Toasted Sesame Quinoa with Chicken.
I can’t stop. We just eat a ton of it and it’s so… summery. Well, when I’m not mixing it with bacon grease and crumbled bacon and stuffing it in portobellos and drizzling the whole shebang with balsamic glaze because I’ve totally done that. But not now. Now it’s summertime quinoa.
Summertime quinoa is something you eat after swimming like a fish and drinking lime-spritzed beer and eating broken-off hunks of a Trader Joe’s Pound Plus chocolate bar while watching the women’s gymnastics Olympic trials. And asking yourself that one serious pressing question.
HOW DO THEY STAY ON THE BALANCE BEAM LIKE THAT?!
It’s one of life’s greatest mysteries. I can assure you that learning to do so does not include eating a Trader Joe’s Pound Plus bar at 10PM. And I only know that because I was sort of a gymnast (let’s use that term VERY loosely) back in the day. It was all fun and good until the super mean Hungarian coach came and SAT on my backside in order to force me down to the floor in my straddle split. Awesome.
Huh. That was the end of THAT.
I’m also pretty sure that learning to flip over your head and land on a 4-inch surface without falling and then swinging from the uneven bars and stuff like that does not include taking a 5 hour nap on Saturday afternoon. Because I also did that and ughhhh… it was so wonderful. I haven’t napped in like, years. It’s going down as one of the best days of my life.
And yep, I did just google “how wide is a balance beam?”
Now there is something huge I must mention about this dish. I mean… HUGE.
This little bowl here – this quinoa mixed with some chicken and incredible sesame flavors – actually qualified as a full meal for my husband. Which is one of the rarest things on Earth. Now don’t get me wrong… he’d easily eat this as a side dish to some grilled chicken or steak or cheeseburgers. But to eat it alone, and let it just BE the entire meal?
I don’t know. But I’ll take it.
Toasted Sesame Quinoa with Chicken
serves 4
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
6 green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
dressing
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add 1/2 tablespoon of sesame and olive oil. Add in garlic and quinoa and stir to coat, then toast for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in chicken stock and increase heat to high, bringing the quinoa to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking for 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed and quinoa can be fluffed with a fork. Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside.
Add in chicken, green onions and dressing, tossing well to coat. Add in sesame seeds and toss once more. Serve!
Also take more chocolate because watching gymnastics is STRESSFUL.
99 Comments on “Toasted Sesame Quinoa with Chicken.”
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I giggled when I read that you think watching gymnastics is STRESSFUL, mostly because I do too. So much!
I know its 11:20 pm, but I just made this dish and I’m eating it now. so delicious! Nothing like an extremely hearty almost midnight snack!
I was a gymnast for many years… never good enough to be an elite, but I loved it anyway… until it dawned on me how dangerous those stunts are! haha Busted my mouth wide open one day on the bars (in high school) and that was the beginning of the end for me. But I still LOVE watching the competitions, especially the Olympics… I can still “feel” some of the movements as I watch the routines… muscle memory, I guess! Also, fun fact – Shawn Johnson (of the 2008 Olympic team) was from the same training gym as one of my high school teammates!
As for the recipe, I can’t eat quinoa, but this looks so good I might try it with barley instead!
Ugh, where is my brain today?? It was Bridget Sloan, not Shawn Johnson. Clearly I need more coffee! haha
Oh wow this looks so absolutely delicious and the pictures are fantastic
I made this last night. It was quick and heavenly. Thanks for the recipe!
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I made this last night and it was fantastic! I was very impressed (:
Found you on Pinterest. Can’t wait to try your recipes! I am a big fan of Quinoa…although the picture that got me here was the S’mores in the jar!
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Eating this now.
It is D-licious!!!!!!!!!! And so easy!
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Found this on pinterest. Had it for dinner and it was really good! Even my teenage son ate it, but both kids decided it had too much green onion. Easy enough to adjust for the next time. Thanks for sharing!
I made this last night and it was great. I followed the recipe but I served the quinoa mix over sauteed zuchinni and spinach that I ‘stir-fried’ with sesame oil and sesame seeds. I also served extra dressing along side to be added right before eating for an extra boost. For the extra I added a touch of honey, brown rice vinegar, and few drops of teryaki to the dressing for a little sweetness and acidity. It was awesome and my husband and I totally loved it. Im using your blog as inspiration to break out of my weekday meal rut.
this was AWESOME! 1st time making quinoa. i forgot to put lid on it (duh!) but now i know and it came out great anyway. taking some to the ladies in the office today. this is a KEEPER!
So just totally found your blog and this is dinner for tonight! I can’t wait to try this and a bunch of other recipes I found here. You have a fan here!
This is for dinner tonight! I made it earlier this month and my husband and I adored the flavor! Thanks for a great recipe!
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Made this recipe vegan friendly by using mushrooms instead of the chicken! Delicious! I just posted the recipe on my blog http://avocadopesto.com/2012/08/08/toasted-quinoa-with-mushrooms-and-asian-flavors/ with a link back to your original recipe! Thanks!
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This may be a dumb question, but when you say “cooked chicken” do you mean boiled? I’m extremely novice!!
Not dumb at all – the chicken can be cooked any way! Any way you like it, boiled, baked, broiled, grilled, etc. Just as long as it’s cooked.
Thanks Jessica!
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Made it. Eating it. Delicious. I love this Asian take on it!!
I made this to bring to work for lunch this week, and it’s great! Easy to make, filling, and keeps/travels well. This was also my first time making quinoa, and I love it!
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This looks amazing! Do you think it would freeze well?
This was great and the whole family loved it!! We will be making it again for sure!
I literally just finished making this for my lunch tomorrow and it’s insanely delicious! I used a sprouted rice & quinoa mix and it worked just as well! Thanks for posting!
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Yum!! I’m so excited to make this tonight! You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to find a good quinoa recipe w/ chicken?? haha I looked forever!
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So I always rinse quinoa, but then it’s wet. Do you dry it before you toast it? Or do you toast the wet quinoa? This looks delicious!
I’ve been making this recipe since I discovered it on Pinterest about a year ago… I thought it was about time I left a comment telling you how much I love it! It’s my favorite use for leftover rotisserie chicken. Thanks for sharing!
This has become one of the “go to” recipes for me and my better half. We refer to it as the Q. Hey babe – how about the Q for dinner tonight? We love it !
I made this tonight, so yummy! My fiance braised the chicken in similar flavors/spices- the whole dish tasted kind of like fried rice. I can’t wait to try it again, next time i think I’ll add shredded carrots for a pop of color and sweetness.
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