Smoky Chipotle Beet Veggie Burger Recipe
If you’re bean burgered out, make this smoky chipotle beet veggie burger for a fun new vegetarian burger recipe! Made with shredded beets, quinoa and tons of smoky spices, it’s a meatless burger that carnivores will love!
Indiana Jones had the Holy Grail. Moulder had "the truth." Nemo's dad had Nemo. Me, I'm searching for the perfect veggie burger. And I think I may have found it in this smoky chipotle beet veggie burger recipe.
A couple weekends ago when I was in Nashville, I had a pretty incredible falafel veggie burger at Pharmacy Burger. It had a great smoky flavor from the spices, something that's often missing from other veggie burgers. That smoky spice inspired me in creating this beet veggie burger recipe!
One of the things I love about this recipe is that it kind of looks like beef with the bright red color of the beets! Of course, it doesn’t taste like it - and that’s OK! This beet veggie burger leans into the veggie for tons of flavor from the beets, and texture from the quinoa. Quinoa is one of my tricks for getting a ground meat texture in vegetarian dishes!
To make the beet veggie burger taste nice and spicy and smoky, I used canned chipotles in adobo sauce, an ingredient I always keep on hand to flavor chilies, roast vegetables or sauces. Chipotles are dried jalapenos that you can purchase canned, packed in adobo sauce, a sauce made with tomatoes, garlic and vinegar. Since most recipes only need one or two, I store extra in the freezer until ready to use. I used two in this recipe, but if you really like it spicy, try three!
This smoky chipotle beet veggie burger was originally published Jan 2015. Recipe, images and text have been updated to give you the best possible content.
Smoky Chipotle Beet and Quinoa Burgers
Makes: 8 burgers
Ingredients
Burgers:
1 cup water
1/2 cup quinoa
1 lb raw beets, peeled
2 medium carrots, shredded
1 large onion
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 chopped chipotles in adobo, plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Other ingredients:
8 brioche burger buns, toasted
Avocado
Blue cheese
Sliced red onion
Lettuce
Mayo
Dijon mustard
Pickles
Instructions
Bring water and quinoa to a boil on medium heat. Cover and reduce heat to simmer 15-20 minutes until water is absorbed. Keep covered and let sit 5 minutes. Remove cover, fluff with a fork and set aside.
While quinoa is cooking, shred the beets, carrots and onion with the large grates of a cheese grater or in a food processor. Toss the vegetables together in a large bowl. Add cilantro, soy sauce, chipotles, cumin and season with salt and pepper.Taste for seasoning and add more if needed.
Add 4 eggs and combine. Stir in flour and combine until flour is incorporated.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Create 4 balls out of half the vegetable mixture. Drop into the skillet and press to flatten slightly. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes, then flip and cook about 5 minutes more. Remove from skillet and transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining mixture to make a total of 8 patties.
Because it's difficult to cook veggie burgers all the way through without burning, I microwave mine 2-3 minutes to finish cooking and retain the crisp, browned exterior.
Serve on a toasted bun with toppings and condiments as desired.
If you like this smoky chipotle beet veggie burger recipe, you might also like:
Eggplant and Zucchini Veggie Burger with Basil Pesto
Peanut Ginger Cauliflower Veggie Burger
Spicy Tofu Burger
