If you're looking for ways to use up leftover quinoa, try these crispy Vegan Quinoa Patties. Great for vegan burgers, they are healthy, high in protein, and incredibly flavorful. Made without eggs, breadcrumbs, or cheese these veggie quinoa cakes are ideal for those on a plant-based, vegetarian, gluten-free diet. Serve them up with homemade vegan ranch for the perfect meal prep option.
Love quinoa? Try our delicious leftover quinoa recipes like a quinoa breakfast bowl or this Mediterranean quinoa salad.
Meet the tastiest and easiest way to eat your veggies: Vegan Quinoa Patties!
You can enjoy these gluten-free and eggless patties as a quick appetizer, high-protein snack, and side, or a filling lunch or dinner alongside a fresh salad or dairy-free queso dip. So versatile and so good. Just like my fried chickpea patties!
Make your quinoa patty even better by serving it with homemade flour tortillas, vegan sour cream, and tasty black bean dip.
They're kid-friendly, easy to make ahead for meal prep, and freeze well, too!
If you are looking for ways to use leftover quinoa keep reading because I'm sure you are going to love these protein-packed quinoa fritters.
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What is Quinoa Burger Patty?
A quinoa patty is a plant-based burger patty alternative made with wholesome ingredients like quinoa, fresh veggies, nutritional yeast, and GF chickpea flour.
Packed with fiber and essential nutrients, it's a nutritious addition to your clean, healthy eating plan. Plus, it makes a perfect filling for meatless burgers or pita bread.
High-Protein Quinoa Fritters
Did you know quinoa is one of the best sources of protein, especially if you are following a meatless diet? These wholesome tiny grains are rich in COMPLETE plant protein and are surprisingly nutritious.
Protein-packed snacks can be a wonderful option when hunger hits but you don't have time to prepare a meal. These meatless quinoa veggie patties are an easy way to consume a significant amount of protein in a deliciously appetizing way. Certainly, one of the best satisfying savory snacks you could imagine.
Mmm, getting protein on a clean eating diet has never been so yummy!
Ingredients
You'll need a few accessible and inexpensive staples to create these golden patties made without meat and eggs. Here are the ingredients:
- Cooked quinoa: A versatile and protein-packed base, cooked quinoa adds a hearty and nutritious element to your patties.
- Green onions (scallions): These add a mild onion flavor and a pop of freshness, enhancing the overall taste of your patties. You can also use yellow, white, or red onion.
- Green garlic: Providing a milder garlic flavor, green garlic adds an aromatic element to the mix. You can use regular garlic as an alternative.
- Carrots: Grated carrots not only contribute sweetness but also add a vibrant color and an extra boost of vitamins and minerals.
- Chickpea flour: As a gluten-free alternative, chickpea flour acts as a binder, helping to hold the ingredients together while providing additional protein.
- Nutritional yeast (optional): Nutritional yeast brings a savory, cheesy flavor to your patties along with added B vitamins.
- Spices (Kala Namak salt, Ground cumin, turmeric powder, red pepper flakes): This blend of spices creates a flavorful profile, with kala namak salt offering a unique eggy taste, complemented by the warmth of cumin, the earthiness of turmeric, and a hint of heat from red pepper flakes.
- Water: Adding water is crucial when using chickpea flour for the egg substitute, helping to achieve the desired consistency for your patty mixture.
- Vegetable oil (for frying): Vegetable oil is used for frying, giving the patties a crispy exterior while enhancing their overall texture and flavor.
As always, you can find the full recipe with a list of ingredients with measurements in a printable recipe card at the end of this post.
How To Make Quinoa Patties?
Cook quinoa. Begin by rinsing 1 cup of quinoa under cold running water in a fine mesh strainer, ensuring a thorough wash. Drain well. In a small saucepan, combine the rinsed quinoa with 2 cups of water. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for 10-15 minutes until the quinoa absorbs all the liquid. Remove from heat, cover with a lid, and let it steam for an additional 5 minutes. Set it aside and allow it to cool. If you're using pre-cooked quinoa, you can skip this step.
Prepare "chickpea egg". Next, combine ⅓ cup water with ⅓ cup chickpea flour until you achieve a thick texture without any clumps.
Chop your veggies finely and make the mixture. Meanwhile, finely chop scallions and green garlic (as thinly as possible for the best texture) and finely shred your carrots. In a large bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, "chickpea egg," vegetables, nutritional yeast, and spices. Use your hands to mix everything thoroughly. Check the saltiness level and add more salt to taste if needed.
