Vegan Quinoa Patties

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Vegan quinoa patties are easy to make and ready in just 45 minutes! With a crispy texture and bold flavor, they make a healthy snack or perfect addition to so many delicious recipes. You can easily modify them to be gluten-free too!

If you’ve been looking for new recipes to add to your weekly rotation, these vegan quinoa patties are the best thing ever! They make a great meatless option if you follow a plant-based diet or if you are simply looking to reduce your meat intake. They are sure to be loved by vegans and meat eaters alike! 

These versatile patties will truly amaze you! They make the best veggie burgers when paired with all of your favorite toppings, but can also be served as a tasty stand-alone snack with dipping sauce. 

This is a great recipe for batch cooking too, because they will last for about 4-5 days in the fridge! Enjoy them as a grab and go weekday lunch, crumbled over a salad, or even for a hearty breakfast or snack (see our serving suggestions below!)

👩🏽‍🍳 Why You’ll Love Vegan Quinoa Patties

• Easy To Make: These quinoa fritters are so convenient and simple to make, with minimal time and effort. No food processor required!
• Meal Prep: Make a batch at the beginning of the week and use the patties for various meals! See my favorite ideas in the serving suggestions section later in this post. These are also great as a quick grab and go snack on their own!
• Family-Friendly: The whole family will absolutely love this vegan quinoa cakes recipe, and will gobble the crispy quinoa patties right up!
• Nutrient-Rich: I love quinoa recipes because they tend to be very nutrient-rich, and this one is no different! With lots of veggies, fresh herbs, and plant-based protein you can feel good about eating these!

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🥘 Ingredients

This recipe for vegan quinoa patties calls for simple ingredients like fresh vegetables and wholesome spices. For the full recipe and nutritional information, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Vegetable Broth: Cook the quinoa in broth to give it the best flavor!
• Spices: Cumin, curry powder, ground coriander, salt, and pepper help to season the quinoa.
• Quinoa: Quinoa is a complete protein, containing all the essential amino acids you need! You can use white quinoa, black quinoa, or red quinoa.
• Veggies: The vegetables used in these vegan quinoa cakes include carrot, green onion, and minced garlic.
• Chia Seeds: Ground chia seeds combine with cold water to form a chia egg which serves as an egg replacer to bind the patties!
• Nutritional Yeast: Add a little bit of cheesy flavor and extra nutrients with nutritional yeast.
• Lemon Zest: Lemon zest adds a refreshing taste that really complements all of the other ingredients.
• Parsley: Fresh parsley takes the flavors to the next level.
• Breadcrumbs: This helps to bind the patties and add extra texture.
• Olive Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil to saute the vegetables and fry the patties to a perfect crisp.

🍲 Ingredient Substitutions

• Broth: Any broth will work for this vegan quinoa patties recipe, so feel free to use whatever works best for your diet. You can also use water.
• Spices: Swap or add in other spices and seasonings like onion powder, garlic powder, or paprika.
• Veggies: Try using your favorite vegetables like bell peppers, red onion, sweet corn, and sweet potatoes.
• Flax Egg: Use ground flaxseeds and water to form a flax egg instead of the chia egg.
• Herbs: Other fresh herbs can be added to the patties such as cilantro, dill or even mint.
• Flour: Instead of the breadcrumbs you can also use oat flour, chickpea flour, or almond flour.
• Oil: Any high-heat vegetable oil will work in this recipe, such as avocado oil or coconut oil.

🔪 How To Make Vegan Quinoa Patties

Follow along with these easy step-by-step instructions and become a pro at making these vegan quinoa patties:

Rinse, Drain, Cook Quinoa: Rinse the quinoa under cold water and drain. Add broth, spices and quinoa to a medium pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the quinoa is cooked and fluffy.

Cool: Remove the quinoa from the heat and allow it to cool.

Saute Veggies: Heat 1 tbsp oil or cooking spray in a frying pan and sauté the grated carrot, sliced green onion and minced garlic until soft.

Combine: Combine the cooked vegetables with the quinoa in a large mixing bowl.

