I’m always concocting new veggie burger recipes at home, now that I don’t buy packaged or processed veggie burgers anymore because of the scary ingredients and additives they contain. These quinoa masala burgers I made last night turned out FABULOUS and are too EASY not to make ASAP.
The best part? You can make several ahead of time and either freeze or refrigerate them for later. They also make a perfect burger to bring over to a cook out. Just have the grill master plop them on the grill to reheat and you’ve got a delicious plant based protein packed meal.
- ½ cup quinoa dry (cooked to package instructions)
- 1 baked sweet potato with skin removed
- 1 egg slightly beaten or 1 tbsp flax seed mixed with 2 tbsp water
- a few springs of fresh cilantro diced
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 inch piece of ginger minced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp curry powder
- ¼ tsp mustard seed
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
- melted coconut oil for brushing burgers
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Combine all ingredients and mix in a large bowl
- Form mixture into 8 patties
- Place patties on a large baking sheet covered with parchment paper
- Brush top of burgers with a small amount of coconut oil
- Bake for 15 mins, then flip burgers and coat with coconut oil again
- Bake for another 15 mins or until golden brown
I’ve never tried the Trader Joe’s Masala Burgers before, but if you have, I’d love to know how these compare. I know one thing, the ingredients I used are definitely an upgrade! Using quinoa as a base vs. white potatoes and bread crumbs adds a complete protein to the mix. I like Tru Roots Sprouted Quinoa Trio – it’s a pantry staple I cannot live without!
My favorite way to consume these masala burgers are with a large salad and topped with pickles. YUM.
Enjoy!
Food Babe
I will have to try these after I dig my sweet potatoes. Last night I tried some quinoa burgers, but they were a lot different and seemed a little bland. Not bad, but they needed something else.
The spices are what makes these burgers! Hope you enjoy them!
Do you have the nutrition info on these? Sound yummy. Can’t wait to try them.
They are about 100 calories a burger – did you need more info than that?
Sounds really great! I plugged your recipe into my nutrition calculator and here’s the Nutrition Facts it says these have. Based on the recipe makes 8 burgers, and 2 burgers equals one serving:
Serving Size 1 serving (80.4 g)
Amount Per Serving:
Calories 126
Total Fat 2.5g
Saturated Fat 0.5g
Cholesterol 41mg
Sodium 262mg
Total Carbohydrates 21.1g
Dietary Fiber 2.8g
Sugars 2.7g
Protein 5.1g
Vitamin A 112%
Vitamin C 12%
Calcium 3%
Iron 8%
These do sound yummy, I don’t even like the taste of store vegie burgers. Where did you get the garam masala?
At most grocery stores – look for organic! I’ve bought some at Earth Fare and HHM before. Good Luck! and here’s a link in case you can’t find it! http://amzn.to/NrAPkp
These look wonderful!!! I don’t buy commercial veggie patties either when they are so easy to make yourself.
Quick question – I’ve never heard of garam masala before. Is that a spice? Where would I find it? Just so I know what I’m looking for and where to find it.
It’s in the spice aisle! It’s a mixture of spices – Organic cardamom, organic cinnamon, organic cloves, organic cumin, organic black pepper, organic coriander.
You can also make your own, my Mom makes her own and sometimes I get it from her.
Here’s a link to the brand I like – http://amzn.to/NrAPkp
These burgers look so tempting! I can’t wait to try these, but I am going to use something else for the egg ; maybe a spoon of amaranth flour or water chestnut flour!
Hey Mom – What happened to all that flaxseed you’ve been using lately. That would work perfect 😉 Love ya.
These look yummy. I have made black bean veggie burgers before and they were pretty tasty. Can’t wait to try yours. Thanks 🙂
These look wonderful! Any advice on how to store these guys in the freezer?
Individually would work best, separated by parchment paper in an air tight ziploc would be great!
You had me at “Quinoa” and “Masala,” then I saw it also has sweet potatoes and cilantro! This burger and I are soulmates.
Haha… I think I am going to make another batch before the week is over!
Thank you for posting this, I am obsessed with Quiona and sweet potatoes. Putting them together is genius. I have done “quiona cakes” with some success, which is basically the same concept, but adding sweet potatoes I think will take care of some of the blandness. I am going to try this and hopefully add it to my family’s meal rotation list.
