Homemade Quinoa Burgers

These Quinoa Burgers are a delicious vegetarian alternative to a classic burger. Made with quinoa, cottage cheese, and fresh vegetables, these quinoa burgers are hearty, healthy, high in protein, and gluten-free. 

Serve these meatless burgers with Oven Fries, Old Fashioned Baked Beans, Instant Pot Corn on the Cob, and Fruit Salad for the perfect summer meal.

Quinoa Burgers are not your typical Veggie Burger. Unlike my Black Bean Burgers, these veggie burgers are not made with beans. Nor do they feature breadcrumbs or oats.

Instead, quinoa burgers are made with quinoa, which gives them a unique texture and pumps the burger full of protein and fiber.

Notes on Ingredients

• Quinoa: This recipe calls for cooked quinoa. You can opt to prepare your quinoa according to the package directions or use my recipe for perfect Instant Pot Quinoa. Any variety of cooked quinoa works for these burgers.
• Cottage Cheese: Use full-fat or reduced-fat cottage cheese, not fat-free cottage cheese for the best texture and flavor. The cottage cheese adds a creamy, cheesy flavor to the burgers and helps to keep the burgers moist and tender.
• Vegetables: Adding carrots and zucchini to the quinoa burgers adds flavor and nutrients. Be sure to squeeze out excess moisture in the grated zucchini, just as you would when making Zucchini Bread, to keep the vegetarian burgers from becoming watery.
• Egg: An egg will help to bind the burgers together and keep them from falling apart when baked.
• Seasoning: These quinoa burgers are seasoned simply with fresh parsley, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder. Feel free to omit the fresh parsley if you don't have it on hand.

How to Make Quinoa Burgers

Step One: Prepare Quinoa.

You will need two cups of cooked quinoa to prepare these burgers. You can use leftover quinoa you have on hand, prepare quinoa in the Instant Pot, or follow the directions in the recipe card to prepare quinoa on the stove.

Just be sure to allow your quinoa to cool to the touch before proceeding with preparing your burgers to prevent the hot quinoa from scrambling the egg that is added to the burger.

Step Two: Form Burgers

Once the quinoa has cooled, you will want to combine it with the remaining ingredients. The mixture is a bit delicate, so I have found that it is best to scoop the quinoa mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and then use slightly damp hands to shape it into a "burger patty."

Step Three: Bake

The easiest way to cook these quinoa burgers is to bake them. This ensures they hold their shape and achieve a nice crispy exterior, giving these burgers great texture.

Step Four: Serve

Serve the Quinoa Burgers on a lettuce wrap or on a bun with toppings of your choice. I personally prefer tomatoes, lettuce, and a bit of mustard.

Storage & Make-Ahead Instructions

This recipe makes twelve Quinoa Burgers, meaning you may have several burgers left over--which is a good thing! These quinoa burgers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 days or frozen for 3months in a freezer-safe container.

To freeze the cooked burgers, let the quinoa burgers cool, then place them on a parchment-paper-lined sheet pan and freeze until solid. Once frozen solid, transfer the burgers to a freezer-safe bag or container, separating the burgers between layers of parchment paper. To reheat, remove as many burgers as desired and bake from frozen for 5 minutes per side in a 450-degree F oven, or until warmed through.

More Quinoa Recipes

• Mexican Quinoa Salad
• Greek Quinoa Salad
• Instant Pot Quinoa
• Quinoa Spinach Salad
• Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

If you tried these Quinoa Burgers, please be sure to leave a review and comment below.