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Cajun Quinoa Cakes + Lemon-Dill Remoulade

Cajun Quinoa Cakes features crispy, veggie filled quinoa patties seasoned with old bay and topped with a spicy lemon-dill remoulade for a fantastic meatless meal that all types of eaters will love!

top down view of crispy quinoa cakes on a serving platter.

I have been on a sriracha kick lately and happen to find this recipe for these quinoa patties with this great sounding rémoulade, and just had to give it a try. And so glad I did because they were delicious!

This recipe is adapted from Randy Clemens vegan sriracha cookbook called, The Veggie-Lover’s Sriracha Cookbook (affiliate link). It’s a great book which includes 50 veggie loving recipes that will be based on fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes and beans – no fake meats – and all will pack a punch with the sriracha chili sauce.

You will find these vegan quinoa cakes come together easily and will be on the table in about 1 hour. They are super tasty and pair well with fresh asparagus for a light meal, or add a serving of vegan mac & cheese for something heartier.

These were devoured by the whole family and I know you will love them too!

So without further ado, let’s get to it!

top down view of ingredients used to make vegan quinoa cakes.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Quinoa cakes: The base of the cakes includes quinoa, flour, and flax egg. A mix of red bell pepper, red onion, celery, and parsley add color, texture, and added flavor, along with a few spices such as garlic, old bay, salt, and pepper. The old bay adds flavor but can be omitted if you don’t have it on hand and still have nicely flavored quinoa cakes.

The Remoulade: The creamy topping is a cashew base with dill, lemon, garlic, onion powder and sriracha for a kick of heat. Feel free to sub the cashew base and use vegan mayo.

top down view of freshly formed quinoa cakes on a baking sheet.

How To Make Quinoa Cakes

(Note – The full printable recipe is at the bottom of this post)

  • Start with making the quinoa.
  • While quinoa is cooking, make the flax egg and prep the produce.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the quinoa, flax egg, flour, onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Mixture should be moist enough to stick together. Add additional flour or water, 1 -2 tablespoons at a time if needed to adjust consistency, and taste for seasoning.
  • Form balls, pressing gently but firmly, and flatten into approx. 8 patties about 1/2 inch thick.
  • Cook quinoa cakes over medium heat until browned on each side, about 4 – 5 minutes per side.

These were easy to put together, a little messy, but once you do one or two you get the hang of it.

top down view of crispy quinoa cakes on a serving platter.

How To Store + Reheat

Besides the cooked quinoa patties making wonderful leftovers, the uncooked quinoa mixture also keeps well for a few days. Make the mixture, cover, and store in the refrigerator until you have some time to cook the patties on the stove.

  • Refrigerator: Leftover patties can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 – 6 days in a covered container.
  • Freezer: For longer storage, freeze the quinoa cakes for up to 2 – 3 months using freezer-safe containers or baggies. Bake the quinoa patties from frozen, adding 3 – 5 extra minutes to the directed cooking time.
  • Reheat: Warm the quinoa crab cakes on a plate in a preheated oven set to 350 degrees. Alternatively, microwave using 30 – 60 second intervals until warmed through.

Serving Suggestions

These savory veggie-filled quinoa patties pair well with a variety of sides. Here are a few of my favorite options:

top down view of a small plate plate with crispy cajun quinoa cakes topped with creamy remoulade.

More Recipes You’ll Love!

If you try this quinoa cakes recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

Print

Cajun Quinoa Cakes + Lemon-Dill Remoulade

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4.8 from 4 reviews

Cajun Quinoa Cakes are a delicious vegan twist on crab cakes with an amazing creamy sriracha rémoulade!

  • Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 40 min
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: Makes 8 crab cakes 1x
  • Category: Entree
  • Cuisine: Cajun, American
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Units Scale

Quinoa Cakes

  • 1 cup dried quinoa
  • 1 3/4 cup vegetable broth or water
  • 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
  • 3 tablespoon water
  • 1/4 cup flour of choice + more as needed (I used GF oat flour)
  • 1/2 red onion or 1 large shallot, diced
  • 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • 2 ribs of celery, diced
  • 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons old bay, optional
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • himalayan salt & pepper, to taste
  • 12 tablespoons olive oil, for the skillet

Lemon-Dill-Sriracha Rémoulade

  • 2/3 cups raw cashews* (preferably soaked for 23 hours)
  • 1/3 cup water + more as needed
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha, + more to taste OR 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 small clove garlic
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
  • 1 lemon, juice and a little zest
  • dash or two onion powder
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

Quinoa: In small pot over medium high heat, add broth/water and quinoa, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Once done, remove cover, fluff with a fork and let set for another 15 minutes to cool and absorb remaining water.

