Photos by Lindsey Johnson
Not so many years ago, quinoa was a mystery to me. A box a hippie friend of my parents gave me when I was 13 (in the hopes I would maintain a balanced diet) sat in the pantry for a few years before I tossed it. So, it's completely nutty and a bit romantic to think about how inseparable quinoa and I are now.
When I say inseparable, I mean I put it in everything! Looking for food inspiration? Pick out an old recipe and find a way to sub quinoa for something. Burgers? Yup. Salads? Of course. Dare I say, baked goods? Quinoa will make them better!
Subbing quinoa for rice is sort of a no-brainer. You can usually get away with making a direct swap, and the result is a new, improved and more nutritious dish. This, however, was my first time making the quinoa switch in fried rice. Until now, I've sat by and watched dubiously as other bloggers made claims that quinoa is capable of obtaining the savory flavor and crisp texture of my old Chinese-buffet favorite. Turns out, they weren't lying. Fried quinoa is amazing.
This version of fried quinoa "rice" has another twist: While you may be familiar with Cuban rice and beans, fried Cuban rice and beans are another story. This recipe, an adaptation of a Cuban Fried Rice recipe from Better Homes & Gardens, is more of a fusion-type dish involving Cuban flavors and Chinese technique, hence the beans and pineapple. You'll typically find pork in Cuban fried rice, hence the smoky tempeh, which perfects the flavor and texture of this dish. Think fried rice, only better.
This post was originally published on July 23, 2014.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
For the Smoky Tempeh
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 8-ounce package of tempeh, cut into ½ inch cubes
For the Fried Quinoa
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 medium pineapple, cored, peeled and cut into ¼ inch slices
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 14-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 green onions, sliced
Instructions
Prepare the tempeh:
- Whisk the soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and liquid smoke together in a small bowl.
- Add the tempeh cubes and toss to coat. Marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes while you prepare your quinoa. Stir the cubes once or twice during marinating to keep them well-coated.
Prepare the quinoa:
- Rinse the quinoa well under cold running water, then transfer it to a small saucepan with vegetable broth over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Cover and simmer until the broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the quinoa to sit for another 5 minutes, covered.
Make your Cuban Fried Quinoa:
- Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tempeh cubes; reserve excess marinade.
- Cook the tempeh, flipping occasionally, until lightly browned and crispy on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove the tempeh from the skillet and transfer to a plate. Return the skillet to the stovetop.
- Arrange the pineapple slices in the skillet and cook until tender and browned, about three minutes on each side. (You may have to cook them in batches depending on the size of your skillet.) Remove from the skillet and transfer to a plate, then return the skillet to the stovetop.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet, along with the onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeño. Sauté until the onion and pepper just begin to soften a bit, about 3 minutes.
- Increase heat to high and add the quinoa and reserved marinade to skillet. Cook the quinoa, tossing frequently with a spatula, until it becomes slightly translucent and begins to crisp up, 3-5 minutes.
- Add beans and cooked tempeh to skillet and cook for another minute to incorporate, tossing frequently.
- Divide pineapple slices among plates and spoon quinoa mixture over pineapple slices. Top with green onions.
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says
Ooh, this looks delicious! Gotta love anything smoky!
Alissa says
I'm right with you on that - love that smoky flavor!
emily (a nutritionist eats) says
I can't wait to try this! Looks wonderful.
Alissa says
Thanks Emily! Enjoy!
Marta @ What should I eat for breakfast today says
Subbing quinoa is such a great idea, I love it!
Alissa says
Yeah, the quinoa worked out really well for this! Thanks so much 🙂
Stephanie @ A Magpie in the Sky says
I feel about tempeh how you used to feel about quinoa! i'm a little scared of it really!
Alissa says
I've found that people seem to love tempeh or hate it. It's got more texture than tofu and a distinct flavor. I loved it the first time I tried it. You should definitely give it a try, and then at least you'll know 🙂
Tom @ Raise Your Garden says
Wow, cuban fried quinoa is a new one for me. Usually when I see something online it's, "looks good but that's just too hard to make." This looks incredible and it is doable. Thanks.
