Kirbie's Cravings

Quinoa Fried Rice

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Quinoa fried rice is a healthier fried rice is made with quinoa instead of white rice. It’s an easy, delicious and gluten free meal. And you get all the great nutritious benefits of eating quinoa.

photo of Quinoa Fried Rice in a black skillet with chopsticks

I like coming up with ways to make some of my favorite dishes healthier. I love fried rice, but it’s not always the most nutritious meal so I don’t make it often. Recently, I used quinoa to make fried rice and it turned out great.

Healthy Fried Rice

I recently started really getting into eating quinoa. I’ve always preferred rice with a little texture, like brown rice, and quinoa has a very similar texture.

I’ve tried cauliflower rice versions, too, but you really can’t beat the nutrition you get in quinoa. So, this is a great dish if you’re craving takeout but want something healthy.

Quinoa is also gluten-free, packed with protein, high in fiber, high in antioxidants, high in iron, magnesium, along with many other health benefits.

Because it is so similar to rice, it makes great fried rice. And you don’t have to use day-old quinoa like you use old rice for Chinese fried rice.

You can add as many vegetables or proteins as you want, but I just made my most basic fried rice with eggs, frozen peas, carrots, and scallions.


overhead photo of Quinoa Fried Rice

Ingredients

  • Minced garlic
  • Olive oil
  • Cooked quinoa
  • Frozen peas and carrots
  • Whisked eggs
  • Low-sodium soy sauce
  • Sesame oil
  • Thinly sliced scallions

Recipe Steps

Heat the oil and garlic in a large skillet or wok. Heat the pan over medium to medium-high heat and cook the garlic until it turns golden.

Add the cooked quinoa and vegetables to the pan. Cook them for a couple of minutes while stirring constantly so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.

Add the sesame oil and soy sauce and stir to combine. Move all of the ingredients to the side of the pan and then add the whisked eggs. Scramble them until they are cooked through.

Stir the cooked eggs into the rest of the ingredients. Give it a taste and add more soy sauce if you think it needs it. Add the scallions and serve.

Recipe Tips

Quinoa doesn’t take long to cook, but I like to boil a batch in a saucepan ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator. It makes it easy to make this fried rice dish for lunch or a quick dinner. Cooked quinoa will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.

You can add a cooked protein to this dish like chicken, pork, shrimp, or beef. You could also serve it with some crispy tofu.

The frozen vegetables are convenient but you can use fresh. They will just take longer to cook. You can also use other frozen stir fry veggies like red bell peppers and mushrooms.

Other flavors you can add are sliced green onions, minced ginger, and freshly ground black pepper.

This quinoa fried rice recipe for meal prep if you like to prepare your meals ahead because it keeps well in the fridge for several days. You can also store it in the freezer and thaw it to enjoy later.

photo of Quinoa Fried Rice in a bowl

More Recipes with Quinoa

Quinoa Fried Rice

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian
Fried rice is made healthier by swapping out rice with quinoa. It makes an easy and delicious gluten-free meal packed with all the nutritious benefits of quinoa.

Ingredients

  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa cooked according to package instructions
  • 1 heaping cup frozen peas and carrots
  • 2 eggs whisked
  • 2-3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce or more as needed
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 green scallions thinly sliced

Instructions

  • Cook quinoa according to package instructions and then set aside. In a large skillet or wok, add olive oil and garlic. Bring pan to medium heat and cook until garlic starts to turn a light brown.
  • Add in quinoa and frozen vegetables. Cook for 1-2 minutes in the hot oil, making sure to mix and stir so everything cooks evenly. Drizzle in sesame oil and soy sauce and stir to mix evenly. Move all ingredients to one side of the pan, leaving room in your pan to cook eggs. Add eggs to empty side of pan. As eggs are cooking, make swirling motion with your cooking utensil so that the eggs scramble as they cook. Once eggs are cooked, mix it with the other ingredients.
  • Taste and add more seasoning as needed. You can add more soy sauce or salt and pepper. Toss in scallions right before you turn off heat. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25of recipe, Calories: 291kcal, Carbohydrates: 32.8g, Protein: 11.4g, Fat: 13.3g, Saturated Fat: 2.3g, Sodium: 449.6mg, Fiber: 4.4g, Sugar: 0.4g, NET CARBS: 28

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!

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2 comments on “Quinoa Fried Rice”

  1. YUM Kim! Who doesn’t love fried rice and you just amped up the nutrition value of this favorite. Looks beautiful