25 Quinoa Recipes That Will Have You Excited to Eat Whole Grains for Every Meal

If rice pilaf is a go-to side dish for you, try swapping it with this fiber-rich quinoa recipe. This easy healthy side is packed with fresh veggies including mushrooms, onions, kale or spinach, and zucchini. Serve with cooked chicken breast for a quick and healthy meal.

A chilled soup like this one is perfect for warm days when you don't feel like heating up the kitchen while cooking. Enjoy fresh flavors in this gazpacho containing added protein and fiber from quinoa and a juicy boost from ripe summer fruit. This quinoa dish will be a great addition to your summer menu.

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This nutrient-packed quinoa recipe picks up hints of ginger, lime, garlic, and sweet cherries. The homemade honey vinaigrette is so good, you might even want to make extra to keep on hand for all your salads. When cooking quinoa, make sure to rinse it first through a fine-mesh sieve. Quinoa contains a natural coating called saponin, which can often give a soapy or bitter taste.

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Who needs crust? All the pizza fans in the house will adore this healthier take on pizza. Here our Test Kitchen made an incredible one-pot meal that starts by cooking the quinoa on the stove. From there, the casserole gets topped with cheese and baked until it's bubbly and delicious.

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This easy quinoa recipe takes our favorite stir-fry method for making fried rice and applies it to quinoa with amazing Mediterranean flavors. Four veggies and nutritious quinoa fuel you with all the healthy things. Kalamata olives and tangy feta add bold flavors and a feeling of indulgence to the dish.

Related: Your Complete Guide to Cooking Grains in Your Slow Cooker, Instant Pot, or Stove Top

Those tiny legumes often enjoyed for luck at the start of a new year are an excellent choice for adding fiber and vitamin A to your meal. Whip up this quinoa salad recipe and store it up to 24 hours before enjoying. Once it's time to eat, gently stir in some avocado for a creamy bite.

Related: 25 Recipes to Save for That Moment Your Avocados Are Perfectly Ripe

Cozy up with this healthy casserole recipe that also happens to be meat free. All of your favorite Greek flavors (feta, oregano, olives, and onion) join forces with lentils and quinoa to make a comforting yet light Mediterranean recipe. Top with pita chips, tomatoes, olives, and fresh oregano for a burst of color and flavor.

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Ready for a stick-to-your-ribs quinoa recipe? Dive into this colorful quinoa stew studded with spicy Italian sausage and colorful bell peppers. Oh, and it's a slow-cooker recipe so all you'll have to do is dump in the ingredients and enjoy your delicious quinoa dinner in a few hours.

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A complex flavor profile need not take all night to create. In fact, 25 minutes of prep is all you need for this fancy-looking quinoa recipe. Start with quinoa as a base, and add tender, earthy beets; sweet mandarin oranges; and fragrant fennel.

Related: 19 Dump Dinner Recipes for Easy Slow Cooker Dinners

For anyone trying to eat more plant-based these days, this is the protein-packed vegan recipe for you. In just 45 minutes, you'll have four hearty servings of a one-bowl meal that contains a whopping 25 grams of plant-based protein. The tempeh (fermented soybean cake) is the "meat" stand-in here and it gets deliciously crisp and flavorful in a skillet with garlic and peanuts.

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Yep, quinoa can be turned into a crunchy treat, too. (You can even pop it like popcorn!) Pumpkin seeds, almonds, and oats come together in this tasty quinoa granola. It's a delicious, protein-packed snack all on its own, or try it with sliced fruit and milk or yogurt as a satisfying breakfast option.

Trying to eat better? Swap chicken and rice with this chicken dinner recipe. Artichokes, carrots, and olives give this healthy chicken quinoa recipe a little Mediterranean flair. To get the most flavor from the chicken breast, it starts with a quick sear in a skillet and is finished by baking in the oven.

