Crispy Quinoa (2 ways)

It's easy to make this crispy quinoa recipe in the oven or the air fryer! We are obsessed with the golden, nutty grains sprinkled on everything from salads and soups to yogurt and pasta. Plus quinoa is gluten free, high in protein, and totally vegan!

If you've watched Beat Bobby Flay, I'm sure you've heard of his famous crispy rice. Well, let me introduce you to its closest cousin: CRISPY QUINOA! It tastes incredible, is simple to make, plus it's super healthy, a great source of plant protein, gluten free, adds incredible texture and crunch and takes on any flavor (savory or sweet).

But don't stop there! Along with crispy rice and crispy quinoa, there's crispy couscous and crispy lentils (my favorite!) and all are easy, tasty, healthy, and delicious!

What is Crispy Quinoa?

Crispy quinoa is just cooked quinoa tossed with a splash of olive oil (to bump up the crispy texture) and a sprinkle of seasonings (sweet or savory) to bump up the flavor.

Roasting or toasting quinoa brings out the nutty, toasty flavor. But one of the best things is the texture, it's chewy with crispy, crunchy bits throughout.

Ingredients for Crispy Quinoa

• Cooked quinoa: Use any color quinoa ie. white, red or tri colored.
• Olive oil / butter: I like a combination of fruity EVOO and salted dairy free butter/margarine.
• Salt: Cooked quinoa is a blank slate, so adding a sprinkle or two of salt will wake up any flavors you add to it.
• Optional seasonings: A pinch of garlic powder, onion powder, hot sauce, etc.

Best Quinoa Flavor Ideas

My family likes our crispy quinoa pretty simple, the spicy option below is our go to. I think the flavor you choose will depend on what you are serving it with. Here's a few ideas:

• spicy: 1 -2 tablespoons sambal oelek, sriracha, buffalo or your favorite hot sauce stirred in with the olive oil and salt.
• sweet: Cinnamon, chai or pumpkin spice would be nice on a breakfast parfait.
• savory: Taco seasoning, curry, BBQ seasoning, Italian seasoning, harissa, etc.
• oil options: Try a flavored oil like chili oil, herb infused oil or garlic oil to switch up the flavor profile.

How to Make Crispy Quinoa (2 ways!)

I love the ease of oven baking or air frying quinoa to make it crispy, here's the simple steps:

1. Cook and cool the quinoa: Use leftover quinoa if you have it OR make it fresh following this recipe - How to Cook Quinoa (2 ways!). The recipe includes lots of tips for making fluffy quinoa, rinsing quinoa, water:quinoa ratios, etc. Basically you're just going to add the quinoa and water to a pot, bring it to a boil, turn the heat down, add the lid and that's it. Let it cool, fluffy and it's ready to go.

2. To make quinoa using the oven method: Preheat the oven to 400° F. Pile ~3 cups cooled, cooked quinoa onto a rimmed sheet pan. Sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil / melted butter, ¼ teaspoon salt, and any seasonings of choice - toss to coat. Spread out into a thin layer. Roast the quinoa for ~20-30 minutes until desired level of crispness, stirring once or twice for even cooking.

3. To make quinoa using the air fryer method: Toss the quinoa with the oil, melted butter and seasonings then transfer to a preheated 400º F air fryer. Press the quinoa down so it's compacted. Cook until crispy and golden around the edges (~8-11 minutes) flipping the quinoa halfway through.

Tips

This crispy quinoa is a foolproof recipe; but just incase, here's a few tips:

• Leftover quinoa: If you have leftover cooked quinoa from making easy quinoa chickpea salad or quinoa cauliflower meatballs, this is a great recipe for using up the leftover quinoa.
• Frozen quinoa: When I make a batch of quinoa, I typically double or triple the recipe then freeze the extras in 1 or 2 cup portions.
• Butter or oil?: I like to add a combination of melted vegan butter (for flavor) and olive oil. Feel free to add as much or little oil/butter and in any combination you prefer.
• How crunchy is it?: You decide the level of crunchiness, the longer you cook the quinoa, the crisper it will become. In the oven or the air fryer, the quinoa on the outer edges cooks faster so be sure to stir it periodically (or shake the basket).

Ways to Use Crispy Quinoa

Our favorite way to eat light, crispy quinoa is on a big Harvest Salad, but there are sooo many other ways to enjoy it:

• as a healthy snack!: I eat crispy quinoa by the spoonful, but it's fantastic sprinkled on peanut butter toast or avocado toast for a high protein and fiber rich, nourishing snack!
• crunchy topping: A great way to add texture and crunch to roasted tomato soup and the perfect topper for salads instead of croutons (great choice for gluten free diets!)
• yogurt parfait: Start your day off right with a sprinkle of high protein crispy quinoa instead of (or along with) vegan granola clusters on yogurt with berries.
• instead of breadcrumbs: Sprinkle over vegan mac and cheese and pasta dishes.
• baked potato topper: Bump up the texture on stuffed baked potatoes and black bean stuffed sweet potatoes.
• veggies: Crunchy garnish for your Thanksgiving Brussel sprouts, green bean casserole, grilled veggies or carrots with crispy quinoa.

How to Store

• Room temperature: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
• Fridge: Store the quinoa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a few weeks.
• Freezer: Freeze any leftover crispy quinoa in a zip top bag for several months. When ready to serve, reheat in the air fryer or toaster oven to heat through and re-crisp.