This Quinoa Fried “Rice” is a healthy take on everyone’s favorite Chinese takeout! It’s easy to prepare, and every bit as delicious as the original! Serve with chicken, shrimp, and just as it is.
For more easy quinoa recipes, check out these Hawaiian Quinoa Bowls, this Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Quinoa Bake, or this Quinoa Pad Thai.
Quinoa Fried “Rice”
This recipe was first published in January 2015.
I’ve wanted to share this recipe for a while, but thought I might be overloading you with too many healthy recipes – and if you’re anything like me, you can’t eat super healthy every single day. Who can???
So after a slightly indulgent intermission of vegetarian but not-super-healthy-for-you baked rigatoni, I thought it would be a good idea to balance life out with something you can feel really good about eating. Life is all about balance after all, right?
I adore fried rice, and am actually super picky about it (ummm I can’t even count how many horrible take-out versions I’ve had). This version, I can confidently say without hesitation, is every bit as delicious as the original, and I promise you won’t miss the white rice.
Instead of using white rice, I swapped in heart-healthy quinoa, and let me tell you, I don’t know which I like better now! This version is studded with tons of the classic – peas, carrots, and plenty of onion and garlic. My perfect version of fried rice also includes lots of fried, scrambled egg, so you’ll see plenty of that.
Secrets to perfect Quinoa Fried Rice
- Use leftover, cool quinoa! I like to use leftover quinoa that’s been stored in the fridge overnight, because if you freshly cooked quinoa, it has a tendency to get sort of mushy, and the individual particles of quinoa don’t separate like they do in the traditional version of fried rice. Starting with cooled quinoa allows each grain to “fry” and soak up all the sauce to mimic rice a little bit more. It’s actually a trick I also use when cooking traditional fried rice – cold rice tends to crisp up a bit more, and I just adore the texture.
- Rinse your quinoa before cooking. Quinoa if left un-rinsed is innately bitter. Rinsing the quinoa several times helps to get any bitterness out, and leaves you with fluffy, nutty rice.
- You don’t need as much soy sauce as you’d think! A little goes a long way, trust me.
If I don’t have time to let the quinoa cool or I don’t have any left over, I’ll cook the quinoa, spread it on a large, rimmed baking sheet, and then pop it in the freezer until it’s chilled while I cut up all the vegetables.
My favorite thing about this recipe? It’s totally customizable. If you want to add chicken, go for it. Shrimp? Go ahead. I tend to stick with a classic combination of onion, garlic, peas, carrots and scrambled egg, but occasionally I’ll throw in some crispy water chestnuts, baby corn or snow peas in the mix – anything goes!
The Best Way to Cook Quinoa
- Rinse your rise. Several times. This is such an important step because quinoa can be bitter without rinsing. This will also help to mimic the taste of rice more!
- Season the cooking liquid. The is also so important! Quinoa, while more flavorful than plain rice, still doesn’t have much flavor on its own. Seasoning the cooking liquid ensure the quinoa will also have little bit of flavor prior to adding the soy sauce.
- Use an equal amount of quinoa to liquid. So one cup of liquid for every one cup of quinoa. Also, I like to use low-sodium chicken stock to up the flavor even more.
- Cook on a low heat. You barely want the quinoa to be simmering, otherwise it could turn mushy.
- Don’t overcook! Once the quinoa is fluffy, remove it from the heat. Fluff with a fork.
How to make Quinoa Fried Rice
- Cook quinoa and fluff with a fork
- Transfer to a large plate and pop in the fridge or freezer to chill completely.
- Mix soy sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large sauté pan over a high heat. Add onion and carrot, cook about two minutes. Add 2 scallions, garlic and ginger to the pan. Cook another two minutes. Add in the rest of the olive oil and the quinoa. Stir-fry about two minutes.
- Add sauce and stir-fry until incorporated, about two minutes. Make a well in the center of the quinoa pour eggs in, scramble. Throw in peas, then toss everything together until the peas are warmed through, add remaining scallion and serve.
Can quinoa fried rice be made ahead of time?
YES and please do make this ahead of time. This is SO good the next day, and the next, and so on. Cool completely after making its, then store in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave with a damp towel over the rice.
