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Whether you’re looking for a way to use up leftover quinoa or just in search of a vegetarian protein option for dinner, these easy Quinoa Patties deliver! Pan-frying the patties makes them golden brown and crispy, perfect for adding your favorite sauce or stuffing into a burger bun. Lots of room for customization when making your quinoa patties, too!
Table of Contents
- Recipe At a Glance
- Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Quinoa Patties
- Popular substitutions & additions
- How to Make Quinoa Patties
- Tips for Making the Best Crispy Quinoa Patties
- What to Serve With Quinoa Cakes
- How to Store & Reheat Quinoa Patties
- Frequently asked questions
- Easy quinoa recipes:
- Quinoa Patties Recipe
One of my favorite staple pantry ingredients is quinoa. I cook 2 cups of quinoa at the beginning of the week and use it in all kinds of recipes. When I have some leftover, these quinoa patties are the perfect way to use them up! (For some more leftover quinoa recipes, try my Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats and Pizza Quinoa Bites.)
This recipe is very forgiving and versatile, so the exact measurements aren’t that important. But the good thing is the short list of ingredients are everyday items you may already have around.
Serve the quinoa patties with Avocado Crema for a delicious appetizer or side dish. It’s a winning combination that combines a cheesy, crispy quinoa cake with a fresh and light dip. And I guarantee you everyone will love them!
Recipe At a Glance
Cuisine Inspiration: American
Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop
Dietary Info: Vegetarian
Key Flavor: Cheesy, savory
Skill Level: Easy
Standouts
- A Delicious Vegetarian Protein: It’s not always easy to find vegetarian proteins the whole family will enjoy, but these pan-fried quinoa patties are the exception! With their cheesy flavor and crispy texture, they’re sure to be a hit.
- Quick and Easy: These quinoa cakes are done in just 20 minutes! They’re perfect for those busy weeknights when you have to fit dinner between soccer practice and homework time.
- Customizable: You can experiment with different cheeses, herbs, and toppings to make these crispy quinoa patties your own. The possibilities are endless!
- Great for Meal Prep: If you meal prep the quinoa in advance, you can use it to make these quinoa patties during the week. But the quinoa patties themselves are also great for meal prep since they store well and are easy to reheat.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Quinoa Patties
- Cooked quinoa: Here’s how to cook quinoa.
- Eggs: Eggs help hold the quinoa cakes together.
- Seasonings: Oregano, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper bring the flavor.
- Mozzarella cheese: Mozzarella has a neutral flavor that allows these quinoa patties to pair well with all kinds of sauces.
- Red onion: Finely minced red onion doesn’t just add flavor, but also some moisture to the patty mixture.
- Panko breadcrumbs: In addition to the eggs, panko helps bind the patties.
- Avocado oil: Or another high smoke point oil you like to use for cooking.
Popular substitutions & additions
- Try another cheese. Cheddar has a more assertive flavor, fontina or Parmesan would be delicious if you’re serving your crispy quinoa cakes with marinara, and smoked gouda is just all-around amazing. But feel free to use any other cheese you like!
- Switch up the seasoning. You can make these quinoa patties Tex-Mex by using taco seasoning or chili powder, add za’atar, or swap the dried herbs for fresh—anything goes here!
- Add spinach. Wilt some baby spinach in a skillet with olive oil and fold this into the quinoa mixture.
- Make them gluten-free. Use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs to make these quinoa cakes gluten-free, or use oat flour or almond flour as a binder instead.
How to Make Quinoa Patties
If you don’t have the quinoa cooked ahead of time, you’ll need to factor in an extra 15 minutes for making this recipe.
Make the quinoa patties
- Combine the cooked quinoa and eggs in a medium bowl.
- Stir in the cheese and onions.
- Add the panko and stir.
- Let the mixture sit so the panko can absorb some of the moisture.
- Use wet hands to form the quinoa mixture into patties.
- Set the patties on a plate or tray.
Pan fry the quinoa patties
- Cook the patties in a nonstick skillet with the avocado oil.
- Flip and cook the other side until both sides are golden brown and crispy.
Tips for Making the Best Crispy Quinoa Patties
- Finely mince or grate the onion. You don’t want big pieces of crunchy onions in your quinoa cakes! Grated or finely minced onion means the flavor will be more evenly distributed, too.
- Be sure to let the mixture sit a bit before forming patties. The panko will absorb some of the moisture, and your patties will hold together better.
- Adjust as needed. Once you form the patties, feel free to add more breadcrumbs, more cheese, or more water if you find the mixture is too dry.
- Add more oil to the pan if needed. I only needed 4 tablespoons, but if your patties are sticking (which can happen if your pan isn’t nonstick) or the pan seems dry, you can add some more.
What to Serve With Quinoa Cakes
How to Store & Reheat Quinoa Patties
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat the quinoa patties in the microwave, a 350ºF oven, or a nonstick skillet set over medium heat.
How long will quinoa patties last in the fridge?
These crispy quinoa patties will last for about 5 days in the refrigerator.
Can I freeze quinoa cakes?
