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The very best Crispy Quinoa Burgers Topped with Sweet Potato Fries and Beer Caramelized Onions. Perfectly spiced vegetarian quinoa burgers, pan-cooked until extra crispy on the outside, yet soft and cheesy in the middle. Top each burger with beer caramelized onions and spicy homemade sweet potato fries. Yes, this burger is every bit as DELICIOUS as it sounds. It’s the ultimate quinoa burger that’s anything but boring. Perfect for your game day eats…and any other burger day in between.
Sandwiches of any kind are one of the foods I struggle with most when it comes to photography. It’s stupid, but because I struggle with them so much I always avoid sharing any kind of sandwich recipe. I literally cringe at the thought of photographing them. The fear of an ugly food photo stops me in my tracks.
I know, I know, stupid. But hey, look at me today! Here I am with my favorite quinoa burger. I can’t say I find these photos gorgeous, but it’s a burger, and it may never be gorgeous. The brothers said they looked good, Mom said they look good. So I’m trusting their opinions and sharing despite what I think.
Point is that these burgers have been a favorite since the very, very beginning of HBH. And with the Super Bowl on Sunday, I obviously had to share them…these really are the BEST quinoa burgers.
Yes, these burgers are EVERYTHING. And that’s not an exaggeration in the least, they just have so much going on. These are what we call the “epic” crispy quinoa burger. Crispy, cheesy burgers topped with melted Gruyere cheese, buttery beer caramelized onions, spicy-sweet potatoes fries, fresh herbs, and even a little avocado.
Everything about this recipe is SO GOOD. These are not your average quinoa burgers.
The burger details…
Here is what I will say, this is not my most “super simple” recipe. But nothing about making these burgers is hard. There are a handful of steps, and you do need to have a little time to make them. But you can do so much ahead of time, and trust me, the extra time in the kitchen is worth it.
Start with the burgers themselves. They’re made up of quinoa, white beans, bread crumbs, and egg. The key to creating the best quinoa burger? The combination of the spices and cheese in the burgers themselves. You have to give them flavor, so I use a touch of chipotle chili powder and plenty of sharp cheddar cheese.
Form the quinoa mix into patties and keep them covered in the fridge while you prepare the sweet potato fries.
Now for those sweet potato fries…
They’re simply the best thing to ever be put on top of a burger. Dramatic, but true.
I like to cut my fries super thin and skinny and then toss them with a mix of chili powder and smoky paprika. Roast in the oven until crisp on the outside, but still soft in the center. Fair warning, these fries are addicting. You might just double the recipe. Some for the top of the burger and some to snack on.
Just a thought…
Ah, and those beer caramelized onions…
Yes, you need these too, because you can never go wrong with caramelized onions. I know it seems like a bit much, but go with me on this.
Using beer to caramelize the onions not only adds additional flavor right into the onions but it also helps them to cook down and caramelize faster. If you love caramelized onions, you will love these onions even more. They’re truly so good, even onion haters enjoy them.
Once the onions are cooked, the fries are ready, and the burgers have been crisped in the skillet, it’s assembly time. Find your favorite buns, toast them up, then add a cheesy burger to each bun. Add the beer caramelized onions and sweet potatoes. At this point, you could be done. OR you can take the burger a step further with mashed avocado, a fried egg, and fresh herbs.
Do what you’d love most here, completely up to you as to how you finish these. Just be sure not to skip the onions or the fries. These are two key toppers that you really do NEED.
A few tips…
The burger patties themselves don’t need to be put in the fridge for chilling. I just recommend doing so while you make the fries. If you need to cook these up right after forming, that works just as well.
You can make the burgers up to four or five days in advance and keep in the fridge. Or you can freeze them for up to four months
If you don’t enjoy cooking with beer, just caramelize the onions without the beer following these directions.
These make for a fun Monday dinner. Or plan to make them on Sunday for the Super Bowl. Either is great, but once you make these, my hope is that you’ll be making them on repeat throughout the year! They’re healthy(ish), easy(ish), and so very delicious.
Fingers crossed you all love them as much as we do!
If you make these crispy quinoa burgers topped with sweet potato fries and beer caramelized onions, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crispy Quinoa Burgers Topped with Sweet Potato Fries and Beer Caramelized Onions
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 969 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Quinoa Burgers
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 cup cannellini beans mashed
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded gruyere cheese
- 6 burger buns, toasted
- fried eggs, mashed avocado, and herbs, for serving (optional)
Sweet Potato Fries
- 4 sweet potatoes, cut into matchsticks
- 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil plus more for cooking
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- kosher salt and black pepper
Beer caramelized onions
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup beer, such as pumpkin, lager, or pilsner
Instructions
- 1. In a medium bowl, combine the quinoa, mashed beans, Panko, egg, garlic, chili powder, cheese, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Form the mix into 5-6 equal burgers. Place on a plate, cover, and transfer to the fridge. 2. To make the fries. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet and toss with olive oil, chili powder, paprika, and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Spread the fries in an even layer. Do not overcrowd the pan, if needed, divide the fries between 2 baking sheets Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, then flip and bake for 15-20 minutes more. You want the sweet potatoes to be tender, yet crisp. 4. Meanwhile, make the onions. Melt the butter and onions together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. At this point, you want to slowly add the beer, 1/4 cup at a time, until the beer cooks into the onions. Continue to cook another 8-10 minutes until you've used all of the beer and the onions are deeply caramelized. Remove the onions from the skillet to a plate.5. Cook the burgers in the same skillet, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the burgers and cook until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes per side. During the last minute of cooking add the Gruyere cheese, cover, and cook 2-3 minutes, until the cheese has melted. 6. To assemble, place each burger on a bun, top with caramelized onions and sweet potatoes. If desired, add a fried egg, mashed avocado, and fresh herbs. ENJOY.
