Quinoa Fried Rice is a wholesome, protein-packed twist on the takeout classic, loaded with chicken, vegetables, and savory soy-sesame flavor. It’s fast, colorful, and perfect for busy weeknights when you want something hearty but still healthy.
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Quinoa fried rice is the BEST fried rice!
Quinoa fried rice is a meal I made at least once a week for Ben and myself when we were first married. Then, I became distracted cooking other things (all 800+ of these healthy recipes perhaps?), and it fell off our usual rotation.
Last week, I was digging through our freezer (always an adventure) and found a big container of cooked quinoa I had stashed away. We also had a few straggler vegetables and a casual chicken breast hanging out in the refrigerator, awaiting their purpose.
Like finding $5 in a pair of jeans or a forgotten shirt hanging in the back of a closet, I felt the joy of rediscovering something I once loved.
This quinoa fried rice is essentially the same idea as regular fried rice (just replace the cooked rice with cooked quinoa), but nothing about it tastes “regular” at all. (If you prefer the idea of rice, try this Homemade Fried Rice recipe instead!)
5 Star Review
“This was so good and satisfying! I especially love how healthy it is. I will definitely be adding this into our rotation.”
— Aly —
Ingredients and Substitutions
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Olive Oil. You need a generous amount to get that crispy texture, so don’t skimp!
- Chicken Breasts. I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for ease of prep.
- Vegetables.A mix of cremini mushrooms, carrots, and bell pepper.
- Garlic and Ginger. Fresh (not dried!) are essential for that classic fried rice flavor.
- Eggs. Scrambled into small pieces for classic fried rice vibes.
- Cooked Cold Quinoa. Cold quinoa fries up best and develops lightly crispy edges.
- Soy Sauce. Use low-sodium to control the salt level or tamari for a gluten-free option.
- Toasted Sesame Oil. A finishing oil that adds rich, nutty flavor.
- Chili Garlic Sauce. Optional, for a little heat and extra flavor.
- Edamame. For extra protein!
- Green Onions. Brigs fresh, mild onion flavor and a bright finish.
TIP
For tips on how to achieve the perfect quinoa, check out How to Cook Quinoa.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Brown the Chicken (photo 1). Cook the chicken in olive oil until browned and cooked through. Remove from the skillet.
Soften the Veggies (photo 2). Sauté the mushrooms, carrots, and bell pepper until tender. Add garlic and ginger; cook briefly. Remove from skillet.
Add the Eggs (photo 3). Scramble the eggs in the same pan and set aside.
Toast the Quinoa (photo 4). Add more oil and cook the cold quinoa until toasted and golden.
Finish (photo 5). Stir in soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili garlic sauce. Return chicken, vegetables, eggs, and edamame to the pan. Stir in green onions, heat through, and adjust seasoning. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Paleo Fried Quinoa. Omit the edamame and use coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce.
- Shrimp Quinoa Fried Rice. Swap the chicken for peeled, deveined shrimp, a la my Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe.
- Switch Up the Veggies. Try broccoli, snap peas, zucchini, or corn. Pineapple is a good addition too!
What to Serve With Quinoa Fried Rice
- Stir Fries. Serve General Tso Tofu or this Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry alongside your fried quinoa.
- Asian Appetizers. I love these Air Fryer Egg Rolls, or try my Pork Dumplings.
Quinoa Fried “Rice” with Chicken and Vegetables
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Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 2 medium breasts)
- 8 ounces sliced baby bella cremini mushrooms
- 2 large carrots cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 1 large red yellow, or orange bell pepper cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 3 large eggs lightly beaten
- 2 ½ cups cooked COLD quinoa the colder, the better! I make mine in advance and refrigerate it
- 4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce plus additional to taste
- 1 ½ tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce Sambal Oelek, optional
- 1 cup frozen shelled edamame thawed
- 1 small bunch green onions thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet or wok over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken. Cook until the chicken is browned on all sides and cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove to a large bowl or plate and set aside. Pour out and discard any juices that have collected in the bottom of the skillet.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the mushrooms, carrots, and bell peppers. Toss to coat the vegetables in the oil, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are browned and the bell peppers and carrot are crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove the vegetables and any juices that have collected in the skillet to the plate with the chicken.
- Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add the beaten eggs and cook, using a spatula to constantly stir and break apart the eggs into small pieces. Remove the cooked eggs to the plate with the chicken and vegetables.
- Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet and increase the heat to high. Add in the quinoa and stir to coat it with the oil. Spread it into as flat of a layer as you can. Let it cook undisturbed until it’s toasted and golden on the bottom, about 1 to 2 minutes. With a large spatula, flip it in large sections so that fresh, uncooked portions are touching the bottom of the pan. Repeat cooking and flipping 1 to 2 more times, until it’s nicely toasted throughout.
