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Kelli FosterSenior Contributing Food Editor
Kelli is a Senior Contributing Food Editor for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and author of the cookbooks, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, The Probiotic Kitchen, Buddha Bowls, and Everyday Freekeh Meals. She lives in New Jersey.
updated May 13, 2022
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Cook up a batch of quinoa — either on the on the stove or in your Instant Pot — and you’ve got the makings for a huge variety of easy, wholesome meals. While it’s often referred to as a grain, quinoa is actually a seed, and it’s packed with protein and fiber, making it a satisfying addition wherever it’s used. Quinoa has a mild flavor with a slightly warm, nutty undertone, which means it’s easy to partner with a wide variety of ingredients.
Before cooking up any quinoa recipes, you’ll want to be sure to give it a good rinse first. (Yes, you should be rinsing quinoa. This removes the protective coating calledsaponinthat can make cooked quinoa taste bitter, and is true whether you’re using white, red, or black quinoa.)
From porridge and breakfast bowls to loaded salads and grain bowls, here are over 25 quinoa recipes to try.
How to Cook Quinoa
Quinoa Salad Recipes
Quinoa salads can take two shapes: this protein-rich seed can either serves as the base of the salad or you can mix a few scoops into your green salad to bulk it up. One thing you’ll want to remember is that anytime you meal prep quinoa salad, spread the cooked quinoa on a baking sheet and pop it in the fridge for a little while. This helps the quinoa cool faster and allows each individual grain to keep its toothsome texture.
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Tex-Mex Quinoa Salad
Mixed with quinoa, black beans, and vibrant fresh veggies, and topped with a zippy chili-lime vinaigrette, this is a potluck salad that everyone can eat.
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Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Make this light and fresh salad at the start of the week and dig into it for days. It just keeps getting better.
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This protein-packed power bowl brings together quinoa, tuna, cucumbers, and a bunch of fresh vegetables for a salad you can count on to keep you full.
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Between the mellow citrus dressing, toasty almonds, and dates this salad packs in flavor and texture, and is the one kale salad I can really get behind.
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The single thing that makes this salad stand out from any other you'll eat this summer is the smoked quinoa base.
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Quinoa Salad with Spring Radishes and Greens
Piling on some leftover chicken, a piece of fish, or even baked tofu is a quick way to turn this refreshing salad into a meal.
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Green Goddess Quinoa Salad
Avocado takes the places of mayo in this wholesome twist on green goddess dressing.
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Quick Balsamic Quinoa Salad
You can't go wrong whether you serve this salad warm or cold
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Summer Vegetable Grain Salad
This light, wholesome quinoa salad is filled with summer vegetables and tossed in a pesto vinaigrette.
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Potluck Quinoa
This salad is simple in design but so delicious and complex when it comes to flavor and texture. There's tartness from the lemon juice and goat cheese as well as some crunch from the hazelnuts.
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Sweet and Crunchy Quinoa Salad
Pine nuts aren't just for making pesto – they're a great addition to this fluffy salad, too. Plus, the pops of dried cranberries add some delightful sweetness.
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Grilled Halloumi and Quinoa Salad
In case you needed a reason to make a salad that's filled with cheese, this is it! The flavorful grilled halloumi is a great way to give this dish a summery feel.
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You might be used to cooking with ricotta, but ricotta salata is another story, and add its own flavor and texture. Not to mention, it's a great addition to this crunchy and fluffy salad.
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Quinoa Bowl Recipes
The truth is that when you’re cooking up a one-bowl meal, any kind of rice or grain will work as a base. But quinoa happens to be the one I lean on most often. It adds a nutty flavor (especially the red or black varieties) and an extra punch of protein.
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Greek Chicken Grain Bowls
These Greek chicken grain bowls are inspired by classic Greek salad and lemon-herb chicken, and topped with a tangy, 3-ingredient feta sauce.
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Grilled Shrimp and Vegetable Grain Bowls
Think of grilled quinoa bowls as the grown-up version of the hobo packets you might have made at sleep-away camp.
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Peanut Chicken Power Bowls
These nourishing peanut chicken bowls are packed with quinoa, a rainbow of veggies, and finished with a creamy peanut sauce.
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Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowls with Crispy Chickpeas and Chopped Pesto
This satisfying plant-based quinoa bowl is packed with roasted sweet potato, kale, and crispy chickpeas.
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Quinoa Kimchi Bowl with Miso Mushrooms and Crispy Broccoli
Use the time while the quinoa simmers to roast the broccoli and sauté the mushrooms until tender.
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Smoky Quinoa Taco Bowls with Fried Eggs
This vegetarian taco bowl features nutty, protein-packed quinoa as its base, which is cooked with aromatics and chipotle in adobo sauce to give it a rich and smoky flavor.
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Herby Chicken Grain Bowl with Feta Dressing Recipe
Feta dressing upgrades this hearty and refreshing grain bowl.
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Quinoa Bowl with Kung Pao Edamame
This quinoa bowl has just a few ingredients but delivers lots of flavor. The best part is probably the wide range of textures that come from the carrots, edamame and peanuts.
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Breakfasts That Start with Quinoa
There are a lot of ways to work quinoa into your breakfast routine. Try adding some to your regular batch of oatmeal, bulking up a breakfast salad, or using quinoa as the base for a wholesome breakfast bowl.
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Breakfast Grain Bowl Mix
This breakfast grain bowl features quinoa and steel-cut oats and is flavored with ginger and lemon. Make it on Sunday and enjoy throughout the week.
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Southwest Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
This quinoa salad is loaded with corn, black beans, and cilantro, and keeps for days in the fridge. Topped with an egg is makes a winning breakfast, and can easily double as a lunch.
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Dump everything into the slow cooker before going to bed, and come morning, you've got a warm, hearty breakfast waiting for you.
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Summer Breakfast Salad
Along with a fried egg and some crumbled bacon, a scoop of nutty quinoa means this breakfast salad packs in the protein to fill you up.
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Probiotic Breakfast Bowls
These gut-friendly breakfast bowls are loaded with whole grains, sautéed greens, a yolky egg, creamy yogurt, avocado, and plenty of tangy kraut to grace every bite.
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Quinoa-Oatmeal Cereal
Made with coconut milk, maple syrup, quinoa, and gluten-free oats, the warming dish is topped with fresh fruit for a delicious and quick first meal of the day.
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Fresh blueberries, lemon, and yogurt place this grain bowl firmly in breakfast territory.
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Quinoa Side Dishes
If you’ve been cooking up a pot of plain quinoa as your go-to side dish, here’s a few fun ideas to take it a step further. Try a veggie-packed pilaf, a riff on tabbouleh, or stuffed peppers.
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Honey Roasted Sprouts with Lentil-Quinoa Pilaf
Topped with roasted sprouts, this smoky lentil-quinoa pilaf is a satisfying side that partners with almost anything you're cooking up for dinner.
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Lemon Quinoa with Currants, Dill, and Zucchini
You'll have just enough time to prep the veggies and herbs while the quinoa simmers.
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Quinoa Tabbouleh
In this riff on traditional tabbouleh, the bulgur gets replaced with tender, nutty quinoa. It's a make-ahead side dish or lunch.
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Sweet Corn and Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppers
These smoky, cheesy peppers make a nice side for whatever your grilling.
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