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A cauliflower burger on a plate without a bun top.

Crispy Cauliflower Burgers With Quinoa

These Crispy Cauliflower Burgers are vegan burgers packed with protein and loaded with tasty cauliflower and vegan parmesan.
5 from 4 votes
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Course: Brunch/Snack/Main
Cuisine: Vegan Burgers
Diet: Vegan | Vegetarian
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 8 burgers
Calories: 327kcal
Author: Amanda Logan

Ingredients 

For the Cauliflower Burger

    For the Burger

    • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
    • 1 small head of cauliflower around 620g
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for dressing the greens
    • 1 cup cooked or canned chickpeas reserve the chickpea brine
    • 3 tablespoon reserved chickpea brine more if needed for moisture
    • 3 tablespoon chopped coriander
    • ½ cup vegan cheese something sharp but melty works great here
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt plus more for seasoning
    • ½ - 1 cups breadcrumbs (gluten-free if required) I use Panko breadcrumbs
    • 3 tablespoon sunflower oil

    For the Sriracha Mayo

    Burger Toppings

    • 8 small soft burger buns (gluten-free if required)
    • 2-3 handfuls lettuce leaves (soft)
    • zest of half a lemon
    • 1 avocado sliced (optional)

    Instructions

    • Rinse the quinoa well and cook according to the package instructions. Once cooked, divide the quinoa in to 3 half cups.
    • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (356 degrees F) and cut the cauliflower in to florets before placing them in a roasting tray. Drizzle with the olive oil and season well with sea salt. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes and remove to cool. 
    • When cooled, chop half the cauliflower in to small chunks (set them aside) and place the other half in a food processor with a half-cup of the cooked quinoa, the full cup of chickpeas and the coriander. 
    • Add the aquafaba, a spoon at a time, and pulse the processor until the chickpeas are smooth and holding the mixture together. 
    • Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the remaining cauliflower (that's the chopped cauliflower from earlier), another half-cup of quinoa, the cheese, sea salt and breadcrumbs and stir together. Using your clean hands, test that the mixture comes together in to a patty. Add more breadcrumbs if necessary. 
    • Line a tray with grease proof paper and add the last half-cup of cooked quinoa to a plate.
    • Form the burger mixture in to small palm sized patties and gently press them in to the quinoa (you can press the quinoa in to the patties if that's easier) before laying the burgers on the lined tray. When all burgers are ready, place the tray in the fridge for 30-minutes.

    To Prepare the Toppings

    • To dress the lettuce leaves place them in a bowl with the lemon zest, a pinch of sea salt, and a wee splash of olive oil.
    • For the sriracha mayonnaise, combine the vegan mayonnaise and sriracha sauce (add more or less to taste) in a small bowl. Cut the burger buns in half and lightly brush the cut side with oil for toasting. 

    To Finish the Burger

    • Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a tablespoon of sunflower oil. Take the burgers from the fridge and add them in batches of three or four to the hot pan. Cook for three minutes or until a crisp seal forms on the bottom of the burger. Turn the heat down slightly and cook for another minute. Gently flip the burger and cook the other side for another three minutes. Repeat with the remaining patties. 
    • While the burgers are cooking, heat another pan on low to medium heat and gently toast the burger burger bun, cut side down. Remove from the heat and add a good dollop of sriracha mayonnaise to the bun base and top with a burger patty. Top the burger with lettuce and avocado (if adding) and top with the bun lid. Repeat with the other burgers and serve.

    Notes

    One raw cup of quinoa will yield more than enough cooked quinoa for this recipe.
    Vegan Burger Tips
    • Use slider-size buns and make the burger patties palm-size to fit - I find the smaller the burger size the easier to manage slippage.
    • Secondly, the more breadcrumbs you add the firmer the patty will be; I used a half-cup but you can add more.
    • I always pop my vegan burger patties in the fridge to firm up. It's a simple solution but it works.
    • Don't flip your burgers until the underside is cooked properly and has formed a seal. The more you fiddle with vegan burgers, the less durable they are.
    • Finally, use a soft bun like a vegan brioche. Trying to tear in to a chewy bun like a sourdough will always lead to total slippage and mess.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 348mg | Potassium: 179mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 6.7mg | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 2.5mg
    Tried This Recipe?I'd love to hear your feedback. Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below. Or you can tag @mygoodnesskitchen or hashtag #mygoodnesskitchen on Instagram.