OH YES I DID. I most definitely DID make cauliflower burgers.
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After making these, I cannot buy store-bought veggie burgers anymore. They are awesome! I keep a supply of them in the freezer at all times!
With cauliflower (as in the veg-e-ta-bel cauliflower) and quinoa and almonds and eggs and other non-meat stuff. I absolutely, for surely, deliciously did that. It is part veggie-burger, part rule-breaker. We are just straight up defying traditional food categories over here.
Guess what? Even regular-burger-loving Bjork loved these little babes.
Here’s what’s about to go down:
- a golden brown, cheesy, spicy cauliflower+quinoa burger
- a layer of Magic Green Sauce (🙏)
- a layer of cilantro lime slaw bcz crunchy is necessary
- a layer of creamy chipotle mayo compliments of Christmas gifting – one thing, though: do normal people get things like chipotle mayo for Christmas?
- a jalapeño cheddar bun, because who can even walk by those in the grocery store without buying them?! be real with yourself.
- A VERY HAPPY EATER
These burgers are literally everything. Is that the right use of literally? Cool and fresh because of that avocado-based sauce and all the lime and cilantro in the slaw, but also a little fiery because those cauliflower burgers are packin’ the heat, just the right amount of crunchy thanks to the purple slaw, and a little smooth+creamy because of the smooth chipotle mayo on top.
HOW TO MAKE OUR CAULIFLOWER BURGERS (50 SEC):
As with almost all meatless burgers that I’ve encountered, these want to crumble a bit. See also: fails.
But after several rounds with the recipe, I discovered that with enough eggs and enough, umm, cheese (so maybe I just used cheese as a key binding ingredient – can we move on already?), they hold together beautifully.
Not only do they hold together, but they get a lusciously golden brown exterior that is screaming to be smeared with sauces and toppings and packed into a jalapeño cheddar bun.
Amiright tho?
Here’s the deal: Over the last year or so, I’ve realized that I don’t really like to make healthy trades when it comes to cooking. Like, if you’re going to have a burger, just eat a regular burger. **With the exception of a few things, like cauliflower sauce instead of cream-based sauce. But in general, that’s mostly how I feel about it.
But friends, I truly, honestly, deeply and very seriously LOVE a good meatless burger. I might even love a made-from-scratch veggie burger MORE than a traditional burger. The texture? The flavor? It is so much more interesting and satisfying tha– okay, I’m getting glares. I’ll stop.
So around here we love veggie burgers, we also love cauliflower, and we mostly love quinoa except when it tastes a little dirty, but we forgive these things for the versatility and health factors, no? So this cauliflower burgers recipe is not so much a “healthy swap” for a burger and more of something that our type of food peeps truly love to eat.
It’s cauli-burger go-time!
CHIPOTLE MAYO SITUATION:
Guys, the chipotle mayo is an important deliciousness factor – don’t skip it.
The brand we got for Christmas (which is linked here) is called Sir Kensington’s and I LOVE IT. It uses good, normal ingredients like cage-free eggs and tomato paste and chipotle powder, and it has a spot-on balance of creamy and spicy.
Chipotle Mayo: http://amzn.to/2f5QfPJ
See also: chipotle mayo on oven roasted vegetables. Potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, you name it. It’s our winter obsession.
More Cauliflower Yum
- Spring Detox Cauliflower Salad (herby, fresh, and everything you need)
- Korean BBQ Style Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps (a lil’ sweet, a lil’ sticky)
- 30-Minute Vegetarian Meatballs (dinner game-changer)
- General Tso’s Cauliflower (so so good)
Spicy Cauliflower Burgers
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 10 burgers 1x
Description
Recipe for Spicy Cauliflower Burgers with avocado sauce, cilantro lime slaw, and chipotle mayo! Meatless, filling, and delicious!
Ingredients
For the Cauliflower Burgers
- 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 head cauliflower (about 6 cups florets)
- 3–4 tablespoons oil, divided
- a few generous shakes of spicy seasoning – cumin, chili powder, cayenne, etc.
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt OR just a minced garlic clove or two
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs or ground almonds
- 3/4 cup shredded Pepperjack cheese
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
Burger Toppings
- a few good squeezes of lime juice
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup chopped purple cabbage
- magic green sauce
- chipotle mayo
- buns (may I recommend jalapeño cheddar?)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook the quinoa according to package directions but only using 1 cup broth of water to keep it from getting too heavy.
- Cut the cauliflower into florets, transfer to a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with spices to taste. Roast for 20-30 minutes. Let cool. Pulse through a food processor to form small pieces that stick together (see picture). We don’t want PUREE here, but we do want enough mushiness to help it all stick together.
- Combine the cooked, pulsed cauliflower with the quinoa, garlic salt, breadcrumbs, Pepperjack cheese, eggs, salt, and another teaspoon or two of spicy seasoning (cayenne will make it hot-spicy, so just add a few shakes of that one). Form 10 patties.
- In an oiled or nonstick pan over medium heat, cook the burgers until golden brown on each side, flipping very carefully to avoid breaking. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate.
- Toss the lime juice, cilantro, cabbage, and a quick stream of oil together. Season with salt.
- Arrange the burgers with: magic green sauce, the cauliflower burger, the slaw, and the chipotle mayo on top.
