Tired of boring veggie burgers? These Chipotle Quinoa Burgers are topped with homemade Sweet Corn Relish. The recipe is super easy to make, too!
A Chris Recipe
The only reason I ever remember my wedding anniversary is because my Grandma sends Chris and me a card in the mail every year. (Thank you, Grandma!) And whenever someone asks me how long I've been married, I freak out a little bit and have to do some quick math in my head. Did we get married in 2005? Or was it 2006? (It was 2006.) What year is it now? What's 13 minus 6? OH NO WHAT'S 13 MINUS 6??? I really should just throw out a random number because how would they know, right? Also, I really should buy some flashcards and practice basic math.
So today is our anniversary! We used to use it as an excuse to get an expensive dinner, but now we don't really do anything for it. And that's okay! With both of us! I'm lucky to have married someone who is as into anniversaries and birthdays and holidays as I am. Which is to say, not at all. Anniversaries just seem kind of arbitrary to me. Like, hey, the Earth has rotated around the sun 7 times since we got married—here's a box of chocolates! I'm not really into grand gestures, you see. I'm more about the small, everyday things.
Although he tries every recipe I make for Oh My Veggies, every once in a while I will make something that I deem a Chris recipe—something I make with him in mind because I know he'll love it. These Chipotle Quinoa Burgers are definitely a Chris recipe, thanks to a healthy dose of chipotle pepper. I like chipotle, but Chris loves it. The annoying thing about cooking with chipotle peppers is that you always have leftovers. I like to puree the remaining peppers and sauce, freeze them in an ice cube tray, and use them later. I describe the whole process in my Crispy Chipotle Potato Tian post.
About the Recipe
The first time I tried making these, I wanted to put corn in the burgers, but they ended up crumbling, so I decided to do a sweet corn relish instead. (It's summer! I had to figure out some way to include corn!) The relish can be made up to two days in advance. If you want it to have a little more heat, you can substitute a hotter pepper for the jalapeño. Other good toppings for these burgers include pepperjack cheese, mayo (cashew or otherwise), salsa, grilled or caramelized onions, fresh tomatoes, and cilantro. I hate telling people what to put on their veggie burgers because really, anything goes.
Oh, and this is the third burger recipe in my summer of veggie burgers series! I posted Cauliflower Hummus Burgers with Mint Tzatziki in May and Lentil Mushroom Burgers in June. Don't feel like making your own burgers? That's okay too! Here are my favorite store-bought veggie burgers.
Ingredients
Chipotle Black Bean Quinoa Burgers
- 1 ½ cups cooked black beans or a 15 oz can, rinsed
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa cooked according to package directions
- ¼ cup panko
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ to 1 tbsp minced chipotle in adobo sauce
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- salt to taste
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- buns Sweet Corn Relish, cheese, lettuce, cilantro, onions, tomatoes, and anything else you like on your burgers
Sweet Corn Relish
- 2 ears corn kernels removed
- ¼ cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and minced
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp white sugar (organic for vegan-friendly)
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Chipotle Black Bean Quinoa Burgers
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Mash half of the black beans in a large bowl. Stir in remaining black beans, quinoa, panko, garlic, minced chipotle, onion powder, and cumin. Once all ingredients are fully incorporated, add salt to taste. Fold in the beaten egg.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the burger mixture into 6 mounds on the baking sheet, then shape each mound into a bun-sized patty. Bake the burgers for about 20 minutes, carefully flipping halfway through baking time. They're done when they're baked through and slightly crispy on the edges. Serve with Sweet Corn relish and your favorite veggie burger toppings.
Sweet Corn Relish
- Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate up to 2 days before serving.
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says
I think it's so sweet that grandma sends a card!
And these burgers! I just recently fell in love with black bean burgers so these are just screaming my name. I NEED these for lunch, please!
Kiersten says
It's hard not to fall in love with black bean burgers, right? 🙂
Madeleine says
Happy anniversary! I am the opposite way, I like to celebrate anything! And these burgers look so good and the relish sounds delicious, I'll have to try it.
Kiersten says
Thank you! 🙂
Melanie @ Just Some Salt and Pepper says
Happy anniversary! These look absolutely delicious. I like things like anniversaries and birthdays just for the fact that they can be an excuse to eat delicious food I normally wouldn't bother with.
Kiersten says
Thank you! And yes, food is always a good benefit of any celebration. 🙂
Natalie @ Once Upon a Cutting Board says
Happy anniversary! I just posted about a veggie burger I made with my boyfriend in mind, but with buffalo instead of chipotle; mine was more of a sneaky way to get him to look forward to veggie burgers though, whereas it sounds like Chris loves everything you make - that's awesome! These look nice and hearty and I love the sweet corn relish.
