This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This quinoa burger is one meatless option that even meat-lovers will crave! It’s loaded with plant-based quinoa and black beans, and actually holds well together when grilled. Each patty has about 10 grams of protein and only 200 calories.
This is a powerhouse patty not only packed with protein, but also fiber and flavor. If you’re looking for more ideas for meal prepping this is great because it’s vegan, freezer friendly and holds well over time. The best part is you can make it all in one bowl without the need for a food processor.
INGREDIENTS & substitutions
- Quinoa: Use any kind quinoa for these burgers and cook the quinoa before making the mixture. Quinoa is a great addition to everyone’s diet. Packed with fiber, minerals and antioxidants, it’s a great plant based substitute for these burgers.
- Black beans: Beans add a substance to these burger patties and are high in protein. Drain and rinse the beans well before using them and feel free to substitute with other beans like pinto or kidney.
- Tomato paste: Tomato paste adds a nice flavor without being too overpowering and helps to bind the burgers. You could substitute with curry paste or leave it out.
- Seasonings: Smoked paprika (or regular), onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs help to hold the burgers together by absorbing moisture. You can use almond flour if you have a gluten intolerance.
How to make quinoa burgers
- Start with rinsed/drained black beans in a large bowl.
- Mash them well with a fork or potato masher.
- Add the quinoa, tomato paste, breadcrumbs and seasoning on top of the black beans.
- Stir to combine until the mixture holds well together and all the ingredients and evenly distributed.
- Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts and form them into patties using your hands.
- Grill the patties on an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan until lightly crisp and cooked through.
Tips for making these burgers
- Drain and rinse the black beans well. Canned beans are stored in a brine which can be quite salty, and they can also have a slight metallic taste to them. This also helps remove excess moisture to ensure the burgers are not soggy. It helps to pat them dry too as much as possible
- Be sure to combine the ingredients together well. This will give the burgers and even texture and flavor throughout the patty. If they feel too moist and sticky on your hands, you can add more breadcrumbs.
- Use different beans. The flavor and texture of black beans is perfect in these quinoa burgers, but you can easily swap them for kidney or pinto beans if you have those on hand.
- Try baking them in the oven instead. You’ll love the crispy texture that frying adds to these burgers. But of a more hands-off approach, you can also oven bake them at 400°F for 20 minutes.
Frequently Asked questions
You can make up the quinoa burgers a day or two ahead of cooking them and store, covered in the fridge, until you are ready to cook them. Cooked burgers will keep well for up to 4 days.
These burgers can be frozen for up to 3 months before cooking them. Freeze them solid on a baking sheet before transferring to a container or freezer bag. Thaw them ovenight in the fridge before cooking them.
These quinoa burgers are a great meat-free alternative, but still hearty, healthy and full of flavor. Be sure to make a batch of them so you can enjoy them throughout the summer.
More burger RECIPES to try:
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Quinoa Burger recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Quinoa Burger
Video
Ingredients
- ¼ cup uncooked quinoa
- ½ cup water
- 1 15 oz can black beans rinsed and drained
- 3 oz tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Hamburger buns and toppings of choice
Instructions
- In a small pot, cook the quinoa with water and add salt to taste. Bring a boil, cover and simmer for 14 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork.
- In a large bowl, add the rinsed black beans and mash the bean fully with a fork or potato masher. Add the cooked quinoa to the black beans, then add the tomato paste, all the seasoning and the breadcrumbs. Form four patties.
- Heat olive oil in a grill pan, place the quinoa burgers in the pan and fry over medium heat for about 4 minutes per side.
- Build a burger with your favorite buns and toppings.
Equipment
Notes
- Instead of quinoa, you can use cooked brown rice instead.
- Instead of black beans, you can use other types of beans like pinto beans or kidney beans.
