If you haven’t seen my Crispy Quinoa already, let me just tell you I am obsessed. It’s such an easy (and delicious) way to add extra protein to a meal. It is exactly what I’m looking for when I want some crunch, and it is SO fun and versatile.
Crispy quinoa is perfect for putting on salads, under proteins, on top of soups, and you can even make it sweet and serve with breakfast. It’s one of my most riffable recipes, so I felt it was time it deserved its own post! Read on for how to use it and tweak it to make it your own.
Table of contents
What is crispy quinoa?
Crispy quinoa is where you take cooked quinoa, drizzle it with a bit of oil (which is integral for the crisping process) and roast it until it is golden and crispy. This method of quinoa can be made either savory or sweet, and you can mix and match dozens of flavor combinations.
The quinoa gets light and crispy almost like corn nuts, but with an extra layer of protein that you can’t pass up. It’s absolutely one of my favorite ways to eat quinoa.
Ingredients to make crispy quinoa
Here are the basics for making crispy quinoa:
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 2 tablespoons good olive oil, or your oil of choice, see below for other options
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, use half if using Morton’s
Oils I love using
I love using different kinds of oils for different flavor variations. You can see a chili oil infused crispy quinoa in the image below. Here are a few of my favorite olive oils that you can use, too:
- An herb infused olive oil – think basil oil or parsley oil, either will give you a bright green quinoa and a delicious flavor!
- Garlic oil – a great way to use up any leftovers from garlic confit!
- Chili oil – this can either be Italian chili oil, Sichuan chili oil, really any bright-red, spicy oil that you have in your pantry!
- If you just want a different neutral oil, feel free to swap olive oil with avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or really any oil you like.
Flavoring “finisher” ideas
Now this is totally optional, but I love adding a little “extra” to my crispy quinoa. I typically add these in the last rounds of cooking (I cook and toss the quinoa in three rounds, see the recipe box below for details!) and they always add an extra layer of flavor that I’m looking for. Here are some of my favorites:
- Za’atar seasoning – it can’t be beat on a crispy quinoa
- Any spices you prefer really – coriander, cumin, oregano? Everything is fair game!
- Fresh herbs like rosemary and sage – just make sure they get a bit of oil on them!
- Fig balsamic glaze – toss well to coat and watch it crisp with the rest of the quinoa
- Hot honey – same as the balsamic glaze, a light drizzle is so good!
- Lemon juice – for either sweet or savory variations
- Maple syrup – if you want it sweet and sweet only
- Cinnamon and baking spices – for extra cozy crispy quinoa 🙂
Serving suggestions
Think of crispy quinoa as a blank flavor canvas – you can throw it on just about anything and it instantly makes it better. I love it over roasted vegetables, proteins like salmon, sprinkled on salads instead of croutons, or layered into grain bowls for extra texture. It’s also so good on eggs (fried, jammy, soft scramble—you name it), or even over avocado toast with a little chili oil. For sweet options, try it on yogurt, oatmeal, or even ice cream for a crunchy moment. I also fully support eating it on its own as snack throughout the week (or just straight from the baking sheet).
What other grains can you make crispy?
Some other grains I love crisping up are farro, bulgur wheat, spelt, and even brown rice! Note that quinoa remains the “fluffiest” out of all of these grains, but if you are looking to mix it up and choose a different vehicle, those are some of my favorites!
I will note that rice tends to “puff” like popcorn (it’s kind of cool!) So if you go the brown rice route, prep for some popping!
Watch the video here:
Looking for ways to use this crispy quinoa?
Add it as a topping or a side to any of these recipes and you’ll have an amazing dish on your hands:
Gochjang Butter Salmon
Baked Kale Salad with Crispy Quinoa
Brussel Sprout Salad with Anchovy Tahini & Za’atar Chickpeas
Seared Plums & Cinnamon Quinoa
And that’s everything for how to make crispy quinoa!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, see blog post for variations!
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, use half if using Morton's
Optional finishers
- 1 tablespoon "finishing" additions, see blog post for variations, this can be hot honey, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, fig balsamic, anything you'd like!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Spread 1 cup of cooked quinoa evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet. Try to make it all in one layer, with no pieces on top of each other.
- Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt to taste. Mix with your hands to coat.
- Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. At the last 10 minute mark, add your finishing additions and toss to coat. Bake until the quinoa is golden brown and crispy.
- Serve as a topping, serve as a side dish, or serve as a snack!
Comments
I’m already in love with dark chocolate quinoa pops so very excited to add this to savory meals. What’s the best way to store it to maintain crunchiness and how long does it keep for?
The best part about this recipe is the crunchiness keeps on its own! I like to put it in an airtight container and store in the fridge until I need it, it will last up to a week!
Yesssss! Definitely will try. Think this method would also work to make crispy farro? I farro.
Thanks!
Oops! That’ll teach me to Jump to Recipe. I went back and read the whole post. Thank you!
So I made these with your Brussels sprouts salad and it was the hit of the holiday party. You even beat out the prosciutto! Honestly I will have crispy quinoa on hand for all of my salads because I’m a real girl and love a crunch. Thanks for all you do
I’m so glad you’re also a fan!! Thank you for taking the time to leave this comment and review <33
First try my quinoa was more chewy than crispy. Followed directions to a T and baked for 30 min stirring in between. Turned a beautiful golden brown but just ended up chewy and not at all crispy… Do you think I should have left it in the oven for a little longer? I feel like it was on the verge of burning. Any suggestions?
Thanks
Hello! My big tip would be to split them into two baking sheets next time. The more room the quinoa has to spread out, the easier it is for it to crisp up. If there is too much quinoa on the pan, then they will start to “steam” instead of crisp. If that doesn’t help, a bit more oil is the next thing I would do to troubleshoot!
I’m not sure these are going to make it till dinner!!
HOT HONEY for the win! I really don’t love quinoa but I love it crispy. Thanks!
THE BEST! I’m so glad you liked it!
Leave a Comment
Made this recipe? Tell me all your thoughts or if you’ve got any questions!