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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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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!
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
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
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 cup cannellini beans mashed
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded gruyere cheese
- 6 burger buns, toasted
- fried eggs, mashed avocado, and herbs, for serving (optional)
Sweet Potato Fries
- 4 sweet potatoes, cut into matchsticks
- 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil plus more for cooking
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- kosher salt and black pepper
Beer caramelized onions
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup beer, such as pumpkin, lager, or pilsner
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.
This post was originally published on January 27, 2020
Hi, I have a question regarding the amount of Quinoa. Your recipe calls for 2 cups cooked quinoa … do you mean to cook 2 cups of quinoa and then add 2 cups, because I think 2 cups makes a lot of quinoa. Thanks.
Hey Don, I mean 2 cups of cooked quinoa. Does that help?
Looks pretty good, how bout using other beans in the mash like black beans or chickpeas?
Hey Ross!
I think other beans would work, but the taste would be different. Hope you love these!
Made these tonight. Used regular quinoa, provolone instead of gruyere, apple juice instead of beer, and skipped the fries and egg. Okay, I forgot about the egg. These were great! Even my “please-tell-me-we’re-not-going-vegetarian” husband liked them. I got 6 decent sized patties out of this. I cooked two and wrapped the others up for the freezer. Will remember the cooked egg next time.
YA! So happy you love them! Thanks!
Wow, these are truly amazing!! I made them a few weekends ago, with just a few slight adaptions, and LOVED them! As did my husband!
I loved them so much, I invited friends over the next evening to eat the leftovers. I made fresh sweet potato fries and eggs, but the quinoa patties heated up beautifully in the oven! My guests raved about them.
I couldn’t help featuring them on my own “newbie” food blog (with a link to yours of course)! My photos are not nearly as beautiful as yours, but I think I still convinced a few to try them out for their meat-loving family and friends! 😉
Epic, was spot on! All your recipes (and photos) are seriously incredible, Thank you for sharing them!
Awe!! Thank you so much! SO happy you guys enjoyed these. Thanks Kaylee!
Oh. My. Heavens. This is a seriously outrageous burger!! And that egg on top?? Beyond fabulous!! Saw this on The Berry today and had to tell you how awesome it looked.
Thanks Kim!!
Thanks for your reply! I went ahead with the experiment and yeah, it worked! I needed to use some tlc at the frying pan to keep them together, but that´s probably due to my inability to stick to a recipe!
I made these, a few adjustments due to poorly stocked cupboards, but the onions are amazing. I am once again missing ingredients but would love to make these for lunch, do you think the cannelini beans could be replaced by chickpeas? Thanks, m
Hey Maribel! I do think chickpeas would work fine, but let me know how it goes.
Thanks!
These were phenomenal. Thanks for the recipe!
YAY!! THnaks so mush, Lauren! So happy you loved these burgers!
I make caramelized onions all the time…never thought of caramelizing in beer! Brilliant!
Hi Tiegen, your recipe for the Quinoa Burgers looks phenomenal! My daughter, who is a vegan, wants me to make them for her. I was wondering if you can suggest a substitution for the egg used in the burger (not the egg placed on top after the burger is cooked). I’m assuming the egg is used as a binder to hold the other ingredients together? Can you suggest something else I can use instead that is vegan that won’t alter the flavor or texture too much? Thank you for any advice you can offer!
Hey Patricia!!
I think that if you add some olive oil in place of the egg it should work fine. I would start with 2 tablespoons olive oil and see if the mixture it moist enough, if not add a tablespoon more. This should not alter the flavor at all, but the overall burger might be a little bit dry. Still good though!
Hope you love these and let me know how they turn out!
I merely wanted to thank you one more time for that amazing blog you have made here. It is full of ideas for those who are definitely interested in that subject, primarily this very post.
Awe!! Thank you so much!!
Seems like this burger would be a bit messy to eat, but probably oh so worth it. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
this look delicious.,
may be somday i want to try this your recipe,
thanks for sharing
visit me too
http://indonesiaoriginalrecipes.blogspot.com
Hi Tieghan,
First off, amazing recipies. I’ve recently started lowering my dairy and meat intake and love everything I’ve tried on here.
Quick question on this recipe, can I replace the Cannellini with butter beans and did you cook them first?
Hey jack!
Thanks so much! I do think you can replace the beans with butter beans, but make sure they are cooked first. I used cook canned cannellini beans. Let me know if you have any more questions! Thanks so much and I hope you loved these!
Hi! Can I use red kidney beans? TIA!
Sure! I think that should be fine. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
I live in Avon, CO! How weird that I stumbled upon this page!
Haha! Awesome!!
Thanks Sam!