I loved these! They have so much flavor! No more store bought veggie burgers for me!
YEAH! So happy to hear you liked them. Thanks Fatima!
These look great! My family and I are in the process of eliminating most processed foods from our diet. I’ve noticed since starting that I have been feeling run-down and almost a little sick? Did you experience feeling this way when you first started?
I didn’t – but it is certainly possible that your body is detoxing. You could also be allergic to a new ingredient you are trying. What’s your typical diet like?
I had that feeling after eating clean for about a year. Make sure you are getting iodine. I found out I had developed hypothyroidism and one if the causes is a lack of iodine. I was using sea salt only and I am allergic to fish/seafood.
Absolutely delicious recipe. Made them and it is absolutely fantastic. Thank you!
These are the most delicious burgers I have ever tried, sooo yummy! Thanks for the recipe!!
I love your blog! I recently discovered your blog through Lisa’s 100daysofrealfood. I just finished making these quinoa burgers. I have to admit the sweet flavor in the burger did throw me off, but after I added a little organic mustard to my bread I felt it combatted the sweet and I love them! Keep doing what you do best!
I’ve tried a few veggie burger recipes and thought they were awful – this is fantastic! I steamed the sweet potato and added carrots since the potato was a small one. Do you eat yours by themselves or on a bun? I’m thinking a little chutney on top would be perfect!
I have never been a veggie burger fan. I made these tonight and they were delicious! Mine cracked (yours look much prettier) but they still tasted good. Will need to revisit to see what I can do to keep them from cracking. When you freeze yours, do you individually wrap them…put them in tupperware…in a Ziploc? Thanks for the great recipe.
I made these last night and they were fantastic! Huge crowd pleaser. Thanks for sharing!!
Tried these after you had 1st posted this!! We loved them and have suggested the recipe to several people since!! Keep it up!!
So glad they turned it out for you Raine…I am going to make some more tomorrow!
Hey Foodbabe,
Followed you over from 100days. Made these scrummy burgers tonight my hubby the carnivore loved them!!!
Trying to cut down on meat since watching forks over knives — eek…
Loving your recipes – totally addicted to your forever cookies on batch 2 and have a batch in the freezer ready to be popped in the oven!! I added some orange zest to them. My kids love em too. Have told my friends in fitness bootcamp about them too – it’s truly amazing there is no refined sugar in them!!
Keep up the hardwork.
No 1 fan from Ireland 🙂
Hi there,
Two questions, if you don’t mind answering.
First, what are the black seeds in the burgers? Is parchment paper different from wax paper? Can you only use parchment paper when cooking this dish?
These are definitely better than the Trader Joe’s Masala Burgers.
Trying these for the first time tonight. My husband was excited when he smelled them asking if we were having Indian food for dinner. : ) We love using quinoa, but have never made burgers with them, so this will be tons of fun! Hope the little ladies in the house enjoy them too. Any suggestions on what sides could accompany them? I’m thinking a vegetable and some fruit, just not sure what yet.
I tried these today but did not have coconut oil or garam marsala. I substituted blood orange olive oil and greek seasoning. They were wonderful! We put them on sprouted bakehouse rolls…yummy!
Thank you for the recipe. I made these and even my three year old loved them and ate three of them!
And I returned the last of our scary, frozen, store-bought veggie burgers back to the store!
I finally tried these tonight and they are so delicious! I love them. Will make again soon – maybe a double batch to keep in freezer. Great for quick lunch. Thanks for recipe!
I made these and they looked like a decent consistency until I added the egg, then they looked very watery. Persevered with coconut oil and baking, they looked okay until I tried to turn them over, and they broke into bits. It was quinoa masala mess….not sure what I did wrong, but they did not come out as burgers. The pile of stuff tasted good, though.
Just made these and they are AMAZING!! Is it wrong to want to eat all 8 in one sitting??
Just made these and they are DELICIOUS!! Nice recipe, Food Babe! Keep ’em coming.
Thank you for sharing. I am a nursing mother and had to eliminate dairy and egg from my diet as my 5 week old son was having a terrible reaction to both. I am always looking for delicious protein substitutes as I do not eat meat. This recipe sounds fantastic and suits the dietary needs for my son and me.
