Quinoa Burgers

This quinoa burger recipe is crispy on the outside, soft within, and overflowing with delicious flavors. Made with fresh herbs, dried tomatoes, and almonds, this burger is loved by vegetarians and carnivores alike!

These vegetarian burgers feature red quinoa, though you can use any color or a mix of colors.

Quinoa burgers are easily made gluten-free and are not meant mimic meat burgers -- in texture or otherwise, they're their own form of a scrumptious veggie burger.

Their a bit fragile to cook -- if you read through all of the recipe tips, you should be successful in making a truly delicious vegetarian burger.

The Key Ingredients

• vegetable broth or stock - This is for cooking the quinoa. Broth will have a richer and more developed flavor than stock. Either one will work. Since quinoa absorbs all of the liquid it's cooked in, the flavor of that liquid matters. You can however use water to substitute, keeping in mind you'll loose some flavor. The burgers will still be delicious.
• quinoa - Quinoa has an earthy, nut-like flavor, and when it's crisped as it is in this recipe, it has a fantastic crunch. I use red quinoa, which is typically sold in health food and/or upscale markets like Whole Foods, Erewhon, etc., though I've also seen it larger grocery stores from time to time. I love it because it has a slightly stronger nutty flavor than white quinoa, and it's pretty! Use any color you like, red, white or black, or a mix of the three. (There are said to be hundreds of varieties, but these are the three you'll see in stores.)
• fresh basil - Choose perky bunches and avoid any brown, bruised or yellow leaves.
• marinated sun-dried tomatoes - The sun-dried tomatoes add delicious sweet flavor without adding too much liquid, like a fresh tomato would. If you have to, you can substitute with dried tomatoes that you hydrate in hot water. (Just add them to water in a small pot, bring to a boil, turn off the heat, let them sit until they're soft, and drain.)
• sliced almonds - We toast the almonds before adding them, which brings the oils to the surface and intensifies their flavor. Slivered almonds are okay, too.
• bread crumbs - Any type you like as long as they aren't seasoned.
• onion - Try to choose onions that are firm, heavy for their size and without bruises.
• Parmesan cheese - Super finely grated is best. Asiago is a great substitute.
• fresh garlic - To save time, you can substitute with jarred minced garlic.
• egg - Some veggie burgers are vegan, this quinoa burger however has egg (and cheese), which both help bind the burger together.
• Kosher salt - Use half the amount if you use table salt.

How to Make Quinoa Burgers

- Pour the broth (or stock) into a small pot, place it over high heat, and bring to a boil. Add the quinoa, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until all of the liquid has been absorbed.

Recipe Tip: Be certain ALL of the liquid has been absorbed, and once the quinoa is cooked, let it cool. This is important because as it cools, it dries out, which will help your burgers bind. The quickest way to do this is to spread it out on a sheet pan, but if you're not rushing, just stir it every so often until it's at least room temperature and you no longer see steam.

- Toast the almonds in a small sauté over medium-low heat. Watching closely, and stirring from time to time, heat just until they're golden and aromatic.

- Add the basil, sun-dried tomatoes, toasted almonds, bread crumbs, onion, Parmesan, garlic, egg, salt and a few turns of black pepper to a food processor and blend until it's as smooth as possible -- it will not get perfectly sooth. It should be thick and almost paste-like.

- Add the cooked and cooled quinoa to a large bowl, and then use a rubber spatula to transfer the mixture from the food processor to the bowl. Mix until everything is well combined.

- Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. You can either make 4 big, or 6 small burgers. For the bigger size, they should be a bit less than ½ cup each, and for the small, about ⅓ cup each. The measurements are a guideline, you just want them to be as evenly sized as possible. Gently use the palm of your hand to press each one into a nice round shape.

Recipe Tip: Shaping a quinoa burger is not like shaping a meat burger -- the consistency of the mixture is not as dry and as easy to shape, so if you have an ice cream scoop about the right size, it's the ideal way to shape them.