- Instead of breadcrumbs, you can use panko breadcrumbs or all-purpose flour or almond flour. This helps to bind the burger and give it structure.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Made these the other night and my kids really enjoyed them (I did too!). The flavour was really good, I did wish there was a bit more bite and less mushy texture but I’ll definitely keep it in my rotation. Super easy too. Thank you
So happy you and and you kids enjoyed them! Thanks, Evelyn!!
WOW! These were not only easy but FANTASTIC. I had to use cannellini beans but they turned out great. These are going to be my go-to burger. Thanks!
Love to hear that!! So happy you found these easy and delicious, Scott!
Yummy. I use the oat flour. I also added a bit of liquid smoke.. so fill and way better than any store vegan pattie.
Sounds so good!
OMG this burger is Delicious. I’m a newbie, and every bite is heaven.
So happy you enjoyed it!
These are delish! I used red kidney beans and did not add any flour or breadcrumbs. I baked them as directed and they were the perfect texture. Very easy to make. Thank you for a great recipe!
So glad to hear!
I’ve committed to two vegan meals a week. I made this quinoa and black bean burger as a vegan option, and I’m so glad I did. I will definitely put this recipe in rotation. I added coriander and used ciabatta bread with avocados and red onions. For toppings, it was delicious.
So happy you enjoyed this recipe, such a great idea to try for two vegan meals a week!
They are very good
Yay, thanks for sharing!
Absolutely delish …. first time on your site, will be looking around for more vegan recipes ….
So glad you liked the quinoa burger! I have quite a few that I would love for you to try. To help you narrow them down you can see all the vegan recipes here.
My husband and I absolutely loved this recipe! We have been moving more toward a plant focused diet and these burgers are perfect for the summer!!! I can’t wait to try the other variations listed. A keeper!!!
So glad you liked the quinoa burger! I have a great chickpea burger recipe too if you want to try it!
So good!
Thank you, Lori!
Delicious! THANK YOU Yumna – Finally we have an easy vegan burger recipe that took minutes to prepare (since I try to keep pre-cooked quinoa in my fridge at all times) and it definitely beats the processed frozen ones I normally buy.
My tips
1- A pastry blender works wonders to mash the beans and incorporate ingredients.
2 – Added some jarred harissa paste as part of the tomato paste to add heat
3- 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa is about 3/4 cup cooked (had to look that up!)
4- I held off on adding water until I saw the consistency. I didn’t need any – it was the perfect texture in my eyes!
Adding this to my weekly rotation!
You’re so welcome!! Thank you for sharing all the great tips!
I believe the water is to cook the quinoa. Thanks for the tips re how much cooked quinoa to use and the harissa, will try that next time 🙂
This is the absolute best and easy veggie/protein burger I’ve ever made. Perfect texture, taste, and ingredients. Since finding this, I’ve made so many times I can’t count<3 Thank you!
Thank you, Babs for making it! So glad to hear you’re enjoying it!
Really good and looking forward to making it again to really take the recipe for a test drive. First time, I was winging it and had to substitute quite a few items: refried black beans for black beans, almond flour, chipotle purée with tomato paste (ran out of tomato paste) and added an egg. Texture and taste were really good in spite of my missing ingredients.
That’s the great thing about recipes/cooking in general, the versatility and making it your own. All of your subs sound great, and I am glad the burgers turned out well!
How much almond flour do we need to use instead of the breadcrumbs?
Hi Eli, great question. A 1:1 ratio will work here. I hope you enjoy the quinoa burger! You’ll have to come back and let me know how you like it.
Lousy recipe execution. How can you give out a recipe without specific quantities for each ingredient? That makes the recipe worthless. And this is a widely followed perso? She’s a hack
The full recipe with all of the ingredients and quantities can be found at the bottom of the page in the recipe card.
I used this as a meat substitute in a gyro and it was amazing. I used almond flour as a binder because I did not have bread crumbs.
That sounds delicious! I need to try that next!
