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Crispy Red Quinoa Burgers Recipe

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Crispy Red Quinoa Burgers are a veggie burger that are out of this world! Made with sun-dried tomatoes and almonds, this burger is loved by vegetarians and carnivores alike!  Stack of Crispy Red Quinoa Almond-Tomato Burgers with basil on parchmentGluten-free and vegetarian, this Crispy Red Quinoa Burgers recipe is ridiculously delicious and flavorful. And by “ridiculously,” I mean wonderfully, incredibly, amazingly, and so on.

And it’s all about red quinoa.

Red quinoa spilled out onto a wooden surfaceWhile I’ve worked with quinoa quite a bit, I think this is my favorite use of it so far.

What does red quinoa taste like?

The beautifully colored, red quinoa has a sweet, earthy flavor that lends itself to these hearty and healthy burgers.

Stack of 5 Crispy Red Quinoa Burgers on parchment paper with fresh basil

What to Serve with Crispy Red Quinoa Burgers

  • They’re delicious on mashed potatoes.
  • Fantastic with a bun, or between two slices of bread, served with traditional burger fixings.
  • How about topped with a pile of green beans?
  • Crispy Red Quinoa Burgers are also delicious broken up and sprinkled into a salad.

Package of Bob's Red Mill Red Quinoa

More delicious vegetarian quinoa recipes you’ll love:

This is not a sponsored post. Bob’s Red Mill sent me red quinoa for recipe testing. As always, I only cook with products I love and all opinions are my own.

Crispy Red Quinoa Almond-Tomato Burger Recipe

Crispy Red Quinoa Burgers

Valentina K. Wein
Crispy Red Quinoa Burgers are a veggie burger that are out of this world! Made with sun-dried tomatoes and almond flour, this burger is loved by vegetarians and carnivores alike!
5 from 6 votes
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 127 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup dry Red Quinoa
  • 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
  • 1/3 cup marinated sun-dried tomatoes, drained
  • 1 tablespoon oil from the marinated sun-dried tomato marinade
  • 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
  • 1/4 cup gluten-free bread crumbs (see notes)
  • 1/4 cup yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • olive oil for the pan

Instructions
 

  • Pour the broth 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, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
  • Add the basil, sun-dried tomatoes (and oil), almonds, bread crumbs, onion, Parmesan, garlic, egg and salt, to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Process until you have as smooth a consistency as possible. Use a rubber spatula to transfer this to a large mixing bowl.
  • Add the cooked quinoa to the bowl and mix until it's evenly incorporated into the sun-dried tomato mixture. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper (here's how).
  • Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, and then about ⅓ cup each, shape the quinoa mixture into 8 "burgers." (If you have an ice cream scoop about the right size, it's the easiest way to shape them.) Gently use the palm of your hand to press each one into a nice round shape. Set aside.
  • 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, metal spatula to place the burgers into the pan, with a couple of inches between them. (Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to do this in two batches.) You should hear a sizzling sound — if you don’t, the pan isn't hot enough.  (You won’t get a nice caramelization and “crust” on the burger if it’s not hot enough.) Sauté for about 2 minutes, then carefully flip the burgers over and reduce the heat to medium-low, and sauté for another few minutes or so, until the bottom is golden brown and they hold together well. Place the cooked burgers on a plate and cover with foil until you're ready to serve.

Notes

You can find jarred sun-dried tomatoes marinated in olive oil in most grocery stores. (It's okay if they contain herbs and garlic.)
I save all of the ends of our gluten-free bread, toast them, and then use the food processor to make them into crumbs.
Keywords burgers for a party, gourmet burger recipes, veggie burger recipes
Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

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Comments

  1. Lentil Breakdown says

    These look amazing, and it’s a very unique recipe! I can’t eat eggs so will have to devise a way around that, but I can’t wait to try these! (I’ve read about ground flax seeds and water for egg sub. Ok, TMI!)

    Reply

    • valentina says

      Thank you, Adair! I’ve read that 1 tablespoon flax meal mixed with 3 tablespoons of water is about equal to 1 large egg. I think it would be a great substitute in this recipe because of the sort of nutty, earthy flavor of the flax seeds. Never tried it, so I’m not exactly sure how well it will bind the ingredients together. Let me know if you try it! 🙂

      Reply

    • valentina says

      Adair just asked the same thing — I told her that I’ve read that 1 tablespoon flax meal mixed with 3 tablespoons of water is about equal to 1 large egg. I’m not sure how well it will hold the ingredients together b/c I haven’t tried it, but I do think the earthy, nutty flavor of the flax seeds would work well with the other flavors in the burgers. 🙂 (And thank you! I love that you called them marvelous!)

