Little Quinoa Patties
These adorable little quinoa patties are so remarkably delicious, even the worst skeptic can be convinced to try them (and most likely love them). Promise.
Don’t disregard this post. Really, don’t! For all that is good and righteous about food, I promise you that I will not lead you astray with what you might consider crazy-people food (quinoa gets a bad rap in many conservative kitchens!).
If it makes you feel better about sticking around, I assure you I’m not crazy (well…that’s probably debatable overall but when it comes to food, I’m not crazy, pinkie swear!).
These adorable little quinoa patties are so remarkably delicious, even the worst skeptic can be convinced to try them (and most likely love them). Promise.
A beautiful, smart, witty reader, Melanie D., forwarded me the recipe and I was intrigued enough to try them almost immediately (ok, so I’ve never actually met Melanie in person but with a name like that, she’s gotta be pretty cool!).
I made them for my four rowdy little boys, my sister and her two little boys, and my mom.
With that many kids to please, I was expecting major groans and quite possibly gagging. But these little patties were gobbled up (smothered in ketchup and gobbled up but gobbled up nonetheless) without a shout of complaint.
In between shoving bites of them into my mouth in order to even get a taste before they were all snatched, I managed to be completely amazed, especially when my 8-year old loudly exclaimed, “I definitely want these for my birthday dinner!” Huh, what? Who is this kid and how did he get here?
In the interest of full disclosure, I set out to try these simply in an effort to incorporate more quinoa (a super healthy food we love in this and this already) into our diet. The salads are great but I wanted something a bit heartier and more savory.
I really didn’t even know if I would post these babies, but let me tell you, not only are these post-able but they are going into my “favorite file.”
I’m never going to go exclusively meatless, but I could totally see myself setting one of these patties on a bun in the place of a burger and being totally satisfied (dude, who am I and how did I get here?).
In the meantime, we’ll continue to enjoy them dipped in ketchup with lots of fresh fruits and veggies on the side!
What To Serve With This:
Tender Grilled Salmon or Maple Pecan Crusted Salmon
Vegetable Saute with Simple Cream Sauce or fresh, cut up veggies
Cranberry-Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip or Hot Chorizo and Cheese Dip with crackers or chips
One Year Ago: Pumpkin-Maple Hazelnut Bread
Two Years Ago: Classic Marinara Sauce
Three Years Ago: Blue Cheese and Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes
Little Quinoa Patties
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups cooked quinoa, room temperature
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 cup finely crushed saltine or Ritz crackers or bread crumbs, plus more if needed
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Combine the quinoa, eggs, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the parsley, cheese and garlic. Add the cracker or bread crumbs. Stir the mixture until combined. If the mixture seems overly wet, add a tablespoon or two more of cracker or bread crumbs. If it seems too dry, add a tablespoon or two of water or broth. Let it stand for about five minutes so the liquid can be somewhat absorbed. Take small handfuls of the mixture and form into little patties, about 1-inch thick, yielding about 11 or 12 patties.
- In a large, nonstick skillet, heat the tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until it is hot. Add a single layer of patties (about half of them if you are using a 12-inch skillet) and cook until the bottoms are well-browned, about 5-7 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning (or increase heat if the patties aren’t browning well). Flip the patties and cook about 5 minutes more until the second side is golden brown. Remove from the skillet and repeat with the remaining patties (adding a bit more olive oil, if needed). Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from a recipe a reader, Melanie D. sent me, originally from Whole Living
182 Comments on “Little Quinoa Patties”
I am thinking of making these as a side for my next dinner club- with remoulade sauce. I plan to grill a honey mustard pork tenderloin what do you think of this combination? Do you have other suggestions for sides to the pork? Thanks!
That combination sounds amazing!
My 16 year old said he “went in with low expectations” for this dinner but was pleasantly surprised. Next time I’ll add chopped red bell pepper and green onion. My son ate his with ketchup but I also made a remoulade sauce.
Without fail, my family (including my husband!) moans and groans when they hear we are having this for dinner. “Who likes quinoa?” “How do we even eat these?” And then dinner rolls around and they are delicious and everyone says things like, “Oh yeah, I forgot these are actually really good!” My son, who is pretty picky, eats more than one and my husband, who is anti-quinoa, eats at least three. These are so good and healthy, too! BELIEVE!
My patties are not as nicely formed. Do you have a gadget or just magic fingers? I’ve been making ham and broccoli quinoa patties for years and they are ugly but delicious.
Mine usually look quite rustic, too.
These are seriously like crack to me. I cannot stop thinking about them since I made them… I don’t even know how to describe how delicious they are. I’m going to make another batch and freeze them so I can have them whenever I want without having to actually work for them. I made mine into smaller patties (like chicken nugget sized) because I only have a relatively small nonstick pan, but tbh I love that size because they are supremely dippable (loving them in some garlic aioli). I definitely added about 1 and 1/4 cups of cracker crumbs, but my quinoa was pretty wet and it was an easy tweak. I’ve been heating the leftovers up in the oven, but honestly they’re good out of the fridge too for a quick snack. 10/10 stars.
