Quinoa Black Bean Burgers

I have been very into veggie burgers lately. Just about anytime we go out and I see a veggie burger on the menu, I have to have it.

I enjoy a conventional meat burger every once in a while but I love a good veggie burger. There is just so much flavor that you can add into the mix. And, more plants for the win.

In this particular veggie burger we’re using mainly black beans and quinoa as the base. Then you add some caramelized onions and garlic, loads of spices, an egg and flour to hold it all together.

This homemade veggie burger is delicious, and super easy to make at home.

Add massaged kale, avocado and sweet potato fries for a seriously satisfying plant-based meal.

• garlic & onion – cooking them down first adds more flavor
• cooked quinoa – prep one or two days ahead if you want
• cooked black beans – I used canned for an even quicker veggie burger recipe
• spices – cumin, paprika, chili and garlic powder
• egg – holds things together
• flour – binds it all and keeps the burgers together better

How to Make

You don’t need any fancy equipment or small appliance to make these veggie burgers. You just need a fork to be able to mash the ingredients together – or if you have a potato masher as shown in the photos, that is about as fancy as it gets.

1. First things first though: cook down the onions and the garlic together – this will add loads of flavor. One you’ve cooked those and allow them to cool before mixing in with the rest of the ingredients.
2. Chill the mixture – make sure to chill the mixture for at least 30 minutes before scooping and cooking.
3. For shaping into patties, I used 1/3 cup measuring cup to scoop the mixture, then shaped it into about 1/2” thick. Make sure you keep the mixture packed and uniform so they cook evenly.
4. These quinoa black bean burgers are somewhat delicate, so just be gentle when flipping. You want to make sure they’re cooked and a little crisped on the outside before flipping – I like to use a cast iron pan for cooking these.

Recipe Tips

Replacing the Eggs – I did not test this myself, but I *imagine* you could sub 2 TBSP flaxseed meal with 1/3 cup water and use that as the egg replacer. Or if you have something like an “egg replacer ” (i.e. JUST egg brand), that may also work. I’ve actually never used that but I assume it would work for these veggie burgers as well.

Do I have to caramelize the onion? – YES because FLAVOR. I mean technically you can skip that part, but it adds more flavor and helps keep the texture in these quinoa black bean burgers more uniform. So just do it. It doesn’t add that much more time.

Prepping the Quinoa – If you’re a meal prep person and prep quinoa for salads and other meals ahead of time, set aside 1/2 cup cooked quinoa for this recipe.

Using a Food Processor –  you don’t have to use a food processor but if you were going to, you could pulse down the onions, garlic, black beans and egg together. Then remove S-blade and fold in quinoa and flour until fully combined.

More Plant Based Meals to Love

• Thai Tempeh Buddha Bowl
• Meatless Cauliflower Bolognese
• Tex Mex Veggie Burger Collard Wraps
• Roasted Veggie Spring Power Bowl
• Asian Tempeh Lettuce Wraps