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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
FINALLY found a quinoa patty recipe! These burgers turned out awesome. Usually they fall apart but you have the ratio just right! Thanks so much! 😀
Yay, so happy you liked it Jenna! They can be difficult to stay together so i’m glad it worked for you!
What substitue can i use instead of cannellini beans
Hi Karen! Black beans will work equally great! Let me know if you have questions and I hop you love these!
Wow those look so good! I’m starving now
Thanks so much Danny!
I’ve been making these for my family for about 6 months now. I have the PICKIEST son (getting him to try new things usually requires an hour of crying) and his dad isn’t exactly adventurous either. They LOVE these!!! I am not a 10/10 cook, but they are easy to make and prep ahead of time. It’s practically impossible to find things that fit into the venn diagram of “I can cook it”, “I can afford it”, and “they will eat it” (and god forbid “it’s moderately healthy”)… so this recipe is a keeper! It’s definitely in our weekly rotation! Thank you so much!
AH!! SO amazing that they like it!! So happy you tried this one! Thanks so much Britta. (:
This was delicious! I really don’t like veggie burgers typically but this is really close to meat….and even has the meat aftertaste. I plan on using this recipe for all my burgers. Even my meat and potato husband will love this!
Thank you! 🙂
Wow!! SO happy you like them! I hope everyone else does as well (:
Thanks Kym.
I made these last night for dinner – with the sweet potato fries on the side- and they were so tasty! Mine were just a little bit crumbly…not too bad, but I wish I had cooked them in a 12-inch skillet rather than a 10-inch…I think the fact that I didn’t have much room to work with when flipping made them fall apart a little! I added a handful of hemp seed for extra protein. ??They were SO filling. I think I probably could have made 6 instead of 4!
So happy you liked them, a larger pan is definitely helpful! The hemp seed is genius! Thanks Mary!
Hi these burgers look amazing! My friend and I are vegetarian and we are making veggie burgers in home economics class when everyone else is making beef burgers. We won’t be making any of the add ons as we won’t have time in class so i was wondering how long you have to chill the burgers before cooking them? Please reply as soon as you can as the class is on tuesday! Thanks 🙂
Hey Rachel!! The burgers do not need long to chill, in fact if you feel they are firm enough then you do not need to chill them at all. Let me know if you have any questions. Hope the burgers are a hit! 🙂
I read the recipe a dozen times and even slogged through all the comments. WHERE is the gruyere cheese? I saw it in the cooking instructions but not in the ingredient list.
Hey Janne! You need about q cup of cheese. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you! 🙂
Can,t wait to cook this for my veggie friends at the weekend, can you BBQ it as well?
These will become famous in London if I get it right
To be honest I wouldn’t put them on a BBQ. They are pretty fragile in the pan.
One thing that is a definite though is they don’t freeze! They turn to mush when you defrost them.
Hi!! If you want to BBG these I recommend pre cooking them on the stove top or in the oven to ensure they do not crumble on you. Veggie burgers can be a little delicate, so I just want to be sure you don’t have trouble! Let me know if you have questions. Thanks! 🙂
This looks so yummy! Is there anything I can use in place of the egg to bind it? My husband doesn’t eat eggs.
Hi rachaelle! You could try using a chia egg which is 1 tablespoon chia seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons water. I have never tried this so I really do not know the results. You can also just try omitting the egg. Please let me know if you have questions. Thank you!
Sorry, too unhealthy for me. Replacing beef (no carbs) with something that has of carbs, then adding more carbs on top? This is one huge fat pill, the only healthy thing on here would be egg and cheese.
Unless of course you’re vegetarian and dont eat beef, eh James? And what on earth makes you think carbs are unhealthy, eh James? Ever thought not everyone’s agenda is cutting carbs out of their diet, eh James? Mad concept I know.
And just for your info cheese is approx 1/3 saturated fat and egg is high in cholesterol. Is that healthy? Not the sharpest tool in the box eh James? But defo a tool.
True Kerry you’re not the sharpest tool in the box. In the US 11% of the population is diabetic and it’s growing. Not to mention 35% are obese. Carbs primarily in the form of sugar and fast food are the reason, so I see no reason to encourage increasing carb intake out of a misguided belief that all fats are bad. Maybe you should do a little research instead of jumping on the band wagon and insulting those that have.
There’s nothing unhealthy about carbs in vegetables or grains like in this burger and the factors that are tenuously linked to diabetes are also not present in this burger. The cause of type 2 diabetes is largely unknown, but genetics and lifestyle clearly play roles. Type 2 diabetes has been linked to obesity, genetic risk factors, and inactivity. What carbs have got to do with the onset of diabetes I do not know and seemingly neither do you. Carbs do not play a role in Diabetes and there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that. This burger isn’t ‘fast food’ and if people ate this healthily they would have very little risk of getting diabetes caused by a diet consisting of the ingredients in this burger. The fast food connected to diabetes is the McDonald’s of the worlds menu and also processed foods full of nitrates, sodium and refined sugars, not a healthy balanced nutritional burger such as the above. I think you’ll find you were the one who jumped in with misinformation when you decided to announce carbs aren’t healthy which undeniably makes you a fool. Then to cap it off you decided to correlate carbs to diabetes. Ill send you a spade so you can keep on digging.
Here’s your spade. Diabetes is all about carbs. Carbs increase your blood glucose level and those with diabetes have to be extremely careful because too many can lead to serious health risks. As I said research before making a fool of yourself.
Number 3
http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/10-diabetes-diet-myths
http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/answered-questions/it-true-eating-too-many-carbohydrates-can-cause-diabetes
http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2011/mar/are-carbs-the-enemy.html?referrer=https://www.google.com.au/
Fool
You folks need to chill! I am Keto but I don’t go to nonKeto sites and berate people. I make these for my boyfriend ( he’s not Keto). PreKeto I made and ate then and they are delicious! What people put in their mouths is their own business. Lead by being an example, not criticism!
These burgers looks too good, I think I am gonna try them without eggs on the top. I make my veggie burgers with potatoes, peas and carrots but this is also a good option. Definitely going to try these soon.
Hey Dev! Thank you!! It should still be great without the egg!! Hope you like it!!
These are delicious. My husband liked them as well. I will certainly make these again
Awesome thanks so much Nasrin!
The burgers are amazing. Putting an egg on it though is truly criminal. Only Americans and Australians would commit such a heinous act.
I can’t remember if I ever commented on this recipe. But I just have to say, I make these ALL the time. I was always searching for the perfect veggie burger and this is it! The only negative thing I would have to say is that mine always come out a bit crumbly, but it’s obviously not that big of an issue since I make them all the time because the flavor is amazing lol. My husband is a carnivore and he says these smell and taste like a real burger. This is a meal that the whole family eats, which is very rare!
Thank you! Your recipes are always so unique and look fantastic. I’ve made multiple things on here and have never been disappointed.
I am so happy that this recipe is great for your entire family and you all enjoy it! Thank you so much Ashleigh! (: