This Yellow Quinoa recipe takes the aromatic flavors you love about your typical yellow rice but swaps out the jasmine rice for protein packed quinoa.
Yellow Quinoa

Quinoa is all the craze these days. You’ve probably heard your yoga addicted aunt telling you all about the benefits of this superfood. Well, she is right about quinoa, although the essential oils are still questionable… But who could argue about the nutrition packed into this grain. It is gluten-free, high in fiber and protein while containing nine essential amino acids.
This Yellow Quinoa recipe really came out of the desperation of needing a recipe for this week. I didn’t know what to make, and I had a huge bag of quinoa from Costco staring at me from the pantry. So, I decided to try substituting the quinoa for the rice in a yellow rice recipe I have been making for years. I guess desperation does produce creativity because the results were amazing!
STEP BY STEP PHOTOS






Yellow Quinoa
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 green onion, sliced
Instructions
- In a medium pot, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add turmeric, cumin, and garlic powder. Stir for 30 secs.
- Pour quinoa into pot. Stir for 1 min.
- Add chicken stock and salt. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Lower heat to a simmer for approximately 15 mins or until desired consistency.
- Top with green onions and serve immediately.
Notes
The quinoa I buy from Costco comes pre-washed. If it doesn’t specify then you will want to make sure you wash your quinoa before cooking to help nullify the bitter taste.
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I was wondering if I could make Yellow Rice using Quinoa and found your website. I tried this despite my aversion to turmeric and cumin…followed recipe EXACTLY as I usually do when trying recipes for the FIRST time and before I consider tweaking. Just tasted the finished Yellow Quinoa and WOW!!! THIS IS PERFECTION and the flavor is EXACTLY what I love about a restaurant’s version of yellow rice — but this is sooooo much healthier being quinoa and calling for minimal fat — especially compared to a true Yellow Rice recipe. THIS, my friend, is going into the FAMILY RECIPE box. Oh yeah – and alongside recipes for chicken, fish, grilled kebabs…Simple and phenomenal!!! Truly so much more easy to make than my favorite Curry Rice recipe! Thank you Beardtastic Mark for sharing this! MMMMMmmmmmmwahhhh!
★★★★★