This recipe is sponsored by Rojo’s | Opinions are my own
I’m just going to cut to the chase: if you’re not smothering your burger with Rojo’s Queso Blanco Dip With Green Chile, you’re not really living. Or maybe you like boring burgers. Or maybe you haven’t thought about it! But now that it’s in your head…
I was initially going to kick this post off with a “leftovers” angle. You know, “Not sure what to do with that leftover dip after your party this weekend? Slather it onto a burger!”
But! After dunking countless tortilla chips into this good stuff throughout my photo shoot for this post, I don’t suspect there’s ever anything leftover. This dip is just too tasty and easy to mow down! But I do encourage you to buy some for the sake of using it as a condiment sometime.
More specifically, this sweet and smokey veg burger.
Southwestern Sweet Potato and Quinoa Burger
Veggie burgers have a bad rap. Even at restaurants, where we assume they’ve got it all figured out, we encounter plant-based patties that crumble away from our faces after that first hungry bite.
The struggle is real.
And a lot of us just silently accept the catastrophe thinking: this is vegetarianism. This is why my meat-eating friends make fun of my food.
But not this burger. Sweet potato, quinoa, and black beans keep it together without the use of eggs or bread crumbs, and it. is. everything.
But in the end, the condiments make the burger.
What’s the all-American cheeseburger without ketchup? What’s a fish burger without tartar sauce, and a crispy chicken burger without mayo? No matter the patty, the condiments set the tone.
And with this burger, it’s all about slathering Rojo’s Queso Blanco into the mix.
Rojo’s gets fresh.
You might recognize the name “Rojo’s” for their restaurant-quality salsas and dips. After all, they’re found in the refrigerated section of most major grocers nationwide. And now, they’ve got a new line of Queso Dips that can be so much more than just a dip.
On top of being a convenient grab-and-go option, Rojo’s products feature quality ingredients that promise fabulous flavor and freshness.
Their Salsa Con Queso is made up of tangy sour cream, cotija and cream cheeses, fresh tomatoes, onions, and punchy jalapeño peppers.
The Queso Blanco, which is featured in this bomb recipe, brings you a mix of Monterey Jack and cotija cheeses, zesty green chile, and of course jalapeño peppers.
What makes Rojo’s products stand out is that they’re made in small batches with quality ingredients — so we get treated to homemade lip-smacking goodness.
Like I said, behind every successful burger is a fabulous condiment.
Southwestern Sweet Potato Quinoa Burger
Ingredients
- 8 fresh hamburger buns
Burger Patties
- 1 cup black beans
- 2 cups mashed sweet potato approx. 2 sweet potatoes
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, ground or finely chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion, diced
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
Toppings
- Lettuce
- Avocado
- Red onion
- Microgreens
- + Whatever else you fancy!
- 1 heaping TBSP Rojo's Queso Blanco Dip With Green Chile
Instructions
Sweet Potatoes
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Cut the sweet potatoesCut the sweet potatoes in half. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Place the potatoes face down and bake them until they're tender and can easily be pierced with a fork. This should take about 30 minutes. (You can cook quinoa in the meantime.) When done, set aside. Reduce oven heat to 375 degrees F.
Quinoa
- Bring 2 cups of water (or, I like to use vegetable broth for extra flavor) and quinoa to a simmer. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover, and allow to cook for about 15-20 minutes or until you can fluff the quinoa with a fork. When done, set aside.
Burger Patties
- Add black beans to a large bowl and mash half of them; leave some whole for texture. Add the sweet potato and lightly mash. Finally, add the quinoa, red onion, nut meal/chopped nuts, and spices. Mix/fold until cohesive. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. If the mixture feels too wet and isn't good to work with, add more quinoa or nut meal. The mixture should be moist, but easy to shape and mold.
- Lightly grease a baking sheet.Line a 1/4 cup measuring cup with plastic wrap.Scoop the burger mixture into the lined measuring cup and press down to secure. Then, carefully flip it over into the baking sheet. Move the 1/4 cup away and, with a spatula, lightly press down on the patty over the plastic (so your spatula doesn't stick to the patty) to slightly flatten it. Remove the plastic wrap, place it back into the 1/4 cup, and repeat this until you're out of burger mix.
- Bake the burgers for approx. 30 minutes. After the 30 minute mark, carefully flip them over and bake them for another 10 minutes. The longer you bake them, the firmer and drier the patties will get. 40 minutes total worked for me.
- When done, serve the burgers on fresh buns and top with crisp lettuce, creamy avocado, red onions, microgreens, and a generous slather of Rojo's Queso Blanco Dip With Green Chiles. (Obviously, feel free to do your own toppings!)
18 Comments
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April 20, 2018 at 7:03 am[…] This photo. Swoon. This burger, which doesn’t contain a speck of meat, looks AMAZING. The Southwestern Sweet Potato Quinoa Burger by Killing Thyme has my name written all over it. If this is plant based eating, count me […]
megan
March 27, 2018 at 6:08 pmthis looks so yummy! thanks for sharing! one question: my wife is allergic to nuts – do you have a suggestion for a good substitution for the walnuts or pecans? thanks!
Killing Thyme
March 27, 2018 at 10:24 pmHi Megan!
Okay. So. I’ve never strayed from the nuts myself, but. Can your wife eat seeds? I’m thinking pepitas or sunflower seeds could certainly do the trick. If you try this, please do let me know how it turns out. If she’s allergic to seeds, you could just omit them all together. Either way, keep me posted and good luck! I hope it’s a hit <3
Rachel
May 13, 2018 at 12:31 pmI used a food processor and ground up oats instead of the nuts and it worked perfectly fine! Love this recipe.
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March 6, 2018 at 4:14 pm[…] searching for pre-run snacks, sweet potatoes came up. As luck would have it, I just happened to have one hanging out in my […]
Albert Bevia
February 27, 2018 at 2:06 pmOh wow! these burgers sound amazing! what a great combination of flavors you added to these patties, and that queso blanco dip….I have to get my hands on that stuff!!
Killing Thyme
February 27, 2018 at 3:07 pmThanks so much, Albert! This is definitely one of my most favorite veg burgers. And heck yes, this Rojo dip is the BOMB! I couldn’t stop eating it ;)
Celebrating Sweets
November 16, 2017 at 12:39 pmI’m a meat eater, but I’d prefer a good veggie burger over a regular burger any day! This one looks fantastic!
Marie @ Yay! For Food
November 16, 2017 at 12:24 pmWhat a delicious looking burger! Wonderful flavours. The queso blanco in the burger sounds like the perfect condiment.
Jenn @ Peas and Crayons
November 16, 2017 at 12:14 pmBeautiful burger! Totally my kind of veggie deliciousness!
kitchnwhisperer
November 16, 2017 at 12:13 pmI love veggie burgers and this topping sounds like a must have to up the flavors. Yum!
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ
November 16, 2017 at 12:03 pmThis burger looks and sounds amazing! And you right that the toppings make the burger. I’ve never seen that Queso Blanco dip but will be on the lookout for it.
Rebecca | Nourish Nutrition Co
November 16, 2017 at 11:11 amwhat a gorgeous burger! thanks for sharing
Ayngelina (@Ayngelina)
November 16, 2017 at 9:44 amThere are so many things that look good with these flavours. I’ve never seen queso blanco I wonder if they have it in Austin…