Flax egg: While the quinoa is cooling, start your flax egg by mixing the ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl and set aside to thicken, at least 10 minutes for best results.

Rémoulade: Place all ingredients in a blender/food processor, except the dill, and blend until smooth (the Nutri Bullet is a perfect tool for this job). If your mixture is too thin add a few cashews and blend again, and if too thick add 1 tablespoon water at a time until desired consistency. Stir in the dill by hand. Taste for seasoning adding more of whatever you like. Cover and keep at room temp or place in the refrigerator until ready to use (I served mine at room temp). This can also be made a couple days in advance and kept in the refrigerator (will stay fresh for up to 5 – 6 days).

Quinoa Cakes: In a medium bowl, combine quinoa, flax egg, flour, onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Mixture should be moist enough to stick together. Add additional flour or water, 1 -2 tablespoons at a time if needed to adjust consistency. Taste for seasoning. Scoop up 1/4 – 1/3 cup of mixture and form into a ball, pack them well while forming into a ball. Gently flatten to about 1/2 inch and pinch any cracks that appear on the sides and tops. (Patties can be made a day in advance and kept in the refrigerator.) Be patient and rinse your hands after forming each patty, it will be a bit messy for the first few until you get the hang of it.

Cook: Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In a skillet or shallow pan, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil over medium heat, add 4 patties and cook, until nicely browned on each side, about 4 – 5 minutes per side. Repeat until all patties are cooked. Keep finished quinoa cakes on a baking sheet in the preheated oven until all cakes are cooked. (see notes for baked option)

Serve the quinoa cakes with a nice dollop of rémoulade and pair with a steamed vegetable of choice. Would be great with vegan mac and cheese, coleslaw or sweet corn & arugula salad too.

Makes 8 – 9 patties, serves 4

Store: Patties can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

Remoulade: Feel free to use vegan mayo instead of cashews for the rémoulade. Replace the cashews and water with 1/2 – 3/4 cup vegan mayo. Mince the garlic and make sure zest of lemon is finely grated or minced. Combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix by hand.

Baked Vegan Crab Cakes: The quinoa cakes can also be baked in the oven until golden brown and heated through on a lightly greased baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes, flipping once after the first 15 minutes.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 patties w/ 3 tablespoons sauce
  • Calories: 371
  • Sugar: 3.1 g
  • Sodium: 116.3 mg
  • Fat: 16.3 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 46.7 g
  • Fiber: 5.5 g
  • Protein: 12.4 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Updated: Cajun Quinoa Cakes was first published March 2013 and has been updated December 2019 with new photos and helpful tips.

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12 Comments

  1. Duchess Rose says:

    Can you freeze them? can you cook them in Airfryer? What the cooking time in Airfryer

    1. Julie | The Simple Veganista says:

      Yes, you can freeze them! I would store them with parchment paper between each patty, so they don’t stick together. I’m not sure about the air fryer as I haven’t tried that yet.

  2. These are delicious! I struggled with getting to stay together, but will definitely make again. I used almond flour. Next time will use regular flour.






  3. These are so good!! I had to make a couple swaps, such as minced mushrooms instead of celery, and I used a packet of creole spice I had been holding onto for quite a while. I had a quinoa cake at a restaurant a long time ago and for some reason thought it would be too difficult to do at home. This recipe was easy to follow and came out better than I imagined! The sauce is delicious too. :)






  4. I think this is my favorite recipe on your blog thus far! I was super excited to make these and they did not disappoint. Absolutely love them! I cannot wait to make these for my mother and grandmother-who both love quinoa.






  5. I made these last night. The only sub was the veg…I used frozen corn and peas because I was low on the fresh stuff. FANTASTIC! My non-vegan husband raved about them. Even my pickiest child ate his. Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside. Handy hack, I used a 1/4 C measure to scoop which made them a perfect shape that I could slightly press and put in the pan. REALLY, REALLY recommend.






    1. Julie | The Simple Veganista says:

      Thanks for sharing, Heather! So glad you all loved it! Cheers :)

  6. Since going vegan I have discovered quinoa and love it. I guess better late than never!!!! Pinning this and making it soon…sounds delicious!

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      Quinoa is the best! I just discovered it a couple years ago…so better that than never right! Enjoy this recipe. :)

  7. I have been looking for a quinoa cakes recipe after seeing images a friend posted of quinoa cakes they had for dinner at some downtown SF restaurant. Cannot wait to try these and get this cookbook!

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      Hope you love them! I can't wait for the cookbook myself. :)

  8. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

    I know!!! How cool is that….WAY COOL! Randy Clemens is ahead of the curve with awesomeness. :)

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