Kiersten says
I saw that post in my inbox--I can't wait to read it because I know we'd love those burgers too!
Sri says
Is there a substitute for the egg?
Kiersten says
You could try substituting a flax egg, but I haven't tried it myself so I'm not sure how it would work out.
Michelene says
I used a flax egg in mine and they were delicious. They held together also. I always refrigerate my flax egg for at least an hour.
Kiersten says
Thank you! I'm glad it hear it worked out. 🙂
BusyWorkingMama says
Those look delicious!
Josie @ inside-the-hive says
Oh my gosh these look so deliciously hearty! Not gonna lie, I could probably survive off sweet corn in the summer. And always. Hehehe
Kiersten says
Oh yeah, me too. My husband could take it or leave it, but I could eat it every day during summer. 🙂
Brenda Williams says
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
This veggie burger looks really yummy...your photos always make me hungry!
Kiersten says
Thank you! 🙂
Kare @ Kitchen Treaty says
My guy has yet to try a veggie burger. And I have yet to make one - well, at least, make one successfully. I think I need to remedy both of those things - I'm pretty sure he would especially love these, too.
Kiersten says
Really?! He won't even try one? Oh no, you need to remedy that for sure! But yeah, I'm with you on the veggie burger reluctance. I posted my first veggie burger recipe in May! And that was only because I was tired of people asking--ha. They really are tough to tackle.
Kelly @ Texas Type A Mom says
You know that we share a similar sentiment towards holidays. Except where our kids are involved because it's so fun and magical for them. But regardless, happy anniversary! I hope you guys enjoyed your day together!
Kiersten says
Thank you! We did. 🙂
Daniel @ Quinoa Noodles says
Your quinoa based burgers look amazing, they should add them to a restaurant menu :d.
I am going to try to cook them tonight, the recipe sounds easy to understand and they look delicious. Going gluten-free recenly, i had to make a lot of adjustment and Quinoa has proved to be an exceptional ingredient, very nutritive, so i am collecting a list of recipes to add to my arsenal.
Kiersten says
This does have panko in it, but you can substitute gluten-free breadcrumbs. 🙂 Good luck with your new GF diet!
Genevieve says
I bought a jar of sweet corn relish recently thinking it would make a good condiment, but it was so sweet and gummy that I had to throw it out...your fresh version sounds much better, especially as a topping for a spicy veggie burger!
Kiersten says
I think sometimes the jarred ones have WAY too much sugar.
HeatherP says
I tried this recipe tonight and just wanted to say that my husband and I loved them. Thanks so much! We will definitely be having them again!
Kiersten says
Thank you for your comment--I'm glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Rachel says
Hi Kiersten.
LOVE this recipe and have made it twice so far- once with quinoa and once with bulgar. Mine didn't hold together too well with bulbar though. Any ideas why the grain would make a difference? Thoughts on how to ensure the pattie sticks together? (Let it be known that the burger "crumbles" we're gobbled up just as fast as the ones that stayed together!)
Also- I topped this with roasted tomatillo salsa - excellent!
Kiersten says
I think bulgar is a little tougher to form into patties because it's a bit drier than quinoa. You might want to try adding an extra egg or even putting some shredded cheese in it. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Laura @ Kneadwhine says
Have just made the burgers for lunch today, switching half of the quinoa for couscous - I ran out of the former. Will be posting up in the next couple of weeks - great recipe! 🙂
Kiersten says
I'm glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Monica says
These were SO good! This is only the second veg burger I've ever made, this was my fave. I really loved the crunch and the spice. I swapped the beans for garbanzo and the chipotle for fresh jalapeno to suit my preferences.
I'm a newbie to healthy cooking, so I've only made quinoa twice now. This time the fancy brand I bought said to toast the seeds in a little olive oil before cooking, so I did. WOW. The flavors that it coaxed were insane. I will never make quinoa without toasting them first again. So yummy.
Next up, Baked Root Vegetable Chips with Buttermilk-Parsley Dipping Sauce to go with my leftover burgers.
I have loved everything I've made from your site so far. Oh My Veggies rocks!
Thanks again 🙂
Kiersten Frase says
I'm so glad you liked them! (And if you have leftovers, they freeze beautifully!) I love that trick with toasting the quinoa first--I always forget to do that. 🙂
Pam says
I love these burgers. Thank you!!
Jan says
Could these be made ahead and frozen?
Kiersten says
Yes, these do freeze well!