Shape patties and cook them. Using a ¼ cup measure, shape small patties with your hands and gently flatten them. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium to high heat, lightly greased with sunflower oil (about 4 tablespoons). Once hot, fry your quinoa patties for 3-4 minutes, flip, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the patties are golden brown on both sides.
Serve and enjoy. Serve immediately while still warm or cold paired with a vibrant pasta salad, vegan tuna salad, or dipped in vegan mayo, creamy avocado dip, and homemade hummus. Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days or frozen in a freezer-friendly container for up to 2 months. If frozen, be sure to thaw before reheating.
Storage
Store quinoa patties in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. If you have leftovers and want to extend their shelf life, freeze the patties in a freezer-friendly container for up to 2 months. Before reheating frozen patties, ensure they are fully thawed.
Substitutions
- Green Onions - Replace with finely chopped regular onions or chives for a similar flavor.
- Green garlic - Substitute green garlic with 1 minced garlic clove for a more intense garlic flavor.
- Carrots - Shredded zucchini, sweet potatoes, celery, parsnips, or bell peppers can be used as alternatives.
- Chickpea Flour - Replace it with 2 flax eggs ( 1 flax egg = 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water). If gluten is not a concern, regular all-purpose flour is a good option.
- Nutritional Yeast - Skip it if unavailable, or substitute it with a bit of dairy-free parmesan cheese.
- Spices - Adjust the quantities or experiment with your favorite spices based on personal preference.
- Vegetable Oil - Use any cooking oil of your choice, such as olive oil, sunflower, or canola oil.
Top Tips
- Cut your vegetables into small pieces so it's easier to shape the quinoa cakes. Big chunks can make it tricky.
- Make sure the quinoa isn't too wet. It should be light and fluffy, not soggy.
- Make sure the pan is hot enough before you start cooking. This helps the patties get crispy without burning.
- When you shape the patties, press them together firmly. This helps them stay in one piece when you flip them in the pan. Give them a good press to keep them together.
- The time it takes to cook the patties depends on their size. If you make smaller ones, they'll cook faster, and if they're bigger, they'll need more time.
- Once you put the patties in the pan, let them cook without flipping for a few minutes. This helps them get a nice golden brown on the bottom and keeps them from falling apart.
- Don't overcrowd the skillet, if you add too many patties to it the oil temperature will decrease. Slower frying means more oil absorption, hence greasy, not crispy quinoa fritters.
- If the oil gets soaked up, add more before cooking the next batch of quinoa cakes. This keeps them from sticking and gives them a nice crispy outside.
- After frying, put the cooked patties on paper towels to soak up any extra oil and keep them crunchy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Certainly! Quinoa is naturally gluten-free, making it an excellent choice for individuals with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease. Additionally, it is entirely plant-based, making it a perfect fit for a vegan diet.
Yes, you can bake these quinoa patties instead of frying them for a healthier option. Just put them on a baking sheet in the oven until they're golden brown. Keep an eye on them and flip halfway through. Baking is a good choice if you want to avoid frying.
Chickpea flour mixed with water will act as a perfect binder for this recipe for gluten-free quinoa patties. It wonderfully replaces an egg and emulates its binding quality to maintain the structure of our protein patties.
One veggie pattie is packed with nutrition and contains only 86 calories.
Absolutely! If you happen to have any leftovers, you can preserve your patties by freezing them in containers or freezer-friendly bags for up to 2 months. When you're ready to enjoy them again, simply thaw them out and then reheat them using either an oven or a microwave for a convenient and delicious meal.
Yes, pre-cooked quinoa can be found in many grocery stores but it depends on the country you live in. Buying ready-to-eat quinoa is convenient if you have a busy schedule and want to save some time. Alternatively, you can easily cook your own in just 15 minutes. Follow the steps explained above or in the recipe card at the end of this post.
If you opt to cook your quinoa, you can store it in the refrigerator, in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
Why you'll love these quinoa cakes? They're:
- Made with minimal ingredients
- Egg-free
- Easy to customize
- A wonderful alternative to traditional burger patties
- Budget-friendly
- An excellent make-ahead snack for any occasion
- Irresistibly tasty!