- Generously coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with olive oil and place it over medium-high heat. Once the pan is very hot, use a flat-bottomed spatula to move the burgers from the parchment paper into the pan. Gently move the spatula so it's holding as much of the burger as possible and then lift it carefully, sliding the spatula out as you place it in the pan. There should be a couple of inches between them.(Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to do this in two batches.)

- If you don't hear a sizzling sound when they hit the pan, it's not enough yet. Sauté for about 2 minutes, then very gently and carefully turn the burgers over, reduce the heat to medium-low, and sauté for another few minutes or so, until the bottom is golden brown.

- Place the cooked burgers on a plate and cover with foil until you're ready to serve.

Pro Tip: You can test to see if your pan is hot enough by sprinkling a tiny bit of salt on the oil. If it immediately sizzles, the pan is ready.

More Tips

• While the egg in the recipe adds moisture, we want to keep the other ingredients as dry as we can. As I mentioned above, the quinoa must be cooled so it dries out a bit. If you mix it with the other ingredients right after it's cooked, there will be too much moisture, which will make the burgers more fragile.
• For the same reason, it's also important for the basil to be completely dry before it's added.
• Be sure you use a large egg, not extra large.
• The sun-dried tomatoes should be drained very well.
• While these can be made in both a cast iron skillet or a nonstick skillet -- nonstick will be easiest. (Be sure your flat-edged spatula is not metal if you use nonstick.)

Serving Suggestions

• Quinoa burgers are great served as a patty, on their own, but they're also excellent with a bun, or between two slices of bread, served with your favorite burger fixings -- tomato, avocado, red onion, lettuce, etc.
• Potatoes always make a great side for a burger of any sort. Especially French fries. Curry French Fries, Smoky Chipotle Fries or Sweet Potato Fries would all be fantastic with it.
• You can also create really interesting combinations for your burger -- I love them with sautéed Sherry Sautéed Mushrooms and this Lemon Guacamole.
• Quinoa burgers are also fantastic broken up and sprinkled into a salad, much like my recipe for Crispy Quinoa.

Variations

• Adding vegetables. So you don't change the consistency, the best veggies to add are leafy greens, and they should replace or be mixed with the basil (the total measurement should still be one packed cup). Kale and/or spinach work really well.
• Spicy version. For a quinoa burger with a kick of heat, add about ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon (or the desired amount) of cayenne pepper. The best way to add heat to taste is to add a little, mix, and then sauté a tiny amount (like 2 teaspoons), and see if you want to add more. It's much better to add too little than too much!
• Gluten-free version. You can easily make this a gluten-free recipe by using gluten-free breadcrumbs.

Pro Tip: You can also make your own gluten-free breadcrumbs (or regular breadcrumbs) by tearing or cutting gluten-free bread into crouton-sized pieces, toasting them until they're very dry in the oven, and then blending them in a food processor until they're crumbled into tiny pieces.

More Vegetarian Quinoa Recipes

• Lemon-Vegetable Quinoa
• Spicy Quinoa Pesto Bites
• Quinoa Bowl with Shrimp and Pineapple

Can you make them ahead?

You can do everything up to the sautéing a day ahead -- they're crispiest and at their best when they come out of the pan. Below are some tips for how to go about this.

• Make the quinoa burger mixture and shape it a day ahead of time. If you have room to put the parchment-lined sheet pan with the shaped burgers in the fridge, that's ideal. If you don't have room, refrigerate the shaped burgers on a plate with wax paper or parchment paper between them so they don't stick together. Either way, cover them loosely with plastic wrap.
• You can also freeze the shaped burgers before cooking them. Just be sure they're in an airtight container with wax paper or parchment paper between them so they don't stick together. They can be frozen for up to a month. Thaw completely in the fridge before cooking them.

I hope you like these as much as my family land I do!

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