If you don’t enjoy cooking with beer, just caramelize the onions without the beer following these directions.

These make for a fun Monday dinner. Or plan to make them on Sunday for the Super Bowl. Either is great, but once you make these, my hope is that you’ll be making them on repeat throughout the year! They’re healthy(ish), easy(ish), and so very delicious.

Fingers crossed you all love them as much as we do!

side angle photo of Crispy Quinoa Burgers Topped with Sweet Potato Fries and Beer Caramelized Onions and hand picking up the burger

If you make these crispy quinoa burgers topped with sweet potato fries and beer caramelized onions, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Crispy Quinoa Burgers Topped with Sweet Potato Fries and Beer Caramelized Onions

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 969 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Quinoa Burgers

Sweet Potato Fries

Beer caramelized onions

Instructions

  • 1. In a medium bowl, combine the quinoa, mashed beans, Panko, egg, garlic, chili powder, cheese, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Form the mix into 5-6 equal burgers. Place on a plate, cover, and transfer to the fridge.
    2. To make the fries. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet and toss with olive oil, chili powder, paprika, and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Spread the fries in an even layer. Do not overcrowd the pan, if needed, divide the fries between 2 baking sheets Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, then flip and bake for 15-20 minutes more. You want the sweet potatoes to be tender, yet crisp. 
    4. Meanwhile, make the onions. Melt the butter and onions together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. At this point, you want to slowly add the beer, 1/4 cup at a time, until the beer cooks into the onions. Continue to cook another 8-10 minutes until you've used all of the beer and the onions are deeply caramelized. Remove the onions from the skillet to a plate.
    5. Cook the burgers in the same skillet, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the burgers and cook until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes per side. During the last minute of cooking add the Gruyere cheese, cover, and cook 2-3 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
    6. To assemble, place each burger on a bun, top with caramelized onions and sweet potatoes. If desired, add a fried egg, mashed avocado, and fresh herbs. ENJOY.

Notes

To Make Ahead: the burgers can be formed and kept in the fridge for up to 1 week. Cook as directed. 
Freezing: the burgers can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 4 months. To cook, thaw on the counter for 1-2 hours, then cook as directed. 
Baking Instead of Pan Cooking: you can bake the burgers on an oiled baking sheet at 425˚ for 20 minutes, flip and continue baking for another 5-10 minutes, until crisped. Note that you will not get as crispy of a burger this way. 
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This post was originally published on January 27, 2020
4.22 from 456 votes (371 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Can you use white quinoa for this? Finding it hard to find red quinoa here in London without having to order online.

    1. I’ve made this recipe twice and I used white quinoa both time. They came out just fine! I have a hard time finding red quinoa as well.

  2. I made these a couple nights ago for my boyfriend and I, and they were spectacular! I will definitely be adding this recipe to our list of frequent dinners. I think epic is the perfect adjective for these! I add some extra spices, as well as a couple hot peppers because we love our food spicy. But I recommend everyone try this recipe at least once. I’ve already sent it to a couple friends to try!

  3. May I just say THANK YOU! for telling us where those amazing looking burger buns came from! And for all the rest!

  4. Oh boy. Tieghan – you have outdone yourself. I made these burgers tonight, and the whole day, I kept telling my carnivore father that the menu was a surprise. Because, well, I’m pretty sure my father has never eaten a veggie burger…or rather, one that he’s liked (let alone loved). Everything was perfect – the seasoning for the sweet potato fries, the burgers, the beer caramelized onions. Everything came together so well (although prep/cooking took me close to 2hrs even with my mom’s help!). I didn’t add egg this time around but will def give it a shot next time.

    Fast forward to sitting down for the meal. My father was so impressed simply at how the burgers looked (he sure loves his burgers)…and took one bite, and exclaimed, “Wow…this is really good beef. Is it grass-fed?” I legit thought he was joking. My mother, sister, and I could not contain our laughter. My dad meanwhile, looks confused. “Yea…grass-fed…from Whole Foods. Quality meat, eh?” I say. My dad nods his head in agreement…until he picks up on what’s going on. “Wait a sec…this isn’t beef? Oh…what? It’s SO good! Is it quinoa?” He basically completely thought it was meat from the mere looks of it. It was so delicious!!! Thank you for an awesome recipe. I have been looking for a stellar quinoa burger recipe, and after leafing through so many, I finally decided on this one. So glad I did. This burger will definitely be a staple in this household =)

    1. Oh my gosh!! You just made my day!! LOVE this!!! 🙂

      Thanks so much for choosing my recipe. SO happy you guys all loved it!

  5. Made these tonight! Phew, it was labor intensive but definitely worth it. The burgers with the onions had all the right savory flavors and the caramelized onions with pumpkin beer (I happened to have it around) were phenomenal. It did take me a whole hour to do the onions and a little bit more than a cup of the beer. Loved it, and would definitely make again. Oh, and I skipped the egg because these already had enough fat from the cheeses.

  6. This looks SO freaking good! I had no idea it was a veggie burger when I clicked through from tastespotting, but I think it is even cooler now that I know it is made of quinoa!