Yes, you can freeze these quinoa cakes either before or after cooking them:
- To freeze them prior to cooking, lay them on a flat baking dish in the freezer for at least 4 hours. When frozen, place them in an airtight bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight and cook per instructions.
- To freeze them after cooking, simply store them in an airtight bag after they’ve cooled. To re-heat, thaw in the fridge overnight and bake in a 350°F oven until heated through.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! Place the quinoa patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the oil on top of the patties. Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F for 15 minutes, until golden.
If you started with quinoa that was on the soggy side, your quinoa patty mixture may be too moist to form into patties. Add more panko to absorb the excess moisture.
Yes! You can form larger, thicker patties and use them as veggie burgers. You’ll get 6 to 8 veggie burger patties from this recipe, depending on how big you make them.
Make these quinoa patties for any occasion and any time of year. They’re addictively cheesy, delicious and perfect for a healthy snack or appetizer! And the great thing about them is you can make them ahead and freeze to have them ready to heat up whenever you need a quick protein option.
Easy quinoa recipes:
- Quinoa Burger
- Quinoa Avocado Salad
- Pizza Quinoa Bites
- Quinoa Crust Breadsticks
- Cauliflower Fritters
- Quinoa Tabbouleh
- Chicken & Quinoa Bowl
- Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowl
If you try this feel good Quinoa Patties recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
This Quinoa Patties recipe was originally published on April 1, 2019. The recipe has not been modified but the post has been updated with new step-by-step photos and more helpful information.
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Quinoa Patties
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Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup finely minced red onion
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil divided
Instructions
- Combine quinoa, eggs, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in cheese and onions.
- Add the breadcrumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. Use a ¼ cup measuring up to scoop, wet your hands with water and form them into patties. It should make about 10 patties
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place half of the quinoa patties on the heated pan and cook until the patties are golden color, about 3-4 minutes per side. Set aside and repeat with the remaining oil and remaining patties.
Notes
- To freeze them prior to cooking, lay them on a flat baking dish in the freezer for at least 4 hours. When frozen, place them in an airtight bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight and cook per instructions.
- To freeze them after cooking, simply store them in an airtight bag after they’ve cooled. To re-heat, thaw in the fridge overnight and bake in a 350°F oven until heated through.
- Instead of eggs, you can use a flax eggs. For each regular egg, use 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water.
- Any type of shredded cheese can be used in place of mozzarella.
- If you prefer not to use breadcrumbs, you can use a gluten-free flour like almond flour or oat flour, or you can also use panko breadcrumbs.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
I discovered this recipe when trying to figure out what to do with leftover quinoa and was pleasantly surprised by how good these tasted.
Yay! So glad you found a good use for the leftovers!
This is one of the best vegetarian burgers I’ve ever made! I did alter a bit due to not having enough eggs. I tripled the recipe and realized I only had two eggs. Added some ground flax seed. The burgers did NOT fall apart and were almost like a sausage patty consistency. I used a Gruyère cheese blend from Aldi. They were amazing using this recipe as the main ingredients.
Sounds delicious!
I will be honest, I was skeptical on how these could actually taste good, but boy was I pleasantly surprised. I made the quinoa the night before to reduce the time of prep at the time of cooking. I did not get 10 patties out of the 1 cup of quinoa, I only got 7 even thought I used the 1/4 cup measuring cup as a scoop as called for in the recipe. Very flavorful sidedish…I really enjoyed it and can see how by changing the seasonings and/or the cheese would completely change the flavor. Next time I will add sun dried tomatoes and some asiago cheese. Thanks for the great recipe!
So happy you enjoyed them!
Holy moley cannoli, these are SO GOOD! My husband can’t have quinoa because it gives him a bad stomachache, but I have this whole bag and thought maybe I should just use it up myself. And wow, I’ll be making these again! Can’t wait to try them with the avocado crema.
So glad you loved them!
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this recipe!! I use it all the time now!! I always alter it, but the root is this, minus mozzarella. I use aged white cheddar instead and double it. So good.
Love that you are so creative with this recipe!
Made these for dinner they were so good. Used white cheddar and a curry dip.
Yum, sounds great!
Made these today and they were absolutely delicious. I left the patties in they fridge overnight and then threw them in the freezer to firm up before fryer. So delicious! Have you tried air frying these?
So happy to hear! I haven’t tried air frying them, but you can bake them in the oven instead. Place the quinoa patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the oil on top of the patties. Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F for 15 minutes, until golden.
made these quinoa patties, and had them with the silky avocado creme.
It was a hit!
No leftovers at all.
Love this! Thanks for sharing.
I made these and froze my leftovers…when I was ready to make them, I forgot to take them out to thaw, as directed, so went ahead and just put them in the oven frozen; they still turned out perfectly! 20 minutes at 350 worked like a charm. Made a great meal in no time. 😋
Can these be finished in the air fryer and if so, what temp. And how long?
I haven’t tried that myself, but I have baked them in the oven. To do that, place the quinoa patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the oil on top of the patties. Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F for 15 minutes, until golden.
Awesome, I will do the oven method!
Not too good with frying stuff plus I like to use least amount of oil. Getting older..both of us 55+🙄