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Made with fluffy quinoa, creamy cottage cheese, and fresh veggies, these Quinoa Burgers are high in protein, rich in fiber, and gluten-free.
Quinoa Burgers are not your typical meatless burger. Unlike my Black Bean Burgers, they are not made with beans, nor do they feature breadcrumbs or oats. Instead, they are made with quinoa (go figure, right?!), which gives them a unique texture and pumps the burger full of protein and fiber, making them a protein-rich, bean-free, vegetarian alternative to a classic burger.
Quinoa Burgers are creamy, cheesy, a bit tangy, and have an irresistible crunchy exterior--truly delicious! Especially when paired with oven fries, old fashioned baked beans, Instant Pot corn on the cob, and fruit salad. Talk about the perfect summer meal.
Notes on Ingredients
You will find the full list of ingredients, along with quantities in the recipe card. Below is a quick glance at what you need and tips to help you make the right selection.
- 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: For the best texture and flavor, use full-fat or reduced-fat cottage cheese, not fat-free cottage cheese. 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 burgers from becoming watery.
- Egg: An egg will help to bind the burgers together and keep them from falling apart when baked.
- Seasonings: 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
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare Quinoa. 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.
Time-Saving Tip
After the quinoa is cooked, spread it out on a sheet pan and pop it in the freezer. The quinoa will be ready to be used to make the quinoa burgers in just 5 minutes!
- Combine Ingredients. Mix quinoa with cottage cheese, egg, veggies, and seasonings until well combined.
- Form Burgers. 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."
- Bake. Bake the quinoa burgers until they are crispy and golden.
- 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 Instructions
These quinoa burgers freeze well after baking, making them an easy, healthy vegetarian burger option to always have on hand.
- Refrigerate: Let cool, transfer to a freezer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: To freeze, 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. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: To reheat, bake at 400℉ for 2-3 minutes per side. For frozen burgers, bake from frozen at 450℉ for 5 minutes per side, or until warmed through.
More Quinoa Recipes
- Mexican Quinoa Salad
- Greek Quinoa Salad
- Instant Pot Quinoa
- Quinoa Spinach Salad
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
- Southwest Baked Quinoa
Quinoa Burgers
Video
Ingredients
Quinoa
- 1 ½ cups dry quinoa
- 3 cups water
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Quinoa Burgers
- ½ cup cottage cheese
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 large carrot, grated
- 1 ½ cups grated zucchini, squeezed dry to remove excess moisture
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 cups cooked quinoa, slightly cooled
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Prepare quinoa by bringing placing 1 ½ cups dry quinoa, 3 cups water, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Fluff with a fork. Alternatively, follow my directions for Instant Pot Quinoa.
- Measure out 2 cups of cooked quinoa and spread it out on a sheet pan to cool slightly for 10-20 minutes before preparing burgers. Speed up the process by popping the pan into the freezer for 5 minutes.
Prepare Quinoa Burgers
- Preheat the oven to 425℉ (220℃) and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, or grease well with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the ½ cup cottage cheese, ¼ cup fresh parsley (chopped), 1 large carrot (grated), 1 ½ cups grated zucchini (grated), 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ tablespoon minced garlic together until well combined. Add 2 cups cooked quinoa (cooled) and thoroughly mix.
- Scoop ¼ cup of the quinoa mixture unto the tray, forming 12 mounds in total, spaced 4 inches apart. Using slightly damp hands, form the mound into a burger shape, that is about ½-inch thick. Spray the top of the burgers with cooking spray.
- Bake the burger patties for 20-25 minutes on the first side, Remove from the oven, gently flip, return to the oven, and continue to bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden and set.
- Let cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes and then serve as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These turned out great. For my own personal preference, I will cut back some on the kosher salt next time. They were perfect in slider buns. I topped it with some lettuce, ketchup, homemade dill pickle slices and avocado.
I would like to try cooking these in the air fryer and am open to possible suggestions on temperature and cook times. Thank you again for all the new recipes and ideas.
You are so very welcome, Sharon! I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed these quinoa burgers (and other recipes here as well.) For the air fryer, this is one time I would recommend using a parchment paper lining for the air fryer. I would air fry at 400F for 10 minutes, flip and air fry for an additional 8-10 minutes until crispy.