I’ve made these patties numerous times in the past few years. Love ’em. Today, I doubled the recipe and was too lazy to form all the patties. So, I tried putting it into a 9×13 pan and baked for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, and it worked beautifully! Just remember to grease the pan or line it with parchment.
The absolute best and very versatile. Made a parmigiana dish using patties as the protein. Also great grab and go breakfast.
Delicious with dipping sauces!!
Has anyone tried these with an egg substitute? They look fantastic!
Tried these tonight cuz I was really feeling some quinoa and didn’t have the veggies for my other 2 favorite ways to eat quinoa, your Mediterranean quinoa salad and a broccoli quinoa Mac and cheese (cook your cup of quinoa in chicken broth like normal then mix in a cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, steamed broccoli, 1/4 cup of milk and 2 tbls butter) I make both of those quite often and not very many in my family like them so the leftovers are my lunch for most of a week, healthy, filling and delicious! And I don’t ever seem to get tired of them, they are that good! These patties were a fun way to have quinoa a different way! I really enjoyed them, I ran out of fresh garlic so used powdered and also dried parsley and they were still flavorful! Your recipes are what introduced me to quinoa and I’ve been obsessed ever since, thank you!
That quinoa “mac” and cheese sounds delicious!
Okay – I am getting ready to try these, but have a question about the recipe. Is the 2.5 cups of quinoa measured out once it’s already cooked, or does this mean 2.5 cups raw quinoa that is then cooked? I’m sure it expands as it cooks/absorbs the water (I would think it does anyway) – and I’m not sure which version of 2.5 cups I am supposed to use.
Hope this question even makes sense!!
Thanks.
Hi Amanda. It’s 2.5 cups of cooked quinoa.
I had this on my to try list for a long time and finally decided to make them. I regret waiting so long! I think this is now my favorite quick dinner or snack. I didn’t expect to love these so much. Not only do they taste amazing they are quick to make and the ingredients are simple items I always stock. That adds up to the perfect recipe in my book!
I did use dried parsley as I didn’t have fresh and it was still great. I’ll have to try fresh next time to compare. I also used pandora bread crumbs as that is what was in my cupboard. I like that this recipe is easy to adapt with what I have in my cupboard.
Any suggestions for making them gluten free? I can’t think of a cracker similar to a ritz that would be gluten free and the gf breadcrumbs are a bit sandlike 🙂
I’m honestly not sure since I’m not familiar with gluten-free cracker options. Is there a gluten free cereal (like rice krispies) that you could crush and use?
In place of breadcrumbs you can substitute ground flaxseed.
Lance gluten free crackers are like Ritz. It would be worth a try.
Would these be easily frozen for a quick lunch or dinner?
Yes, they freeze great (I freeze them after cooking).
I love this recipe! It is so much more tasty than it sounds/looks I have a picky 4 year old as well as a two year old and both will eat it. Also love that it is adaptable. We’ve made it without the parmesan before to make it dairy free for a dairy allergy and it is still awesome! Some of the family prefers it like a burger on a bun with cheese, and some prefer just to dip it in their favorite condiment (fry sauce or ketchup).
As I print off this recipe to share yet another time, I thought it might be time to thank you! I’d made this recipe a couple of times, then had a long series of illnesses. These little patties were the only thing that tasted good to me and i knew they wouldn’t comprise my already over burdened immune system. Now we are all hooked on this recipe! I quadruple and freeze! Thanks again!
Hi Jan – sorry you’ve been ill! But I’m glad these quinoa patties came to the rescue!
My go-to quick and easy lunch. Once a month I make a double batch, then freeze them 5 to a bag. Grab a bag a week for lunch at work, or a quick snack. Most excellent! Thanks for another great recipe Mel!
These were amazing, just like all of the recipes you post! We’re meat eaters, but I try to do vegetarian meals somewhat regularly. Everyone really liked these, even my extremely picky-pants 7-year-old who would live on a diet of crackers and applesauce if permitted. I used panko rather than crushed crackers and it worked perfectly. We had these with the corn and zucchini saute you included in your e-cookbook. It was a really yummy summer veggie meal that we all enjoyed.
Love meals like this!
We loved these! I made them a little larger – about hamburger patty size – and after frying them put them in a casserole dish with marinara sauce and provolone cheese. Baked it until it was heated through and the cheese was melty and Voila! Quinoa parmigiana! It was delicious.
I’ve made a recipe very similar to this for a few years and it is even better with a poached or fried egg with runny yolks on the top!
Has anyone calculated the weight watchers smart points for this or found some helpful substitutions for a calorie conscious version by any chance!?
I made these last night. They were a big hit! Thank you! This is only the second time I have tried quinoa in YEARS (the first time was last week when I tossed it in your creamy white chicken chili) because when I tried it years ago, I didn’t know that I should rinse it, and it was just weird. :-/ Thank you for the tip, and for the great recipes. I may just start putting quinoa in everything now. 🙂
Late to the comments, but I cooked these this weekend and served them with BasilPesto Aioli and they were incredible! My husband has put them on the favorite list. The aioli is from Stonewall kitchen, a New England thing, but it’s basically concentrate pesto and mayonnaise.
Yum, that aioli sounds amazing!
