Get ready for a flavor explosion! In just 30 minutes, you can whip up this Quinoa Fried Rice! Bursting with protein, overflowing with vibrant veggies, and topped off with flawlessly cooked eggs, all drenched in an irresistibly tasty sauce.
Pair Quinoa Fried Rice with my Asian Cucumber Salad for a filling, veggie-packed meal.
Quinoa Fried Rice
Quinoa Fried “Rice” is the ultimate leftover makeover! It’s super versatile and easy to tweak. With quinoa’s protein and fiber, plus some egg power, you’re in for a hearty meal even without any meat.
Ready for a twist? Instead of the usual rice, we’re going with quinoa. Most of the time, you can swap quinoa for rice straight up. Quinoa’s got this cool earthy, slightly sweet, and nutty vibe, and it’s softer too.
Give it a try and enjoy the change-up!
Quinoa has a natural bitter coating called saponins, which deters pests. While some packaged quinoa is pre-rinsed to remove this bitterness, others aren’t. If not pre-rinsed, wash the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve to remove the saponin. Quick Tip
Ingredients In Quinoa Fried Rice
- Butter & Olive Oil: These are our cooking fats. Butter makes the eggs tasty, and olive oil is for frying veggies.
- Eggs: They add protein to our quinoa fried rice. Whisk well for fluffier eggs.
- Onion, Garlic, and Ginger: These are our flavor buddies. They make everything tasty. Fresh is best!
- Frozen Veggies (Carrots, Peas, Corn, Broccoli): They give color and variety.
- Quinoa: It’s what pulls the dish together. Day-old quinoa fries up better.
- Green Onions: They add a fresh crunch.
For the sauce:
- Oyster Sauce, Chicken Bouillon Soy Sauce, Pepper, Vinegar: These make our sauce yummy. Mix them well before adding to the dish.
- Sesame Oil: It’s the final touch that adds a special taste. A little goes a long way, so don’t overdo it!
How To Make Quinoa Fried Rice
- Scramble the eggs (refer to the photo collage above). Once scrambled, set them aside on a plate.
- In a skillet or wok, heat the oil and sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger until they’re tender and fragrant.
- Add the frozen veggies directly from the freezer (no thawing required). Cook until they’re heated through and any moisture has evaporated.
- Stir in the pre-cooked quinoa.
- Prepare the sauce by whisking together a few simple ingredients. Add this to the quinoa mixture, ensuring everything is well-coated.
- Incorporate the scrambled eggs and fresh green onions, and your Quinoa Fried Rice is ready!
Variations
Switch Things Up
- For more crunch: Chop some cashews to sprinkle on top the quinoa fried rice.
- Add meat: Stir in some cooked, diced meat like leftover ham, chicken (or rotisserie chicken), or pork. You can also fry up some bacon alongside the veggies. Try cooked seafood (I recommend shrimp) too.
- Change up the veggies: Really, any stir-fry-friendly veggie goes well in this vegetable fried rice recipe. I recommend using smallish frozen pieces. Simply cook the veggies until they’re thawed and the water from them has evaporated. Some other ideas: broccoli florets, edamame, sugar peas, snap peas, celery, and cabbage.
- Vegan fried quinoa: Leave out the eggs and chicken bouillon powder, and replace the oyster sauce with a vegetarian version. You could also add in some cooked tofu.
- Cauliflower and quinoa fried rice: Add in a cup of riced cauliflower with the veggies; you might also want to make a little more sauce.
Quinoa Fried Rice FAQs
I consider Quinoa Fried Rice a healthy recipe — it’s loaded with protein (eggs and quinoa), lots of veggies, fresh herbs/aromatics, and healthy grains (quinoa). The sauce is not loaded with sugar and there really isn’t a lot of oil in this recipe compared to many other versions.
- Rinse it well to remove the bitter saponin coating.
- Cook in broth instead of water.
- Add herbs, spices, or sautéed veggies.
- Mix with flavorful dressings or sauces.
Quinoa is packed with fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. One cup of cooked quinoa has around 40 fewer calories than the same amount of white rice, fewer carbs, 5 more grams of fiber, and twice the protein. Unlike rice, quinoa is a complete protein, offering all essential amino acids. Check out more health benefits here.
More Delicious Quinoa Recipes:
- Quinoa Chili with sweet potatoes
- Roasted Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad with a lemon vinaigrette
- Quinoa Enchilada Bake vegetarian recipe
- Quinoa Salad reader favorite recipe!
- Kale and Quinoa Salad with a balsamic vinaigrette
Quinoa Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (~2 cloves)
- 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (~1/2 inch piece)
- 1 cup frozen diced carrots and peas
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup frozen broccoli florets, (give a quick coarse chop to the large pieces)
- 2 cups cooked quinoa day-old is best Note 1
- 3/4 cup green onions, sliced
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (or black pepper)
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil (or toasted sesame oil)
Instructions
- SAUCE: Start by whisking together all of the sauce ingredients except the sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside until needed. You might also want to prep all the veggies, too, because the cooking goes fast (dice onion, mince garlic, mince ginger).
- EGGS: Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. While the butter is melting, add all three eggs to a small bowl and whisk together. As soon as the butter is melted, pour the whisked egg mixture into the skillet. Swirl the skillet to get the eggs in one layer covering the bottom of the pan. Let stand for 30 seconds. Use a silicone spatula to fold the egg layer in half. Tilt the skillet to get any uncooked eggs to fill the empty section of the pan. Continue to press the eggs gently to the other side of the pan and tilt the pan to move any uncooked eggs to the cooking surface. Break up large clumps of egg with the spatula and then transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
- FRIED QUINOA: Add the oil to the skillet and increase the heat to high. Add diced onion and stir for about 3-4 minutes or until beginning to turn translucent. Add garlic and ginger and stir for about 20 seconds. Add in the frozen peas, carrots, corn, and frozen broccoli. Stir and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until veggies are defrosted and the excess water has evaporated. Add in the cold, cooked quinoa and sauce. Cook for 1 and 1/2 - 2 minutes or until the sauce coats all the ingredients.
- SERVE: Add in the reserved cooked egg and the green onions. Drizzle in sesame oil. Stir together, taste and season with salt if needed. Remove from heat, and serve hot.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thank you! This was dinner tonight with my leftover quinoa from last night. Very good recipe!
I’m so happy you enjoyed! Thanks Melissa! 🙂
I really liked this recipe. I sautéed 1 carrot, 1/2 red onion, with 1 jalapeño, all diced, and added 1 cup of frozen broccoli rice, some diced ham (2 slices) and about 1 cup of frozen peas and added some garlic powder. I doubled the sauce. Hubby said he would have preferred I tripled or quadrupled the ham (but I don’t like ham all that much so would have tripled the veggies). Next time, I’ll use chopped fresh garlic. I served with a drizzle of Sriracha — yum!
Delicious!! So glad you enjoyed! Thanks Cynthia! 🙂
Awesome!! Of all things I didn’t have on hand. – an onion! So I substituted jarred sweet fried onions and it was a happy accident!!
Great idea! 🙂
Wow, I’ve been searching for YEARS for a way to use quinoa in my cooking. I’ve never been a fan, but this is pretty great. I used some marinated chicken breast in it and cooked in a large cast iron skillet. I waited until it was mostly done, moved everything to one side, and then scrambled the eggs in the skillet at the same time to cut out a step and another dirty dish!
So glad you found some quinoa success! 🙂 Chicken sounds amazing in this, thanks for the tips and you’re comment! 🙂
The best fried rice dish ever! And so easy to make. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner
Thank you!