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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.

side angle photo of Crispy Quinoa Burgers Topped with Sweet Potato Fries and Beer Caramelized Onions

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.

Crispy Quinoa Burgers Topped with Sweet Potato Fries and Beer Caramelized Onions | halfbakedharvest.com #quinoaburger

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.

quinoa burger mixer before forming the burgers

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…

Sweet Potato Fries

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.

side angled close up photo of Crispy Quinoa Burgers Topped with Sweet Potato Fries and Beer Caramelized Onions

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!

side angle photo of Crispy Quinoa Burgers Topped with Sweet Potato Fries and Beer Caramelized Onions and hand picking up the burger

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

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
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.

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Ingredients

Quinoa Burgers

Sweet Potato Fries

Beer caramelized onions

US Customary - Metric

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. 
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Comments

  1. I wish there were a section within the recipe comments for users who had actually made the recipe to get helpful tips! Lots of people just gassing up the blog post, which yes, is beautiful, but it’d be nice to be able to filter for helpful comments from people who actually tried the recipe 🙂

    Anyway, if you are about to make this recipe, here are my notes!
    1 – Seasoning: this may just be my personal preference or the brand of Chipotle powder I bought, but I added way more chipotle powder to the burger mix than was called for and I still found them a bit bland. I probably used 1-2TBSP. I would up the salt and chipotle powder both to really bring out the flavor since the quinoa and beans are pretty tasteless on their own!
    2 – Caramelized Onions – this was a genius technique to caramelize with beer! Seriously only took 10-15 minutes to get them jammy and brown. Couldn’t believe my eyes – I will always caramelize this way now!
    3 – More Egg: Again might have just been my particular mix of ingredients, but my patties didn’t stay together too well. I would add an extra egg next time to make sure they really bind together and don’t break apart in the pan or air fryer!

    Overall, really great filling vegetarian recipe! I also served it with a Chipotle mayo (mayo + hot sauce + the chipotle seasoning) and it was divine. Will definitely make these in the future – I have a ton of patties left over for lunches this month!

    Reply

  2. Did you use black beans? Because the recipe calls for canneli beans and your video looks way better than how mine looked. I just tried this and it’s way to earthy tasting for me. I do like quinoa but maybe it’s too much?

    Reply

    1. Hey Nicole,
      So sorry you did not enjoy the flavor, I did not use black beans, I used cannelloni. Let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan

      Reply

  3. Sadly not our fav. Followed exactly but quinoa didn’t hold together fully and not enough flavor. Maybe a buillion (sp?) cube in the water as quinoa cooks would help?

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    I made this tonight for dinner and they were so good! It was a great vegetarian option when 1/2 the family ate meat and 1/2 ate these burgers! Sweet potato fries were delicious too! Thanks for posting this “sandwich” recipe and photo – it looks fabulous! 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hey Dana,
      Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a go, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Rebecca,
      I do not peel my sweet potatoes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  6. 5 stars
    This was the perfect Saturday afternoon when it’s freezing outside cooking project…enjoyed the burgers, fries, and onions with a beer so good. I substituted chickpeas for the white beans and worked out so well!!

    Reply

  7. 5 stars
    I have just truly enjoyed all the recipes I have found at HBH! This one is no exception! Truly 5 stars. My entire family, mostly eating more vegetarian, really liked it. It is going into our rotation for sure! Thank you!

    Reply

  8. You should edit the first step of the instructions. It says to “add the cheese” but it doesnt specify to only add the cheddar. Then later t it says to put the Gruyere on top…. I had already mixed it into the patty because the instructions said add the cheese. I havent cooked them yet but I am afraid the cheeae will burn before the patty is done cooking. I read the recipe over vefore starting but I still missed that and obviously it was not super clear.

    Reply

  9. Hi there! What would you use to bind the mixture instead of an egg? I would like to make this vegan friendly. Thanks in Advance,
    Katharina 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hey Katharina,
      So sorry I have only used an egg in this recipe, I am not sure how it would turn out without it. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xTieghan

      Reply

  10. 5 stars
    Hi Tieghan,
    My first time commenting here even though I successfully tried a couple of your recipes (I’ll leave a comment on the others I promise :-)). I’ve made these over the weekend with homemade buns and, avocado mash and the onions… They were so amazing!!! I’m glad I finally found a patty recipe that I really like and that would hold together either in the over or on a grill or in a pan! (and I’ve tried countless of them)
    I left out the sweet potatoes because personally not a fan (or just not a sweet tooth), and the burger was already sweet enough from the onions imo.
    Anyways, just wanted to say that you’re an inspiration with all of your wonderful photos and recipes! So looking forward to your posts each time

    Cheers from France,
    Laetitia

    Reply

  11. 5 stars
    Just made these tonight and they are amazing. I’ve already shared the recipe!! The only thing I would change is the wording on the cheese. It says add cheese to mix so I added both cheeses. Didn’t realize I was supposed to hold the gruyere to melt on top. It was still delicious!! Best quinoa burger I’ve ever made.

    Reply

  12. Hello! I do not have chipotle chili powder on hand. Is there a substitute I could use? Wanting to try these burgers tonight. Thank you in advance!

    Reply

    1. Hey Jodi,
      You could use chili powder! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  13. 5 stars
    Loved these! I appreciate the fact they can be frozen as I usually buy frozen veggie burgers to have as a “just in case”. I did “cheat” and use Alexia frozen sweet potato fries instead of making them by hand but it was just as great! Thanks for a new staple!

    Reply

    1. Hey Desiree,
      I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday! xTieghan

      Reply

  14. 4 stars
    These were a really great meatless Monday meal! I skipped the fries (I’m sorry!) and the bun but man the onions and avocado mash were delicious atop the crispy burger. Really excited to have been able to freeze the individual patties for a quick Monday night meal in the future.

    Reply

    1. Hey Caitlin,
      Thanks so much for trying the recipe. That is so great the recipe was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan

      Reply

  15. Do you think you could swap cannellini For pinto? I have those in the cabinet and would rather use what I have.

    Reply

    1. Hey Jennifer,
      I’ve not tested this, but I think it would work well. I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy New Year! xTieghan

      Reply