Notes
To Make Ahead: the burgers can be formed and kept in the fridge for up to 1 week. Cook as directed.
Freezing: the burgers can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 4 months. To cook, thaw on the counter for 1-2 hours, then cook as directed.
Baking Instead of Pan Cooking: you can bake the burgers on an oiled baking sheet at 425˚ for 20 minutes, flip and continue baking for another 5-10 minutes, until crisped. Note that you will not get as crispy of a burger this way.
I literally make these at least once every week. They are soooo good and so easy! I usually don’t have gruyere so I just sub with more sharp cheddar. I also usually don’t follow the recipe with making the sweet potato fries and onions but it’s still delicious! I usually top with avocado or guac, salsa, and a fried egg and it is so good!
Thank you Annika! I am really glad this turned out well for you! xTieghan
Wonderful article! We will be linking to this particularly great article on our website.
Keep up the good writing.
Thank you! xTieghan
These were AMAZING!!! We are just starting our journey of eating less meat. This recipe is a keeper, for sure! Super flavorful.
Thank you so much Kelly! xTieghan
So far my absolute favorite recipe of yours. For anyone making these, DO NOT skip the beer caramelized onions. My boyfriend said “I never knew quinoa could taste so good”. Love these and will be making again soon. Thanks Tieghan!
Yes!! So glad this turned out so well for you, Sarah!! Thank you for trying this! xTieghan
Change of plans and I ended out making this on my wife’s birthday (I cook 50% of time). Matchstick sweet potato started to burn after 10 minutes. Looking back at the recipe, the picture is sweet potato fries.
Tried to salvage using mushrooms and peppers. But still had to cook the patties for at least an extra 20 minutes before they set, Eventually they reached a crab cake texture, but nothing like something I could serve on a bun. Served with a side of sliced tomatoes, lettuce, basil, avocado.
After rereading the review, noone actually made this recipe. Now I know why.
Sorry, but as interesting as it looks, it doesn’t work
Hi Don! I am really sorry this did not work as you had hoped.. Is there anything I can help with? Otherwise, I hope you love all of the other recipes you try of mine! xTieghan
Great recipe! I made it according to your recipe and the taste is great! Everyone in the family likes it, it makes me happy. Thank you
Love to hear that! Thank you so much Phoenix! xTieghan
Was very easy to make. Taste was wonderful! Only issue i had was cooking the burger all the way thru. Outside was nice and crispy, but the inside was a bit mushy. Any advice on cooking these all the way thru would be much appreciated
Hey Robert,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! Next time I would either make your burgers slightly thinner or cover the skillet so the inside will cook. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Hi! Can you bake these instead of frying them?
Hey Holly,
For best results, I would fry these. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Made a double batch of these today because I was pretty sure they’d be awesome and they were!! I didn’t have white beans so I used pinto and they were great. Made your onions but added a couple seeded jalapenos and that was delicious! Served the burgers with the onions and a side of cabbage and corn saute, it was amazingly good. We’re going to try them as actual burgers on buns tomorrow night and I have 5 in the freezer for the future. Thank you for another wonderful recipe!! I’ve been in a bit of a recipe rut lately so I’m committed to trying at least one new recipe a week, and the last two were both yours. I think I’ll just keep working off Half-Baked Harvest recipes for a while! YUM.
Thank you so much Robyn!! I am so happy this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
These were my first ever quinoa burgers and used hot sauce + gochujang since that’s all I had for replacement on chipotle powder and these were fantastic. I’ll definitely be making these again!
Thank you for trying these Elena!! I am really glad they turned out so well for you! xTieghan
just made these burgers and they were beyond amazing! I loved everything about them. I had a slight issue with binding the patties but I think I may add an extra egg next time?
Hi Hannah,
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Sure en extra egg would help hold them together better. xTieghan
Hi! LOVE YOUR RECIPES! I really want to make these but I can’t seem to find quinoa in any grocery store I’ve been to recently, do you think I could substitute brown rice for the cooked quinoa? Or do you have any other suggestions? Thanks 🙂
Hi Claire,
So sorry I have only tested this recipe with quinoa so I am not sure how brown rice would work! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made these for “meatless Monday,” and they were delicious! Even my sons- who are hardcore carnivores- actually said they liked them AND would eat them again! Great flavor combo!
Thank you so much Coby! xTieghan
Recently, I have been making veggie burgers once a week and currently these are in 1st place for the best option. I made half the recipe with cheese and half without. Both were great. Only other substitution was I used 1/8 of a cup of GF flour instead of the bread crumbs. Yummy!
Thank you so much Cynthia!! I am really glad these burgers turned out so well for you! xTieghan
OMG!!!!!This was THE MOST DELISH burger…. so much to do and worth EVERY THING! it was just chock FULL of flavor and divine layeras and textures. It was BEAUTIFUL!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Thank you Mariana!! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I have been looking for some fun recipes to try with my angels during his quarantine and came across you posts. Now, that we spend most of our time trapped inside. I think It would be a great ideas to try some new recipes plus the kids have also started to show some interest in helping around. Thanks for the recipe. I will definitely let you know how if turned out.
Thank you so much Cherrell! I hope you all love this recipe and others you try! xTieghan