Quinoa fritters, quinoa patties or quinoa cakes, whatever you call them, we love these crispy little guys!

Have you ever compared brown rice to quinoa nutritionally? It’s pretty crazy how different they are. Just the protein in quinoa alone is reason to choose quinoa every time. I love to make a big batch of quinoa just for the leftovers for lunch the next day. A great way to use up leftover quinoa is to make these quinoa fritters. Why do I giggle every time I say the word “fritters”? – I feel like I need a Country Cousin accent or something 🙂 Whatever you call them: quinoa cakes, quinoa fritters or quinoa fritters, they are so good.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup dry quinoa
3 cups chicken stock
4 eggs, whisked together
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped and steamed
1/2 yellow onion, diced and sautéed
2 medium carrots, grated fine
1/2 cup Parmesan, finely grated
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons oil for frying

How to make Quinoa Cakes:

To start rinse the dry quinoa under water. In a medium sized stock pot add the quinoa and the chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Once fully cooked, remove from heat and fluff with a fork and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, steamed broccoli florets, grated carrots, sautéed onions, grated cheese, whisked eggs, salt and pepper. Mix together to combine.
In a large skillet set to medium high heat. Add the oil to the hot skillet.
Using a 1/4 measuring cup, scoop out the quinoa mixture and carefully place into the pan. Add three more portions of the quinoa mixture.
Cook the fritters for about 3 minutes and then carefully flip them over to cook on the other side for an additional 3 minutes. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment or a paper towel.
Repeat the cooking method with the remaining quinoa mixture. Add more oil or butter to the pan as needed.
Serve with homemade ranch dressing, mayo or your favorite hot sauce.

What are quinoa fritters?

Sometimes called Quinoa patties, Quinoa Cakes or Quinoa Fritters. These are basically small portions of cooked quinoa formed into a disc shape. Mixed with whisked eggs and other additional vegetables, seasoned with salt and pepper and fried in a skillet until the eggs are cooked through and hold the little “cakes” together.

Why quinoa?

Quinoa is a great source of protein, fiber and iron. It is also gluten free. We love to make a big batch and add it to salads or soups. It’s a great alternative to brown rice.

Can you freeze cooked quinoa?

Yes! Cooked quinoa is a great thing to freeze to enjoy on busy nights when you have less time to cook and prepare food. These quinoa cakes are also perfect for freezing. Make a double batch and enjoy some later.

How to freeze:

Freeze them flat on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Once in the freezer for 2 hours, transfer to freezer safe plastic bag or a plastic container with tight fitting lid. They will keep frozen in the fridge for up to two months.
When ready to warm up add: microwave for 1-2 minutes until hot. They won’t be as crispy as they were before freezing, but they still taste delicious.

Variations:

There are so many different ways to make quinoa fritters. These little fritters are perfect for using up leftovers from the night before. Say you have leftover cooked veggies, leftover cooked quinoa, rotisserie chicken, etc…make Quinoa Cakes! We’ve made these with:

mushrooms
frozen peas
frozen corn
grated zucchini
grated carrots or diced cooked carrots
diced cooked celery
sauteed onions
cooked rotisserie chicken
grated white cheese: parmesan, myzithra or mozzarella
garlic

Serve Quinoa Fritters with:

Serve these fritters with a side salad or add to your favorite soup. Serve them with a fried egg (so good!) We also love them with ranch dressing, mayo or sriracha hot sauce.

Quinoa Fritters

Crispy little Quinoa Cakes make a great meatless meal that is high in protein, fiber and iron.

Author Kami | NoBiggie.net

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup dry quinoa
3 cups chicken stock
4 eggs whisked together
1 cup broccoli florets chopped and steamed
1/2 yellow onion diced and sautéed
2 medium carrots grated fine
1/2 cup Parmesan finely grated
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons oil for frying

Instructions

To start rinse the dry quinoa under water. In a medium sized stock pot add the quinoa and the chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Once fully cooked, remove from heat and fluff with a fork and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, steamed broccoli florets, grated carrots, sautéed onions, grated cheese, whisked eggs, salt and pepper. Mix together to combine.
In a large skillet set to medium high heat. Add the oil to the hot skillet.
Using a 1/4 measuring cup, scoop out the quinoa mixture and carefully place into the pan. Add three more portions of the quinoa mixture.
Cook the fritters for about 3 minutes and then carefully flip them over to cook on the other side for an additional 3 minutes. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment or a paper towel.
Repeat the cooking method with the remaining quinoa mixture. Add more oil or butter to the pan as needed.
Serve with homemade ranch dressing, mayo or your favorite hot sauce.

Making This Recipe? Tag us on Instagram: @NoBiggie using the hashtag #NoBiggieRecipes, so we can see what you are making in the kitchen!

Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram for more NoBiggie content.

If you make this recipe, please let me know!
-Using the star icons below: RATE and COMMENT… I would love to hear your experience. Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe with your comment.
-If you take a photo… and share it, tag me on instagram @nobiggie with the hashtag: #nobiggierecipes. I’d love to share!

Do I need to rinse quinoa?

Yes! We are big fans of rinsing things like rice and quinoa before cooking. Rinsing the dry quinoa is the best way to remove any debris like factory dust or impurities. A quick rinse under the water or a soak for a few minutes is all that is needed to wash them off.

Re-heat:

These quinoa cakes make a great lunch the next day. You can warm up for a few minutes in the microwave. You can also choose to keep the uncooked quinoa mixture in a covered bowl for a few days in the fridge and cook on a skillet when ready.