Quinoa and Black Bean Burgers

By
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes is a freelance writer and recipe developer with a passion for South American food. She wrote a cookbook focusing on the cuisine of Brazil.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/19/21
Black bean quinoa burger

Brent Hofacker / Getty Images

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
322 Calories
17g Fat
34g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 322
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 21%
Saturated Fat 3g 13%
Cholesterol 47mg 16%
Sodium 590mg 26%
Total Carbohydrate 34g 12%
Dietary Fiber 8g 28%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 18mg 88%
Calcium 80mg 6%
Iron 4mg 20%
Potassium 433mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike will enjoy these hearty and healthy veggie burgers made with high-protein quinoa and seasoned black beans. Any cooked beans will work in this recipe, but black beans have a particular "meaty" flavor that works well here.

This is a great recipe for using up leftover cooked beans, but if you don't happen to have any on hand, you can use canned black beans instead.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup raw quinoa

  • 1 cup vegetable broth

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, fresh or canned (if using canned, season as indicated below)

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste

  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

  • 1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper

  • 1/4 cup finely diced green onion

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon paprika, preferably smoked

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Seasoning Canned Black Beans:

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped onions

  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, optional

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

Make the Veggie Burgers

  1. In a small saucepan, bring the quinoa and vegetable broth to a simmer.

  2. Cover and cook over low heat for 12 to 15 minutes.

  3. Turn off the heat and let quinoa sit, covered, for 5 minutes longer.

  4. Remove the cover and fluff the quinoa with a fork.

  5. Add the black beans to a large bowl. Sprinkle the beans with salt and pepper to taste, and mash the beans gently with a potato masher.

  6. Add the cooked quinoa, breadcrumbs, diced red pepper, green onions, egg, cumin, and paprika to the bowl with the mashed beans.

  7. Stir everything together well with a fork. Add more breadcrumbs if the mixture is too wet to form into patties. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.

  8. Shape the mixture into 4 or 5 patties, each about 1 inch thick. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat.

  9. Cook the patties in the skillet until well-browned on one side, about 3 to 5 minutes.

  10. Carefully flip the patties and cook on the other side until well browned. Continue to turn and cook patties until they are cooked through and crispy on the outside, about 8 to 12 minutes total.

  11. Serve quinoa and black bean burgers in buns, with assorted condiments such as ketchup, mustard, pickles, salsa criolla or guacamole.

Season Canned Black Beans

  1. Place the olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat.

  2. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika, if desired.

  3. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft and fragrant.

  4. Add the canned beans to the skillet, including the liquid.

  5. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

  6. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.