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 pretty darn amazing! Plus, using white beans is a nice change-up from my Sante Fe Black Bean Burger and Smoky 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!
Why We Love This Recipe!
- Easy to make. As far as veggie burgers go, this is fairly easy to make. I have to admit that I don’t like a lot of steps so I’ve tried to minimize them as much as possible.
- Great taste and texture. The patties are fantastic and held up great without being dry or mushy. Overall, the texture, taste, and visual appeal all hit the mark!
- Use a bun or no bun. 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 also 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 and shallot will add flavor and a pop of color.
- Spices – A mix of thyme, garlic and onion powder, and smoked paprika adds 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 I originally made this recipe with oat flour, but all-purpose, spelt, light whole wheat, or GF flour blend will all work well.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, and 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.
Quinoa + 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
- 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, flax meal, and lemon juice, mix 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.
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Tried it with black eyed peas. It tasted amazing!!! Finally found a vegetarian burger that is tasty and easy to make.
Very tasty, I used pinto beans and 1/4 tsp of chilli, we loved this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Didn’t exactly follow recipe as I used cooked quinoa in frig and no corn. A bit moist. Typically I don’t like burgers with beans. Seems the trick is to use white beans. Excellent. Will definitely repeat. Easy recipe too.
Hi Jennifer, I was going to give these a go and also have quinoa in the fridge. Curious how much quinoa you used?
Thanks!
What is the juice of the small lemon for?
The lemon is added to the quinoa mixture along with flax and white beans. Somehow that step was skipped in the instructions, but I’ve updated the recipe to include the lemon juice. Thank you for pointing that out, Amanda! Enjoy :)
These burgers are incredibly delicious. I did not expect them to be this good! I baked on parchment paper. Perfect.
Meal prepped a big batch of these burgers and they are delicious!
For those wanting to use coconut flour, I substituted about 2 tbsp and used the chia substitute for the flax egg. The burgers held up well.
Thank you, Linda, for sharing! I’ll have to try that myself next time!
I made this last week, delicious! It will definitely become one of our regular meals. Thank you.
Perfect recipe! They came out great!!!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Cedric!
I made these last night for my husband and he loved them! We just had them with a salad on the side and they were great. Thank you!
Perfect! I love it with just a salad too! Cheers :)