Can you freeze them after you’ve formed the patties or is it best to cook them all and then freeze? I already frooze most of them without cooking them, so I hope that’s ok?!
Thank you for all the research you pour into these finds. I am really changing the way I eat and like your recipes. Keep up the good work. I am passing your juice recipes onto my friends and they are loving them all. I rock the Hari shake about 3 times a week
I made these for dinner tonight and they are excellent. I have tried countless recipes using tofu, beans, beets, grains, etc. and these definitely top my list. So happy to have found your website by the way!
Hi Food Babe…..
I made the Q M Burgers…..and I wanted to let you know that even from the oven they smelled wonderful…..the taste is fantastic…..but can you tell me how to get mine to stay together….they all fell apart on me when I lipped them for the last 15 mins of cooking time
You could pop the burgers in the freezer/fridge for 10-15 mins before baking – that might help. Good Luck!
I made these and I liked them. The patties were a little soft, but they did hold together. I will alter the spices next time. I am not so much a fan of ginger, and I will most likely up the other spices. I am going to make them for sure again. Thanks for sharing.
These burgers are awesome! I tried them and they taste delicious. They’re becoming a staple in my diet 🙂
I recently made these burgers, skipping the egg and using only garam masala powder for spice, and they turned out great! I’ve been looking for a soy-free veggie burger recipe for ages and this is the one I’ve been waiting for. This will be a regular at my home! I’ve also linked your recipe on my blog. http://wholehealthmedicine.blogspot.com/
Thank you!
eggs? ugh.
She notes a substitute for the eggs:
1 tbsp flax seed mixed with 2 tbsp water
http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/01/25/why-quinoa-could-disappear-completely
Looks delicious, can’t wait to make them tomorrow! When you say “you can make several ahead of time and freeze for later”, is it better to freeze them cooked or pre-cooked? Thank you!
Hi Lina, When I made them, I froze them uncooked and they turned out great. It would probably work out fine either way. Good luck!
i made these tonight and they were delicious! However, it’s helpful to know that they will firm up so much after cooking.. (i’m new at this!) i ended up putting double the quinoa and potato and egg and also added arrowroot thinking they should be firmer.. bit they still ended up being amazing!
Any ideas on the size of the sweet potato? I cup mashed? More? Thanks
Thank You, from the bottom of my heart for the recipe! I like my husband am so sick of eating meat. I get to the grocery store and almost barf in the meat department, knowing once again I have to choose some gross dead animal to prepare, and then have to eat it! I like him can no longer eat much if any of it and it’s wrong! Do you have any more recipes? I sure hope so I am so hungry for real food! ANd I am not kidding you a bit!. I will try the above vegie burger. I prefer cooking from scratch anyway. Again thanks! PS I just subscribed to your newsletter too.
I’m anxious to try these. Yes, I’ve tried the T J’s burgers & find them the only acceptable veggie burger. I don’t like the shared with stuff as I’m a vegan. I do use things with the warnings however on occasion. I’ll be trying these next week. I think I’ll bake them & then freeze so will have a quick meal when necessary. Crossing my fingers for a really good veggie burger. If they work you’ll be my hero.
Thank you!! Trader joes has gluten in them.
Could I sub couscous for the quinoa? These look so good and I already have a lot of left-over couscous.
I am sure you could! Good Luck with the recipe.
Thank you ! Just what I was looking for!
You are welcome! Glad I could help 🙂
What is masala? And where do I get it? I don’t try some recipes because I don’t know what the ingredients are.
It is a spice and you can find it in the spice aisle in most grocery stores. Good Luck!
Should the baked sweet potatoes be cut up or mashed or otherwise?
Hi, these sound great. My husband doesnt like sweet potatoes, though. Is the taste of them obvious, or masked by the spices? Thanks so much!
Hello! When I saw this post, I immediately thought of the dinner I made the other night – so good!! They made twelve, but since it’s just my husband and I, we individually froze them. Yum!
http://86lemons.com/vegan-sweet-potato-quinoa-burger/
Yours look amazing too!
The Trader Joes Masala Burgers are disgusting and greasy. I am excited to make these!!