Quinoa Patties with Feta Cheese and Olives
These quinoa patties with feta cheese and olives are crisp on the outside, soft and savory inside, and ready in about half an hour. You mix everything in one bowl, then either fry the patties for a few minutes or bake them, which makes this an easy vegetarian recipe for a quick lunch or a relaxed Sunday meal with family. The feta brings a salty tang, the black olives add a briny punch, and the quinoa keeps each bite light but filling.
I have to admit, this was the first time I cooked with quinoa. I had a bag of it sitting in the kitchen for a very long time but never had the “courage” to try it out. It was something new and I had no idea how to cook it, so I kept putting it off. I finally promised you this recipe one day, then came home so busy and tired that I just wanted to lay down and do nothing. The next day I gave it a proper go, and these patties are what came out of that first quinoa experiment.
What goes into these quinoa patties
The ingredient list is short and forgiving. Start with one cup of boiled quinoa, cooked and cooled so it is not steaming hot when you mix in the rest. The feta does the heavy lifting on flavor, so mash 50 g of it with a fork until it is crumbly and ready to spread through the mix. Half a cup of sliced black olives adds that salty, briny edge, and a diced onion brings a little sweetness once it cooks. Pick one fresh herb you like, parsley or dill, and chop a generous bunch, since the herbs lift the whole thing. Two eggs and breadcrumbs bind everything together, and ground pepper to taste finishes it. Go easy on adding salt, because between the feta and the olives the mix is already well seasoned.
How to get the texture right
The one thing to watch is moisture. Once you mix the quinoa, feta, onion, olives, herbs and eggs, the bowl may look a little watery. This is normal. Add the breadcrumbs gradually instead of all at once: start with 3 tablespoons and wait a few minutes so they have time to absorb the excess liquid before you decide whether you need the fourth. The mix should hold together when you press a spoonful in your palm but still feel soft. If it is too wet the patties will fall apart in the pan, and if you dump in too many breadcrumbs at once they can turn dense, so the short wait between additions is the trick.
Fry them or bake them
You can cook these two ways, and both work well. To fry, lightly grease a non-stick pan with a little oil, spoon about one tablespoon of mix per patty, and cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side until golden and crisp. To bake, grease an oven tray with a bit of oil, arrange the patties, and bake at 200C for 25 to 30 minutes. Frying gives you the crunchiest edges in the least time, while baking is hands-off and uses less oil, so pick whichever suits your day. Either way, let them sit for a minute after cooking so they firm up before you lift them.
What to serve with quinoa patties
These patties are flexible. Serve them warm with a cooling dip, a simple salad, or alongside a vegetable stew for a full meal. A spoonful of feta mint yogurt dip echoes the feta in the patties and keeps things fresh, while a leek and black olives stew picks up on the briny olive note. If you are building a bigger veggie spread, they also go nicely next to a cauliflower and cheese casserole. Leftovers tuck easily into a wrap or a lunchbox the next day.
Storing and making them ahead
Once cooled, keep the patties in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a hot pan or a warm oven rather than the microwave if you want to bring back some of the crunch. You can also prepare the mix ahead and refrigerate it for a few hours before cooking, which actually helps the breadcrumbs absorb moisture and makes the patties easier to shape. If you enjoy these, they sit happily in a whole family of similar recipes, like my quinoa patties with sweet corn and herbs and the millet cakes with feta and tomatoes, and there is a full veggie patties guide if you want to master the technique once and for all.
If you make these quinoa, feta and olive patties, I would love to know whether you fried or baked them and how they held together. Leave a star rating and a comment below with any tweaks you tried, since this was my very first quinoa recipe and your notes help everyone who is just as nervous about that bag in the cupboard as I once was.
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Quinoa Patties with Feta Cheese and Olives
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except breadcrumbs, in a large bowl. Mix well.
- It may be a little watery, so add breadcrumbs. Start by adding 3 Tbsps and wait a few minutes so they’ll absorb the excess water.
- There are 2 ways you can cook the quinoa patties. 1.Frying or 2. Baking.
- Grease a non-stick pan with some oil and add the quinoa patties. 1Tbsp per patty. Fry 1-2 minutes on each side.
- Grease an oven tray with some oil. Add quinoa patties and cook for 25-30 minutes at 200C.