Substitutions and Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success
- Work quickly! Even a non-stick pan has a tendency to stick if you don’t work quickly and move the rice around.
- Make sure the skillet is super hot! Sprinkle a little bit of water over the skillet, and if it sizzles and spits right away, it’s hot enough.
- Add in chicken, shrimp, or crab for a little extra protein.
- Add in your favorite vegetables! Mushrooms, water chestnuts or baby corn would be great additions.
What to serve with quinoa fried rice?
This Crispy Honey Beef with Snow Peas, would be the perfect entree for quinoa fried rice, these Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps would also be delicious, and if you want a little sweet with your savory, this Sweet and Sour Baked Salmon would accompany it perfectly.
Quinoa Fried "Rice"
This Quinoa Fried “Rice” is a healthy take on everyone’s favorite Chinese takeout! It’s easy to prepare, and every bit as delicious as the original! Serve with chicken, shrimp, and just as it is.
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups water or low-sodium chicken stock
- ¼ small onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced (about 3/4 cup)
- 3 scallions, sliced and divided
- 3 large garlic cloves
- ½ tsp freshly grated ginger
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 ½ Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 ½ Tbsp. teriyaki sauce
- ¾ tsp. sesame oil
- 2 large eggs, whisked in a small bowl
- ½ cup frozen peas, thawed
Instructions
-
Rinse quinoa a few times in cold water.
-
Bring quinoa and water or chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan, and then reduce to a simmer. Season with salt.Simmer for 15-20 minutes until quinoa is fluffy and cooked through. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.Transfer to a large plate and pop in the fridge or freezer to chill completely.
-
Mix soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
-
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large sauté pan over a high heat. Add onion and carrot, cook about two minutes. Add 2 scallions, garlic and ginger to the pan. Cook another two minutes. Add in the rest of the olive oil and the quinoa. Stir-fry about two minutes. Add sauce and stir-fry until incorporated, about two minutes. Make a well in the center of the quinoa pour eggs in, scramble with a wooden spoon or chopsticks. Toss together and then throw in peas. Toss everything together until the peas are warmed through. Add remaining scallion and serve. Season with salt and pepper.
Love this idea! You’re the first person I’ve heard use a substitute of quinoa for rice for this dish, so I’ll pretend it was your idea to begin with!
I added more vegetables and prawns and a bit of brown sugar to the sauce but oh my god this was absolutely amazing, thanks so much for the recipe! Will be a staple in my house now.
Thanks Lu! I’ve got to try this with prawns!
What a great and inspiring idea! I’ve got to try this.
Thanks Crystal!!!!!
Literally making this right now! I’m subbing hoisin for teriyaki sauce though since I have it on hand! Yummm
Love. Hoisin will be a lovely substitution!
Sweet! This is exactly why I always read the comments before I begin, you never know what insights people will add.
I’ve got a lonely bottle of Hoisin just sittin there in the fridge and HUZZAH I now have a use for it. And a many thanks for saving me the 30+ min of having to cook rice…I already had quinoa made and ready for a fryin’.
Totally going to try this. if the Quinoa isn’t cooked do you cook it first?
Yes, you definitely want to use cooked quinoa. The recipe explains how to cook it for this particular dish, but if you have leftover quinoa, you can also use that.
What other sauce could you use for this dish? My daughter isn’t suppose to have soy but she loves Asian dishes!
You could omit the soy sauce and use worcestershire sauce and a tiny bit of water instead, the taste will be slightly different but will be close enough!
You might also try Coconut Aminos, they’re a great soy substitute. Some people can tell a difference in the flavor, but I’m not one of them. 🙂 It can be hard to find in grocery stores, but if your store has a Gluten Free section they may have it, if not, try Amazon.
Ooo thanks Devon! I hadn’t heard of that!
Use liquid Aminos. Supposed to taste just like soy sauce but waaaay healthier for you. Bragg’s has some you can find pretty easily.
Thanks Jill! I’ll have to try that.
You could use coconut aminos which is even healthier than Bragg’s aminos.
Braggs liquid aminos are almost identical to soy sauce.
