Best 8 Crunchy Quinoa Recipes

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Quinoa, a versatile grain, loved for its nutritional value and unique texture, can be prepared in various ways. When cooked correctly, quinoa can achieve a delightful crunch that adds an interesting dimension to dishes. Whether you prefer it as a side, a main course ingredient, or a nutritious addition to salads or bowls, finding the best recipe for crunchy quinoa is key to unlocking its full potential. This article aims to guide you through different cooking methods, helping you achieve the perfect crunchy quinoa every time.

Here are our top 8 tried and tested recipes!

CRUNCHY QUINOA-CRUSTED CHICKEN TENDERS



Crunchy Quinoa-Crusted Chicken Tenders image

Provided by Catherine McCord

Categories     main-dish

Time 1h40m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 19

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 large eggs
2 pounds chicken tenders or chicken breasts cut into strips
Olive oil, for cooking
Lemon Yogurt Dipping Sauce, recipe follows
Roasted Cauliflower, recipe follows
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups cauliflower cut into florets (yellow, purple, white and green)
2 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt

Steps:

  • Pour the quinoa onto a towel and blot to remove any excess moisture.
  • Combine quinoa, breadcrumbs, salt, garlic powder and paprika in a shallow bowl. Whisk the eggs together in another shallow bowl. Dip the chicken into the egg, and then into the quinoa mixture, pressing evenly to coat.
  • Add a thin coat of olive oil to large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken in batches and cook until quinoa is golden and chicken is cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Serve with lemon yogurt dipping sauce and roasted cauliflower on the side.
  • Combine the yogurt, lemon juice, parsley, mustard, garlic powder and salt in a bowl and mix well.
  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  • Place cauliflower on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt. Bake until golden, 35 to 40 minutes.

CRUNCHY LEMON QUINOA AND ASPARAGUS BOWL



Crunchy Lemon Quinoa and Asparagus Bowl image

This is the perfect lunch or dinner recipe to help you get a great dose of veggies with added flavor and nutrients. Serve garnished with dried basil and parsley, more nutritional yeast, or another seasoning of your choice (such as Parmesan cheese).

Provided by Balanced Babe

Categories     Salad     Grains     Quinoa Salad Recipes

Time 35m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
2 teaspoons coconut oil
½ onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cooked red quinoa
½ cup low-sodium vegetable stock
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
½ cup nutritional yeast
½ large lemon, juiced

Steps:

  • Fill a saucepan halfway with water; bring to a boil. Add asparagus and cook uncovered until tender but still crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
  • Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in cooked quinoa, vegetable stock, and turmeric; cook until flavors combine, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in blanched asparagus, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice; cook and stir, 3 to 4 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 166.3 calories, Carbohydrate 24.1 g, Fat 4.2 g, Fiber 8.9 g, Protein 13 g, SaturatedFat 2.1 g, Sodium 37.5 mg, Sugar 2.9 g

CRUNCHY QUINOA SALAD



Crunchy Quinoa Salad image

Feel free to vary the vegetables in this salad according to what you have in your garden or find at the farmers' market.

Provided by Dr. John McDougall

Categories     HarperCollins     Salad     Quick and Healthy     Quinoa     Grains     Asparagus     Chive     Parsley     Herb     Spring     Vegetarian     Vegan     Wheat/Gluten-Free

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
3 (2-inch) strips of lemon zest (see hints below)
1 1/2 cups asparagus, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup snow peas, cut in half
1/2 cup kohlrabi, peeled and sliced into thin strips
1/3 cup radishes, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
Freshly ground pepper
Dash sea salt

Steps:

  • Rinse the quinoa well and place it in a pot with the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, stir in the pieces of lemon zest, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir, and remove and discard the pieces of lemon zest. Allow the quinoa to cool slightly.
  • Meanwhile, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil, drop the asparagus and snow peas into the boiling water, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until crisp-tender (do not overcook; the vegetables should still be slightly firm). Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and drop into a bowl of ice water. Drain. Combine the cooked quinoa, asparagus, snow peas, kohlrabi, and radishes in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Season with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt, if desired. Chill for 1 to 2 hours before serving to allow flavors to mingle.

QUINOA ROASTED TOPPING CRUNCHY GOODNESS



Quinoa Roasted topping crunchy goodness image

Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is a new culinary experience for me! When given a bag of these gems, and told how good they are, I had to play. I researched many recipes and decided on my maiden voyage to experiment with it in a way that most have not thought about. Toast them! To my surprise, they are delectable! I see no...

Provided by Deb Crane

Categories     Other Appetizers

Number Of Ingredients 2

1/2 c quinoa
water to cover quinoa

Steps:

  • 1. Cover the quinoa with water. Let sit for 5 minutes. Rinse in a small strainer.
  • 2. Heat a frying pan to get it hot while the quinoa drains. (it is ok that there is some moisture from draining, it will evaporate)
  • 3. Place the quinoa into the hot dry pan. ( I used my cast iron skillet, but any frying pan would work.) Now stir in a bit, and keep watch. This is the fun part! The grains start to dance! Not so much that they fly out of the pan, but they do skip a bit. :) When they start to smell like popcorn, and start turning dark, watch and keep stirring them. You want most of the grains to be a darker color, but some will remain white. That is ok, because you dont want to burn them.
  • 4. When most of the quinoa is darkened, remove from the heat. Cool them on a flat surface, a plate will do. Because they smelled so good as you fried them, taste them! Yum!
  • 5. Very good on a salad for added taste and crunch, or I can imagine this being a good crunch factor on any savoy dish! Think toasted sesame seeds.... any dish you like them in, this will be wonderful. Packed with all things good for you, this way of using quinoa will serve you well!