Hey Mel! I’m super stoked to try these, but I also have a super picky kid. She hasn’t even eaten chicken nuggets in months, but she does like ketchup – what do you think about kind of a fat fry shape? Would it hold up okay slightly smaller than a steak fry?
I think so! Just make sure the quinoa is pretty soft and if it’s falling apart, add a tablespoon or milk or other liquid.
Hi Mel, I’m excited to try these because you have never steered me wrong before, but I have never cooked (or eaten!) quinoa. Can I cook the quinoa in my instant pot? If so, any recommendations on how long? Thanks!
Hey Lindsay – I’ve made it mostly on the stovetop, but once or twice, I’ve made it in my Instant Pot. I cook on high pressure for 3 minutes, natural release.
Thank you!
I’ve been making these for several months now. My semi-vegetarian, picky 2.5 year has these for lunch at least 3-4 times a week. They freeze beautifully, and I’ve taken to freezing quinoa in 2.5 cup portions so I can whip up a batch in minutes. Thanks Mel!
I’ve started making these a few weeks ago to feed myself and my twin babies for breakfast… Delicious! I found in the frozen section “quinoa kale” that you microwave so j just use two bags of it in place of the quinoa and parsley and it turns out amazinng every time and saves me a ton of time throwing it together!! Thanks!
Hi Mel,
I just wanted to say that I love your blog and the great recipes you share! Quinoa is new to my family, and I also have some selective eaters – BUT – these were eaten & enjoyed by everyone! (Kids ages 5, 3 & 1, & my meat & potatoes loving husband!) We had them on little Hawaiian buns with ketchup. Thank you so much!
I think I have commented about these before. But they are so good! They are still one of the recipes from your blog that we make the most often. I love the recipe as written but I would love to see a variation if you have tried any other flavor combinations that you love. I made them tonight with hamburger buns from your French Bread Roll recipe (toasted the buns a bit after making them) – kind of like little sliders. So good. I could eat them every week. Thanks for the amazing recipes!
I am SUCH a dork. I made these tonight…. well I thought I did. I made them with Cous Cous instead! 😛 For the record, Cous Cous tasted good too. My 6 year old loved them because the Cous Cous really crisped up on the outside. My husband also loved them. However, when I was making them I kept thinking, ,man, these are a little hard to shape and kind of sticky. 😉
My husband, 2.5 year-old and I loved these tonight! I baked them at 400 for 15 mins on one side (probably could have done a bit less) and then 4mins on the other side. We’ll be freezing the leftovers and are looking forward to having them again. Thanks!
Would/do these freeze well? I’d love to keep some on hand for quick meals!
I’ve frozen them a time or two and I think they fare great in the freezer.
Great, thank you!
I just made these and they are spectacular!!! LOVE them, and so does the whole family. Little kids and all. Thank you!
I posted these on my blog today. I switched them up just a tad, but these are a real favorite in our vegetarian household and are our go-to “burger”. Thank you so so so much for the lovely recipe.
http://therareknife.blogspot.com/2015/06/quinoa-burgers-with-caramelized-onions.html
Made this for dinner tonight! Only I made it with broccoli and swiss cheese because that’s what I had. SO yummy and SO fun to make. Thanks Mel for another great recipe 🙂 I am a newly wed and I honestly get ALL of my recipes from you. My husband is especially grateful because everything I’ve made has been delicious. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
I made these last night, but used only 1.5 cups of cooked quinoa and 1 cup cooked, flaked salmon that needed to be used up. Delicious! Next time, I’ll go a bit lighter on the bread crumbs for this version. I served these with lemon dill Greek yogurt, and my toddler devoured them! I’ll definitely try the veg version in the future 🙂
About how much uncooked quinoa would yield the 2.5 cups of cooked quinoa? Thanks!
Usually quinoa doubles in volume so even if I get stuck with a little extra, I plan on using half the dry amount (in this case, it would be 1 1/4 cups dry quinoa).
My kids loves these. We dip them in ketchup, ranch, or BBQ. Always a hit!
Made these tonight and loved them! I actually made the really small, 1 TBS, and loved that they were 2 bite apps. This is my first time using quinoa but will not be my last.
These little nuggets of tastiness are awesome! Two patties and two pieces of string cheese are the perfect breakfast before hitting the gym for a workout–they’re light on the tummy and packed with protein. I’ll be making these at least once a week from here on out. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Sooo yummy Mel! They taste a little like fancy tater tots!
Yeah, a new strainer would have worked but I was too lazy and too cheap to buy one 😉
How do you rinse your quinoa? I have tried before and end up losing a bit of it down the drain while pouring off the water. Quinoa is too small for my strainer. I could leave some water in the bowl with the quinoa but that’d throw off my broth measurement?
Misty,
I forgot to rinse the quinoa the first time I made it. Second time I cooked it, I did pre-rinse and had the same problem you had. But, I couldn’t taste any difference so now I never rinse. Your broth measurement is not going to be thrown off appreciably any way since you are cooking the quinoa until the broth is gone. Just like cooking rice.