Serving suggestions
- Creamy vegan ranch dressing
- Mediterranean parsley avocado dipping sauce
- Refreshing butter lettuce salad
- Flavorful oven-roasted broccoli
- Weight-loss carrot parsnip soup
- Vibrant roasted red pepper hummus
- Fish-free tuna salad
- Spicy roasted baby potatoes
- Low-calorie potato soup
- Cozy green pea stew
More Vegan Patties Recipes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Quinoa Patties for Burgers (Gluten-Free Veggie Cakes)
Equipment
- 1 Small saucepan
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Non-stick frying pan
- 1 Wooden cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Mixing bowls
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
For cooking quinoa
- 1 cup uncooked (dry) quinoa 3 cups cooked (if you use pre-cooked quinoa)
- 2 cups water
For "chickpea egg"
- ⅓ cup chickpea flour (garbanzo bean flour) *see notes for substitutions
- ⅓ cup water
Other ingredient for the batter
- 2 green onions (scallions) finely sliced, about ¾ cup (you can use yellow onion)
- 1 green garlic thinly sliced, about 3 tablespoon (OR 1 minced regular garlic clove)
- 2 carrots finely shredded, about 1 cup + ¼ cup
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional, for cheesy taste)
- 1 teaspoon black salt (kala namak) I used it to give our patties that unique eggy flavor but you can use regular sea salt, too. Adjust it to your taste.
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3-4 tablespoons sunflowder oil for frying
Instructions
- Begin by rinsing 1 cup of quinoa under cold running water in a fine mesh strainer, ensuring a thorough wash. Drain well. In a small saucepan, combine the rinsed quinoa with 2 cups of water.Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for 10-15 minutes until the quinoa absorbs all the liquid. Remove from heat, cover with a lid, and let it steam for an additional 5 minutes. Set it aside and allow it to cool.If you're using pre-cooked quinoa, you can skip this step.
- Next, combine ⅓ cup water with ⅓ cup chickpea flour until you achieve a thick texture without any clumps.
- Meanwhile, finely chop scallions and green garlic (as thinly as possible for the best texture) and finely shred your carrots.In a large bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, "chickpea egg, "vegetables, nutritional yeast, and spices. Use your hands to mix everything thoroughly. Check the saltiness level and add more salt to taste if needed.
- Using a ¼ cup measure, shape small patties with your hands and gently flatten them. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium to high heat, lightly greased with sunflower oil (about 4 tbsp).Once hot, fry your quinoa patties for 3-4 minutes, flip, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the patties are golden brown on both sides.
- Serve immediately while still warm or cold paired with a vibrant pasta salad, vegan tuna salad, or dipped in vegan mayo, creamy avocado dip, and homemade hummus.Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days or frozen in a freezer-friendly container for up to 2 months. If frozen, be sure to thaw before reheating.
Notes
- Store quinoa patties in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. If you have leftovers and want to extend their shelf life, freeze the patties in a freezer-friendly container for up to 2 months. Before reheating frozen patties, ensure they are fully thawed.
- Cut your vegetables into small pieces so it's easier to shape the quinoa cakes. Big chunks can make it tricky.
- Make sure the quinoa isn't too wet. It should be light and fluffy, not soggy.
- Make sure the pan is hot enough before you start cooking. This helps the patties get crispy without burning.
- When you shape the patties, press them together firmly. This helps them stay in one piece when you flip them in the pan. Give them a good press to keep them together.
- The time it takes to cook the patties depends on their size. If you make smaller ones, they'll cook faster, and if they're bigger, they'll need more time.
- Once you put the patties in the pan, let them cook without flipping for a few minutes. This helps them get a nice golden brown on the bottom and keeps them from falling apart.
- Don't overcrowd the skillet, if you add too many patties to it the oil temperature will decrease. Slower frying means more oil absorption, hence greasy, not crispy quinoa fritters.
- If the oil gets soaked up, add more before cooking the next batch of quinoa cakes. This keeps them from sticking and gives them a nice crispy outside.
- After frying, put the cooked patties on paper towels to soak up any extra oil and keep them crunchy.
- See the post above for more ingredient substitution ideas.
Nutrition
Did you make these gluten-free and vegan quinoa patties?
I would greatly appreciate it if you had a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below.
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Jacqui says
These quinoa Patties are incredible ! My whole family loved these. They are easy to make and turn out to be so filling and tasty.
Lisa says
Surprisingly delicious! Even my kids ate them! I really enjoyed the flavor and the texture, and I’m not a huge quinoa fan.
nancy says
tasty and hearty pattie!! perfect to had to salads and rice bowsl
Marinela says
Yum! They pair perfectly with salads and rice bowls, they're so versatile. I'm glad you like them, Nancy, thank you for this lovely review!