Quinoa & White Bean Veggie Burger
Quinoa & White Bean Veggie Burgers are loaded with plant-based protein and fiber for a healthy and delicious vegan burger recipe that’s easy to make!
It’s burger time and these veggie burgers with white beans and quinoa are hearty, filling and taste pretty darn amazing!
As far as veggie burgers go this is fairly easy to make. I have to admit that I’m a pretty lazy cook and don’t like a lot of steps so I’ve tried to minimize them as much as possible.
My patties came out fantastic and held up great without being dry or mushy. Overall, the texture, taste, and visual appeal all hit the mark!
Once layered with all the extra goodies, they were divine. Plus, using white beans is a nice change-up from my Sante Fe Black Bean Burger.
I loaded this beauty with leafy greens, a slice of tomato and red onions, whole grain mustard, and mashed avocado. It’s a lot of flavors going on – and I loved it!
If you don’t feel like having it on a bun, by all means, top your veggie burger on a bed of fresh leafy greens with a squeeze of lemon, some avocado, salt, and pepper – it’s so good just like that!
Ingredient Notes
- Quinoa – Full of healthy fiber, quinoa adds bulk to the burger patties. I recommend white or tri-color.
- White beans – Use either cannellini or great northern beans. Even chickpeas would be great!
- Red bell pepper – Adds a nice pop of color. You can opt to use any color bell pepper you prefer or have on hand.
- Corn – Use fresh off the cob (when in season), canned, or frozen sweet corn.
- Onion – Both red onion or shallot will add flavor and pop of color.
- Spices – A mix of thyme, garlic + onion powder, and smoked paprika add tons of flavor. Oregano can be subbed for the thyme.
- Flaxseed meal – Adds healthy omegas and is gluten-free, but you can sub with flour. I originally made this recipe with oat flour, but all-purpose, spelt, light whole wheat, or GF flour blend will all work well.
How To Make Quinoa & White Bean Veggie Burgers
Here is a quick overview of the process with photos for reference:
Start by cooking the quinoa. In a medium pot, add the quinoa, water, veggies, spices, and salt, cooking for 15 minutes.
Once the quinoa is done, add the mashed beans, flax meal, and lemon, mix well. Let cool for 10 – 15 minutes.
Divide and roll the mixture in a ball, gently but tightly packing them well.
Flatten each into 1/2 – 3/4 inch thick burger patties, making sure to smooth any cracks along the edges.
Tip: Wash your hands after forming the first two patties as the mixture can be a little messy.
Lastly, bake on the stovetop over medium until nicely browned, about 5 minutes on each side.
Alternatively, cook them in the oven for an oil-free vegan recipe for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
And now you’re ready to build your burgers and enjoy!
How To Store + Freeze
How long will leftovers last? Uncooked and cooked white bean burgers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 – 6 days. You can easily double the recipe, so you have extra burgers for later.
Can you freeze white bean burgers? Yes, both uncooked and cooked patties can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 – 3 months using freezer-safe containers or baggies. To freeze, place parchment paper between each patty so they don’t stick together as they freeze. Let cooked patties cool completely before freezing. Let thaw before heating.
If you try this easy burger recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
PrintQuinoa + White Bean Veggie Burger
It’s burger time with this easy quinoa & white bean burger recipe! And if you don’t want it on a bun, try having your patty on a nice bed of fresh leafy lettuce with a squeeze of lemon, sliced avocado, and salt & pepper!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: Makes 4 jumbo patties 1x
- Category: Entree, Burger
- Method: stovetop, grill, oven
- Cuisine: American, Vegan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dried quinoa
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup corn, fresh, canned, or frozen
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced (about 1/2 bell pepper)
- 1/2 cup shallot, finely diced (about 1 medium) or red onion
- 2 teaspoons thyme, divided (oregano would be good too)
- 1 teaspoon EACH garlic + onion powder
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle or chili powder, optional
- 1 can (15 oz.) white beans (I used great northern), drained and rinsed
- juice of one small lemon
- 1/2 cup flax meal (or flour of choice)
- mineral salt & cracked pepper, to taste
- olive oil, to grease
To Serve:
- tomato, sliced
- leafy greens
- avocado, sliced or mashed
- red onion, sliced
- whole-grain or dijon mustard (hummus or vegan mayo is great too)
- sriracha or Sriracha Cashew Cream (use the sriracha cream in place of mustard)
- burger buns of choice
Instructions
If baking in the oven, turn oven to 375 degrees F. (It’s helpful to read instructions first before making the patties)
Quinoa: In a medium pot, add the quinoa, water, red bell pepper, corn, onion, garlic + onion powder, thyme, paprika, and salt. Give a gentle stir, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Mash the beans: While the quinoa is cooking, drain and mash the white beans. You can quickly mash the beans in your colander if it has smaller-sized holes (it’ll save you a dish to wash). I mash about 3/4 of the beans, leaving a quarter of the batch whole or somewhat whole.
