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Pork Fried Quinoa

Pork Fried Quinoa

Name: Pork Fried Quinoa
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup quinoa; 1 ½ cups cold water; salt to taste; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 cup cubed fully cooked ham; ½ cup diced red bell pepper; ½ cup chopped green onion, white and green parts separated; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon rice vinegar; 1 tablespoon soy sauce, or to taste; 1 teaspoon chile-garlic sauce (such as Sriracha®), or more to taste; 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, or to taste

Rating: 4.47 stars

73 Ratings
50 Reviews
6 Photos

These tiny quinoa seeds really are sponges for flavor. I was really surprised how decadent and satisfying this seemed, and with only a tablespoon of vegetable oil and a handful of very lean smoked ham.

By Chef John

Recipe Summary

prep:

15 mins

cook:

25 mins

additional:

5 mins

total:

45 mins

Servings:

Yield:

4 servings

Nutrition Info

Directions

Step 1

Rinse quinoa in cold water for about 1 minute and drain well.

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Step 2

Place in a saucepan and cover with 1 1/2 cup cold water and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
Step 3

Fluff quinoa with a fork and set aside.
Step 4

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir ham, red bell pepper, and the white parts of the green onion until the ham begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Set chopped green onion tops aside. Add garlic, remove from heat, and stir until garlic becomes aromatic, 1 or 2 minutes.
Step 5

Stir in quinoa and return to stove over medium-low heat. Cook and stir until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add vinegar, soy sauce, chile-garlic sauce, and sesame seeds. Garnish with reserved green onion tops.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

286.8 calories; protein 12.8g 26% DV; carbohydrates 30.3g 10% DV; fat 12.6g 19% DV; cholesterol 18.9mg 6% DV; sodium 730.5mg 29% DV. Full Nutrition

Reviews (50)

Most helpful positive review

ilana

08/23/2012

Yum delicious! This recipe inspired me to write my first review. I did just as directed but added some diced squash to the ham/veggie mix and substituted the Sriracha with some red pepper flakes for spice. Even my quinoa-skeptical boyfriend said it was "surprisingly flavorful." Will definitely be making this again. Read More

Helpful

(27)

Most helpful critical review

JennnnLian

08/22/2012

I did not care for this recipe. Read More

Helpful

(1)

73 Ratings

5 star values: 50
4 star values: 14
3 star values: 4
2 star values: 3
1 star values: 2

Reviews: Most Helpful

Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

ilana

08/22/2012

Helpful

(27)

manuahs

08/22/2012

This is by far the best fried recipe I have found! I tweaked it a little because I didn't have fresh onion. I added garlic salt and about a tablespoon of dried chopped onions to the quinoa while it was cooking. I fried the ham garlic and bell pepper in a pan. Then added fresh steamed asparagus at the end. This recipe is fantastic! Read More

Helpful

(16)

Lil' Punkin

09/12/2015

Awesome recipe! First time DH tried quinoa and he said it was better than rice. Used green and red bell pepper in the dish. Read More

Helpful

(12)

DEE C.

08/23/2012

This is a healthier version of fried rice and as such that's exactly what it tastes like. I found it to be rather bland and lacking in vegetables for my taste. Thanks for sharing.:o) Read More

Helpful

(10)

shelbers

01/21/2013

Made this recipe as we were looking to try something new with Quinoa. It was very good. Made a couple of changes -used leftover Pork Chops cubed instead of Ham (not a big Ham fan) -added Sesame seed oil to finish as I didn't have any sesame seeds on hand -added Firm Tofu (cubed to same size as pork chops) -used EVOO for oil. Otherwise followed it exactly. Results were good. Servings are small if using this for a main dish. Agreed with other reviewers that it probably needed more veggies if it is to be a main dish. Rice Vinegar was a nice touch as it gave flavour without adding too much sodium. I topped my servicing with Sriracha/hot sauce as I like it spicier. All in all a very healthy meal. Read More

Helpful

(7)

Garrett B.

11/26/2012

The rice vinegar and soy sauce just make it perfect. I used ground pork in place of ham so I could combine this with my pork empanadas. I left out the vegetable oil since there's plenty of fat in the pork then sauteed the pork into very fine pieces for about 10 minutes first. Then add an entire bunch of diced green onions and one medium red pepper and 6 cloves of garlic. After it's done I put half of it aside for the empanadas and add the quinoa to the other half in the pan. This gives a little more meat in the quinoa which is never bad. Next time I'll brown the garlic for just a minute to get more flavor from it. Read More

Helpful

(7)

Courtney K.

02/20/2013

Wow! So surprisingly satisfied with how good this turned out. I really do think I like it more than fried rice! Ready to try it with other ingredients mixed in! Read More

Helpful

(6)

RebekahC

08/23/2012

This was delicious. Similar to fried rice dishes I used whatever I had laying around. I substituted leftover turkey bacon for the ham an inferno pepper (seeded and chopped very fine) instead of bell pepper and coconut oil instead of vegetable oil. Otherwise I followed the directions pretty closely. I definitely would like to make this again. Read More

Helpful

(6)

missivyanne

08/25/2012

Very good! I had bacon and chicken in the fridge so I cut them into small pieces and cooked them together before adding the veggies. I also added carrot and celery. Definitely still needs a few more veggies (in my opinion) and a little more soy sauce. Overall VERY good and VERY easy! Read More

Helpful

(5)

JennnnLian

08/22/2012

I did not care for this recipe. Read More

Helpful

(1)

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Nutritional Information

Pork Fried Quinoa

Servings Per Recipe: 4
Calories: 286.8

% Daily Value *

protein: 26 %

carbohydrates: 10 %

exchange other carbs:

dietary fiber: 18 %

sugars:

fat: 19 %

saturated fat: 14 %

cholesterol: 6 %

vitamin a iu: 16 %

niacin equivalents: 25 %

vitamin b6: 15 %

vitamin c: 67 %

folate: 5 %

calcium: 3 %

iron: 4 %

magnesium: 6 %

potassium: 6 %

sodium: 29 %

thiamin: 25 %

calories from fat:

percent of calories from carbs:

percent of calories from fat:

percent of calories from protein:

percent of calories from sat fat:

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

Reviews for: Photos of Pork Fried Quinoa

1 of 50

All Reviews

ilana

08/22/2012

Helpful

(27)

manuahs

08/22/2012

Helpful

(16)

Lil' Punkin

09/12/2015

Awesome recipe! First time DH tried quinoa and he said it was better than rice. Used green and red bell pepper in the dish.

Helpful

(12)

DEE C.

08/23/2012

This is a healthier version of fried rice and as such that's exactly what it tastes like. I found it to be rather bland and lacking in vegetables for my taste. Thanks for sharing.:o)

Helpful

(10)

shelbers

01/21/2013

Helpful

(7)

Garrett B.

11/26/2012

Helpful

(7)

Courtney K.

02/20/2013

Wow! So surprisingly satisfied with how good this turned out. I really do think I like it more than fried rice! Ready to try it with other ingredients mixed in!

Helpful

(6)

RebekahC