- Stir in the soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili garlic sauce and stir until the quinoa is evenly coated. Add the chicken and vegetables along with any of the vegetable juices and edamame. Stir to combine. Stir in the green onions, then reduce the heat to low. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired (this will vary based on how salty your soy sauce is and how hot you like your stir fry; I usually dash on a bit more soy sauce and a little extra chili sauce). Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Rewarm gently in the microwave and season with a little extra soy sauce as desired.
- Freeze leftovers for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Good Afternoon Erin,
I place of the chicken can i use Jackfruit. I have a vegetarian in my home
Aimee, I’m not sure how jackfruit would taste in this—I haven’t cooked with it much, but I believe it’s similar to pork? You could try playing around with it or use the crispy tofu I mentioned in the blog post. You can also simply omit the chicken. The recipe is filling without thanks to the egg and edamame.
“which always seems to be 95% rice, 5% everything else”—couldn’t agree more! And yes please to sambal chilli and sesame oil! I think sambal belacan might work really well too, in place of the chilli garlic sauce! I could eat that by the spoonful ;)
Cindy, I am going to have to look for that too!!
Making this after work! Thank you so much, Erin! Looks so tasty!!!
I hope you love it Becky!!
Need to whip this up, stat.
Seriously LOVE this idea to use quinoa!!! I can’t believe I’ve never seen/heard of trying this before. I honestly don’t even care for rice that much, but love the nutty taste/texture of quinoa! Will definitely be trying :)
It’s so tasty in fried “rice!” I hope you enjoy it!
Oh my gosh! that looks delicious)
Made this last night. Added bok choy and omitted chicken since we are vegetarians. Hub who isn’t crazy about quinoa loved it. I will definitely be making this regularly. Thanks Erin.
I’m so glad to hear the recipe was a hit! Thanks so much for reporting back.
Delish! It is several steps, but it makes A TON of food so it’s worth it for the leftovers or for meal prep! Also, I’m lazy so I used a bag of frozen stir fry veggies and it was perfect :)
Love the frozen veggie shortcut Elaine! Thanks so much for sharing this fab review and enjoy the leftovers too! xo
I used brown rice because my husband does not like quinoa. It was really delicious and spicy. We loved it.
I’m glad it was a hit, Patty! Thanks for taking the time to report back!
This recipe is so good and so easy to make. For someone like me who does not cook a lot this made me very happy and is so tasty! I eat quinoa in place of rice due to a rice sensitivity and this will definitely become one of my favorites. Thank you!
Dior, thank you for taking the time to share this review! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it!
So good! I added a bag of bean sprouts and added a little soy sauce when my chicken was cooking and added some pepper and additional garlic powder it turned out soo good!
I’m so happy to hear that this was a hit, Felicia! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review!
My boyfriend and I expected to have leftovers of this but now we are just so happily full. Of note, I didn’t have the chili garlic sauce or soy sauce, so I substituted a general tsao’s sauce and siracha and added red pepper flakes. For veggies I used sugar snap peas, shredded carrots, and zucchini, and added in cashews. OMG delish, Thank You for sharing this delicious recipe! Def goin into the regular dinner rotation.
I just left the last review but forgot to make it 5 stars! Also, easy to mis-hit the 4 stars on a phone (to keep in mind for those under 5). Thanks again!
Thank you for sharing this kind review, Katy! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe!
This recipe was phenomenal! I had cold leftovers on a bed of greens w a little sesame oil and soy sauce. Amazing!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Dawn! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Absolutely loved this recipe. I used previously cooked chicken breast but otherwise followed the recipe to a T. However, I can imagine so many more options. The flavor was wonderful. I didn’t need to add anything else spice wise. Bravo!
Hi Joni! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This was so good and satisfying! I especially love how healthy it is. I will definitely be adding this into our rotation.
Hi Aly! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This was OUSTANDING! I accidentally made too much quinoa the other day and I needed a high protein meal for dinner. I didn’t have any fresh veggies so I used a frozen stir fry package and just fried them until all the water was gone. I even used canned edamame! It still came out amazing! It’s now a new member of my recipe book. With 26g protein, it really checks all of the boxes.
Hi Sam! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
So easy and yummy! I agree with adding a bit more chili sauce and soy sauce. I also added extra ginger. Hubby and I both loved this; a marvelous balance of meat & veggies to quinoa. Definitely a keeper and something we’ll make regularly.
Hi Nancee! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!