Equipment
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → Notes
In terms of level of spiciness, that is totally up to you! and it happens mostly at step two when you’re mixing up the burger mixture. Don’t be shy to add more spices or adjust – especially after you fry and taste one of them. Mine turned out a little bit differently every time I made them depending on what spices I used more or less of. For a gluten free version, be sure to use the almond meal instead of the breadcrumbs. It won’t hold together quite as nicely, but it’s still delicious. We added a few cloves of roasted garlic to one of the versions – highly recommend. It was delicious. We just roasted the cloves at the same time as the cauliflower, but wrapped in foil and drizzled with oil. Cooked burgers can be kept in the fridge for 2 days but they freeze really nicely, too. Nutrition information is for 1 burger out of a total of 10 burgers, not including bun, topping, etc.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: cauliflower burgers, cauliflower recipe, vegetarian burger, vegetarian recipe
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our magical cauliflower recipes page. Check it out!
Can you freeze them before frying them?
Would you freeze before or after cooking?
I have been making these for years and I don’t think I’ve ever left a review. They are hands down the best non-meat burger I’ve ever had and they are utterly crave-able! I break up the steps, roasting the cauliflower, making the quinoa, slaw, goddess sauce, etc. well before it is time to get dinner ready — so when it comes time to make them, it is not a production. Thank you for this recipe!
Hi Is there anything I can replace the cheese with?
Great question! I’d be inclined to leave it out altogether.
This recipe looks absolutely delicious! What do you think about using a flax egg or perhaps another binder?
Thanks!
Where is the recipie and method? That’s why people click on this page.
I made these for dinner tonight and it was amazing! A very happy surprise indeed!!
Hands down the BEST veggie burger I ever had!!! I was worried about the patties staying together during forming them but they came right together and then I put them in the fridge to firm up for a couple hours. Had no problem on the grill – they stayed together! And that magic green sauce ?? Omgoshhhhh ! Game changer!! We used the leftover on scrambled eggs the next morning! Can’t wait to make these again!!!
Made these the other night and the flavor was great. A nice change from black bean burger. For the life of me, couldn’t get the patties to stay together even though I followed the instructions to a T. I even put the patties in the freezer for a bit. Anyone have a suggestion ?Might have to think of a way to use this recipes in crumbles.
Thank you for including the 1/2 serving info! It’s gonna be a great help. I’ve made these tasty little darlings before but always had a bit too much left over and I don’t have a lot of freezer space. Again, thank you!
I am in love with this burger. So yummy and incredibly soothing. Thank you.
ok… this recipe did not work for me. the patties fell apart and were difficult to cook and eat. Flavours were good (those sauces!!!!) but i probably wouldn’t make these again.
Thanks for the feedback, Christine!
We have been eating cauliflower everything for weeks! Well this Recipe is the best, we don’t feel lacking for meat or substance!
What’s the best way to reheat these from frozen?
You could reheat in the oven or on the stove!
These are so delicious. I was worried they would fall apart, but I popped them in the fridge for a bit before cooking and had no problems.
These burgers are fantastic! I might do a little bit less quinoa and more cauliflower next time, but overall great. (Oh and I added a can of black eyed peas – yum)
has great flavor!! yummy! didn’t hold together well but thats ok because i broke it into pieces and ate on a salad!
Thanks for the feedback, Arya! Glad you were able to enjoy the burger on a salad!
I am allergic to eggs. Can I make these with flax eggs?
We haven’t tested the recipe with flax eggs, but we think it’s worth a try!
My family couldn’t get enough of these!! Loved them!!
These are delicious! Just had a quick question…what is the best way to reheat these from frozen?? Thank you!
The oven, stovetop, or microwave are all good options. Microwave works well when you’re short on time. Oven or stovetop will probably give you the best texture and flavor!
Cooked burgers can be kept in the fridge for 2 days but they freeze really nicely, too.
Could you clarify this for me? Cooked burgers freeze nicely or the patties freeze nicely? Love your enthusiasm!
No problem! Feel free to store the cooked patties in the fridge for 2 days or the freezer!
Delicious! Quick question… is 188 calories just for the patty without toppings, right?
Correct, just the burgers!
I looooved the taste of these burgers but they could not stay together and most fell apart completely. Followed recipe almost exactly — subbed Myokos (spelling) vegan Cheddar cheese — is that the reason they didn’t hold together? I can’t eat dairy so if you think the vegan cheese is the reason, what would you recommend instead?
Hi, Courtney! It’s a little hard to say why this happened without seeing your burgers. It could’ve also been the breadcrumbs if they were a bit stale. We would recommend trying a bit more vegan cheese and a bit more breadcrumbs to see if this helps!
Y’all!! I know this is an old post, but I’m commenting anyway in case someone else reads the comments like I do 🙂
I made this recipe recently and it was SO GOOD. I ended up making the burgers but I also made some “meatballs” out of the mixture in the air fryer. They were amazing! I didn’t have enough cauliflower, so I added in few shredded carrots and it still turned out amazing. A great way to eat veggies- especially with my toddler! I plan to make another batch and make it all into “meatballs” in the air fryer. They crisp up beautifully and don’t fall apart at all. I also served these with a chipotle mayo dipping sauce (mayo+pureed chipotles and a little water to thin).
I’m also thinking these could be an excellent party/holiday appetizer! Thank you POY, as always, for your innovative and delicious recipes.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Ashley!
it is very help full for me
also try this recipe
your check my cooking on my web
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