Hi, I just googles quinoa and found that in comparison to rice, it is higher in calorie, carbs, fat and fiber. High fiber levels are good, and i’m guessing that the fats are of the good kind so that is also good, but the calories and the carbs, isn’t that bad? I’m currently trying to loose weight and i’m trying to monitor my intake very closely. I have cut out rice and potatoes from my diet, trying to keep a maximum limit of 400 calories for dinner. Would you say one serving of this dish qualifies? I’m accustomed to a rice/potato + meat dinner, so cutting it out from my diet can be frustrating when trying to find recipes involving vegetables I do enjoy. So finding this recipe gave me a tiny little hope that I might not have to torture myself everyday (or at least till I get accustomed to it).
One serving of this dish is definitely under 400 calories. Good luck!
Norway, quinoa is higher in protein than rice. It’s one of the biggest reasons people make the substitution. That and the extra fibre!
There are also “good” and “bad” carbs 🙂
Also the calories aren’t from fat so as long as you’re working out you’re good 🙂
Quinoa is a complete protein so you will feel fuller faster. Also, the best way to lose weight and keep it off is not to count calories but eat foods that are nutrient dense. http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/white-rice-brown-rice-whole-grains-diabetes/ here is a study showing why white rice is not a good idea even if lower in carbs. When counting carbs, subtracting fiber grams off the carbs gives total carbs.
Oh and if you just googled, it may have had quinoa set as uncooked vs cooked rice, if you have equal amounts of both cooked quinoa has less carbs.
I have made this three times, and my husband loves this recipe! I don’t use carrots and peas, but I replace it with zucchini and french green beans from the farmer’s market. I also omit teriyaki sauce since I don’t carry it, and I do not adjust the soy sauce (Maggi or Bragg’s Amino Acid) or the sesame oil.
Will keep making this again and again!
*I do not measure the amount of vegetables/garlic/ginger…I just eyeball everything according to quinoa.
Love that you love this! I think I’m going to have to try the untraditional route with the green beans and zucchini — sounds amazing!!
Summer squash — whether it’s the yellow crookneck variety or zucchini — is one of my favorite add-ins to homemade fried rice. I also like adding sunflower kernels.
That’s actually a great idea, particularly when served with pork (as opposed to beef or seafood); was making this tonight to have with an Asian inspired grilled pork tenderloin & have some yellow squash from the garden I’m definitely adding now! Thank you for the idea, I’m a professionally trained chef & wouldn’t have necessarily thought of that!!!👍🏻
Just made this dish! Sooooo yummy!
Great idea…thanks for this recipe!
Yum! Made this for the first time tonight and I’m glad I doubled the recipe!
This looks like a killer dish – I’m really looking forward to making this over the weekend. The perfect healthy spin on comfort food! <3
Has anyone tried freezing this recipe? I love it and want to make a big batch so I don’t have to cook when baby arrives in a few weeks!
Does any have the nutrition info calculated for this??
I do not have the nutritional calculations for this. Sorry!
This came out just like the fried rice at Japanese steak houses that I love so much! Thanks for the recipe! Yummmm
This is delish, a keeper for sure!
This has become a favorite in our house! So good! We don’t use the teryiaki sauce, but just add extra soy sauce and a little sugar. Yum!
For those looking for a way to make a quinoa fried rice without soy (or gluten), I blogged one a couple years ago using coconut aminos. I do believe that these days there is a gluten-free teriyaki sauce available, but of course it would contain soy. Quinoa is a great tasty sub for rice, and way healthier than the typical white rice version.
-Sea at Book of Yum (I linked the recipe to my name)
Thank you so much for this recipe! It was great! (And husband approved! 🙂 I added to small Thai peppers to the scallion, ginger, garlic mix cause we like it spicy, and it worked out wonderfully! Thanks again!
Loved this recipe! We actually used couscous in place of the quinoa, and we also added some baby bella mushrooms with the onion and carrots. Instead of Soy Sauce, we used Braggs Amino Acids, and we didn’t have any sesame oil for the sauce, so we toasted 2-3 Tbsp of sesame seeds and tossed them in at the end with the peas. This gave a very good sesame taste, and reduced fats (oils), so it was a win-win! The kids ate it, and the hubby said we need to add this to our meals regularly! Fantastic!
