This quinoa bacon bits recipe is a satisfying, nutritious alternative to the meat version. This is the third of six recipes that create one epic seventh recipe, from Dustin Harder’s new cookbook, Epic Vegan: Wild and Over-the-Top Plant-based Recipes. This recipe is quick, easy, vegan, gluten-free, and can be made in 30 minutes or less.
recipe 3 of 7: Quinoa Bacon Bits
Ok, so for the third recipe in the Epic Vegan Bacon Mac and Cheese BBQ Blue Burger series, we have Quinoa Bacon Bits! While I won’t say these are exactly like the bacon bits you might be used to, they add a nice, satisfying saltiness and texture to just about anything - and it’s quinoa, not bacon. I choose the quinoa! I used red quinoa so that it had that bacon-y color.
You can use a stainless pan instead of nonstick (I don’t own nonstick), and I do want to say that it really is key to leave it cooking for the three minutes undisturbed before flipping and stirring. This is one of those recipes you’ll likely want to keep in your fridge on the regular - a delicious way to eat this nutritious seed.
all seven recipes
- Hemp Parmesan
- Easy Creamy Shells & Cheese
- Quinoa Bacon Bits
- Red BBQ Sauce
- Blue Cheese Dressing
- All American Burger
- Bacon Macaroni & Cheese BBQ Blue Burger
Ingredients & Substitutions
While technically you could use any quinoa, I prefer using the red so that the color goes with the theme.
The flavors are created with soy sauce, ketchup, and smoked paprika.
Olive oil is used to help keep the quinoa from sticking to the pan. If you prefer not to use oil, skip it and make sure the pan is well heated before adding the quinoa mixture.
Let's make quinoa bacon bits
The recipe figures that you have the quinoa cooked and ready to go beforehand, so make sure you allow extra time for that if you don't have any cooked on-hand.
Simply combine the ingredients, then spread them evenly in a well-heated skillet. The toughest part is making sure to leave it be for 3 minutes before scraping and spreading it out again. This helps the quinoa crisp up. Cook another 3 minutes before scraping it out of the pan and serving.
epic vegan burger ingredients
The Recipe
Quinoa Bacon Bits Recipe
Equipment
- skillet
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa red (cooked) 185 g
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce 15 ml
- 1 tablespoon olive oil 15 ml
- 2 teaspoons ketchup 10 g
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the quinoa, soy sauce, olive oil, ketchup, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat until it’s hot. Add the quinoa mixture and spread in one layer. Cook 3 minutes, undisturbed (it will be hard to resist!). Using a spatula, scrape the quinoa off the bottom of the skillet, mix it around, and spread it in another single layer. Cook an additional 3 minutes.
- Transfer the quinoa to a bowl, scraping the skillet to get any crispy stubborn bits off. Store cooled bacon bits in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
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