These Kid Friendly Quinoa Fritters are one of my favorite quinoa recipes for kids! The perfect way to get your kids eating quinoa without a fuss. Bonus: Adults love them too.
If you have been reading long at all, you know that I love my foods spicy and with lots of kick. My kids, on the other hand, aren't nearly so enthusiastic about heat.
My salads are not-so-affectionately referred to as "stinky salads," and Skye runs the other way whenever I'm eating one.
I sometimes wonder if she has a future in Hollywood with the way she carries on about how bad my homemade balsamic vinegar dressing smells. (Kinda hurts my feelings.... But my youngest son did the same thing.)
Speaking of hurt feelings, before they will eat anything I give them it is always eyed suspiciously for pepper, onions, and traces of anything green I might have tried to sneak in. (Where's the trust?)
Let me tell you, the deceptively delicious movement worked when they were toddlers, but now they are food detectives who demand food on their terms.
I know that most people are against preparing one meal for the kids and one for the adults, but I must admit that a lot of what I eat is pretty spicy for the grade school set.
And I am ever so grateful that their loud complaints are not cries for junk food. (If you want to see something funny listen to me tell my boys we are going to stop at a fast food restaurant for lunch.
They respond with a violent "No!!!" as if I'd just told them I was getting rid of the iPads, Wii and all of their Legos.
Given that I'm not interested in eating bland food and they are not (yet) interested in spicy food, I find that more often than not I am making two meals. Sometimes three because the boys don't agree on much of anything when it comes to food.
The exception? These quinoa fritters!
Without question, they are one of my favorite quinoa recipes for kids.
This is a recipe that is made in my house at least once a week – and one I play with often.
If I’m feeling a bit indulgent, I will often increase the cheese and flour to one cup and use 5 or 6 eggs instead of three.
On the other hand, sometimes I skip the eggs and cheese altogether and use flax seed egg replacer. (I've made them with vegan cheese and flax for the egg replacer. They will still eat them without complaint.)
This is my favorite quinoa fritter recipe because it is so versatile. I typically make a double batch and then add a few things to it for the grown ups. Good add ins include are sautéed spinach, kale, red pepper, chopped onion, minced garlic, cayenne pepper and curry powder. Honestly, your options are near endless.
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Tools for Making this Quinoa Fritters Recipe
Looking for more quinoa inspiration? Don't miss these 44 Quinoa Recipes for Kids!
Quinoa Fritters
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked quinoa
- 1/3 cup gluten free flour blend if you aren't gluten free, use white whole wheat flour
- 1/3 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 3 eggs
- Coconut Oil for cooking
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine cooled quinoa with flour, cheese, onion, salt, pepper, and parsley.
- Lightly beat eggs in a small bowl and add to quinoa mixture.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Form quinoa into balls or ovals and carefully add to hot oil. Cook for 3–5 minutes per side, or until a golden crust has formed. Drain on paper towels.
- Serve with ketchup or desired dipping sauce.
Notes
Tips for Making Quinoa Fritters
- When making quinoa fritters, one thing to keep in mind is that if they are sticking to the pan, the reason is typically that you are trying to flip them before they have cooked enough. Make sure you are seeing browning edges on the underside before trying to flip them.
Sarena
Any thoughts on making these egg free?
Wendy Polisi
You could easily use a flax "egg"! They might not hold together as well but they would still work.
Colleen
This recipe sounds great! Have you ever tried cooking the patties in the oven?
Lisa
Hi, I’d also like to know if these are bake-able... thanks!
Wendy Polisi
Yes, you could bake them! I would try 400 degrees for 20 minutes flipping half way through. You may want to spray them with a little oil so they will crisp up a little.
Meli Nolero
These were amazing! I used mint and a bit of a Moroccan spice blend I have. How big do you make them? How many per serving?
Colleen Conti
Thank you for sharing. These were pretty tasty! Next time I would sauté the onions first (with a little chopped bell pepper) because my girls don’t love them crunchy. I will also try adding maybe a curry powder or seasoning of some sort... or a little more salt. Excited to add these to the menu rotation.
Mary Wood
How many quinoa fritters is a serving?
Kaitlyn
Any thoughts on leaving out the cheese? Will they hold together? (Looking for a dairy free alternative.) thanks!
Wendy Polisi
They should be just fine. I've made them with vegan cheese - which really doesn't help things hold together and they were just fine. You could always add nutritional yeast for a bit of cheesy flavor if you like.
Robin
My recently picky 2 year old and Gordon Ramsey wanna-be husband loved these! Super easy to make as well. Thanks!
Wendy Polisi
So glad he enjoyed it - always a win when you can get kiddos that young eating healthy.
Sarah
Is the measurement for quinoa based on when it is cooked or pre-cooked?
Also how do I convert to grams?
Wendy Polisi
The recipe calls for cooked quinoa. Three cups of cooked quinoa is about a cup raw. To convert to grams, there is a link just below the ingredients that says metric. Click it and the measurements will display.
Heather
Have these been tried in an air fryer instead of a skillet?
Wendy Polisi
I haven't tried it, but it would work well.
Karin G
Can you freeze these? If so would I freeze them before or after I cook them?
Wendy Polisi
Yes! I would freeze them after you cook them.
melissa
My little guy just gobbled his four quinoa bites for lunch. thanks for the easy recipe. I added mushrooms and Herb d'Provence to add some flavour. mmm
Wendy Polisi
So glad that he enjoyed them! Love the additions.
Katherine
My daughter loved these! We are trying to get away from processed foods like mac and cheese. I made these today and made my own home marinara sauce cooking down tomatoes basil and garlic from the garden and then putting them in the food processor. Since we like spicy I also added a little cayenne and some chopped spinach. Thanks for these!
Wendy Polisi
I am so glad that she enjoyed them! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.