      Reply

  9. Gia H says

    I love quinoa! It has completely replaced rice. I use it as a side dish for my dinner entrees (sweet potato burgers with a side of sauteed veggies and quinoa, anyone?), and in black bean/quinoa salads for lunch

    Reply

  10. Coco in the Kitchen says

    Valentina bella, I love these quinoa patties.
    And sundried tomatoes make everything better. They’re like candy you can feel
    good about eating.
    I will make these for my hubby this w/end. And Daisy loves quinoa! xo

    Reply

    • valentina says

      Sun-dried tomatoes do makes things better, don’t they!? And they are like candy! Lucky you that your little one likes quinoa. One of my boys loves these burgers, but the other one prefers beef! 😉

      Reply

  20. Tatiana says

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE QUINOA. Oh my goodness it’s soooo good. I can’t wait to make these. I usually just do warm quinoa salads or cold quinoa added to green salads / to soup. I’m excited for a new recipe!

    Reply

    • valentina says

      Perfect. My fav quinoa salad is made with black quinoa, plums, avocado and meyer lemons. (Here’s the recipe.) 🙂

      Reply

  24. Melankalia says

    This recipe sounds so yummy, I can’t wait to try it! My favorite uses for quinoa are breakfast porridge type things, and cold for salads.

    Reply

  25. Cee says

    I like to recreate my favorite “bowl” from a local restaurant. It is essentially quinoa, smoky pintos, sauteed kale, and a vegan aioli. Always good!

    Reply

  26. Joi says

    Can’t wait to try this recipe! I’m new to quinoa but have loved everything I’ve used it in. With Bob’s Red Mill on the label, I know this has to be excellent.

    Thanks for the recipe – I plan on making it asap! Joi

    Reply

  27. Ann says

    I have been enjoying it as a pilaf, with sautéed veggies and some arugula and pine nuts or almonds mixed in at the end. I will be on the lookout for red quinoa, as the burgers look yummy!

    Reply

  32. ashley cossette says

    I like to cook up some turkey meat, add onions snap peas and red bell peppers in a skillet with a little eevo…while thats cooking I cook the quinoa. when the meat and veggies are almost thoroughly done i add some teriyaki sauce, a little bit of soy sauce, a tad bit of sugar and a pinch of ginger and some garlic. I add the quinoa into the skillet too, i let that sit for a while so all the juices and flavors soak up and bam! super easy healthy and tasty! meal 🙂

    Reply

  33. Howie says

    Have been a quinoa fan for years…just want to make sure the recipe calls for 1/2 cup, not 1/2 package of quinoa??? Favorite salad is quinoa with wheat berries, avocado, mango and shrimp with some fresh lemon juice… YUMMM!

    Reply

  40. Linda says

    I love quinoa as a base for serving fish…any kind of fish. The textures just seem right and feel so good in my mouth.

    Reply

  47. Annette says

    I love quinoa and need to explore more recipes with it. One of my favorite ways I’ve had it was with cranberries and some other ingredients.

    Reply

  50. milaxx says

    I had a wonderful salad using red quinoa with green apple & orange slices and a very light vanilla vinaigrette. Divine!

    Reply

  53. Kristine Howes says

    Made these tonight. They are freaking delicious!! I could eat a whole batch on their own! But I showed some restraint. Topped them with garlic mayo, tomato, avocado and red onion. Yummmm!!! They stayed together while cooking but not so much while eating. I used the President’s Choice Blue Menu burger buns which are SUPER thin. Maybe not the best choice. The second one (yes, I had two), I ate with no bun. Topped it with my delicious toppings and ate with a fork and knife. OMG………..sooo good. Any suggestions how to keep them together better while eating? Maybe 2 eggs in the recipe instead of one? If you haven’t tried these yet, you seriously have to, especially if you are a quinoa fan. Thank you so much for this recipe!

    Reply

  54. Michael McCarthy says

    Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
    It took me a few attempts to get the right consistency, but now I’m a hero at every pot-luck I’m invited to! 🙂
    I’m surprised at how many of my dedicated carnivorous friends are wowed by these.
    Thank you again,
    Michael

    Reply

    • valentina says

      Thanks so much Michael. So happy you like them so much, and even happier to know they’ve made you a hero! You know you did a good job on a vegetarian “burger” when the carnivorous friends are in. 🙂

      Reply

    • valentina says

      Hi Tracey, Thanks for writing in. I think the almond meal will be okay — that said, I don’t think it will hold the burgers together quite as well as the breadcrumbs do. I haven’t tested the recipe this way, so I can’t say for sure. Let me know if you’re not in a rush to make it, and I can test it with he almond meal first if you’d like. Otherwise, if you try it, please let us know how it goes. Enjoy. P.S. If you’re a big quinoa fan, I just (about 2 minutes ago!) posted this new quinoa recipe. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply

  61. Laura says

    Thank you sooo much for this wonderful recipe. It looks amazing and I need something like this as cereal.
    Take care…

    Reply

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