Mexican Quinoa Burgers

These Mexican Quinoa Burgers are the perfect solution to Meatless Monday. Gluten Free with a Vegan Option.

If you’ve been around here long, you know that once upon a time every third recipe I posted was a burger of some sorts.

In the early days of Cooking Quinoa before I opened my eyes to all that could be done with quinoa, burgers or salads were the extent to which my creativity went.

Once I started trying quinoa in different types of dishes and saw the potential, I did something I never thought I’d do – I stopped posting quinoa burgers. I may be wrong, but I think the last time I came out with a new one was over a year ago.

And that may not be a good thing.

I had someone email me and ask me if I HAD a quinoa burger recipe. (Um, no I don’t have A burger recipe I have about 10.)

If those of you who have been down the quinoa burger road with me before will indulge me today, I’ve got a new recipe to share. This one marries the once ever-present quinoa burger with all my favorite flavors. (Mexican)

Allow me to introduce you to my Mexican Quinoa Burgers…

I made these with gluten free breadcrumbs. For those of you who are gluten free and don’t want to spring for the boxed gluten free breadcrumbs (I don’t) you can easily make your own. Just take a few slices of gluten free bread and process them in a food processor until crumbs form. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil and process again. Heat a skillet to medium high and add the crumbs. (They should sizzle.) Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often. Reduce the heat to low and cook for another 8 minutes.   I keep a bag in the freezer all the time!

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Mexican Quinoa Burgers

Author Wendy Polisi

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 green or red pepper chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 ½ cups cooked black beans drained and rinsed (1 can)
• 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa
• ½ cup cheddar or pepper jack cheese OR Daiya shreds
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons salsa
• 2 large eggs or flax eggs beaten
• 1 cup plain or gluten free breadcrumbs
• Coconut Oil for cooking
• For serving: salsa avocado, lettuce

Instructions

1. If using flax eggs, combine 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds with 6 tablespoons warm water. Stir well and set aside. (Skip this step if you are using eggs.)
2. Spray a medium pan with olive oil and heat to medium. Add onion and pepper and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until tender. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl.
3. In the bowl of a food processor, combine ¾ cup of the beans and ¾ cup of quinoa. Process until well blended. Add to the bowl with the onion mixture and stir in remaining beans and quinoa, cheese, taco seasoning, paprika and salsa. Mix until combined and add in (flax) eggs and breadcrumbs. Mix well and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Form into patties and place the patties in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. (optional - this helps them hold together better)
4. Heat oil to medium and cook until browned, flipping once.

Recipe Notes

Servings 6, Calories 234, Fat 4.2g, Carbohydrates 35.4g, Protein 13.6g, Cholesterol 64mg, Sodium 326mg, Fiber 7g, Sugars 4.1g, WW Pts 6