Yum! Spices are spot-on, but these burgers were too dry, at least for me. I cooked them on a grill pan (on the stove) and coated each side with EVOO, but it wasn’t enough. If you’re not vegan, add some oil, and maybe an egg, too. If vegan, add some oil to the mix, and/or some pumpkin or squash purée for moisture. Will make again, with extra moisture.
So glad you enjoyed the flavor! I think an egg would be a great idea in that case.
Really delicious – I ate two 😀
Wow! These were delicious!! So simple and healthy !
Thank you so much!
I’m lazy and don’t want to hand mash. I’d still give it a few pulses in the food processor.
That should work too! Might require more clean up that way though.
good
Thanks!
Hi Yumna! I just tried this recipe for lunch and I love it!! So simple to make and very flavorful. I’m into plant based recipes right now and this ones a keeper. Thank you!
That’s great to hear it’s a keeper! Glad you enjoyed. You’re so welcome!
Thank you for this. Easy enough for my skill level and very tasty.
You’re so welcome! THat’s great!
Making a batch today! Was wondering how to freeze them? Do I shape them in patties and freeze them uncooked? Or cook them through first?
That’s so exciting! I recommend freezing them on a baking sheet first. Then, when they are frozen, you can transfer them to a bag. This makes it easier to store without them sticking to each other!
Didnt have black beans on hands so i used white kidney beans!! soo good i was shocked how good they tasted! texture and everything was spot on. thanks so much for the awesome recipe
This recipe is versatile in that way! I’m glad you enjoyed it that much! Thank you!!
I have made bean and veggie burgers before, and they were never very good, and a big mess besides! Very impressed with these, the rest of the meat-eating family liked them as well. Did you ever add an egg to this recipe? Just wondered if it would help hold them together even better.
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that!! I didn’t add an egg because it’s vegan, but an egg (or a chia egg) may work. Let me know if you give that a try!
I have some quinoa already cooked, in the fridge. Would that be okay to use? Or would it not stick together very well?
Actually it will work out just fine! You can just mix the cooked quinoa with the other ingredients. Enjoy it!
How long do these stay in the fridge?
If uncooked, 2-3 days, once cooked, 3-4 days.
Delicious! Made these as written. Didn’t have black beans so used a tri-blend bean mix with black, kidney, and pinto beans. Also used almond flour instead of breadcrumbs to make gluten free. Came out so tasty and satisfying. Kids ages 3 and 5, and hubby loved them too! Definitely adding this to our regular rotation. Thanks Yumna 🙂
That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you!!
Something happened with mine. I think too much water. I added 2 cups more breadcrumbs to even it out so I could make the patties, but they still fell all apart. Flavor was nice.
Aww sorry to hear that! I hope you try it again. You can use ready-made quinoa however it’s suggested by the type of quinoa you have and then mix together the ingredients to form the burger patties.
Great recipe added some chilli and cumin to the spices mix. Have frozen my other 3 burgers. Would you reccomend defrosting prior to cooking to cooking from frozen?
So glad you liked it! And yes, I do recommend defrosting or thawing in the fridge overnight.
I admit I tend to chuckle when vegans say things like, “It’s soooooo flavorful!” I’m thinking: “Awww. That’s so cute. They think that’s REAL flavor. Bless their sweet little angel hearts.” Not really, but you get the point. I just know that the taste buds have been altered, so the perception of what’s tasty, though subjective, might still be…questionable.
Well I guess you showed me, huh? I can admit it. I haven’t made it over to the vegan side of a plant based diet, yet (I’m vegetarian), but I continue to experiment
with making vegan foods. And THESE?? Winner! I made them for lunch today, and they’re full of flavor (for real!), have a nice texture, are easy and quick to prepare – just absolutely perfect! To me, it takes a lot of spicing up for even a hint of flavor to come through with some of the other burgers (ahem…lentil). These, however, might just push me over to the other side sooner rather than later.
Thanks for sharing your recipe! What a wonderful addition to our family’s regular food menu.
