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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
They look soo gooood 😀
Thank you!
I love quinoa and this recipe looks great! I have never seen or heard of burgers with fried egg….Sounds like an interesting idea. Pretty nice recipes on your site. Would love to make your everything bagel buns!
Thanks!
This is the third time I’ve made this. This is by far the best thing I’ve ever cooked. I’ve never commented on something like this before but I had to show my appreciation. My wife and two friends just told me it was the best burger they’ve ever eaten. Greeaaatttt success.
SO happy you love these burgers!! Thanks so much!
Made these AGAIN (BF pleaded for them) substituting for what I had on hand. Replaced Cannellini beans with half a cup Black beans and half a cup Chickpeas, 3/4C Mozzarella, 1 tsp cumin and 1 TBL nutritional yeast everything else the same as recipe. They were so good! Again just the burgers but next time I’ll try the onions too!
SO happy you loved these and I love you subs!
Just made these~ just the burgers ( for breakfast! ) and had to make a few substitutions.
Swapped cooked mashed sweet potatoes for the beans, swapped 1/2 C parmasean for grated cheese. Fried in coconut oil.
serve with jalapeno relish on the side.
I’ll probably have more for lunch!
Thanks for the recipe!!
Breakfast burgers!! Love that!
So happy you loved these! Thanks Elizabeth!
I made these last night and they tasted lovely but the patty fell apart while being eaten. I prepared and cooked them exactly as stated and the middle seemed a bit underdone. Has anyone had better results with baking the patties instead of pan frying?
Hey Steph, that is weird that yours fell apart. Mine were pretty sold and sturdy. I think baking these would work great too r maybe just cooking them a little longer. Hope that helps and sorry again that they fell apart!
This was absolutely amazing! I’m a sucker for anything with a runny egg already 😉 but top that with quinoa, sweet potato and caramelised onions? Thank you for this deliciousness =)
So happy you loved these! Thanks Sam!
No way I could get my mouth around this concoction even though it sounds marvelous! I would stop at burger, cheese and onions and still have difficulty. Using red quinoa makes it look more like a traditional meat burger.
Hi! These seriously look amazing, going to try the recipe tonight! Is the cheddar in the burger more for binding or for flavor? Do you think mozzarella would work as a substitute? Thanks! 🙂
I think mozzarella would be great. Hopping you gave it a try and love these! 🙂
We have dubbed this burger the “party in your mouth” burger. MY. GOD. These are incredible and do NOT skip the egg, so much going on, truly a party in your mouth. WOW! Thank you 🙂 🙂
Haha! Yea!! So happy you loved these burgers!!
I made these twice and found them to be as delicious as the picture. The first time I didn’t have beer so I used Marsala wine to caramelize the onions I loved the flavor even more than the second time when I did use beer.
SO happy you loved these burgers!! Thanks Marcy!
I can’t say enough good things about this burger! We ate them again last night, heated frozen in a pan with olive oil. They tasted extremely Fresh, like they had never been frozen! I’ve eaten many veggie burgers before and used to have a favorite from a place called BurgerFi in Ft. Lauderdale. Tieghan, your quinoa burger recipe is far superior! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes! My gluten-free husband Thanks You too!
SO HAPPY YOU LOVED IT!! Thanks Donna!
Thank you Tieghan! Too funny because I cooked 2 cups of quinoa and it made like 6 cups of cooked quinoa! All ended well though because the burgers were so good, I made a whole bunch to freeze. Thank you for an EXCELLENT Winner recipe!
Oh no!
So happy you did love the burger though! Thanks Don!
measure 2 cups OF (already) cooked quinoa. Hope that helps!
How would you recommend freezing and reheating the patties? defrost and then in the pan? or from frozen into the oven?
Frozen in the pan or in the oven. Both should work great! Let me know if you have anymore questions.