Topped with slices of avocado, these Southwest Black Bean Quinoa Burgers are a welcome addition to any veggie burger recipe collection. Stuffed with quinoa, black beans, red pepper, sweet potato, onions, bread crumbs and Southwestern spices. They’re freezer friendly and great for make ahead lunches.
This veggie burger recipe is stuffed with quinoa, black beans, red pepper, sweet potato, onions, bread crumbs and spices.
All of this is seasoned with cumin, coriander and chili powder to create a black bean quinoa burger with southwestern flair. The flavors are easily changed by swapping out these spices. Try this barbeque spice mix for another great twist!
Keeping it super healthy and plant-based, there are no eggs or dairy – it’s a vegan black bean quinoa burger. You can add 2 Tbs nutritional yeast to the mix if you’d like to add a “cheesy” flavor. Or if you’re not dairy-free, add some shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese.
How to Make Vegan Black Bean Quinoa Burgers
Step 1: Sauté veggies and add spices.
The first step is to cook the onions, garlic and red pepper. Then add the tomato paste and spices to create a flavorful base for the quinoa.
Step 2: Add quinoa to the pan and simmer until cooked.
After rinsing the quinoa under cold water, add it to the pan with water and simmer until quinoa is cooked.
Step 3: Transfer cooked quinoa mixture to a bowl. Add bean, sweet potato and panko.
You’ll combine all the other ingredients with the quinoa mixture in this step and begin to form patties.
Step 4: Form patties + pan fry on hot griddle.
The best way to get perfectly round patties and compress the patties so that they’ll stay together well is to use inexpensive stainless steel rings like these.
It’s always good to have last minute freezer friendly meals on hand. Without them I’d be eating out A LOT more!
Check out these make ahead gems – fill your freezer once and eat so many meals with these easy Spinach Burgers, these Black Bean Beet Burgers or these Spinach, Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burritos!
A veggie burger stuffed with quinoa, black beans, red pepper, sweet potato, onions, bread crumbs and spices. Seasoned with a southwestern flair.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion finely diced
- 1 red pepper finely diced
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground chili powder
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa rinsed well in a fine mesh colander
- 1 cup water
- 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained, rinsed & slightly smashed
- 1 cup mashed sweet potato other binder options are: 1 flax egg (see notes) or regular egg
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 avocados sliced
-
Warm the olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat.
-
Sauté the onion, red pepper and garlic with a dash of salt for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onions are softened and turning translucent.
-
Add the tomato paste, cumin, coriander and chili powder. Sauté for another minute, stirring constantly.
-
Add the rinsed quinoa and 1 cup water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and partially cover it with a lid. Cook 15 - 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Drain off any excess liquid.
-
Place the quinoa mixture in a large bowl, set aside to let it cool for a few minutes.
-
Add in the drained black beans (smash the beans a little before adding), sweet potato, Panko crumbs and add salt and pepper, to taste. Mix until evenly distributed.
-
With damp hands, scoop and form burger patties. It's easy to make perfectly rounded burgers with burger forms like these.
-
Add olive oil to a hot griddle and sauté each burger for 4 minutes per side or until nice and golden brown.
-
Top with avocado slices, greens and a serve on a bun, if desired.
How to Make a Flax Egg?
It's simple: mix 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons water. Let sit for at least 5 minutes until mixture becomes goopy - like an egg!
*This recipe makes 8 burgers depending on the thickness desired. For a thicker burger, divide the mixture between 6 burgers instead of 8.
TIP: You can give these a seasonal twist and used canned pumpkin for the sweet potato. Since canned pumpkin is a bit thinner than sweet potato, add extra bread crumbs – 1 tbs at a time – to get the right consistency for forming patties. And there you have it fall Pumpkin Veggie Burgers!
You may also like these recipes
Vegetarian or not, black bean burgers are SO dang good! And this one looks fab, lemme tell ya! Pinned!
Thanks Karly!
This taste just like my favorite local restaurant’s black bean burger. Love it! Thanks Emily.
I love it when you can recreate you’re favorite restaurant recipes at home!