Quinoa is protein packed and so versatile! Check out these 24 easy quinoa recipes to get some great ideas for how to use it!
Some may call quinoa a fad food like kale, but it’s a delicious and healthy staple in our pantry. (So is kale, for that matter.)
Quinoa is a good source of plant-based protein and is naturally gluten-free. Try it as a side dish, along with vegetables. It’s more protein-packed than rice (1 cup quinoa contains over 8 grams of protein, whereas brown rice only contains 5 grams) and can be flavored in many of the same ways.
We eat it often in soups, salads, and all the usual places you’d find quinoa. But our favorite are quinoa pancakes. They’re the best — and a protein packed breakfast. I try to always have cooked quinoa in the freezer on hand for some quick meals.
Quinoa Facts
- One cup of cooked quinoa contains over 8 grams of protein and over 5 grams of fiber.
- Quinoa also contains antioxidants, vitamin E, lysine, and a variety of amino acids. Read more about the health benefits of quinoa (Healthline).
- There are many types of quinoa – you’ll see red, white, and black. You may also see a tricolor variety in stores.
Basic Quinoa Cooking Tips
- Always rinse quinoa before cooking. Quinoa is coated in a naturally occurring chemical called saponin. Some brands will be labeled pre-washed, in which case you can likely skip this step.
- While cooking, expect quinoa to expand 3 times in size. 1 cup of uncooked quinoa will yield 3 cups of cooked quinoa.
- When cooking, use the ratio of 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa. So if you’re cooking a cup of quinoa, you’ll need two cups of water.
Enjoy this list! What is your favorite use for quinoa?
24 Easy Quinoa Recipes
Instant Pot Quinoa
Learn how to make easy Instant Pot quinoa. You will love this nearly hands-off method of cooking quinoa if you're a pressure cooker user. Try it today!
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How to Freeze Quinoa
Can you freeze cooked quinoa? Short answer: YES. Read on to find out more about how and why you should freeze cooked quinoa.
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Vegetarian Quinoa Chili With Black Beans
The quinoa in this vegetarian quinoa chili provides a meaty texture, without the meat. It’s easy to make, healthy and oh so satisfying.
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Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Blackberries & Candied Pepitas
You'll discover a myriad of exciting flavors and textures in this quinoa chickpea salad with candied pepitas, blackberries, apricots, and feta cheese.
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Roasted Carrot, Portobello, Quinoa, and Black Bean Vegetarian Tacos
Roasted carrot, portobello, quinoa, and black bean vegetarian tacos are hearty, flavorful, and have lots of protein (add cheese if you're not vegan).
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Quinoa Bowl Recipe with Roasted Tomatoes, Ricotta and Balsamic
This quinoa bowl recipe is perfect for meal prep days – you’ll love lunching on this all week! It's healthy, delicious, and versatile.
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Stuffed Butternut Squash (Quinoa, Kale & Bacon)
Full of the goodness of fall, stuffed butternut squash is a noteworthy meal and super nutritious!
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Kale Sweet Potato Salad with Quinoa and Creamy Chili Lime Dressing
Filling and flavorful, this kale sweet potato salad is filled with southwestern flavors and nutritious ingredients! It's great for meal prepping and healthy eating all week long.
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Vegan Quinoa Salad with Brussels Sprouts & Pepitas
You'll love the crisp Brussels sprouts shredded into this exciting vegan quinoa salad with dried apricots, sunflower seeds, and pepitas, The homemade vinaigrette is fabulous!
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Southwestern Instant Pot Chicken and Quinoa
A complete meal that's made in one pot and is ready in 30 minutes, healthy, and full of flavor — this Instant Pot chicken is a weeknight lifesaver!
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Crockpot Minestrone Soup With Quinoa
This crockpot minestrone soup is filled with fresh veggies and quinoa – healthy, delicious, and it cooks practically on its own!
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Quinoa Pancakes Recipe
Start your day right with quinoa pancakes, an easy pancake recipe made with quinoa for extra protein and nutrition.
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Vegan Bolognese Recipe
A healthy, filling vegan version of popular Bolognese sauce using lentils and quinoa for a meaty texture. Even my meat-loving husband loves this vegan Bolognese!
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Southwestern Stuffed Peppers with Chicken and Quinoa
These southwestern stuffed peppers with chicken and quinoa are healthy, hearty, and so delicious!
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Italian Turkey Quinoa Meatloaf
You’ll love this heart-healthy Italian Turkey Quinoa Meatloaf! You might never go back to using breadcrumbs.
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Chicken Caprese Quinoa Bake
Made in one pan and largely hands-off, this chicken Caprese quinoa bake is a vibrant taste of summer with very little work!
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Breakfast Quinoa
Breakfast quinoa is just as creamy and customizable as oatmeal and it's packed with protein. Add your favorite toppings and grab a spoon.
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Wheat Berry Salad
This flavorful quinoa and wheat berry salad is packed full of healthy grains, vegetables, and chewy dried cranberries to liven things up. You’ll love the dressing!
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Green Chile Chicken Quinoa Casserole
Easy to make in one pan, this green chile chicken quinoa casserole is a healthy, filling, and flavorful meal that everyone will love.
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Southwestern Quinoa Bowl with Chicken
Chicken and black beans make this southwestern quinoa bowl an incredibly filling and healthy lunch or dinner. It’s ideal if you do meal prepping!
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One Pan Quinoa with Ground Turkey, Kale, Mushrooms, Tomatoes
One pan quinoa with ground turkey, kale, mushroom and tomatoes is an easy, healthy dinner you can have on the table in 30 minutes.
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Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Soup with Quinoa and Squash
This slow cooker creamy chicken soup is healthy, hearty, and so very easy to make. You’ll love its fall flavors and nutritious ingredients.
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Creamy Turkey Soup with Quinoa
This creamy turkey soup with quinoa is easy to make and is a healthy and hearty way to repurpose leftover turkey or chicken.
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Quinoa Salad Recipe with Orange & Grapes
Sweet grapes, crisp celery, and juicy orange segments adorn this quinoa salad. The tangy orange vinaigrette and crunchy almonds top it perfectly.
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Less ads, more pictures. Your site is covered in ads and its quite annoying. Plus each one of those links should have an image.
The ads help me pay to keep my website running – a site which is free for you to use. I spend tons of money developing recipes, paying for web hosting, and countless other expenses. If there are too many, there are plenty of other websites available with recipes but I think you’ll find ads on most of those too. Take care.
It’s going to take me some time to go through all of the recipes, but I am going to love it because I love quninoa. Thanks!
I love Quinoa…and so does my husband oddly enough. But I love all these recipes, I definitely pinning these to my Quinoa recipes board, thanks for posting, what great ideas!
need to get out of my comfort zone and use quinoa in recipes–usually just make it as-is–great ideas
I took a break from quinoa and I need it back in my life! These are great ideas!
What a great round up Rachel!! Thanks for sharing my Pumpkin quinoa!
I love this roundup! I ♥ quinoa!! I have it at least once a week. Thank you SO much for including my salad!