Misty – I use one of those fine mesh strainers – the holes are small enough the quinoa doesn’t fall through. Here’s an example:
http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CTG-00-3MS-Mesh-Strainers-Set/dp/B007TUQF9O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1408587349&sr=8-3&keywords=fine+mesh+strainer
I have been making these since they first appeared on this blog and fell in love them from the start. I earlier stated that I had tried them with different combinations of ingredients and stand by my remarks that this recipe was the best. I also stand by my remarks that these are the best thing to take on a road trip. Absolutely the best! I don’t like ketchup but that is the first dipping sauce I used with them and have found it to be the tastiest, really. Pack these, pack some boiled eggs with some celery salt and cracked pepper and you never need buy chips and dip anywhere. You won’t be sorry! Your tummy will thank you! Thank you, Mel!!
Great ideas, Terry – love the idea of taking these on our upcoming road trip!
You are wonderful! Your patties are wonderful. Have you ever tried the “under-cooked” hard boiled eggs featured in one of Martha’s picnics? They are hard boiled eggs with fully cooked whites and soft, almost runny yolks. To die for! And really easy. Can be found in the July 2012 issue of Martha Stewart Living article “The Good Earth”. You can boil them then peel them up to a week later and they are as perfect as the day you cooked them. Great with sea salt mixed 50/50 with celery seed. I’m going to fix them right now.
ohhhh….I am SO making these. TONIGHT
These look delicious! I can’t wait to try them with my two very picky children (who *should* at this point be outgrowing pickyness!)–but I have a question. One of my daughters has celiac disease. Any suggestions for how to sub out the cracker/breadcrumbs? Gluten-free baked goods just don’t provide the same softening/binding factor.
Kathryn – I’m not really familiar with gluten free crackers on the market but is there a gluten-free type saltine cracker or other gluten-free cracker you could use?
I bet you could also use gluten-free corn flakes (just pulse in a food processor or smash up in a plastic bag). You might have to add a bit of salt to taste. I use ground corn flakes in place of bread crumbs when I’m breading things, and it works well!
Thanks for the tip, Michelle!
I use almond flour in place of the cracker crumbs and they turn out great every time!
I sub crushed Rice Chex cereal for breadcrumbs all the time, works perfectly! 🙂
I tried these about a year and a half ago and fell in love with them. I’ve tried several variations and they were never quite as good. I’m coming back to these! They are great as a snack, great to take in the car on a long trip, great as breakfast, great as …..! I can’t stop eating them. You haven’t lived until you have eaten them warm with a poached egg on top.
I make these all the time too Terry and let me tell you, I’m making them again this week just so I can try one with a poached egg. Love that suggestion! Thank you!
My fabulous sister-in-law sent me this recipe. I just made these in the oven and I’m planning on freezing most of them. They are delicious! Thanks for posting!
Aria, At what temperature did you bake them in the oven?
Thanks!
Thank you for sharing your Quinoa Patty Recipe. We featured it on our blog this week! http://www.thehappygal.com/20-quinoa-recipes-love/
Just came across a recipe for broccoli cheddar bites on Closet Cooking and gave you rave reviews. I don’t know anything about netiquet so hope I’m not about to be arrested for not linking to your website (or visa-versa). Your patties still rule and I can’t go a week (or on a road trip) without them.
These are amazing! So glad you hyped them because I’m not sure I would have tried them otherwise. I’m only a little ashamed to say that I made the full amount and my husband and I ate almost the whole batch ourselves. Can’t wait to make them again!
Thanks for the great recipe! I’m curious if you always use fresh parsley? Have you ever tried it with dried parsley? If so, did you put only 1/8 cup dried parsley?
Thanks for all the great recipes. Keep them a comin’!
Denise – You could definitely use dried parsley although it will lessen the fresh flavor a bit – I’d probably just use a tablespoon of dried.
Melanie, this looks like another great recipe from you arsenal! Out of curiosity, do you use solely fresh parsley? Have you ever used dried parsley for this, and if so, do I adjust the 1/4 cup parsley to be less if it’s dried?
Thanks for all your great recipes!
Has anyone tried baking these? We love the baked quinoa broccoli and ham bites. The few times. Have tried making patties they fall apart so I feel skittish about making the patties. But quinoa is easy to work with so maybe I need to get over my fear and just do it. Grated carrot and zucchini would be good with these too. Or I am thinking you could shape it into a loaf and making a vegetarian meatloaf. My one year old gobbles up the broccoli and ham bites from your site!
Seriously love these! I know everyone is always amazed when their kids/hubbies eat things like this, and then proceed to tell you all about it…and I am no exception. They gobble them up like crazy…it’s awesome!
This is currently my kids favorite meal. It boggles my mind when I ask, “What do you want for dinner?” and they both answer, “Quinoa patties.” And then I ask would they rather have pizza or quinoa patties and the quinoa patties win! It’s enough to warm the heart I tell you. Thanks so much for all your awesome recipes. I appreciate so much all that you do! 🙂
I tried this last week and it was simply delicious, even my daughter (who is picky about what she eats these days) tried it and liked it. I made a small batch for lunch today and had it with a salad. I have replaced my white rice, and even brown rice with quinoa. I’ll be watching your site for more quinoa recipes. Thank you for sharing!