Haha! Your comment made my day! I’m so happy to hear you loved these so much! They really are sooooo flavorful! LOL!!
SO happy these made it to your family’s regular food menu!
This was very good and such a quick easy recipe. I wish I had noted who posted it on FB so I could thank her. I subbed almond flour for bread crumbs and left out oil. I got 8 burgers and baked 400 for 15 mins one side and 11 on other. Thank you.
Aww, happy someone referred to the recipe from Facebook! Thank you for sharing!
Can this recipe prepared and frozen?
Yes, absolutely. Freeze them on a baking sheet first and then when they are frozen, you can transfer to a bag. This makes it easier to store without them sticking to each other.
are there any good substitutes for tomato paste?
You can skip it all together or add something like ketchup or mustard to give it some moisture and flavor.
It’s so good! Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks so much! Glad you liked it!
Can these be cooked on a bbq?
Absolutely! They actually hold up really well on the grill.
Can I use green peas or lentils instead of black beans? I have red quinoa will that make a difference?
The red quinoa is totally fine. I think the peas or lentils will work but I haven’t tested them. Let me know if you try it and it works!
yes! all hail the vegan patties! i can’t wait to try these, they look amazing!!
Hope you like them!
These were so delicious and simple to make! Definitely replacing my frozen veggie burgers!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that. Thank you!
Cooking a batch of Quintfir the week. What is the cooked amount measurement fir this recipe?
It usually triples in quantity after cooked, so you’ll need 3/4 cup cooked quinoa 🙂
So delicious! I had quinoa I never used so I looked up recipes. I came across this one and decided to try it. I love it! It truly deserves the 5 star rating
Aww thank you so much!! So glad that you enjoyed it!!
This is our new favorite burger recipe! We’ve been plant based for over two years. I really try to process our meals myself instead of buying pre-made vegan burgers. I struggled to find a recipe that would hold up on the grill; these burgers totally hold up. These are great tasting and easy! Thanks!
Yay! So glad to hear that. Thank you!!
I made these 2 weeks ago and they were epic! I’m planning to make them again today but baking them instead of frying! I hope it turns out as good!
So glad to hear it! Let me know how baking them turned out!! Would love to share that!
Hi!
I was planning on making these tomorrow, but have been struggling with finding out how many grams of beans I should use? Internet gives me real weird calculations!
Thanks in advance?
Oh, let me help you. Are you looked to make them with canned beans or dry beans? If you’re looking to use canned beans, it would be the standard size which is usually about 425 grams, but you want to rinse and drain out the liquid. Or you can cook 3/4 cup of dry beans to have what you would need for the recipe. I hope that helps!!
These were the best burgers I’ve ever eaten! I used a 400gr red beans can, and didn’t add the remaining 25gr to make 5oz. Used 1/2C breadcrumbs, and made the quinoa with a spice mix used for grills. I also didn’t have any tomato paste so I used some liquid from a cherry tomatoes can combined with a sun dried tomatoes pasta sauce. SO good! I made a double cheeseburger. Thank you!
Yay! I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks so much for the positive feedback!!
Will definitely try this! can I substitute the black beans with kidney beans?
Yes, you can! That will work fine.
made them yesterday and they were delicious !!! can”t wait to try them on the grill ! ! !
Yay! So glad to hear that!
Looks great, I will surely try this recipe very soon
Awesome! Hope you like it!
I made them and omg they are so good!! I am stoping to eat meet and I needed something that my husband could enjoy as well, so I don’t need to always make 2 different dishes (one meet based and one plant based)
He loved them, he was very surprised. We ate them like falafel, inside a pita bread with salad. And the freeze so good.
Thanks for this recipe!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed them! I love how versatile they are too because they work well as a burger, but also work similar to falafel as you did! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback 🙂
I melted some vegan cheese and toasted the buns. Lovely . I made the mix x2 and ate all off it ??. I’m confused per what is the nutrition info shown
Yummm! That sounds amazing! And the nutrition info is for one burger. The recipe makes 4. Hope that helps! And thanks so much for the feedback 🙂
can you convert these measures in metric please?