CRUNCHY-SWEET QUINOA COUSCOUS WITH FRESH HERBS



Crunchy-Sweet Quinoa Couscous with Fresh Herbs image

Provided by Alicia Silverstone

Categories     Herb     Side     Vegetarian     Quinoa     Vegan     Couscous

Number Of Ingredients 12

1/4 cup dried chickpeas (or canned; see Cooks' Note)
1 1" piece kombu
sea salt
1 cup quinoa
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil plus more
1/2 tsp Herbamare seasoning, ume vinegar, or sea salt
squeeze of fresh lemon juice (optional)
1 tsp orange or lemon zest (optional)

Steps:

  • Cover chickpeas with 2" water and soak overnight (or see quick-soak tip on p. 35). Drain chickpeas and place in a medium pot; cover with 2"-3" of water. Bring to a rapid boil and skim any foam that rises to the surface. Add kombu and reduce heat to a simmer.
  • Cook for 1-2 hours (very fresh chickpeas take longer to cook), adding water as needed. About 10 minutes before they're done, add 1/4 tsp salt. Drain and set aside.
  • In another pot, cover quinoa with water and swirl with your hand to rinse. Drain. Add 2 cups fresh water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 25 minutes, or until all water is absorbed. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl to cool.
  • After quinoa has cooled to slightly warmer than room temperature, add chickpeas, raisins, almonds, parsley, basil, 2 tbsp oil, and Herbamare, vinegar, or salt. Finish with a drizzle of oil and a splash of citrus juice or zest, if desired.

CRUNCHY QUINOA



Crunchy Quinoa image

Variety is the spice of life - and love. Quinoa - the darling of high protein grains adds a healthy crunch to the tang of mustard, the coolness of fresh mint and the intensity of Genova tuna.

Provided by Food Network

Time 30m

Yield 4 Servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 cup red quinoa
2 cups plus ¼ cup water
1 (5 ounce) can Genova Tuna in Olive Oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup yellow onion, sliced
4 stalks celery, sliced
1 orange or yellow bell pepper, diced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh mint, chopped

Steps:

  • Place quinoa and 2 cups of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover and remove from heat. Drain tuna and place oil in a large bowl. Add lemon juice, ¼ cup water and mustard, whisking to combine. Add quinoa to oil mixture, tossing to combine. Stir in onion, celery and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley and mint before serving.

CRUNCHY PEACHES AND CREAM QUINOA



Crunchy Peaches and Cream Quinoa image

I tasty breakfast dish that uses the "super food" quinoa. Quinoa's protein content is very high, making it great vegetarians and vegans. It also contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for making it an unusually complete protein source and is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus. Quinoa is gluten-free and high in magnesium and iron. What a better way to start the day!!

Provided by Meghan

Categories     Breakfast

Time 32m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 cup water
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup frozen peach slices
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 pecan halves, toasted

Steps:

  • Combine all ingredients in saucepan over medium high heat.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and allow to sit for an additional 15 minutes.
  • Top with toasted pecans and serve.

CRUNCHY BRUNCH BOWL WITH QUINOA



Crunchy Brunch Bowl with Quinoa image

This is a take on a typical quinoa breakfast or brunch bowl, but with a potato chip crunch and cilantro topping.

Provided by Katie Miller

Categories     100+ Breakfast and Brunch Recipes

Time 35m

Yield 2

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 cup chicken broth
½ cup quinoa
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 egg
⅛ cup plain potato chips
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, or to taste

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Bring chicken broth and quinoa to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender and broth has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Keep warm.
  • Meanwhile, place sweet potato in a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
  • Roast in the preheated oven until potato is tender and crispy, 20 to 25 minutes.
  • Heat remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook egg to desired doneness, about 5 minutes.
  • Layer quinoa, roasted sweet potato, potato chips, and avocado in a serving bowl. Top with fried egg and cilantro.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 619.8 calories, Carbohydrate 67.1 g, Cholesterol 84.9 mg, Fat 34.8 g, Fiber 14.1 g, Protein 13.9 g, SaturatedFat 5.4 g, Sodium 797.6 mg, Sugar 7.4 g

Tips:

  • Rinse quinoa thoroughly: This will remove the bitter-tasting saponin coating.
  • Use a ratio of 2:1 water to quinoa: This will ensure that the quinoa is cooked through and fluffy.
  • Bring the water to a boil before adding the quinoa: This will help to prevent the quinoa from sticking to the pot.
  • Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low: This will allow the quinoa to cook evenly.
  • Cook the quinoa for 15-20 minutes: Or until all of the water has been absorbed.
  • Fluff the quinoa with a fork before serving: This will help to separate the grains and make them light and fluffy.
  • Add your favorite toppings: Such as vegetables, protein, and sauce.

Conclusion:

Crunchy quinoa is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is a good source of protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals. With so many different ways to prepare it, there is sure to be a crunchy quinoa recipe that everyone will enjoy. So next time you are looking for a healthy and satisfying meal, give crunchy quinoa a try!

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