Related: 30-Minute Healthy Chicken Recipes to Break Your Dinner Rut

Savory, sweet, and with a hit of spice from chile peppers, this quinoa salad is great for summer picnics, barbecues, or simple dinners. Bonus: It's packed with protein! Wear plastic or rubber gloves when cutting the peppers to avoid contact with the oils in them that can irritate your skin. If your bare hands do touch the chile peppers, wash your hands well with soap and water.

It's not often the words "healthy" and "cupcakes" are used in the same sentence. So what's the secret? Quinoa, applesauce, and zucchini bring a healthy twist to these tasty cupcakes. If you're more of a chocolate fan, take a browse through our roundup of healthy chocolate recipes.

If you're looking for a fresh dinner idea, try this amazing quinoa bowl recipe. Giving tuna a quick sear on the grill will add a delicious flavor to your meal. And as weird as it sounds, it's important to give the kale a good massage to allow it to get nice and tender for eating.

Crispy on the outside, soft and flavorful on the inside, these vegetarian quinoa patties feature bold flavor from fresh herbs and a touch of cayenne. To save prep time, prepare the ingredients using a food processor. They're delicious to eat as-is, but we like creating a hearty salad with them.

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The best part about cooking quinoa in your pressure cooker is that it cooks super fast. With only one minute under pressure, you'll have perfectly cooked quinoa for breakfast. The quick-cooking grain gets an oatmeal-like treatment here with fresh or frozen peaches, vanilla, and a touch of cream. It's lick-the-bowl-clean good.

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Roasted beets and garlic combine with fluffy cooked quinoa and a sprinkling of chives to create a unique and hearty side dish that you'll want to pin or keep in your recipe box. A bit of crumbled feta or ricotta salata will add a nice tangy finish. If you're new to cooking with beets, use our Test Kitchen's tips for roasting them to perfection.

Related: 10 Fast and Healthy Whole Grain Side Dishes to Serve with Dinner Tonight

With four stars and more than 100 reviews, this might be one of our best quinoa recipes ever. Fresh vegetables, creamy avocados, and savory feta cheese team up with quinoa for a quick quinoa recipe that can work for a vegetarian main dish or side. Brush avocado slices with additional lemon juice to prevent browning.

Corn, beets, and fresh herbs take center stage in this easy quinoa recipe. The brightly flavored lemon dressing makes it light and refreshing. The chickpeas add a nice boost of plant-based protein. If it's summer and you've got fresh corn on the cob, put those golden kernels to good use here. Of course, you can easily use frozen corn when fresh is out of season.

Spatchcocking chicken is a process that involves removing the backbone of the chicken, making an impressive display for your main course. Here a unique pepper-and-orange marinade gives this spiced spatchcock chicken its bold flavor. Pair with a tropical mango- and black bean-studded quinoa salad for a complete (and totally delicious!) Mexican-inspired meal.

Simple cooked quinoa gets a jolt of smoky heat from chipotle pepper and a fresh burst from cilantro. A fresh kale and bean salad and adobo-rubbed chicken round out this healthy quinoa recipe. Top with a dollop of sour cream to give it a smooth, tangy bite (and to tame the heat a bit).

Start your day with a protein-packed bowl of sweet and creamy quinoa. You can use any berry that you have on hand, though fresh strawberries compliment nutty quinoa especially well. Substitute the half-and-half in this recipe for coconut milk or another plant-based alternative for a nondairy option.

If you want an easy quinoa recipe that's loaded with bright flavor, look no further. Put your fresh mint and summer squash from the garden to good use in this delicious quinoa salad for an easy side that will pair well with your outdoor cookouts. It would make a fabulous accompaniment to your favorite grilled pork or grilled chicken recipes.

This simple quinoa salad is tossed with a honey, lemon, and oregano dressing and topped with thinly sliced tuna steaks. As healthy dinners go, this quinoa recipe is a must-try. To help get your freshly-cooked quinoa to cool quickly, try spreading it out in a shallow baking pan.

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