Who else is ready for football playoffs?! For me, half the fun of football is the food and drink, so this year I plan to make these buffalo quinoa chickpea burgers, topped with blue cheese!
I don’t make regular veggie burgers. For me, vegetables don’t have the texture, or the taste that I remember in a real burger. I still love the format, but try to make it taste like something different.
I have made all kinds of different veggie burgers. To name a few, there’s the Moroccan carrot burger, Jamaican jerk plantain burgers, vegan beet burgers, and mushroom black bean burgers.
Tips and Tricks for Buffalo Quinoa Chickpea Burgers recipe:
- I love cooking quinoa in my rice cooker
. It takes all the guess work out of it, and it’s completely hands-off! This rice cooker is my favorite because it has a sealing lid, so it doesn’t spatter, and it’s stainless steel instead of non-stick!
- Make the patties thick, and avoid smushing them with your spatula while cooking. This will help the burger to stay together and not get crumbly!
- My favorite way to break up the texture of the chickpeas is to smash them on the bottom of a bowl. I have also used a fork, or a food processor. The fork tends to miss some chickpeas, while the food processor can turn them to mush. Smash a handful of chickpeas at a time under a flat-bottomed bowl and simply stir in!
. It takes all the guess work out of it, and it’s completely hands-off! This rice cooker is my favorite because it has a sealing lid, so it doesn’t spatter, and it’s stainless steel instead of non-stick!Buffalo Quinoa Chickpea Burgers
This buffalo quinoa chickpea burger is the perfect way to get ready for game day! Top with a big slice of blue cheese, and a drizzle of buffalo sauce!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 5 burgers
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup dry quinoa
- 1 small onion, diced
- Splash olive oil
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp each: smoked paprika, cumin, salt
- 3 TBS hot sauce (such as franks)
- 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 TBS whole wheat flour
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 4-5 slices of blue cheese, off a large block
- 4-5 whole wheat burger buns
- Romaine, mayo, and extra hot sauce for serving
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa in a rice cooker, or on the stove top, until fluffy, using 2/3 cup water, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine onion and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar, stirring until it is completely absorbed.
- Smash the chickpeas using a fork, or the bottom of a bowl on a cutting board (I find the bowl faster with more even texture).
- In a bowl mix together sauted onion with cooked quinoa, smashed chickpeas, bread crumbs, garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, hot sauce, and mozzarella. Taste test the mixture and adjust seasonings as necessary. Mix in the egg and flour.
- Form mixture into 4-5 patties, depending on the size you want (I made 5 small patties). Thicker patties hold together better than thin patties do. Cook patties in a hot skillet until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes.
- Top with a slice of blue cheese. Serve on a bun with romaine lettuce, mayo, and extra hot sauce, if desired.
Sounds great!
Thanks Lin!
These look amazing!!! Want to try soon!
Thanks Julie!