One of my all-time favorite things to make are these gluten free quinoa patties. Several years ago, while attending one of our local “crunchy girl” parties, a friend of mine made these and I just had to have the recipe. With our diet beginning to change and trying to eat more gluten free items, it was time to start perfecting this recipe! Trust me, you’ll want these quinoa patties on your “to-make” list . . . even if you aren’t eating gluten free! They are just that good.
What is Quinoa?
Before we get to the recipe, you might be wondering what, exactly, is the quinoa in these quinoa patties. It’s simple really. People often say that quinoa is a grain, but it’s actually a seed that derives from the Andes Mountain region. It’s often referred to as the “gold of the Incas”, because it contains more protein than any other grain, and was used extensively by the Incas.
Quinoa is extremely easy to digest and completely gluten free—a bonus! It’s a great source of calcium, vitamins, iron, and amino acids.
Quinoa tastes a little nutty in flavor. You’ll need to play around with it in dishes to get it to where you like the taste. Once you figure that out, you’ll never stop using it. You cook quinoa a lot like rice—one-part quinoa to two-parts water.
Ingredients in the Quinoa Patties
While this recipe has been adapted with different ingredients, you can add whatever type of ingredients you’d like. If you don’t like kale, use spinach or swiss chard instead. Throw in some mozerella instead of feta. The possibilities are endless! Be creative and make an Italian version using Italian herbs instead of the cumin. I love how versatile this recipe can be. More than anything, I love growing my own fresh herbs to put into these patties.
How to Make Quinoa Patties
- 2.5 cups cooked quinoa
- 3 to 5 eggs
- 1/2 cup gluten free baking flour (or panko bread crumbs)
- 1 tsp baking powder (optional)
- 1.5 cup roughly chopped kale
- 1/3 cup Feta Cheese
- 1/3 cup fresh chives
- 1/3 cup fresh dill
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
Method:
- Pre-heat oven to 400-degrees
- Take cooled quinoa and pour into a large bowl.
- Add eggs and mix well.
- Add all remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Form into sticky patties and place onto a greased baking sheet.
- Cook for 20 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
- Serve plain or with tzatziki sauce.
Tzatziki Sauce Ingredients:
1/2 English cucumber, peeled and diced
16 oz (2 cups) Cold plain Greek yogurt
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1/3 cup chopped dill, fresh
1.5 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
- Mix completely and serve, or allow to sit overnight for best taste.