Add beans and flax meal: Once quinoa is done, remove the cover and stir in the mashed white beans and flax meal, mixing well. Let the mixture cool for 10 – 15 minutes. Taste for flavor – seasoning to taste with salt, pepper, and other spices.
Divide and make your patties: I like to pat my mixture into the bowl a little and divide it with a knife into 4 sections, making a plus sign if you will. Take each section and pack it tightly into a ball in the palm of your hands. Flatten with your palms and place on a hard surface. Cup the edges with your palm, tighten them in a bit, and squeeze together any cracks that have formed. Flatten the top to the desired size. Mine were about 1/2 inch thick with a 3 1/2 – 4 inch diameter.
Cook one of two ways:
- Oven: In the oven at 375 degrees on a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet for 30 minutes, turning once after 15 minutes. I also added a sprinkle of himalayan salt to the top before baking.
- Stovetop: In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Cook patties for about 4 – 5 minutes on each side. Burgers should be lightly charred, crispy, and browned on the outside with a tender center.
I cooked both ways and had no preference. They both held up well and cooked great.
Makes 4 jumbo patties
Serve on a bun or bed of leafy greens with your favorite toppings!
Notes
The patties can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4 days before cooking or reheating.
For mashed avocado, cut open avocado, remove seed and using a fork, mash the flesh right in the skin…it’s like a bowl. Then, spread on a bun for a great creamy condiment!
This was recipe has been updated and modified in June 2021. Changes made include cooking the veggies and spices with the quinoa. You can find the original recipe here.
Nutrition is calculated with 2 tsp. olive oil.
Updated: This recipe was originally published in August 2013. It has been retested and updated with new photos and helpful tips in June 2021. The recipe has been slightly modified, you can find the original recipe here.
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The only thing I replaced was the chipotle powder- I replaced it by chili powder :) Probably not a big difference lol! But it was delicious, as always. Vegan food is the future. Thank you for all your great recipes
★★★★★
I used this recipe as a base and the burgers came out fantastic! I used butterbeans and baked them at 200 degrees for 20 minutes to dry them out a bit made my quinoa with veggie stock, used fresh oregano and a little bit of chipotle chili powder and panko, diced onions and garlic and mashed it all together. I also used one egg to help bind the mixture together. My husband grilled them and they held up better than any other veggie burger I’ve made before. The only issue was they were slightly dry. Will definitely be making again!
Well yeah they were dry because you changed the recipe.
I just made these as directed, minus the chia seeds because I didn’t have any. I baked mine & they held together very well.
I made this burger a dozen times and it is fabulous everytime. I’ve also made the SantaFe burger and it is just as yummy. Thanks for a great vegan website.
Love this recipe!
I made these at the weekend, and they were fabulous. All I did different was add a blob of Marmite to the garlic and herbs that the Quinoa was simmering in to add a bit of salty meatiness to the flavour the quinoa absorbed. My missus hates Marmite, so I revealed that hidden ingredient afterwards. I also had a pack of “Seasonal Chilis” so I finely chopped up an unidentified chili pepper. It smelled really sweet and fresh, but it packed some serious flavour, and delayed heat. Really good addition. I stacked mine in a burn topped with Guacamole instead of just Avocado, for a more tangy flavour and creaminess to counteract the heat from the burger.
I’m not vegan/veggie. Just looking to cut meat right down from my diet, and go from there. I’ve become obsessed with veggie burgers. They are much more versatile than meat burgers, really fun and rewarding to make, and you can put almost any ingredient you like in there. Endless possibilities, with none of the dripping grease or the lethargy that follows.
Thank you for this recipe. I enjoyed making it almost as much as I enjoyed eating it. I’ll try your Santa Fe Black Bean burger next, I reckon!
I made these tonight. I always cook my quinoa and beans together in the rice cooker. Just tossed everything into a food processor afterwards to blend and the patties came out perfectly. I added some chia seeds and extra spices like tumeric and cumin. I fried half in a cast iron skillet and the rest in the air fryer. Thank you for the recipe. It was delicious.
★★★★★
Hi, just had to clarify something as I will be making these tomorrow! If we don’t use any egg at all, we should put 2-3 tablespoons of water instead of 1 cup of water?
The 1 cup of water is needed to cook the quinoa. As suggested in the notes, if needed you may like to add 2 – 3 tablespoon of water depending on what flour you’ve used. If your mixture seems very wet at first, do not add extra water. The flour will act as a binder which is why these will work without any egg substitutes, as long as there is enough moisture to help combine. Hope that helps! Enjoy :)
These were a huge hit tonite with the family. We’ve been vegetarinas/vegans for over 30 years and these have just been votesd the favorite! Beleive me, we have tried our fare share of “veggie burgers” over the years.
I did add nutritional yeast and used a yellow onion insstead. I also subbed sage in for thyme. We will be making these again and often as you recommended! Thank you Julie!
So glad everyone loved these! I’m quite partial to them myself. The sage sounds great, I love it and will have to try that sometime. Cheers :)