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Quinoa Fried “Rice”

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Try swapping out traditional rice for quinoa in this easy quinoa fried “rice” recipe! It’s amazingly flavorful and delicious, and only takes about 15 minutes to make.

A year ago I shared my hands-down, all-time, better-than-the-restaurant, finally-perfected, FAVORITE fried rice recipe. Readers have made it hundreds of time since and love it. I have made it countless times ever since and love it. Let’s be real — the world loves some good fried rice.

But last week when a cold and stressful day hit and all I was craving a bowl of rice, a tiny problem popped up: no rice in the casa.

Argh. So I scavenged my pantry and decided to try subbing in the next closest thing: quinoa.

Game changer.

This 15-Minute Quinoa Fried "Rice" recipe is the best!! It's super easy to make, full of big flavors, and it's the perfect side or main dish. Feel free to add chicken, pork, tofu, shrimp, beef, or veggies if you'd like! | gimmesomeoven.com (Vegetarian)

Quinoa Fried Rice Recipe | 1-Minute Video

I probably shouldn’t have been surprised by this one. I regularly sub in rice and farro for quinoa in recipes that call for rice, and know that it is usually a great swap. But this was fried rice that we’re talkin’ about here. The holy grail of rice dishes, in my book. Very, very rice-ish.

Still, it was rainy out and I didn’t want to traipse across the neighborhood to my Chinese restaurant. So quinoa it was.

This 15-Minute Quinoa Fried "Rice" recipe is the best!! It's super easy to make, full of big flavors, and it's the perfect side or main dish. Feel free to add chicken, pork, tofu, shrimp, beef, or veggies if you'd like! | gimmesomeoven.com (Vegetarian)

I whipped up a batch of quinoa, made using veggie stock (my favorite). Then in order to speed up the chilling process (essential for making fried rice), I spread it out on a baking sheet and popped it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, I chopped and sauteed my veggies and garlic, and got things rolling. Then finally added in the chilled quinoa and the remainder of the ingredients, sauteed in lots of butter over high heat (my secret to fried rice).

The result?!

This 15-Minute Quinoa Fried "Rice" recipe is the best!! It's super easy to make, full of big flavors, and it's the perfect side or main dish. Feel free to add chicken, pork, tofu, shrimp, beef, or veggies if you'd like! | gimmesomeoven.com (Vegetarian)

Well, honestly, the result was the best compliment I could pay to this dish:

It tasted just like fried rice!!!

This 15-Minute Quinoa Fried "Rice" recipe is the best!! It's super easy to make, full of big flavors, and it's the perfect side or main dish. Feel free to add chicken, pork, tofu, shrimp, beef, or veggies if you'd like! | gimmesomeoven.com (Vegetarian)

Again, this probably should not have come as any sort of surprise. But after finally landing on my perfected recipe for fried rice, I was a little shocked that quinoa could swoop in so stealthily and carry the dish. But it did! And it was just as delicious and comforting and satisfying as the original, but made a bit healthier with the addition of protein-packed quinoa.

Win = win.

Look out rice, I’m totally making this again.

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Quinoa Fried “Rice”

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 38 reviews
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Description

All of the goodness of traditional fried rice, but made with protein-packed quinoa instead of rice!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 2 eggs, whisked
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 small white onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 cups cooked and chilled quinoa (*see instructions here for how to cook quinoa)
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 34 tablespoons soy sauce, or more to taste
  • 2 teaspoons oyster sauce (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions

  1. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until melted. Add egg, and cook until scrambled, stirring occasionally. Remove egg, and transfer to a separate plate.
  2. Add an additional 1 tablespoon butter to the pan and heat until melted. Add carrots, onion, peas and garlic, and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes or until the onion and carrots are soft. Increase heat to high, add in the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter, and stir until melted. Immediately add the cooked quinoa, green onions, soy sauce and oyster sauce (if using), and stir until combined. Continue stirring for an additional 3 minutes to fry the quinoa. Then add in the eggs and stir to combine. Add the sesame oil, stir to combine, and remove from heat.
  3. Serve warm.

 

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183 comments on “Quinoa Fried “Rice””

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  1. I’m not a huge quinoa fan, but I DO love me some quinoa fried rice! There’s a restaurant by me that serves the BEST quinoa fried rice, and I’m seeing a few similarities between their recipe and yours…I can’t wait to give this a try!

  2. YUM, this looks/sounds delicious. Fried rice is perfect for those cold, rainy days. Especially if you aren’t feeling soup. 