Wonderful!! Love all the substitutions! I’ll have to try it with those baby bella mushrooms, YUM.
Found this on Pinterest and made it tonight. I added zucchini (from our garden) and mushrooms for more veggies. It was great! So healthy and tasty. My 8-yr-old was a bit hesitant but he ate it with a bit more soy sauce on it. I also recommend a little Sriracha for a kick. Glad I doubled the recipe … Leftovers! Thanks for the great recipe!
Glad you liked it Jenn!!
Thanks so much for this recipe! I made way too much quinoa the other day and I’ve been trying to figure out a good way to use it up. This will be perfect!
You’re welcome Kerri! Thanks for the comment!
Eating this right now and loving it! Always looking for ways to ‘healthy’ up some favorites and if its a hit with the girls I nanny then it’s a huge keeper!
Wonderful!! Thanks Ali!!
Made this tonight for my family. We LOVED it!! I substituted coconut oil for the sesame oil ( for some reason sesame oil makes me really sick) and it was fantastic!!
Glad you liked it Jene!!
I loved this recipe! I replaced the teriyaki with hoisin, as that is what we had in our fridge. I also added some rice vinegar and fish sauce to give the sauce a little more complexity. It was delicious. My son ate a ton and my husband –who is an excellent cook– was amazed by the taste and texture. In addition, it didn’t take me long ( ideal after work fare). Thanks putting this recipe on the inter webs.
Thanks Jessica!!
We loved this recipe. I did not have brown sugar so I added a little bit of honey. We also added crushed walnuts for additional protein. It was amazing. thanks so much:)
Thanks Rhonda!!!
Hi, I want to make this dish for tonight’s dinner but all I have is Teriyaki Marinade and the label says “thick”, can I use it instead of the Teriyaki Sauce? Are they the same? And also, what can I use instead of the sesame oil?
Thank you,
Liz
Liz, you can absolutely use that!
I’m a college student just starting to cook for myself so I was a little apprehensive about making this as it was my first time cooking quinoa! But whoa, it couldn’t be easier. SO good and filling. Thanks for a great recipe!
THIS RECIPIE IS SO AMAZING!!
Thanks John!!
This sounds great. I never thought of using quinoa instead of rice but that is a great idea.
Ok so I am totally on the late train when it came to quinoa. I didn’t discover it until this past summer. So last night I was thinking of what can I make after church to keep my boys full til dinner and thought of this. Thought I was the first one as well 🙂 glad someone discovered it first. It was super easy and so yummy!!
So glad you liked it Nikki!!
Just wanted to say how much I love this recipe! It’s a new go-to in my house 🙂
Thanks Stacy!!!
I’ve made this recipe several times now – love it. I left out the ginger and scallion just because I didn’t have them on hand. Also, I never plan ahead enough to refrigerate the quinoa. I do wonder what that does for it so maybe I’ll try it sometime. Thanks for recipe!
Wonderful Becca! The chilling, just helps to crisp up the rice before, but if it works for you to cook it right away, then keep doing it that way! 😉
Quinoa has more protein, calcium, fiber, and iron. It has less carbs than white rice and fewer calories. And probably the best thing quinoa has over rice is the glycemic index of 53 vs. 112!! for white rice. (If you don’t pay attention to the glycemic index of foods, you should! (Google “understanding the glycemic index).
Make sure when you compare these two that it’s based on weight, not volume.
Your fried rice looks fantastic! I never thought about trying it with Quinoa thanks for sharing 🙂
http://www.prettybitchescancooktoo.com
Made this tonight…my family really enjoyed it Thanks for sharing
Made this tonight my family really enjoyed it Thanks for sharing
Thanks for sharing.. I loooove fried rice.. Due to my bad candida can’t allow rice into my diet… Will surely try this one… Thnx!!!