I tried this last week and it was simply delicious, even my daughter (who is picky about what she eats these days) tried it and liked it. I made a small batch for lunch today and had it with a salad. I have replaced my white rice, and even brown rice with quinoa. I;ll be watching your site for more quinoa recipes. Thank you for sharing!
can you leave cooked quinoa unrefridgerated?
Donna – probably for short period of time but I’d recommend refrigerating if longer than an hour.
Um. Awesome. My pickiest-kids-in-the-universe kids ate them. My mouth dropped open. We loved them. And I told my husband I will be making these forever more.
Thank you for providing a recipe that provided us with a peaceful, happy mealtime.
I tried these over a year ago and was blown away. After making them a couple of times I felt confident enough to make them without the recipe. Big mistake. I finally came back to the blog and fixed them exactly according to the recipe. Guess what!? They are as delicious as a remembered them. I now know to follow the recipe then add whatever I want. I just polished off a dozen of them. They are sooooooo good! I have a dozen left over for tomorrow. Yay for me!
yum made these last night and they were a big hit! thank you! do you think you could bake these? youre the best!
Hi Hillary – I haven’t tried baking them but many other quinoa recipes (like this) are baked so it should probably work if you play around with temp and time a bit.
I thought I would chime in to add to the praise for these guys…quinoa is a regular part of our diet, but these were seriously loved around here! I wasn’t so sure as I was putting them in the pan (the texture of my mix was odd??), but my 2 girls had polished off their first helpings before I even finished getting all of the dishes on the table. I served them with cucumber yogurt dip, and our family of 4 went through 10 patties in one sitting.
Best part, though, is that I just snatched up the last 2 and popped them in the oven with marinara and cheese on top, and I’m currently enjoying some really fantastic quinoa parmesan for lunch! So good. I’m planning to make a double batch to freeze so I can pull them out for quick meals…these are worth your time. They also kind of reminded me a little of falafel, so I might make some with mint and feta mixed in for a pita meal. I’ll report back if they work! Thanks, Mel!
This was my first time eating quinoa. Wow. It definitely won’t be my last! I cooked the quinoa in chicken broth in my rice cooker; it turned out perfect. My 9 month old (who eats everything) was in quinoa heaven 🙂 My two year old (who eats NOTHING except pancakes and your sweet and sour chicken- go figure) asked if they were chicken nuggets. I said, “they look like it don’t they.” and she proceeded to eat 1.5 of them — a straight up miracle. Thanks for the great recipe!
Ahhh, I finally got my hands on some quinoa (help with the pronunciation– the hubby and I disagree on that :-)) I, like you, live in a small town and can’t always find what i’m looking for when it comes to food…. I’ve been trying to find some ever since you posted these… months ago. Today was the big day, I cooked up a big batch of quinoa– in chicken broth — in my rice cooker — PERFECT cooking method for me, it came out just how I hoped it would. Then onto making these. I made them small ( just a little larger than a chicken nugget 🙂 ) Then proceeded to feed them to my 6 year old and his little friends that I’ve been tending… let me note here that the said 6 year old is for sure one of the pickiest kids I know– and he’s my 6th child.. He ate 3 dipped in bbq sauce and LOVED them, as did the other kids who dipped in ranch and ketchup… He asked me if they were chicken and I said, they are patties — you tell me if they taste like chicken :-0 I think he thought they did, he ate them and wow!!! I loved them too… this ones a keeper, and I love that I still have more quinoa recipes to try with the extra I cooked… next the black bean and mango salad. THANKS !!
Maureen – it makes 11-12 patties (like the recipe states) but how many that serves really depends on children vs. adults and appetites and also what you serve with it. If you are serving 6 adults, I’d double the recipe. If you are serving children, one batch would probably suffice.
How many does this serve? One patty per person? Three? Just trying to decide if I need to double this recipe to feed six people. Thanks!
Thanks for the recipe! We’re a mostly vegetarian household that generally doesn’t use TVP or tofu. These were a great solution for my dinner crunch!
Trying these tonight! Do you think the patties would be okay if frozen?
Sally – yes, I think so!
Hmmm…do you think these could be made with Panko?
Wow- these are amazing! I was looking for something to make with my leftover quinoa and I’m so glad I stumbled across this recipe. I predict I’ll be making these frequently in the future!
These are so delicious! I’ve made them twice now, and this last time I made some fococcia bread and made delicious little sandwiches. Mmmm, I am still thinking about them! Thank you for sharing!
Yum! These look good.
Quinoa is a staple in my house – I mix it with rice. In fact, my kids call rice quinoa. I cook it with rice in the rice cooker. It cooks in the same time, and uses the same amount of grain to water. I do 1/2 c. rice, 1/2 c. quinoa, and 2 c. water. I usually use white rice, but my friend uses it with brown rice in the rice cooker and it says it works great.
These were SOooo good! I substituted gluten free bread and crackers so my GF hubby could eat too. I didnt have any parsley so left that out and added a littlbit of some dried herbs. I also made some homemade olive hummus in case they were a little bland for us but no, they were delicious all on their own. Crispy, flavorful and healthy…what more could you ask for?! Oh and I also used red quinoa as that was what I had.
