Sticky Brown Rice and Quinoa with Cripsy Garlic Chili Oil

Brown rice and quinoa together make the perfect pair, especially when they are all swirled up with the world's best chili oil and crispy garlic. An easy homemade side dish that everyone will love, this brown rice and quinoa with crispy garlic chili oil pairs perfectly with salad or your favorite take-out fakeout recipes.

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Sticky Brown Rice and Quinoa With Crispy Garlic Chili Oil

The crispy garlic is my favorite...I need to get that out first. Gawd, it's good. I could pretty much just hide and eat the whole bulb of crispy garlic by myself. Also, I could be pretty much just hide...and be by myself, crispy garlic or not. This pandemic year is just starting to drrrrrrag me down. Are you feeling that? Grab the crispy garlic and disappear.

So this rice + quinoa goodness is A+++. This is really easy to make; the brown rice goes in the Instant Pot, and the quinoa goes on the stovetop, and it's all ready at the same time. If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can use your favorite method to get that done. But you should know, the Instant Pot makes things like brown rice and wild rice much easier to deal with. I have never tried quinoa in the Instant Pot because old habits die hard and it's never been hard to make on the stove.

The crispy garlic chili oil...let's discuss. You are just heating up sesame oil in skillet over medium heat, adding crushed red pepper, salt, and slices of garlic until the garlic begins to brown. That brilliant mixture gets poured over your brown rice + quinoa mixture and it's done. You can just grab a spoon and the rest is history.

If you are wondering if this is kid-friendly, the answer (in my house) is yes. My picky kids loved it, and considering my son will only eat marshmallows for the last couple of weeks makes it a winner. Winner-winner, not a marshmallow dinner.

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED FOR THIS DELICIOUS RICE RECIPE

You don't need much for this spicy brown rice and quinoa recipe! You might have these items already in your pantry. Scroll to the bottom for a printable recipe.

• Brown Rice: You can substitute cooked white rice if you aren't a fan of brown rice.
• Quinoa: I use multicolor quinoa, you can find it here.
• Sesame Seeds: Stirred into the rice and quinoa mixture, just makes it extra good.
• Sesame Oil: My favorite oil.
• Garlic: You will need one whole bulb of garlic. More if you plan on eating some of the crispy garlic goodness (I had to make two batches).
• Chili Flakes: Crushed red pepper, feel free to adjust the amount in the recipe to fit your tastes. ½ tsp is pretty mild, just a little spicy...1 tsp is better if you love spicy food.

HOW TO MAKE STICKY BROWN RICE AND QUINOA WITH CRISPY GARLIC CHILI OIL

This is an easy 30 minute meal or side dish. Scroll to the bottom for a printable recipe.

1. In the Instant Pot: Start by making the brown rice. Follow my Easy Instant Pot Brown Rice Recipe. You will need to make the full amount. If you don't have an Instant Pot, go ahead and make brown rice your favorite way.
2. On the stovetop: Combine 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water in a covered saucepan. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to medium-low heat. Keep it covered and allow it to cook for 20-25 minutes until all water is absorbed.
3. In a saute pan: Over medium heat, combine oil, salt, and chili flakes. Allow to heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic slices and cook until they begin to brown, watching carefully (about 3-5 minutes).
4. Stir: Stir together the brown rice and quinoa, using all the brown rice and 2 cups of quinoa (you will have a little leftover), sesame seeds, and oil mixture.
5. Serve: Serve with crispy garlic on top and sliced green onions.

STICKY BROWN RICE AND QUINOA WITH CRISPY GARLIC CHILI OIL GOES GREAT WITH:

• The Best Vegetarian Pork Gyoza Dumplings
• Brothy Baked White Beans With Ham
• Instant Pot Panera Creamy Tomato Soup
• Asiago Roasted Asparagus (vegans substitute Violife parmesan cheese)
• Chicken Meatballs with Ginger

Hey- you’ve made it this far, and now we’re BFFs.  If you make this brown rice and quinoa recipe, I would love for you to give it a star rating below (scroll down to the comments).  P.S. What makes me happiest is hearing from you!  Make sure you follow me on Instagram (please tag me!), Pinterest, and Facebook too! 

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