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Shrimp Quinoa Fried Rice Recipe (Easy and Filling)

You’ll love this delicious shrimp quinoa fried rice recipe! Full of crisp veggies, and with a subtle flavor of garlic and ginger.

Shrimp Quinoa Fried Rice Recipe

With the holidays coming up, there’s going to be plenty of indulging. Therefore I’m trying to incorporate as many healthy recipes into the good ol’ diet as possible! That’s where this quinoa fried rice comes in.

For awhile it was cauliflower rice that had gained popularity . . . and now quinoa “rice” has come into favor as well!

Quinoa is different in that you don’t have to chop it up (like a cauliflower head), but it still makes a perfect rice alternative.

Brown rice is great, but quinoa offers more dietary fiber and protein, so it’s going to be more filling for you.

Learn how to make this quinoa fried rice for a delicious dinner option, either as a side dish or main recipe. Make it as soon as possible; I promise you are going to love it!

shrimp and quinoa fried rice

How to Pick Fresh Shrimp

Do you know how to pick fresh shrimp? I’ve had taste issues before, and it was all about selecting the right shellfish! Pick fresh shrimp from a meat market or natural foods store and you won’t have to worry about a weird taste or smell.

Technically you can use fresh or frozen shrimp, but if you’re sensitive about your seafood, I recommend fresh.

Our local farmer’s market has great vegetables too, so with a quick trip and just a little bit of moolah, this meal can be mine. And yours too!

Here’s a quick refresher on peeling and deveining shrimp. Skip down if you already know how to do it and are ready for the recipe.

Remove the Head

Grasp the shrimp firmly by the body. Twist off the head with a gentle motion.

Peel off the Shell

Starting at the head end, peel off the shell and legs by pinching and lifting at the same time. The shell should come off quite easily.

Remove the Tail

If you’d like to remove the tail, pinch and pull off.

Make a Shallow Cut

Use a small, sharp knife to make a shallow cut along the top of the shrimp (the backside), from the head end to the tail.

Remove the Vein

Look for a dary vein along the cut. This is the shrimp’s digestive tract and what you are going to remove.

Use the tip of the knife to lift out the vein, or you can even use a toothpick. If it breaks, just start from the other end. Once it’s lifted, you can pull it out in one piece with your fingers.

Rinse

Rinse the shrimp under cold water to remove the rest of the vein and any dirt or sand. Pat dry.


Here’s what you’re going to need for this recipe:

  • Cooked quinoa – 2 cups
  • Onion – 1 small, chopped
  • Garlic – 2 fat cloves, minced
  • Ginger – 2 tsp, grated
  • Carrots – 1 cup, sliced or chopped
  • Green beans – about 6 or 8, trimmed, chopped
  • Shrimp – 1 lb, cleaned and deveined
  • Eggs – 2, at room temperature whisked and seasoned with salt
  • Bok choy – one small head, chopped into ribbons
  • Toasted sesame oil – 1 tbsp + 1 tsp, divided
  • Salt and pepper to taste (I recommend freshly cracked black pepper)
  • 2 tsp of soy sauce
  • Couple of tablespoons of water
  • Green onion

Other toppings (besides green onions) include soy sauce, sesame seeds, and crispy rice noodles. I’d love to know your favorite toppings for this dish!

You can also use olive oil if you don’t have sesame oil or can’t find it, but the sesame oil adds a delicious flavor to this and makes it more of an Asian dish like traditional fried rice.

quinoa with shrimp and vegetables

Get the printable recipe card for this dish below!

Yield: 4 servings

Quinoa Fried Rice

shrimp and quinoa

You'll love this delicious shrimp quinoa fried rice with shrimp! It has all the taste but one of the guilt of a traditional fried rice recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb shrimp
  • 2 large egg(s) (at room temperature)
  • 2 cups quinoa
  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tsp fresh ginger
  • 1 cup carrots
  • 8 green beans
  • 1 head bok choy
  • 1 T + 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • Green onions

Instructions

  1. Begin by cooking the quinoa according to package instructions. When done, drain the water and set aside.Bowl of cooked quinoa
  2. While the quinoa is cooking, clean, shell, and devein the shrimp. Set aside in a bowl.
  3. Chop an onion into pieces and place in a bowl.Chopping red onion on the kitchen cutting board
  4. Mince two cloves of garlic. Add them to the bowl with onion.Mincing organic garlic on a wood cutting board
  5. Grate two teaspoons of fresh ginger. Place in the bowl with the onion and garlic.Grated ginger root on a rustic table
  6. Chop one cup of carrots and put them into a separate bowl.Woman hands chopping carrot on wooden board
  7. Trim and chop about 8 green beans or so. You can add more if you like. Add to the bowl with the carrots.Cut-pieces-of-green-beans
  8. Chop one small head of bok choy into ribbons. Set aside.chopping-bok-choy
  9. Add two eggs to a bowl and whisk until combined. Add some salt and set aside for the moment.Female chef whisking eggs in glass bowl on kitchen table
  10. Fry the cleaned shrimp on medium/high heat using either a little oil or cooking spray for about 2 - 3 minutes; set aside.Uncooked, cleaned shrimp in a ceramic bowl
  11. Heat 1 T of toasted sesame oil in a wok or pan on medium/high heat. Once hot, add the chopped onions, garlic, and ginger.
  12. Fry till fragrant and throw in the carrots and green beans. Cook for few minutes till the carrots soften a bit.
  13. Make a well in the cooked vegetables and pour in the 1 tsp of oil. Pour in the whisked egg and start scrambling. Once the eggs start cooking, mix it in with the vegetables.Onion carrot and green onion with oil and whisked egg
  14. Add in the cooked quinoa. Mix in the soy sauce and cooked shrimp. Stir to combine.
  15. Add a little water, season with salt and pepper and cover. Cook for just a couple of minutes.
  16. Take it off the heat, uncover and stir in the chopped bok choy. Put the cover back on for a few minutes. Serve when the bok choy has wilted slightly.Cooked shrimp and quinoa with veggies

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1 serving

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 413Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 332mgSodium: 1157mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 13gSugar: 13gProtein: 39g

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Would you try quinoa fried rice? Let us know in the comments! I’d also love for you to check out these other recipes:

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