Alissa says
Thanks Tom! It really is easy to make, and delicious 🙂
Stacy says
Made this for dinner tonight. I found the Liquid Smoke at Whole Foods and you could definitely taste it. The whole thing was delicious!
Alissa says
Yay! That totally makes my day! Thanks so much for commenting to let me know you enjoyed it 🙂
Alex says
I made this and was blown away. It is so good! I forgot to get bell peppers and left out jalapenos because my partner can't handle spice. I mistakenly got pineapple chunks instead of slices, so I stirred them in when I took everything off the heat and it incorporated nicely.
Alissa says
That's awesome! I'm so glad it worked out for you, even without the peppers - my boyfriend isn't into spicy food so I have to leave the hot peppers out of lots of my dishes as well. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Joanne says
Quinoa and I didn't become best buddies until college and now we're basically inseparable! I love the idea of subbing it in for rice wherever possible...and these smoky delicious cuban rice, beans, and tempeh sound hellagood.
Alissa says
That seems to be the way it goes for lots of people...quinoa can be a little scary at first, until you try it and realize how awesome it is. After that it's you and quinoa, together forever <3
lindaveg says
I can't wait to make this. I love tempeh but only use it in ruben sandwiches. I read some where that if you boil tempeh in water for 10-15 minutes it takes some of the bitterness away that might turn some people off.
Alissa says
Thank you! I've heard boiling takes away some of the bitterness - I've never tried it, but I have tried steaming it for a few minutes and that works as well. Hope you enjoy this! 🙂
Drew says
This looks so delicious! Finally I found something that isn't too complicated. I can't wait to make it.
Alissa says
Thanks so much Drew! I hope you like it!
Eleanor says
Great recipe! I made this tonight with some "fakin bacon" variety of smoky flavor packaged tempeh and it allowed me to skip the marinade step. It turned out really well and I only wish I had doubled the recipe as we don't have much in the way of leftovers!
Alissa says
Awesome! So glad to hear you liked it. Thanks Elanor!
TomBlake says
This was crazy good. Unbelievable! The fried pineapple just makes it. Be sure to make enough of the marinade to add to the fried quinoa. Will make this over and over again.
Alissa says
Yay! I totally agree with you on the pineapple - loved that part of the recipe! Thanks Tom! 🙂
Olena@iFOODreal says
Putting on a menu this week. I always try to make at least one dinner with tofu each week. Quinoa is an awesome rice replacer and cooks twice faster. This sounds very flavourful!
Olena@iFOODreal says
Oh, gosh. It is tempeh. Silly me. Oh, well. I am sure it will work out with tofu.:)
Alissa says
It should! I've made tofu with a similar marinade and it works great, especially if you bake it. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Emma {Emma's Little Kitchen} says
Ohhhh my gosh, YUM YUM YUM!
Marry says
So happy to of found this delicious recipe. I made it as is except I used less oil and fried up some plantains too. Thanks!
Alissa says
Plantains sound like an awesome addition! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks Marry!
Candice says
One of the best recipes ever. Thank you!
Alissa says
Thanks so much Candice! 🙂
Leslie says
Made this tonight - very good! Loved the grilled pineapple to balance out.
Alissa says
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Leslie!
Annie says
This recipe sounds delicious. Do you think you could substitute tofu for the tempeh?
Alissa says
Thank you! I think so, but you might actually be better off baking the tofu if you do that. After marinating it just put it on a parchment-lined baking sheet and pop it in the oven at around 400° for 30-40 minutes, flipping it halfway through.
sharon says
Made this tonight. Great recipe, and the pineapple is what takes it over the top. I refuse to wrestle with a fresh pineapple, so I used frozen chunks. I thawed them and just cooked them as instructed in recipe and they turned out great. I used a whole bag and the ratio of pineapple to quinoa/beans seems to be right. Definitely will make again!
Katie Trant says
Thanks Sharon! Frozen pineapple is a great tip for making this an easier dish.