Our 25 Best Quinoa Recipes

By Maria Yagoda
Updated April 30, 2020
This protein-and fiber-rich ingredient has a wonderfully nutty flavor and a satisfying texture, making it a fantastic alternative to rice, couscous or any grain. Quinoa is delicious cold in a salad, served warm as a side dish or even combined with vegetables and dairy to make a spectacular and filling vegetarian main course. Here are some of our favorite quinoa recipes, from healthy salads to crispy quinoa sliders.
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Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Apples

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This delicious, super-healthy quinoa salad is a great meal-in-one; it makes an ideal vegetarian option at the dinner table.

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Quinoa Egg Bowl 
with Pecorino


Credit: © John Kernick
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Cookbook author Melissa Clark takes inspiration from Caesar salad in this quinoa bowl, which includes a soft runny egg and a lemony, cheese-spiked dressing. It's one of the best grain bowls we've ever had.

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Santa Fe Quinoa Salad

Credit: Stephanie Foley
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Chef Chad Aaland makes quinoa salad with three types of beans and house-pickled onions. This streamlined version with black beans and jarred cocktail onions is tasty, too.

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Roasted Carrot and Red Quinoa Salad

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Anna Zepaltas grew up preparing tamales in her mother’s Southern California kitchen, but she also loves Indian and Middle Eastern dishes. Cumin, coriander and cardamom punch up this salad.

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Smoky Quinoa and Bacon Salad

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This earthy and smoky-spiced quinoa recipe is loaded with bacon and makes the perfect accompaniment to barbeque or grilled dishes.

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Quinoa Salad with Sugar Snap Peas

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This salad is perfect for picnics.

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Lemony Quinoa Salad with Pine Nuts and Olives

Credit: © Ellie Miller
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Quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids. Tossed with pine nuts, it's the foundation of this light salad.

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Crispy Quinoa Sliders

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These crispy, light little patties are fantastic as mini vegetarian burgers, but they'd be great served alongside a salad as well.

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Quinoa and Brown Rice Bowl with Vegetables and Tahini

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“While in Los Angeles filming the second season of Top Chef Just Desserts, I discovered Café Gratitude, a vegan café with a cult following,” Gail Simmons says. “For me, its fresh, simple food was the perfect antidote to all that sugar. I became addicted to aptly named dishes like I Am Fortified—a bowl of whole grains with lots of cooked vegetables. When I got back to New York, I developed my own version.”

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Warm Quinoa Salad with Carrots and Grilled Chicken

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Cat Cora’s nutritious quinoa is quick to make. Adding chicken makes it a great meal-in-one.

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Lemony Quinoa Salad with Shaved Vegetables

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Eating quinoa is a great way for vegetarians to get protein. Jeremy Fox tosses nutty-tasting quinoa with crunchy shaved vegetables for a refreshing salad loaded with vitamins and minerals.

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Black Bean-and-Quinoa Salad

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Ken Oringer believes chefs need to make a point of eating healthy dishes when they can, so he includes protein-rich quinoa in his diet at least three times a week. Here he mixes the grain with black beans, onions and peppers to make a hearty and very satisfying side dish that's a fun variation on prosaic five-bean salad.

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Roasted Delicata Squash with Quinoa Salad

Credit: John Kernick
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Quinoa is definitely a superfood: A grain-like seed, it’s a “complete” protein containing all eight essential amino acids (another plus: it cooks much more quickly than most grains). To create a terrific vegetarian main course, Michael Symon tosses quinoa with arugula, apple, raisins and fresh herbs, then spoons the salad into a halved baked squash (a great source of iron and vitamins A and C).

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Red Rice and Quinoa Salad with Orange and Pistachios

Credit: © David Malosh
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In this fluffy salad, Yotam Ottolenghi blends South American quinoa with nutty Camargue red rice from southern France. The salad gets a fruity sweetness from orange juice and zest and is delicious alongside roast chicken.

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Quinoa with Spice-Roasted Shrimp and Pistou

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Chef John Currence coats shrimp with a potent mix of fennel seeds, dried oregano and garlic and onion powders. He flavors the quinoa with a vibrant, pesto-like pistou, made with a judicious amount of oil.

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Quinoa-Stuffed Poblanos with Grilled Romesco Sauce

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To pump up the smoky flavors in this dish, Alyssa Gorelick grills both the stuffed poblanos and the vegetables for the romesco sauce. Any extra sauce is terrific with roasted or grilled potatoes or on a veggie burger.

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Quinoa Salad with Grilled Scallions, Favas and Dates

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“One thing I’ve learned as a chef is not to overfeed your customers—a food coma is very unpleasant,” says Charlie Parker. This salad of grilled spring vegetables feels just filling enough, thanks to the protein-rich quinoa and a puree of dates that are grilled first to soften them and intensify their natural sweetness.

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Bacon Quinoa with Almonds and Herbs

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“Quinoa is a miracle food,” says Bruce Sherman. Native to the Andes Mountains, the nutty, protein-rich grain is now also grown in the U.S. Sherman tosses it with smoky bacon and toasted almonds to make a substantial side dish that's delicious with poached eggs or roasted chicken.

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Quinoa with Spinach and Roasted Almonds

Credit: © Eva Kolenko
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Food & Wine's Kay Chun makes this evergreen quinoa salad all year long. It's so simple and quick that it's ideal for lunch or dinner. The chopped almonds add fantastic crunch and a nice hit of protein.

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Golden Semolina Quinoa Spinach Cakes

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These healthy vegetarian patties are coated with panko bread crumbs so they become deliciously crispy in the skillet. “I add quinoa to make these semolina cakes a little fluffier and healthier. I love to serve them topped with a poached egg,” says Maria Helm Sinskey.

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Quinoa Tabbouleh

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Quinoa adds a filling addition to this vegetarian dish.

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Roasted Cauliflower and Quinoa with Candied Walnuts

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This simple and elegant dish makes an easy dinner party side.

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Corn, Basil, and Quinoa Salad

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This dairy-free and vegetarian salad serves as the perfect side or lunch.

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Three-Mushroom-and-Quinoa Salad

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Use this recipe as a template for any mixed mushroom-and-grain salad. Excellent options include brown rice, wild rice, black or white barley, farro or couscous.

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Quinoa and Cauliflower Salad with Popped Sorghum

Credit: © Chris Court
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Sorghum, a type of grass, has seeds that can be popped like popcorn. Daniel Patterson tops his nutty, crunchy quinoa salad with popped sorghum, which gives it a buttery flavor. You can also substitute regular popping corn.

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By Maria Yagoda