Mallory, probably not, but it doesn’t hurt to give it an extra rinse if you want.
If my quinoa says that it is pre-washed, do I still need to wash it?
these are sooooo good!! i love reading through your recipes and i am so glad i decided to make these. I made them twice in one week, and my husband loved them as well. Thank you!!
These have become a family favorite at our house:) We LOVE Quinoa bites:) I hope you are enjoying the north:)
Yum!!! I’ve made these twice in the last 2 weeks. The second time I made them twice as big and used them as hamburger patties. They worked great! Thanks for a wonderful vegetarian recipe!
Wow, these hit all 5 of what I look for in a recipe: Tasty, Kid-Friendly, healthy, Easy, cheap to make! Thank you for noting that you use the chicken broth instead of water to make the quinoa, it does add some flavor. Hurray for another fantastic recipe, thanks!
Er, that’s chopped onion, not opinion, LOL! (Embarrassed)
I went to the health food store and bought the quinoa on Saturday, just to make this recipe, and I cooked it and rinsed it very, very well. I keep bread crumbs in a jar all the time, made from my homemade bread, so that part was easy, and I added all the listed ingredients, nibbling a bit on a little of the beautiful parm (love). I made the patties, and added them to the skillet, and they browned beautifully. I was pumped. Couldn’t wait to taste them! Then I did, and Oh! OH! I was disappointed. I had added a little exta garlic, but they are a little flat for me. Hubs liked them but he slathered them with ketchup, and who can taste anything drowning in ketchup? I will maybe try again, but I’ll add some (or a lot) chopped opinion and some shredded carrot and shredded zucchini. And I think instead of chicken broth for cooking the quinoa, I’ll use that new Knorr vegetable stock that comes in little tubs because it is very, very flavorful. (Try cooking spaetzle in it some time – delish!) Possiblities exist here, but I want just a little more – oomph. A bit more complexity of flavor. So I might even add some chipotle Tabasco and really make life interesting. Thanks for the basics, though!
I made these last night and they were delicious! I did use Italian Panko instead of the crackers and used the full cup. I completely forgot to cook the Quinoa in chicken broth so I just used water but I felt the patties still had a lot of flavor with the fresh parsley, garlic and seasoning from the Panko. Earlier in the day I also made a Sriracha Ketchup and we dipped the patties in that – they paired well together! Thanks for sharing another quinoa recipe – I had only ever used it in vegetarian chilli before so it was nice to find another good recipe to use it in. I served mine with a salad and some roasted asparagus.
Hey crazy lady–could you please quit offending all of the crazies out there? As someone who is totally NOT crazy (haha!) these are fabulous!
Made these tonight and they were delicious- a hit all around! I ended up adding some caramelized onions and baked them in a mini-muffin pan at 350* for about 20-25 minutes because I was short on time. I can see myself making these again and again and adding all sorts of tasty ingredients – thanks for another winner!!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I made it the original way, and my husband loved it. Tonight I left out the parsley, and instead I put in 1/4 cup diced red pepper, 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, and two chopped green onions. I served them with baked butternut squash. WOW!!
Tonight I added caramelized onions and sautéed, chopped portabello mushrooms…mmm!
I am always trying find ways to incorporate quinoa in my meals…thanks, for the recipe.
I made a broccoli cheese version of these for my family the other night! They turned out amazing! Even my little guys tried them which is to say a lot! Thanks Mel!
Simply put, I’m in heaven! My belly is full, my boys are happy, and my brain is all abuzz with the possibilities that this simple recipe holds! Can we say BACON in breakfast version? Of course, there go the health benefits! Since I made far too much quinoa for the recipe, I’ll be experimenting!
You did it again! Thanks, Mel!
I really enjoyed these. From now on, whenever I make quinoa I will make sure to prepare enough so I can make these these babies, too. I added some chopped pickled jalapeno peppers to mine and they were excellent. Another great recipe……thanks!
Rebecca, these are pretty sturdy. I think they would hold up just fine.
How do you think these would hold up with a bit of marinara sauce and melted cheese on tiop? Like a quinoa parmesan? Do you think they would crumble and mush up?
Rachel – I served these with fresh fruit, vegetables and cottage cheese. Sounds simple, but it worked! They would be great with some type of bread, also.
These were nothing short of amazing. I have had my eye on them since spying the original recipe several months ago, but I hadn’t decided whether or not to make them until seeing you post this recipe. After trying lots of your recipes (and loving them), I knew if you liked them they were probably pretty good. I was totally blown away. The texture was awesome, the flavor was divine, they were simple to make and were great plain, or on a bun like a regular hamburger (ketchup + mustard + pickles). Thanks for the recipe, it’s definitely a keeper!
These are so yummy! I added thyme and mozzerella, and used Japanese bread crumbs (panko) instead. My meat loving husband LOVED these. Thanks for another awesome recipe!
Melanie, the first time I tried quinoa was in a hospital cafeteria of all places. They had stuffed a green pepper with quinoa, melted cheese and marinara sauce. It was so good I’ve craved it ever since. Would you please come up with a recipe for this? Everything you make tastes so good! Pretty please?