    Josh – The Kentucky Gent
    https://thekentuckygent.com

  3. This looks amazing and I’m sure leftovers would be FAB!

  4. I’m loving the colors in this quinoa fried rice. This sounds amazing! I need some quinoa in my life, it’s been a long time since i’ve had it. Pinned!

  5. The flavors in this look unbelievable.  A must try!

  6. What a great idea! Fried rice is a family favorite. I’ll have to give this recipe a try, looks amazing!

  7. Any suggestions for vegan options? I know I can substitute the butter for oil but what about the egg!? I feel like fried rice isn’t the same without it.

    • Hey Cortney! I would try tofu. You can cut it up in little pieces (like scrambled egg), and cook it the same way. I haven’t tried it, but I bet it would be yummy, and would be the closest substitute! : )

  8. Um Hello! This sounds so scrumptious!

  9. I totally know what you mean about being surprised. When I first started making fried rice with cauliflower I literally couldn’t believe how good it was and how much it tasted just like…well…rice. LOOK OUT RICE!! hahah xoxox

  10. What a clever substitution!

  11. Great idea! Substitutes are always a must-know! Your pictures are amazing and my mouth is watering! I HAVE to give this a try! 

  12. This looks delicious, Ali! I’m a huge fan of quinoa  and fried rice too (amazingly!) This is a killer combo, would love to try soon! thanks for sharing!

  13. can’t wait to make this

  14. When are we getting a Gimme Some Oven cookbook? I need it in my life. 

  15. This looks great and cannot wait to try it.  Fyi…soy sauce is not gluten free….but I will try this using tamari!
    Thanks…love your recipes.  They are always so colorful.

  16. i always make my “fried rice” with quinoa – its the best! can’t wait to try out your recipe.

  17. Made this tonight and added some fresh pineapple–delicious recipe!

  18. Hi Ali! Just wanted to leave you a comment about how much I love your blog! I have never really cooked at all, but I have been trying to slowly pick it up over the last few months thanks in large part to your blog & recipes! Everything I have tried has been delicious and fairly doable for a newbie…only a few small mishaps on my part :)  I made this quinoa fried rice tonight and it was so good! Definitely adding it to my list of favorites! 

  19. Hi! The idiot that I am measured out 4 cups of UNCOOKED quinoa, so I ended up having way too much and proportions were way off. Still tasted awesome (with a few size modifications of course) and was guilt free!

    • Oh no! Don’t worry, that’s totally something we would do. Easy mistake to make. We’re glad you enjoyed it nonetheless!

  20. i use corn instead of peas at times  and chicken broth instead of veggy

  21. I made this last night and it was amazing!  Will def be making it again very soon!

  22. We made this for dinner Friday after work. It was awesome and answered the Chinese food craving we had. Thanks for sharing.

  23. I would have never thought to replace rice with quinoa. I made this tonight (this was also my first time trying quinoa) for dinner and it was absolutely delicious!!

  24. How many does this recepie serve?

  25. This is amazing! Made it and love it! Thank you for sharing!!!

  26. Hi!  I’m excited to try this recipe!  But I’m a little confused about the dry vs. cooked.  How much dry quinoa do I need to make 4 cups of cooked quinoa?

    • Hey Lindsey, we’re sorry for the confusion — 1 cup of dried quinoa should yield about 4 cups of cooked quinoa. Enjoy!

  27. It’s me, Lindsey, again!  I made this yesterday, and while it had great flavor, the quinoa seemed mushy and sticky.  I’ve never made quinoa before, did I maybe overcook it?  Or chill it in the fridge when it was still too warm from the stove?  Thanks for your help!

  28. My mom directed me to your website and told me to try this recipe.  I don’t usually care for quinoa, but this was really good!  Thanks for the recipe!  I’m excited to try some of your other ones.

  29. Oh my goodness. I never feel the need to comment on recipes I get from the internet, but this one is spot on. :)

    At first, my husband was disappointed that there was no meat. Then he took it back. His exact words were “I like this more than fried rice” I’m so glad! :)

    (I will say, that I used a bouillon cube for the quinoa) Also, Instead of fresh carrot, for ease, I just bought the bag of mixed peas and carrots in the frozen section.

    • Thanks for taking the time to let us know Joanna, we’re so happy to hear you and your husband enjoyed this! :)

  30. Soooo DELICIOUS!!!! I LOVE IT! Made it for dinner the other night with spring rolls and it was too good! My daughter especially! Thank you for the recipe, it will be a favorite in our house :)

  31. How many calories per serving? 

    • Hi Rebecca! We’re sorry but we are unsure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!

