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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
Wow! Just had this burger again. I swear it’s even better the 2nd time. This time I had it with zucchini chips, made with ground almonds. I ground the almonds so the coating wasn’t quite as fine as almond flour. Crispy and delicious and dipped in a mixture of lite mayo, sraracha & lime, which, by the way, was great on the burger.
http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag265/janetmillr/QuinoaBurger_zpse6d5f0be.jpg
WHOA!! That sounds incredible! 🙂
By the way, I used a pre-rinsed Roasted Garlic quinoa (not cooked) put out by Roland. It was just the right amount for the recipe. I added some smoked paprika along with the other ingredients in your recipe. So that, along with the chili powder, they were a nice color. Loved skipping the rinsing process.
http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag265/janetmillr/IMG_1286_zps814836be.jpg
That sounds so awesome! I will have to try it!
These burgers were amazing! I knew when I first made the burgers that they wouldn’t fall apart. I’m not a vegetarian, and I LOVED it! My daughter (who IS a vegetarian) was impressed. The gruyere and caramelized onions were great additions. We had them with baked zucchini fries, and a cucumber ‘noodles’ and spiced pecans salad. The meal looked great on my square zebra print plates. The only disappointment? I forgot to take a picture.
YEAH!! I am so excited you love these burgers, THANK YOU!
Like a few other reviewers, my patties fell apart, but that didn’t stop them from being ~amazing~ they’re just so meaty and hearty and delicious with just the right amount of kick. The onions and fried egg totally completed it.
Oh man, that is so weird that they fell apart for you and not others who have made them. Very happy you still enjoyed the burgers though!! Maybe try and leave the patties in the fridge longer to firm up?
Hi. I’m making these tomorrow night (Fri.) for dinner. Where the ingredients call for “1 cup cannellini beans, mashed”, is that 1 cup of the beans BEFORE they are mashed or should the mashed cannelloni beans measure 1 cup?
I measured 1 cup beans BEFORE mashing. Sorry for the confusion and please let me know if you have any other questions. Hope you love the burgers!
These quinoa burgers look incredible! I can’t wait to make them. I’m a meat eater but know I’d love these. Can these be made up and frozen before they are cooked?
Thanks Janet! Yes, these can be made and frozen. I would just thaw them in the fridge overnight before cooking. Or maybe even cook them frozen slowly in the oven. Either way works I think. Hope you love these!
Oh man, Ali totally beat me to it mentioning that commercial. I was gonna say “That doesn’t look like it would taste like old dirty tree bark.”
Great looking recipe obviously, but nutritious too. The burger alone has 16g of protein per burger.
Awesome recipe.
THANK YOU!
Yum! The fried egg was sooooo worth it. Plus it’s filling but not TOO filling, somehow…Magic?! 🙂
Oh, and my man (who hates beans!) enjoyed this! Your description cracked me UP and I had to sneak this recipe in on him. Success!
Haha! Thanks!
I’d love to try my hands on quinoa burger. Looks Delicious!
holy! the mother of all veggie burgers! I have to try this! It already looks like I couldn’t fit a bite of that burger but an amazing addition would be avocado.
Thank you! Hope you love it!
ummm WOW…I don’t even have the words….I love my beef burgers, and I have to say I can easily now swap them out for this tasty treat! Thank you!!!
YESSS! 🙂
Make me so happy. Thank you!
I just fed these to three total carnivores, who loved them and asked for seconds! Thank you for this amazing recipe, it is now my go-to veggie burger.
AWESOME!! So happy everyone loved these! THANKS!
I love these so much and make them all the time! Do you think these would hold up being cooked on a grill? I want to bring some to my brother’s 4th of July cookout!
Hey Leah! So happy you love these, THANKS! I have tried to do them on the grill and well they do ok, I really think they are best cooked in a skillet. If you have a cast iron skillet you could through that on the grill and then cook the burgers in the skillet on the grill. Hope that helps and have a great 4th!
Looks so amazing! Hope you don’t mind but I’ve linked it in my Menu Monday for Vegetarian Week here in the UK.
Thanks so much! 🙂
Our burgers were delicious BUT fell apart at pretty much the first bite. Any ideas?
What I do: Have all your ingredients at room temperature ~ this helps them push together and hold~be sure none of your beans are still whole each should be at least a little mushed. Once mixed let everything rest together for 10~15 minutes to absorb and meld together.
To form the burgers ~ I thought about buying a hamburger press but didn’t want to spend the money~ so I take a wide~ish 1/2 cup measuring cup and pack it full (mine is stainless steel) pressing down ~ then I “fwump” it carefully down on a surface~ the compacted burg easily “falls” out, take a flat wide knife and carefully press it out as wide as I want it. then using a spatula, transfer it onto a plate ~ the last burger tends to be a bit smaller than the rest :). Then I cover and place in the fridge until cold.
Thanks for the great tips!
These are awesome tips! The first time I made these, they fell apart (but were still epic and delicious) – following these tips they turned out perfectly!!
I am so glad to hear that! Thank you Jamie!
Hmm, that is so weird. Is your quinoa super dry or a little moist from cooking? Are you letting them chill in the fridge?
I think the egg and cheese are important in helping the the stay together.
Mine are really mushy so I put the entire bowl in the fridge. Maybe when they cool they will form patties?
Hmm, that is really weird. Mine always firm right up and form thick, sturdy patties. I do think time in the fridge will help! Hope it works and let me know. Thanks!
Yep I was able to make four nice size patties after they were in the fridge overnight. They turned out perfect when I cooked them in the pan-light golden brown. I served them with the carmelized onions (for those who like onions) and the sweet potato fries. I also offered bib lettuce and tomato slices and corn on the cob. Everyone’s plate was clean. Thanks!
So happy you loved these!! Thanks Carrie!