Delicious!!! I liked them best with a nice fresh slice of tomato. I felt like the meal was lacking…what would be some good dishes to go with these?
Delicious! I used mozzarella as I had no parmesan. The very picky kids loved them, and thus I love you. I am hoping you can supply some other veggie burger recipes.
I cooked some up when I made the gluten free switch and didn’t know how well they’d go over with the crew. I loved them, especially with some Greek cucumber sauce.
Great recipe!! Made these last night and we all loved them, including the 5 and 7 y.o. I even noticed belatedly that I only had 3 eggs so used 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce in place of that last egg and they were superb. (To the commenter, Sai, you might try applesauce (1 cup for 4 eggs) or a combo of applesauce and an egg replacer like . My littlest went the food allergy route and we used that for a time with fairly good success. Good luck!)
Anyway this recipe is second only to the pumpkin scones with white chips as tops! And yes, I’ve already baked 2 batches of those scones this fall! Mmmmmm… :-). Thanks for all the effort you put into the blog. It would take me a staff of 10 to keep it running! Ha.
I made these last night and they were delicious! These will go into our regular rotation and I can’t wait to make them with different variations. Thanks! Another winner!
Remarkably, as someone who only rarely uses quinoa, I happened to have just over two cups of the stuff leftover in the fridge. These were quick and easy to assemble, and my 11 month-old AND two year-old devoured them! Absolutely delicious. THANKS!
Made these tonight and they were delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Amber – Panko should work just fine…but I’d start with 3/4 cup since panko has a different texture than normal bread crumbs. The salt should be fine. If you are worried, add another 1/4 teaspoon or sprinkle a touch of salt over the cooked patties. Hope you like them!
So do you think I could use panko in place of the crackers? Would I need to add more salt? I’m making these for dinner tonight! Thanks Mel.
I’m making this tonight, I’m always looking for more ways to use quinoa!
Mel,
Almost deleted this before reading…glad I didn’t…they sound wonderful and I will make them this week.
Also, wish you wouldn’t have pandered to those who called you out because of your use of the terms, “crazy” etc. This is your blog and you need to post what you feel. These people think they are better than everyone because they think eating quinoa is “just so normal how could it be called crazy?” Well, I am sure they are smart enough to know that it IS something new that most of our society is just starting to try. I feel like they should realized this and keep their thoughts to themselves and enjoy the post for what it is. Now I will get off my soapbox.
Oh my goodness! So cool! I just hopped on to you site and saw this 🙂 I am so glad you tried them AND loved them! It’s funny because my 7 year old son wants these cold in his lunch…they are that kind of good! Oh, and beautiful, sweet, witty compliment…I am pretty sure that just goes for all Melanie’s 😉 Thank you again!!
Wow! I made these TONIGHT and they were great! Thanks so much for this recipe. I was out of ketchup so I whipped up my homemade tarter sauce recipe — oh my! Yummy with these patties. Thanks again … and blessings on finding a house soon.
I would love to try this for my daughter but she is allergic to eggs. Can you recommend a substitute for the eggs? I would love to try this recipe.
I wasn’t offended by the crazy comment–just wanted to say how excited I was to see the recipe!
As a side note, I am so impressed that you continue to blog (so frequently) such a great variety of recipes. My own blogs have greatly suffered with each additional child, and I think it’s fabulous that you are still going strong with your fifth baby, AND blogging from a hotel room! Hope you find a great house soon!
I made these tonight for dinner. They were great!
Thank you for this recipe. I bought a bag of quinoa recently, but hadn’t gotten over the hump to actually cook it and try it. Your recipe inspired me to try it tonight. We both really liked it. I see much more quinoa in our future! Thanks for blogging!
These look delicious! I was introduced to the awesomeness that is quinoa just last year, and I’ve been itching to try using it more! 🙂
Quinoa is sold at Winco Foods in bulk for cheap if you live in any of the West Coast states that have Winco.
I totally love that you take the time to respond to your reader’s questions and comments when possible. And, judging by the amount of comments in just this one post alone, you must have a large following. So many blog owners (small and large) never respond at all and I just wanted you to know this reader appreciates it. It’s nice to see the interaction. 🙂
@ Sarah – Brrrrr…. stay warm there in Minneapolis. I’m in Charlotte and we’re having our first cool snap today. A brisk 44 degrees right now and loving it.
Oh man. I LOVE quinoa and cannot wait to make these!
Yumyumyum!!!! I’m eating right now!
I thought your crazy comment was hilarious- like all of your posts. Which is 50% of why I come back (the other 50% is the food! 🙂 I can always count on you for a good laugh. I can’t wait to try these- we are always looking for a meat-free night entree. We love meat, but everything in moderation. I have fussy eaters too, so can’t wait to try this. Thanks!
P.S. Hope you are warming up this week and out of the hotel soon! We are in a suburb on the north side of Minneapolis/St. Paul and it’s getting mighty chilly here at night! 🙂
I just tried this for lunch for my almost two year old and myself. She is super picky, but I told her they were quinoa nuggets, like chicken nuggets… well she ate and loved it. Thanks for a healthy child friendly recipe… I really don’t know what I’d cook if I hadn’t discovered your site years ago!