  32. Strange question but do you think I could make up a couple big batches and freeze?  I’m a homeschooling mom
    With three little kids and I seem to make this often and then post bedtime the kitchen mess I’ve made leaves me wishing I double it tripled my batch. 

    • Hi Sara – not a strange question at all! You can definitely freeze this. Just let the cooked quinoa cool down completely, then transfer it to a an airtight, freezer-safe container, or a resealable plastic bag. If using the bag, press all the air out before sealing, then pat the quinoa into an even layer before freezing. We hope this helps!

  33. my DD is allergic to sesame ( in addition to many other foods). Any idea on sub for the sesame oil or just leave it out?
    Looks awesome-can’t wait to try!

    • Hi Nancy! We would just leave the sesame oil out, since it’s such a small amount anyway. We hope you enjoy! :)

  34. I’m learning to cook with quiona lately. Is there much difference between the colors? I typically just buy whichever is least expensive at the co-op (typically red). Does it matter?

    • Hi Melissa! There is a slight difference in cooking times (for example, black quinoa tends to need longer to cook than white quinoa, as it is more on the crunchy side). Red is somewhere in between. But that’s really the only difference (other than the colors), so we say keep buying whatever is most affordable! :)

  35. do you have the nutritional info for this?  calories per serving etc.?  looks yummy!!

    • Hi Michelle! We’re sorry but we are unsure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!

  36. Just made this and it is delicious! Will be on my dinner rotation! I added some sriracha sauce near the end with the sesame oil to give it an extra kick, and it turned out amazing!

  37. Hi Ali, this looks delicious! Do you have an idea on the nutrition facts per serving size? Thank you!

    • Thanks Kaitlin, we hope you enjoy! Unfortunately though we aren’t sure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!

  38. Fried and tried! Delicious! Thanks for sharing.

  39. I love your original fried rice for a quick dinner, but was hesitant to try the quinoa. So glad I did- I like it even more than rice!  

  40. We tried this last night, and it was pretty good! We may make a few changes next time, but all in all its a great recipe!

  41. Loving yet another recipe from Ali! I did make some slight changes to some parts of the recipe but it turned out delicious either way! I used frozen mixed veggies as I found this was easiest for a person who is new at cooking such as myself. I then used chicken broth with no sodium to cook to the quinoa. I did not seperate the eggs when cooking and just combined that into the mixed vegetables as they were all being tossed together. Lastly, I did not mince my garlic. I intended to just crush the garlic clove and drop it in the fried rice for flavor and remove it once I was done cooking but I forgot! I don’t think it made much of a difference though.

    Other than those changes, I did all the measurements as mentioned! I HIGHLY recommend adding the oyster sauce. It really changed up the flavor. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! I can’t wait to cook it for all my friends and family to try!

  42. Hey this sounds amazing!

    I’m currently in the middle of making this right now! I was going to have it for lunch tomorrow….cold? Hope this will taste ok haha?

    • Hi Lizzie! We can totally dig some cold fried rice! You can always reheat it too though. We hope you enjoy!

  43. Hey looks yummy but is it low calorie ? Could this be a part of a weight loss diet? I’m trying to lose weight but I can’t give up the fast food maybe this is something I can replace it with. 

    • Hi Rosetta! We’re sorry but we are unsure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!

  44. Can you make without the sesame oil? 

  45. Tried this tonight…. Just happened to have some quinoa to use up and went online for ideas. So glad I found this.   What a great recipe! My kids loved it, as did I!  Will def make again!

  46. Way delicious. Best thing I have had since I gave up meat :)!

  47. This was so good! I was a bit timid to try this recipe at first, but the pregnant lady is craving Chinese food. This does the trick and it’s healthy!!! Thanks so much- I love cooking many of your recipes, and very glad I gave this one a try! 

  48. Fixed this last week for my family, and it was a hit. Even my teenage son who thinks he doesn’t like quinoa liked this a lot. Making it again tomorrow. We’re not green onion fans, so I switched those out for some sliced mushrooms instead. 

    • We’re so glad to hear that Michelle! And we think the mushrooms sound yummy—good idea!

  49. Love this!!! Made it with Trader Joe’s rice cauliflower and it was amazing!!!!! 

  50. Just finished making this…It is absolutely delicious and healthy! Thank you for posting it!