How To Make Crispy Quinoa

Trying to make a crispy quinoa salad? Or maybe just seeking to add the perfect salad topper? I’m sharing how to make crispy quinoa.

I don’t remember the first time I had crispy quinoa, but I can tell you one thing – I haven’t been the same since. The issue for me was always trying to recreate it at home. A few weeks ago I found a crispy quinoa salad recipe and sent it to my mom. After she made it and raved about how easy it was, I decided it was time to figure out how to make crispy quinoa for myself.

As it turns out, the recipe (if we can even call it that), is beyond simple. It really only requires a couple of ingredients that you already have.

How To Make Crispy Quinoa

To make crispy quinoa at home, you will need:

1 cup of quinoa, cooked

1 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp paprika

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Spread cooked quinoa on a baking sheet evenly.

Drizzle with olive oil and spices.

Put into warmed oven for 10 minutes.

Halfway through, toss the quinoa and redistribute across the baking sheet.

Cook for another 10 minutes, or until quinoa begins to darken.

Remove from oven and put on top of salad.

I know it sounds so simple, but the difference this makes in a salad (my favorite is Caesar) is unreal. Night and day. Just trust me on this one and make it!

How To Store Crunchy Quinoa

There is likely a scientifically proven way to store crunchy quinoa, but I’m going to share what I do, which works, and what I’ve done in the past…which did not work. The first time I made crispy quinoa I put it in a plastic container and left it on my kitchen counter. It wasn’t as crispy as the night I pulled it out of the oven. The next time I made it, I stored it in a glass container in the refrigerator and it made all the difference. I just pulled it out about 15 minutes before serving so it was room temperature.

If you liked this recipe, you might also enjoy Italian Sub Salad or Zucchini Corn Fritters