These pan fried zesty vegetarian quinoa cakes are made with lemon and capers. They’re a great healthy side dish or even party appetizer.
Let’s ignore the fact that these little crispy quinoa cakes are pan-fried and focus on the fact that they’re made with a SUPERFOOD!
I mean that totally negates the pan-frying, right?
If you’ve ever had chicken piccata and loved it in all its salty, lemony glory, you will love these.
The secret?
Capers!
I get excited about these little balls. But this is coming from someone who could eat a whole jar of Spanish olives by herself.
It’s weird because I don’t crave salty things that often.
Potato chips? Ehh. Give me cake.
But capers are like a salty, earthy bite in all the best ways possible. I love how tiny they are compared to their flavor profile.
Good things come in small packages.
AND if you are a lover of all things quinoa you have to check out these quinoa pancakes too!
Vegetarian Quinoa Cakes Ingredient List
- cooked quinoa – follow the instructions on the packaging, but don’t forget to rinse the quinoa before cooking. If you don’t it will have a bitter taste and the flavor will be a bit nuttier.
- onion
- minced garlic
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
- capers
- lemon zest and juice
- spices: parsley, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper (this gives them a little kick, but if you don’t like spice you can leave it out).
- egg – this helps bind all the ingredients together
- flour – regular AP flour or even sub a GF flour blend if preferred.
- olive oil
How to Make Crispy Quinoa Patties
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix until incorporated.
- Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a large skillet.
- Form the quinoa mixture into patties using your hands. You’ll use about 1/4 cup of the mixture for each patty.
- Pan fry the quinoa cakes for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Add more olive oil if needed between batches.
Serving Quinoa Cakes
While you can eat these patties like they are, they are great with a little dipping sauce.
Topped with a dollop of sour cream, lemon juice, and avocado dip, they’re perfect.
When I make these cheddar spinach quinoa cakes I serve those with a buffalo dip. You can use that dip here too but I prefer the tangy sour cream pairing with the zesty capers in the quinoa cakes.
You can definitely go lighter and pair these cakes with a salad, or go big with a flavorful side dish.
Storing
Keep cooked quinoa cakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To reheat, you can warm them back up in a skillet, which will help re-crisp them.
Or, you can also toss them in the air fryer for a few minutes, and get the same crispiness back.
Microwaving will also work, but they may remain soggy after refrigeration.
Can you freeze prepared quinoa?
Yes! Oddly enough, cooked quinoa actually stores really well and thaws fairly quickly.
It’s great to make an extra batch if you want to be a step ahead on meal prepping.
Is quinoa healthier than rice?
Quinoa is considered a superfood because of its fiber and protein content.
While a serving still has carbs, it’s a pseudo-grain that also contains all the essential amino acids to be a complete protein. Therefore, it’s often considered more nutritious.
More Vegetarian Recipes You’ll Love:
Zesty Quinoa Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups cooked quinoa
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon capers
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, for frying
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a large bowl and mix until fully combined.
- Heat a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
- In quarter cup scoops, form the quinoa mixture into patties.
- Place patties in skillet and pan fry 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown, adding additional olive oil as needed.
- Serve with additional lemon or a dip made with sour cream, lemon juice and avocado if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
The taste was fine but it was NOT easy to form these into patties nor did they stay together well when I flipped them.
This sounds great, think I might try it! Has anyone tried to bake them instead?
Ok, so I made them both ways. The skillet and the oven and OMG they are so amazing! I am so glad I found your webiste! Happy girl!!
This does look like a cool little starter, and lots of people have had success with it. Thanks for pointing me to it in your one year post! My entire family likes capers- aren’t I lucky? I can add them to whatever I want– and often do. They’re great for perking up a pasta dish
Yummy, I have never had capers but have seen them in the store. Might be time for getting out of the old comfort zone and making these :)
I am always a lurker on blogs. Love to read them, just never feel like sharing…These were fabulous! Yum. Hubbo and I both were really impressed. Definitely important to keep them small and brown them well. I am so glad I bookmarked this . Thanks!
So glad you both liked them!
I used red quinoa, a little more egg to help stick the patties together, and coated the patties with flour prior to frying. I also used plain yogurt instead of sour cream in the dip. The end result was DIVINE! Thanks for this excellent recipe!
So glad you liked it! I actually like red quinoa better, I think it’s just a visual thing but pretty things taste better, right? ;)
Pretty things definitely taste better! I might love creating a plate presentation more than the actual cooking itself, haha
Here is my final presentation of your awesome recipe! https://twitter.com/#!/andwinjones/status/176771102918459392/photo/1
As someone who is obsessed with quinoa, I can tell you this is one of the tastiest recipes I have come across. I am always searching for new ways to use this amazing ingredients, and these are a must try! There are so many different flavor profiles you could use. I love the capers and cheese! Scrumptious. I have made many different cakes using quinoa, but never a plain quinoa one. Can’t wait to make these :)
Made this recipe tonight tonight for dinner. Upped the capers and removed the cheese. Used whole wheat flour to bind and added some slivered almonds and allspice. Came out with a really great recipe that the boyfriend might even enjoy (and he hates quinoa). Thanks
Yum…I just saw these on another blog and came here to get the recipe. I LOVE capers. How did you make the sour cream/lemon/avocado dip? Did I miss a recipe for that?
I didn’t write out the exact recipe, just mentioned it in the text at the end. I don’t remember the ratios to be honest but just mix those few ingredients together until it looks good and you’ll be fine. It’s just a dip so specifics aren’t that important ;)
Ok, my mouth is officially watering. I love the salty brininess of capers, but I’m with ya on the pass-on-chips-give-me-cake deal.