I’ve been wanting to make beet burgers ever since my Mom introduced me to them a few years back. Whole Foods used to make this fantastic version full of crunchy walnuts, beets and so much flavor; often times we’d scarf them down after our workouts.
Sadly, I can’t seem to find the same tasty beet burgers at any Chicago area Whole Foods.
Last week my mind wandered to these beet burgers once again. Even craving them more than peanut butter on a spoon. (If you know me, then you know that’s A LOT.) So the adventure began to attempt and create the best beet burger on the planet.
What ingredients are in beet burgers?
My version includes quinoa, dates, walnuts (or pecans!), beets, spices and so much more! It’s quite an odd combination of ingredients but I love how the quinoa crisps up on the outside; the dates sweeten the burger and the spices give it nice flavor.
Here are some helpful tips when you make veggie burgers:
When you mix together the burger and form patties, they should feel firm and hold together. The mixture shouldn’t be too wet or sticky. If it is super sticky (sticks to your hands) add in a little oat flour or breadcrumbs. As you start to make veggie burgers more, you will discover how you best like your burgers and what you need to add.
Because these are vegan burgers, you can taste as you go. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Don’t be nervous!
If you make these, I would love for you to leave a comment below or snap a pic, upload it to Instagram and tag #ambitiouskitchen! Enjoy the burgers. xo!
More healthy vegetarian recipes you’ll love:
Ultimate Vegan Black Bean Burgers with Tahini Garlic Sauce
Vegan Curry-Spiced Sweet Potato & Wild Rice Burgers
Broccoli & White Cheddar Quinoa Mac and Cheese
Tofu Vegan Nachos with Cashew Cheese Sauce
Vegan Turmeric Pineapple Tofu Kabobs
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Sweet & Spicy Quinoa Beet Burgers with Mango & Sprouts
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
- 4 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, divided
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 cup chopped and peeled beets (about 1 beet)
- 4 large pitted Medjool dates, finely chopped
- 1 cup walnuts or pecans, whatever you prefer
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, gluten free if desired
- 5 whole grain or gluten free buns or lettuce wraps
- For topping: Sliced mango, cheese, avocado & sprouts
Instructions
- Place 3/4 cup quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water in a small sauce pan over high heat, bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat and cook for about 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed by the quinoa. Allow the quinoa to cool for 5-10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix together flaxseed meal and 4 tablespoons of water to form a flax egg. Place mixture in fridge until ready to use so that it has time to gel up (to become egg-like).
- While the quinoa is cooking, add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to a medium skillet and place over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes.
- Next add in cooked quinoa, onion, chopped beets, dates, walnuts, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and cumin to a food processor and pulse 10-15 times until the mixture resembles ground beef.
- Transfer to a bowl and add in your flaxseed meal. If the mixture feels to wet and sticks to your hands, add a little oat flour or breadcrumbs. Start with a few tablespoons and gradually increase until the mixture is no longer sticky.
- Form into 6 patties, about 1/2 inch thick. Each patty will be about 1/3 cup of the mixture.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the remaining coconut oil. Add the patties to the oil, two at a time if your pan is on the smaller side (this makes them easier to flip), and cook for about 4-6 minutes or until patties are golden brown, then gently flip and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes. Add the cheese a minute or two before taking off the heat.
- Serve burgers on buns or lettuce wrap and garnish with mango, avocado and sprouts. Makes 6 burgers.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Beets are the bomb.com!! I’ve always wanted to try a beet burger too, cause I’ve never seen them at my Whole Foods either. Thanks for sharing Monique! 🙂
I love LOVE beet burgers (one of my fave restaurants does a beet walnut one) but have never tried them at home. I can already tell that I <3 your version.
These look AMAZING! Oh my god, mama, you’re killing it!
Love the creativity and color of these burgers! They look too pretty to eat. I do love a good veggie burger and am sure these would be a hit at a spring cookout.
Never had a beet burger, but looking at yours, I think that’s about to change this week. It’s ALMOST too pretty to eat.
These looks amazing! I’ve never tried a beet burger before, but this looks like the perfect version!
These are gorgeous Monique!! Delicious!
Stunning. I would have never thought to incorporate beets! YUM
I LOVE beets in veggie burgers! Normally I make them with brown rice, but quinoa is next on my list! The topping of mango , avocado and sprouts is simply divine!
These look AMAZING, Monique! The most colorful veggie burgers I’ve seen by far!
I’ve been wanting to make beet burgers for the longest time but haven’t gotten around to it. Thanks for the reminder I need to do it! Looks gorgeous & delicious!
This sounds fabulous! Josh and I love veggie burgers.
I love quinoa burgers and I love beets. The two of them together? That sounds amazing. I love your photos of the beet burgers. They look BEAUTIFUL and magically delicious.
The mango on top is such a cool idea! These burgers look awesome!
These are absolutely stunning! I’m totally digging that color!
So years ago I met the best veggie burger of my life. There were little red specks in them that I later learned were beets. That amazed me! I love the color and the flavor of beets and yours seriously look incredible.
Girl, there’s probably NOT a time when I DON’T have peanut butter in my mouth! LOL! But for now I’ll make the change and start shoveling these beet burgers in my face!
I’m so obsessed with these!! I’ve been adding veggies to everything lately, so I’m loving the beets here. Those toppings look amazing!
Fantastic recipe! I included it this week on Patch of Earth in “7 Nutritious Quinoa Recipes Worth Trying.” Here’s the link: http://www.patchofearth.com/food/7-quinoa-recipes-worth-trying/
I’m making these tonight and was thinking of baking them in the oven. Have you tried them baked before? If so, what temp and for how long?
I heated the oven to 350 degrees, baked 20 minutes, flipped and baked another 20 minutes and they turned out so yummy – thanks for the recipe!
These burgers look so delicious! I wish I could eat them for my lunch today… Great job!
Made them tonight. The dates make them mildly sweet. This complements the mango well. My husband loved them. These are a keeper.
Heads up. The ingredient list says cumin, but the directions say coriander. Also, the directions mentions cheese in the cooking section, but there isn’t any cheese in the ingredients.
Suzanne
Glad you both enjoyed! And thanks for the catch – I’ve updated the recipe with cheese & cumin in the directions.
Hello! Are the beets raw? Or do they need to be cooked? Thank you!
Hi! The beets are raw 🙂
Thank so much for sharing the quinoa beet burger recipe ——-it was awesome!!!!
Glad you enjoyed!
This recipe needs to make a comeback on the site! It is SO SO good! When I told my husband what was for dinner I could tell he was like…?? 😕… but he really enjoyed it too! I used 1 egg instead of flax meal, and I mashed up the avocado with a bit of tahini, garlic powder, and sea salt mixed in. My only difficulty was cooking the patties. I found that medium heat cooked the outside a lot while leaving the inside mushy. I turned the heat down to low and cooked it for longer on low heat and that seemed to helped. Any other suggestions?
Thank you for the yummy recipe! It will be a staple in our home.
Aw thank you!! An oldie but a goodie haha! So happy you both enjoyed it. And thanks for the note about cooking the patties. I haven’t had that issue but you could try baking them (350ºF) for maybe 10 minutes after cooking them in the skillet to make sure they fully cook through 🙂
Thanks! I’ve been cooking it low and slow-low for 10 mins on each side and that seems to do the trick! I’ve eaten these 5 nights in a row and I couldn’t probably eat them for the next few weeks. They are so good!
Oh, that’s great! Glad that’s worked well and happy you’re loving them 🙂 🙂