I will look into how to do that! Thanks so much for your feedback!
Loved these but I couldn’t get them crispier or firm enough. Any tips?
Yes, I would recommend using 1/2 cup breadcrumbs instead of 1/3 cup and use an oil with a high smoke point so you can crank up the heat on them like, like grapeseed oil for example. I hope that helps!
I made this recipe last night. Awesome! I didn’t have any tomato paste on hand, so I substituted 2 eggs. Seemed to work ok. I boosted the quantity of chopped herbs for flavor since it was missing the tomato paste. I made a lime-yogurt-seasoning salt dressing and caramelized onions to top the burgers. Mmmmmmm good. This is a keeper recipe.
Hi Amy, I love that you subbed in the eggs for tomato paste and added in some chopped herbs. That lime-yogurt dressing sounds so good with it! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
My daughter’s did this and loved it only thing they changed is that they didn’t use the garlic powder instead they used fresh garlic and didn’t use the onion powder instead they caramalized the onion rings with olive oil and used as an layer . Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Oh I’m so glad she enjoyed it. I love that she used fresh garlic with the caramelized onion rings…sounds so good!
Will try this. Why is the sodium so high? Is it because of canned ingredients?
I think it’s the default nutrition information for the canned beans and the tomato paste.
Thanks so much. I thought so. I’m going to make and let you know how delicious they are. ?.
Ingredients are so cheap and it’s so easy to make. For lunches throughout the week, I make a double batch and freeze. Thanks for sharing recipe!!!
Aww I’m so happy to hear that you are enjoying this recipe and making double batches even! Thank you so much for sharing your feedback 🙂
Quick and easy to prepare! I pan fried our first two in a couple tablespoons of avocado oil and they turned out perfect. No mushy vegetarian burger here. I veered a bit from the recipe by using tri-colored quinoa and letting the burgers rest overnight in the fridge. Not a major change, but I felt I should mention it.
Our second two burgers we heated up in the oven and broiled a piece of cheese on them for about three or four minutes. They maintained the same firmness as the first night in the pan, making these a great option for leftovers. Our next time making these we plan on topping them with mushroom gravy. These will be a regular for us!
Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe.
Hi Sly – Thanks so much for sharing how you made these quinoa burgers! I love that you prepared them in advance and still found them to be a great consistency! This is one of my favorite recipes, and I’m so happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
We loved it! I’ve made them before and they are so flavorful, filling and easy to make! Definitely one of my go to recipes! ?
Awesome! So glad to hear that. Thank you!!
Hi there! These look fantastic! I have made them up for my sons party tomorrow as there are some vegans attending. They’re ready to go, I just have not cooked them yet! Am I best to leave on fridge for the night & cook tomorrow? Thank you ?
Yay! That’s amazing! Yeah I would recommend you leave in the fridge and cook them tomorrow. Hope they like them!
I found this recipe on instagram and it looks great. I had to get the recipe up on my computer so I could print it out to try. 🙂
Awesome! I hope you love it! 🙂
Hello,
We tried it yesterday and it was very good, not dry at all ! Thank you for this great recipe.
Even my 4-year-old son loved it 🙂
Jess from Paris – France
Yay! That makes me so happy to hear that even your 4-year old son loved it. Thanks so much for sharing!! 🙂
Do you cook first and then freeze?
Either way! I prefer to freeze it first and then cook it when I’m ready. But you can also freeze any leftovers that have been cooked.
I made these and loved how they held up so well on the grill. Will definitely make again.
Hi, what could I substitute bread crumbs with?
Hi there, sorry for the delay, but you can use flour as a substitute for the bread crumbs or panko breadcrumbs. It just helps to bind it.
Which tomato paste should I use ? Can the paste be made at home?
I used canned tomato paste, but you can certainly make it at home!