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stack of quinoa burgers with fresh basil on parchment
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5 from 5 votes

Red Quinoa Burgers Recipe

Red Quinoa Burgers are crispy on the outside, soft within, and overflowing with delicious flavors. Made with sun-dried tomatoes and almonds, this burger is loved by vegetarians and carnivores alike! 
Prep Time35 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: gourmet burger recipes, burgers for a party, veggie burger recipes
Servings: 6
Calories: 189kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • ½ cup dry Red Quinoa (or preferred color)
  • 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
  • cup marinated sun-dried tomatoes, drained
  • 1 tablespoon oil from the marinated sun-dried tomato marinade
  • cup sliced almonds, toasted
  • ¼ cup gluten-free bread crumbs (see notes)
  • ¼ cup yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 large egg
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • olive oil for the pan

Instructions

  • Cook quinoa. 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.
  • Blend remaining ingredients. Add the basil, sun-dried tomatoes, sun-dried tomato oil, almonds, bread crumbs, onion, Parmesan, garlic, egg and salt, to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Blend until it's a fairly smooth consistency. Use a rubber spatula to transfer this to a large mixing bowl.
  • Combine everything together. 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 to Season to Taste.)
  • Shape. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, and then about ⅓ cup each, shape the quinoa mixture into 6 "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.
  • Sauté. 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, 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. (In order for them to crisp nicely, wait for the sizzle.) 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 use any quinoa color you like.
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.
Calorie count is only an estimate.

Nutrition

Calories: 189kcal