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Home » Recipes » Dinner

Quinoa Crusted Salmon

By Erin · July 28, 2020 · Updated September 27, 2021 · 2 Comments

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salmon and salad on a plate with text overlay

This Quinoa Crusted Salmon uses quinoa and breadcrumbs for added texture, flavor and nutrition and pairs beautifully with a side salad. It's packed with flavor and ready in under 20 minutes, making it an ideal weeknight meal!

A plate of food on a table, with Salmon and Quinoa

Recipe features

  • Fried salmon that's crispy on the outside but buttery on the inside
  • Coated in a mixture of seasoned breadcrumbs (regular or gluten free!) and quinoa for flavor and an excellent texture
  • An easy dinner recipe that's ready in under 20 minutes!

A plate of food on a table

Ingredient notes:

Salmon - Boneless, but with skin is preferred. Can use fresh or frozen, just be sure it's thawed beforehand.

Quinoa - White or tri-color, and make sure to rinse it first. We're not cooking the quinoa; if we cook it, it'll become mushy when you fry the salmon, and we don't want that. To rinse: pour quinoa into a fine mesh sieve and run water over it for 10 seconds.

Breadcrumbs - Make sure to use seasoned breadcrumbs, and you can easily sub gluten free breadcrumbs if you prefer

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Separate ingredients into bowls. Whisk the egg in one bowl, and in a separate bowl, combine the quinoa, breadcrumbs, salt, garlic, and parsley. At this time, you should also pat the salmon dry.

A bowl of food on a plate

Step 2: Coat the salmon. Dip each salmon fillet into the egg mixture, then directly into the quinoa mixture, making sure it's completely coated.

salmon in a bowl

Step 3: Fry the salmon. Place salmon skin-side down into a nonstick skillet with 1-2 tablespoon of oil. Place a lid on the skillet and cook the salmon over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, then flip it and cook it for 1-2 more minutes.

Salmon and Quinoa in a skillet

Tips and FAQs

  • Dry off the salmon: You want to make sure the salmon is mostly dry; otherwise, it'll stick to your cast iron/stainless steel skillet. Just use a paper towel to gently pat it dry.
  • Rinse the quinoa: This is key any time you're cooking with quinoa! Place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and give it a good rinse before transferring it onto a plate. It's ok if it's still wet--it's going to taste delicious. If you don't rinse the quinoa, it could have a bitter taste to it, and we don't want that.
  • Cook times may vary depending on how thick your salmon is, so be sure to keep an eye on it while it's cooking.

Can I use skinless salmon?

In my experience, skinless salmon sticks to the skillet a bit more, but yes, you can use it!

a plate of salmon with salad

More salmon recipes:

  • Honey Soy Salmon
  • Sun-Dried Tomato Salmon Skillet
  • Bacon-Wrapped Salmon

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

A plate of food with Salmon

Quinoa Crusted Salmon

This Quinoa Crusted Salmon uses quinoa and breadcrumbs for added texture, flavor and nutrition and pairs beautifully with a side salad. It's packed with flavor and ready in under 20 minutes, making it an ideal weeknight meal!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2
Author: Erin

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. salmon fillets two 6 oz. fillets
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoon seasoned breadcrumbs gluten free or regular
  • 3 tablespoon quinoa uncooked, rinsed
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon parsley
  • chives for garnish

Instructions

  • Whisk egg in a bowl, and in a separate bowl combine the breadcrumbs, uncooked quinoa, salt, garlic, and parsley.
  • Next heat 1-2 tablespoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Dip each salmon fillet into the egg mixture, and then directly into the quinoa mixture, making sure both sides are coated.
  • Place salmon directly into the skillet skin-side down and cover the skillet with a lid. Cook salmon for 5-6 minutes, then flip and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
  • Top salmon with fresh chives and enjoy!

Notes

*Use gluten free breadcrumbs to keep this recipe gluten free
*Be sure to pat the salmon dry with a paper towel before dipping it into the egg mixture and quinoa
*Calories are an estimation and are per serving

Nutrition

Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 176mg | Sodium: 889mg | Potassium: 1023mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 216IU | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 4mg
Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Leave a comment below and tag @thealmondeater on Instagram!

UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in October 2018. It was updated with new photos and text in July 2020.

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About Erin

Erin is the recipe developer, writer and photographer behind the healthy food blog, The Almond Eater. She's been blogging since 2014 and loves to create food for many different diets, including vegan, gluten free and/or Whole30 recipes.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ava says

    January 26, 2023 at 1:41 pm

    This looks great! Would it work in an air fryer?

    Reply
    • Erin says

      January 26, 2023 at 4:48 pm

      I think so! I'd cook it at 400° for 8-10 minutes skin side down (time will vary depending on the thickness of your salmon & there's no need to flip it).

      Reply

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