How to make Crispy Quinoa

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 am looking for when I want some crunch, and it is SO fun and so 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 with breakfast. It’s one of my most riff-able 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.

What is crispy quinoa and how can I use it?

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.

Think of crispy quinoa as a blank flavor canvas, and you can add it to every meal. I love adding sweet crispy quinoa to breakfast bowls, throwing savory quinoa on top of soups or salads, or even using it as a snack to crunch on throughout the week.

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 tbsp good olive oil, or your oil of choice see blog post for variations!
• 1/2 tsp 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!

Flavoring “finishers” I love using

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 🙂

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!

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:

Watch the video here:

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