Cauliflower Burgers

close-up of 4 stacked cauliflower veggie burgers on white plate

Loaded with roasted cauliflower, quinoa, chickpeas, oats, spices and pepper jack cheese, these cauliflower veggie burgers are an easy and healthy sandwich.

Course Sandwich

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 20

Servings

Calories 343kcal

Author Ryan Beck

Ingredients

½ cup uncooked quinoa
1 (2 lb) head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 6 cups)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (15.5 oz can) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
2 eggs
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
Buns, toasted
Toppings (cheese, avocado, lettuce, ketchup etc...)

Instructions

Cook the quinoa according to packaged directions.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut cauliflower into florets and place on baking sheet pan. Add 2 tablespoon olive oil, chili powder, cumin, paprika, ground coriander and garlic powder. Roast for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Add to food processor and pulse until rice like consistency. You do not want a puree. You might have to do this in stages depending on size of food processor.
Grind the oats in a food processor until broken up but not turned into flour. Set aside.
In the large mixing bowl, add the chickpeas, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Mash the chickpeas. Add the pulsed cauliflower, quinoa, oats, pepper jack cheese and eggs. Mix until combined. You should be able to form balls at this point. If you can't, add more oats.
Use ½ cup measuring cup and scoop out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press down to desired thickness. It should give you 8-10 patties. Bake in oven for 20 minutes at 400°F before flipping and baking another 20 minutes. This should give you enough consistency to be able to freeze or cook the rest of the way to eat now. (We usually eat them for 2 nights and then freeze the rest. Great to have when you don't feel like cooking)
If eating now, heat a medium skillet over medium heat with enough oil to cover bottom of skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side. If using cheese add after flipping. Add toppings of your desire.

Notes

Oats – by placing old-fashioned oats in the food processor and pulsing a few times, you create a healthy binder that is better than flour.
Eggs – eggs help bind the burger. I originally didn’t use eggs and found that they just didn’t hold together like I wanted but with these, 2 eggs make all the difference. As mentioned above, you can use a vegan substitute.
Bake – bake the patties before freezing or cooking the rest of the way. By baking the veggie burgers for 40 minutes (20 minutes per side), you allow the outside of the patties to develop a crust. You can then freeze the cauliflower veggie burgers from here or finish on the stove-top to develop a charred crust.

Nutrition