Thanks so much for the recipe. One of my running buddies told me about it during our long run Saturday. I had to come find it. She said it really makes a difference in her energy level on long (over 10 miles) runs. Need that extra protein and good carbs for sure. It is just yummy! My entire family loved it. Not a morsel left 🙂 Have a few more long runs before the big marathon weekend …so making up another batch. So excited to have fried rice back in my diet…a much healthier version for sure. Thank you!
Thank you so much Julie for the sweet words. I’m glad you love the Quinoa Fried “Rice”, and thanks for visiting! Please come again!
I made this today! It’s excellent!
Trying this recipe tonight, this is my first quinoa experience! 😉 I actually am all out if fresh carrots, do you think I could just use the bag of frozen peas and carrots that I have here and add it when I am supposed to add the peas?
That would absolutely work, just make sure to defrost the peas and carrots before, get most of the moisture out.
Thanks so much!
I have been on a health kick starting today. I am definately going to make this dish today with some curry chicken on the side. It’s nice to eat something other than rice. Thanks for the recipe!
I have been on a health kick starting today. I am definitely going to make this dish today with some curry chicken on the side. It’s nice to eat something other than rice. Thanks for the recipe!
What a great recipe! I’ve tried it out today – altered it slightly to suit me but totally inspired by this and cooked quinoa for the first today! Thank you for posting this! #quinoa #low_carb #protein
Veronica
Awesome! So happy you liked it!!
I love cooking with quinoa, and I had this idea that anything you could do with rice, you could do with quinoa. I was excited to find your recipe. I am going to make it tonight for supper.
Because hubby and I have both been told we need to “watch the carbs” I am on the lookout for more and more substitutes. Thanks for sharing this.
Hope you like it Lisa!
The flavor in this dish is amazing! The texture of the quinoa is great and I actually like it more than rice!
The only changes I made were omitting the carrots (I’m not a fan of them) and adding another egg because I wasn’t adding a protein and wanted it as a main dish.
For me, this produced 3 hearty servings. It reheats well so this is a good dish to make and eat throughout the week. As a busy college student, it’s the perfect kind of recipe for me!
A couple tips: Don’t omit the sesame oil. I know it seems like such a tiny amount but it adds a really important nuttiness. Also, make sure your ginger is very finely minced or even grated so you don’t encounter a random attack of ginger flavor (unless you like that! haha)
Delicious! Your recipe was easy to follow and produced great results. Thanks for sharing!
So glad you liked it Anne!!
What a great recipe. I fed this to my teenagers and they loved it!! Said it tasted like Yamato’s (huge compliment) I had to sub 1 small shallot for the onion/scallions because it was all I had. I used Tamari which is a high quality, Gluten free, low sodium soy sauce and added a couple dashes of Srirachi hot sauce. I’m packing it for their school lunches to keep them going for the after school sports!
So glad you liked it Rene!!!
I just have started a diet to help reduce my blood pressure and came across this recip. Never really heard of quinoa before. Tried this recipe last night and it was great. Thank you for sharing.
Glad you liked it Angelika!!
Very good, thanks for the idea! I used leftover multi-colored quinoa already cold from the fridge, olive oil, 1 small onion, 2 carrots, 2 green onions, 3 garlic cloves, NO eggs, spoonful of bottled ginger (it’s like pureed), frozen peas (not thawed – put in with carrots and onion), then added soy sauce + sesame oil + a tablespoon of coconut sugar (not terriyaki). Served with homemade orange chicken – really good! Even the kiddos liked it.
This recipe is AMAZING. I’m not a huge fan on quinoa by itself, but I love fried rice, and this is easy to do, especially with leftovers!! (Plus I had everything in the house already!) I followed everything, and it came out super tasty!
Awesome! So glad you like it Rachel!
I’m making this right now and I’m super excited to try it! I have never made quinoa before so my only complaint is that I’m a little bummed it didn’t say to cover the pot while it’s simmering and sitting because I don’t think my quinoa cooked all the way through because I never covered it. Other than that I’ve tasted it and it’s already yummy without the rest of the ingredients so I’m super excited. Thanks for sharing!
Seems like you have some great recipes here, but I will never return to your site, because you have oversold yourself in the website ads department. I can hardly navigate the site! How annoying. I understand, we’ve all gotta make a livin’, but I encourage the manager(s) of this site to pursue a more balanced approach in this area.
