Lunch / Dinner
Nashville Hot Quinoa Burgers
Our vegetarian take on Nashville Hot Chicken, Nashville Hot Quinoa Burgers will have you sweating from flavorful heat — but don’t worry, the herb-loaded ranch will cool you back down.
Ingredients
FOR THE BUTTERMILK RANCH:
Five-Minute Morning Prep
Make Buttermilk Ranch. Cover and refrigerate.
Test Kitchen Tip
The natural coating on quinoa can give it a bitter taste once it’s cooked. While most packaged quinoa is pre-rinsed, it never hurts to give yours another shower.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°. Line a 17½ x 12½-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
Rinse quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve until water runs clear; drain well. In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa, 1 cup water, and ¼ teaspoon salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork.
Stir together quinoa, panko, garlic, baking powder, remaining ¼ cup water, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Divide quinoa mixture into 4 equal portions and shape into patties. Place on prepared pan.
Bake for 15 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together oil, brown sugar, red pepper, and paprika. Brush burgers with half of oil mixture; turn, and brush with remaining oil mixture. Bake until golden brown and crispy, about 15 minutes more. Serve patties on brioche buns with Buttermilk Ranch. Top with pickles, if desired.
For the Buttermilk Ranch
Whisk together all ingredients in a large bowl until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.