Baked Crispy Quinoa

A small bowl of crispy quinoa with a spoon.

4.55 from 59 votes

Baked crispy quinoa is perfect for adding some protein to vegan and vegetarian dishes as a topping, or just eat it all by itself for a snack. And if you follow a gluten-free diet, this is a fabulous substitution for breadcrumbs!! This is a perfect way to use up leftover quinoa.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

drying time15

Total Time30

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Crispy quinoa

Servings:

Calories: 61.4kcal

Author: Susan Pridmore

Equipment

Large bowl for washing the uncooked quinoa
fine mesh strainer for rinsing the uncooked quinoa
2 baking sheet
Parchment paper

Ingredients

3 cups cooked quinoa (starting with 1 cup quinoa uncooked)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon sea salt, garlic salt or truffle salt)

Instructions

Cook the quinoa. One cup quinoa seed simmered in 1 ¼ cups water will cook up to 3 cups of quinoa.
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Spread 1 ½ cups of cooked quinoa in an even layer on each prepared baking sheet.
Optional Step: If your quinoa is super-moist or soggy, allow it to dry out a bit on the counter for 15 minutes on the parchment paper before sliding it in the oven to bake.
Slide one of the baking sheets into the preheated oven on the middle rack, and bake for 15 minutes. (My oven can only accommodate one baking sheet at a time, so I do this in 2 shifts.)
Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and set on the stovetop. Gentle lift one side of the parchment paper to roll the quinoa onto itself. Lay it back down, and repeat with the other side of the parchment paper. The quinoa should be all piled on itself in a long line. Next, spread it out again in an even layer.
Return the sheet pan to the oven and bake for 5 - 10 minutes, until the quinoa is crispy and turns a golden brown. The exact baking time is dependent upon how moist the quinoa was when you slid it into the oven.
Repeat with the second baking sheet of quinoa while you season the roasted quinoa.
Note: 3 cups cooked quinoa roasts down to 1½ cups quinoa.
Toss the crispy quinoa in 1 teaspoon of olive oil per baking sheet, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt, for a total of 2 teaspoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Adjust to your own prefereneces.
Add any additional spices or herbs you like (see the post for ideas!). Or add 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast per baking sheet (my current favorite). Allow to cool to room temperature.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Nutrition