I’m sorry you feel that way Cat! I hope you change your mind and come back!
This looks good and I’m trying it tonight. However, remember that quinoa is a perfect protein so the additions of chicken, beef, or shrimp just aren’t necessary. It is a meal all on its own.
Have a great day!
This was really, really good! Tasted just like regular fried rice, but better!
I loved it! I always have extra quinoa, and it can be so bland by itself. I did use Braggs aminos instead of Soy Sauce, and Coconut Amnios instead of teriyaki…and I added left over chicken chopped. Delish!! My new fave.
We chose this as our first ever quinoa dish, and it came out excellent! So healthy and flavorful.
So glad you liked it Jim!
What is the benefit of leaving the quinoa overnight in the fridge?
You want it cold, as it helps with the texture of the fried rice. You don’t necessarily have to leave it overnight. You could make it up, then spread it on a baking sheet and pop it in the fridge until it’s cool!
Thanks!
I substituted quinoa for fried rice in stuffed peppers awhile back, and my health-food-hating S.O. didn’t know the difference. I wonder if it’ll work for fried rice?? Going to try it out! Thanks!
Definitely!
Yum. Perfection.
Made this a few times. Tasty, but the quinoa doesnt quite fry the way al dente rice does. You’ll see what I mean.
Patting the quinoa down in a paper towl or sieve cloth before you pop it the fridge helps a lot. So does a quick premeptive flash fry in the wok with a little sesame oil before you start the recipe.
Thanks for the idea.
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Excellent dish!!!
Just cooked it and I am eating it now..
Delicious!!!
Great recipe, will definitely make this again.
I’ve never commented on a recipe online before, but I just tried this and it was delicious!
I didn’t have teriyaki sauce, so I substituted with bulgogi sauce. I didn’t have peas, so I substituted with red bell pepper.
I added some sugar to the sauce and mixed it into the eggs before putting it into the quinoa well to scramble. Yum! Thanks for sharing!
So glad you liked it!
Did you change this recipe recently?? It’s a favorite of mine I’ve been making for a long time but I could have sworn there was teriyaki in the sauce and now it just says soy sauce. I’ve made this so many times but don’t remember the ratio!
Ahhh I did. I updated it recently, but I’ll change it back! It’s 1 1/2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce and 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce. Sorry!
I tried this and after I added He eggs everything became a big mush fest. I think I incorporated it into the quinoa too soon. I’ve got pictures!
Make sure the egg is actually scrambled people before mixing it in
Just made this and yum! Tastes just like fried rice only with quinoa instead. I didn’t have sesame oil so just used more Olive and it turned out fine. Also didn’t have the shallots so a bit of extra onion was added. I will remember this one. Thanks for sharing.
What would you serve with this? I was thinking of making it to take to a family with a new baby, and I wondered what I should take with it. I need something fairly simple and fast. Thank you!
Hi! What about these lettuce wraps?
Delicious! I added some extra vegetables but I’m sure it would have been very good without them, too. Hanifia
This sounds absolutely lovely! I do have a question though about the sauces. The recipe calls for mixing sesame oil and soy sauce in a small bowl, but that’s the only time that it is mentioned. Do I assume correctly that the soy sauce sesame oil mixture would be added with the teriyaki sauce? Thank you in advance for your response, as well as what looks like a very yummy recipe. Can’t wait to try it!
I forgot to pick up fresh ginger, so does anyone know if I could use ground ginger in this recipe?
That’s fine!
Nicole, it looks perfect and tasty! Can’t wait to have this anytime of the day, love it!
Nicole, it’s amazing! I just randomly found your blog looking for this recipe. Awesome! Good for you!
Add a splash of fish sauce & a squeeze of lime in place of teriyaki for Thai influence…😋😋😋
It does not have in the recipe where to add the teriyaki sauce. Please fix this.
This was a great way to use leftover quinoa. I used a lot more than recipe called for so I added more tamari and hoisin for flavor. In place of egg, I used scrambled tofu seasoned with kala nimak for an easy vegan version 🙂 I’m serving mine with vegan sweet and sour meatballs!