Prep Chia Egg, Add Additional Ingredients: In a small bowl mix the ground chia seeds and water, stir and set aside to form a gel. Combine the nutritional yeast, lemon zest, chopped parsley, breadcrumbs and chia seed mixture (chia egg) with the quinoa mixture in the large bowl. Mix to combine. Season to taste.

Shape Patties: Using damp hands, shape the uncooked quinoa mixture into 10 patties.

Cook Patties: Heat the oil over a medium heat in your large skillet and cook the patties until golden brown on both sides.

Repeat with remaining patties.

Serve: Serve the cooked quinoa patties as a side or main dish, pairing with favorites like vegan sour cream or hummus.

💭 Expert Tips

• Fluffy Quinoa: For best results be sure to cook the quinoa until fluffy and all liquid has been absorbed.
• Shaping The Patties: Use damp hands to shape the patties as this will help to keep them from sticking to your hands.
• Season Generously: Quinoa has a really mild flavor, so it’s important to season the patty mixture to taste before you cook them.
• Don’t Crowd the Pan: Avoid overcrowding the skillet; cook the patties in batches if necessary. Overcrowding can lead to steaming instead of frying, resulting in less crispy patties.
• Don’t Forget To Rinse The Quinoa! Before cooking the quinoa, rinse it thoroughly to remove the bitter coating. Use a fine mesh strainer and rinse until the water runs clear.

📖 Variations 

• Vegan Black Bean Cakes: For additional protein and flavor add in black beans during step 6! You can play around with the measurements, but I recommend using ½ black beans and ½ quinoa instead of the full cup of quinoa in order to make black bean quinoa patties. Alternatively, you can keep the quinoa measurement the same, and use smashed black beans in place of the chia egg.
• Baked Quinoa Patties: Instead of frying the vegan quinoa patties with oil in the skillet, bake them in the oven. This is a great way to reduce calories and oil use, while still having crispy quinoa cakes.
• Air Fryer Quinoa Patties: Toss the patties into the air fryer basket for an air fried version, which is easy, crispy, and just as delicious!
• Spicy Quinoa Patties: Spice up the original recipe by adding in some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes with the other spices. 

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Enjoy these patties as a healthy side dish or serve them as vegan quinoa burgers with a whole wheat bun and your favorite burger toppings. They can even be a great alternative to falafel! Here are a few of my favorite recommendations:

• For A Vegan Burger: Toss these quinoa burger patties on to your favorite bun with ketchup, mustard, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and onion for a great veggie burger! You can also find inspiration for toppings with this chipotle black bean burgers recipe or this lentil falafel burger recipe.
• For Falafel Wrap: Add the patties to pita bread for a Mediterranean twist. Feta cheese or vegan feta, Greek yogurt or vegan yogurt, tomatoes, cucumber, black olives, and red onion all make a great addition! Get some inspiration from this healthy falafel wrap recipe.
• Sides: Pair these vegan vegetable cakes with these air fryer frozen french fries or this healthy guacamole recipe. 

🙌 Dietary Adaptations

This recipe for quinoa patties is naturally dairy-free, egg-free, vegetarian, vegan, and soy-free. For a gluten-free option, simply replace the regular breadcrumbs with gluten free breadcrumbs.

🫙 Storage Directions

Here is how to store and keep these vegan quinoa patties:

• Refrigerating: Place leftover quinoa patties, cooled to room temperature, in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Make Ahead: Patties can be made ahead of time and chilled in the fridge for up to 2 days before cooking and serving.
• Freezing: Patties can be frozen for up to 1 month if you want to make a large batch to have on hand the next time you need an easy option! Add a layer of parchment paper in between layers if the patties are stored stacked.
• Reheating: If frozen, allow the plant based quinoa patties to defrost. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a skillet and place the patties, rotating them to reheat evenly. Alternatively, you can also place the patties on a baking sheet and heat them up in the oven or toaster oven.

❓Recipe FAQs

🍔 More Patties, Fritters, and Burgers!

• Mushroom Fritters
• Vegan Potato Pancakes
• Black Bean Quinoa Burgers
• Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
• High Protein Veggie Burgers
• Mashed Potato Fritters
• Southwestern Pinto Bean Burgers

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