We had these for lunch. I had cooked the quinoa in chicken stock with some granulated garlic and parsley added to the water. Didn’t have parmesan so I used Asiago cheese and some whole wheat bread crumbs from some artisan bread I had baked this morning…so they were more damp than dry. Also added some sausage seasoning….but, with the previously added salt, it was too much salt. Nevertheless, my husband ate three of them! Yay! Thanks for this recipe.
My brother-in-law makes quinoa burgers and makes a special sauce to go on them. DELICIOUS! I will be making these this week. PS I know just what you mean about people thinking you are crazy for eliminating processed foods. A lot of people think I am too anal. But I feel good about my decisions.
Things sound great. I’ve been making “cheesy quinoa bites” the past few weeks from some recipes I found online and tailored to how I liked them. We made them in mini muffin tins. My kids gobbled them up too. It’s a snack everyone can really enjoy. Thanks for sharing this – it will be fun to try a different variation.
On the dinner menu for tonight – perfect to try with all the kids and the hubby out of town. Jackson’s comment sold me!! Birthday dinner-requests HAVE to taste good!!
Quinoa and faro are my favorite grains and have been for years. Quinoa (in lieu of rice) is a great everyday food, while faro (or even wheatberry) is great for special salads. I’d never thought of using them this way, like a substitute for potato pancakes. What a great idea!
I have seen several different versions of quinoa patty recipes over the past few months but have yet to try them. I don’t know what is holding me back though; I love quinoa and we try to eat at least one meat free meal a week so these would be perfect for our meatless meal!
Still never tried quinoa and I think I need to soon! These look so delish!
These look yummy! I hope you and the family are doing well.
Whitney – I prefer these warm but I suppose you could test them out on your kids cold and if they like them, it would be a great lunch solution!
I can’t wait to make these! I’m wondering if these would be good to pack in the kids lunch boxes. Have you tried eating them cold?
OMG, Melanie – these look fabulous. My kids are picky and almost unwilling to try anything new no matter how much I try. But I’m going to give these a whirl. I’m with you – the more quinoa we can get into their diets the better we’ll be. (And they won’t eat the salads). Thank you!!
I hereby make the following vow: thanks to bloggers such as yourself I realize how important it is to vary one’s ingredients and broaden one’s culinary horizons with such things as quinoa, mung beans, and wheat berries; I WILL cook them 1/2 of the time minimum from now on.
I’m definitely putting these on my “to try” list. I have some quinoa in the cabinet. 🙂
Oh, I love this! I’ve been wanting to figure out a way to introduce Baguette to quinoa, and this seems like something she’d find interesting.
Rather than “crazy people” I believe you could have said “health-foodies”.
For those that have taken offense at my perspective on this post, let me assure you that the term “crazy” was used in a loving, endearing way. I apologize for apparently being politically incorrect in my reference to crazy people food but I didn’t mean it in a derogatory way. I have often been called crazy myself for eliminating processed foods and eating healthier, and to be honest, I take pride in being crazy that way. I have millions of readers; each are on a different place on the food spectrum, ranging from ultra-healthy to extremely processed. My point of this post was to convince those who have never tried quinoa or who really do think of it as “crazy-people food” that it isn’t crazy at all. For all of you who already love quinoa, well, to be honest, I didn’t tailor this post for you because I figured you would already be enticed by the recipe. Enjoy the recipe, either way!
What is the ratio of dry quinoa and broth that you use to get 2 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa?
Lindsay – the ration is 1:2 (so 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups water). Keep in mind that one cup of dry quinoa will yield about 3 cups cooked.
I would truly love to see more dishes like this on your site–I love your recipes, but my family is definitely more along the quinoa spectrum than the meat-lovers. Please keep the whole foods and meatless options coming! 🙂
I am quite surprised the way you presented these; quinoa is amazing, why would you be apologetic rather than positive sharing this? They sound delicious::thank you for sharing the recipe.
I just tried quinoa for the first time, but in a casserole with egg,shredded zucchini, cheese and ham. It was delicious! I will be sure to try this.
I have never heard of Quinoa, so I’m learning something new this morning. Do regular grocery stores carry it? Would some chives be good in this? What a testimonial if your little 8-year-old loves them — that’s a pretty good indication they are pretty fantastic!
AHOP – yes, most grocery stores carry it although you can get more bang for your buck buying it from a place like Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods, if you have one close. I’ve found that Costco carries large bags of it, too. And yes, chives would be delicious in these patties.
PS can anyone suggest a website where I can find a conversion from cups to grams????? I’ve found different weights!!!!!!!
Disregard this post?!? Are you kidding! It looks amazing! Always looking for a way to slip a meatless meal in to the routine! Thanks!!!
I definitively will try these. I have an unopened bag of quinoa and if your 8 year old loves it, that´s really a good sign! That comment should be framed
I’ll definitely give them a try!!!!
I’m in love with quinoa patties! They’re so much more delicious than they look!
Yum! I love quinoa, and I am always looking for more ways to serve it. These perfect, crunchy little patties remind me of potato cakes, only SO much healthier for you! This is a must try recipe for me. Thanks for sharing Melanie and Melanie! 😉