Frequently Asked Questions
They are vegetarian, not vegan. The recipe uses two eggs as a binder and 50 g of feta cheese for flavor, both of which are animal products. To attempt a vegan version you would need to swap the eggs for a plant-based binder and use a dairy-free feta, but that changes the texture and taste from this original.
Both methods work. Frying in a lightly greased non-stick pan for 1 to 2 minutes per side gives the crispiest edges in the shortest time. Baking on a greased tray at 200C for 25 to 30 minutes is more hands-off and uses less oil. Choose whichever fits your day.
Quinoa, onion and feta all release moisture, so a slightly wet mix is normal. Add breadcrumbs gradually rather than all at once: start with 3 tablespoons, wait a few minutes for them to absorb the excess liquid, then add the fourth only if needed. The mix should hold together when pressed but still feel soft.
Yes. The recipe calls for one bunch of either parsley or dill, so pick whichever herb you like best. Parsley gives a fresh, mild green flavor while dill adds a more distinctive, slightly aniseed note that pairs especially well with feta and olives.
Cool them fully, then keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot pan or a warm oven rather than the microwave to bring back some crunch. You can also prepare the raw mix ahead and chill it for a few hours, which helps the breadcrumbs absorb moisture and makes shaping easier.
Go easy on salt. Between the feta cheese and the black olives, the mixture is already quite salty, so the recipe only calls for ground pepper to taste. Mix everything first, then taste a tiny bit of the raw mix or fry one test patty before deciding whether it needs anything more.
Just to clarify. Do we use 1 cup of already cooked quinoa or cook 1 cup of dried quinoa that we cook and then use?
Hi Mary. Dry quinoa.
It’s sound delicious. It’s a must to try it! Thank you for the recipe! 👌🙂
You’re welcome, let me know if you try it! 🙂
These sound delicious! Do you think they would turn out okay using an air fryer?
I never used an air fryer so I have no idea. 🙂 But you can try.
One of my favorite recipes of yours, Ruxandra. So good and filling! Absolutely perfect, I keep making them every week!! Thank you for creating this recipe 🙂
You’re welcome! 😀
They are absolutely delicious and so easy to make
So glad you like them, Willow!
Do you use kalamata olives or the unbrined canned variety?
Kalamata would be perfect. You can use pretty much any kind you like.
Made these today. Delicious! Thank you for this recipe. I think it would be a great side dish also.
So glad you liked them, Joyce! 😀
Can I make these a week in advance for a party?
Sure! 😀
That seems like very little quinoa for the amount of cheese.
It’s not that much cheese – only 50g. I used 1 cup of quinoa which is mor ethan enough for 15+ patties. It will get fluffy when boiled.
This recipe looks great! do you know if the patties freeze well?
Thanks, Katie! 😀 Yes, you can freeze them. 🙂
Thank you for your recipies
It is the first time i have knew about quinoa patties i am going to make them today for my daughter who is allergic to glutten
How did they turn out! I hope your daughter liked them! 😀
I’ve made these at least 6 times so far…..LOVE them!! I serve them over a bed of fresh spinach with a drizzle of good olive oil.
So, so glad you liked them Michele! 😀 They are among my fav patties recipes too! 😀
I’ve made these twice already! They are simply delicious. I used to make quinoa muffins with lots of chopped vegetables (carrots, peppers, mushrooms, whatever it was on hand) but this gives the whole idea a new twist. I don’t know how it never crossed my mind to add olives. They’re always there in the fridge in a big jar!
I’m so happy to hear that Monica! I’ll make quinoa muffins soon, what a great idea you gave me! 😀
Abia astept sa testez reteta. Sunt mereu in cautare de retete noi cu quinoa. Mi se pare delicioasa!
Pentru mine a fost prima oara cand am gatit cu quinoa si pur si simplu m-am indragostit de ea! 😀 Sper sa iti placa! Te astept cu un comentariu dupa sa imi spui cum ti-a iesit 🙂
I love your recipe for quinoa burgers. We are huge olive fans. So simple and yet so tasty. I hope you are a quinoa fan now. Love the photograph.
Thank you Monica! Btw, I love your quinoa patties recipe too! Will definitely try it soon 🙂