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Well guys it has been a whole month since that last buffalo recipe…..and I think you’ll really like this Crispy Buffalo Quinoa Bites Salad!

Crispy Buffalo Quinoa Bites Salad | https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/

This means I am due to share another.

I think all Mondays should have at least a little buffalo sauce. Well buffalo sauce or margarita chicken and guacamole quesadilla’s. Yeah, one or better yet both of these things should happen every Monday.

That would make for a good Monday don’t cha think?

 

 

Crispy Buffalo Quinoa Bites Salad | https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/You know what would also make for a good Monday?

SLEEP!

This is something I do not get enough of and with summer right around the corner the days are getting longer and longer. More light equals more working time and more working time equals less sleep. But you know what I am OK with this. I love the long day’s and I am jumping out of my skin excited for summer to hit around here.

Ah wait. I am getting way ahead of myself here! How am I talking about summer? How is it that Memorial Day is exactly TWO weeks from today? This is crazy.

Crispy Buffalo Quinoa Bites Salad | https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/

Oh and since we are talking about Memorial Day I feel I should tell you to prepare yourselves for some good food in the coming weeks. Lots of grilling, lots of fruit, marshmallows and lots of ice cream.

Oh and of course some random stuff scattered throughout. Oh and did I mention ice cream?

It’s gonna be good.

Crispy Buffalo Quinoa Bites Salad | https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/

Let’s talk salad today though.

So I am all about quinoa. I mean for one, it is healthy and that’s just awesome. But I really love it cause it is amazing with pretty much anything. It can also be made into cute little balls that are crunchy, moist and… the perfect solution for when you open the fridge only to find that the chicken you thought you had was actually stolen by an older brother the day before!

Yes, this can be a life saver (my older brother’s life that is).

Crispy Buffalo Quinoa Bites Salad | https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/

So speaking of buffalo sauce, I think my dad is growing more and more insane as the days roll on.

Remember when I made these buffalo shrimp sandwiches and I told you guys how my dad wanted to start a buffalo restaurant? Yeah, well these quinoa bites sealed the deal for him. He actually said he likes them better than buffalo chicken.

He is dead serious about the buffalo restaurant. He REALLY wants to open one. It’s starting to scare me.

Crispy Buffalo Quinoa Bites Salad | https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/

Anyway, the base of the balls is mostly quinoa and then a about a cup of white beans and an egg to help the balls stick together. Then just crisp them up in a skillet and douse them in buffalo sauce.

Oh my gosh the dressing!! It’s a combo of homemade buttermilk ranch and blue cheese dressing and the only reason it’s a combo is because I could not decide between the two (yeah you know me and decisions). I think I spent twenty minutes of my hike going back and forth on which dressing to use until I finally decided to just combine the two. My brain just will not give me a break, it’s always going back and forth.

Then obviously, you NEED to cover the whole thing with extra buffalo sauce and blue cheese, or cheddar cheese if you’re not into the blue. We love the moldy stuff around here though.

Crispy Buffalo Quinoa Bites Salad | https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/

Crispy Buffalo Quinoa Bites Salad with Cheesy Ranch

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories Per Serving: 489 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Buffalo Sauce and Quinoa Bites

Dressing:

Salad

  • 1-2 cups leftover [baked french fries |https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/double-baked-fries-with-garlic-cheese-sauce-and-bacon/] optional
  • 8 cups of butter lettuce chopped
  • 2 carrots sliced or chopped
  • 4 green onions sliced
  • 24 ounces gorgonzola or blue cheese crumbled

Instructions

  • Make the dressing. Combine all ingredients except the blue cheese in a bowl and mix well. Stir in the blue cheese and place in the fridge while you make the salads.
  • Make the buffalo sauce. Combine the melted butter, olive oil, hot sauce and seasoned salt in a medium size bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside
  • In another bowl combine the quinoa, mashed cannellini beans, bread crumbs, egg, salt, pepper and 4 tablespoons of the buffalo sauce. Mix well to moisten the ingredients and then form into 30-35 equal size balls (about 1/2 tablespoon to 1 tablespoon of the quinoa mixture). Squeeze the balls together tightly with your hands, being careful.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Add half the balls to skillet and cook until golden and crisp on all sides, about five minutes. Gently (very gently) toss about 10 balls at a time with the buffalo sauce or you can dip each ball in the sauce as well if you are afraid the balls will crumble.
  • To assemble the salads, combine lettuce and carrots in bowls or on plates. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then toss. Top with an equal amount of green onions and fries, then add the buffalo quinoa bites on top. Cover in blue cheese, then drizzle with the dressing and add any remaining buffalo sauce. Go to town!
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Crispy Buffalo Quinoa Bites Salad | https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/

Now, someone please tell my dad this restaurant trailer a bad idea.

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Comments

    1. HI Barb! This servea bout 6 and makes around 16-18 balls. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

  1. Hi there!
    These really really good but I am pretty sensitive to spicy food. How spicy is the buffalo sauce? I was think of just adding a super small amount of hot sauce instead of your suggested serving. I love the taste of buffalo sauce I just can’t take the heat!
    Thanks!
    Kaitlin

    1. Hi Kaitlin, I do not think the sauce is that spicy, but then again my family and I love spicy foods. Maybe add hot sauce and try it then add more to get it to the perfect level for you! I hope you like this!

  2. 5 stars
    This has become a favorite meal at my house! Though – real talk – I use store bought ranch (because I’m lazy) and omit the blue cheese (because I’m picky). But the quinoa balls drenched in delicious buffalo sauce with sweet potato fries, carrots, green onion, and a TON of butter lettuce are so amaaaaziiiiiiiing.

  3. Hey! I’m super excited to make these bad boys, however, I wanted to know what a good substitute for the eggs would be?

    1. HI! I have not made these minus the eggs so it is hard to say. Have you ever tired using a chia egg? I think that could work great! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂

  4. 5 stars
    OMG!!! I can’t stop eating these! I just finished making these buggers and they are divine! I didn’t want to take the time to make a salad so I threw them on a bun with blue cheese, lettuce and tomato and devoured it! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Have you tried freezing them? I’m going to try to freeze half so that I don’t eat them all in one sitting? Thank you again.

    1. So glad you love the recipe!! I have not tried freezing them, but I think that would work out great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. 🙂

  5. IDK how many these make, but if someone call tell me I would be happy to calculate the nutrition info for ya’ll (I use my fitness pal for EVERYTHING!)

    1. Sorry I just saw how many these make. Based off of 30 balls, this is the nutrition info: this doesn’t take into account the salad or dressing!

      Servings 30.0
      Amount Per Serving
      calories 99
      % Daily Value *
      Total Fat 6 g 8 %
      Saturated Fat 1 g 6 %
      Monounsaturated Fat 3 g
      Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
      Trans Fat 0 g
      Cholesterol 2 mg 1 %
      Sodium 182 mg 8 %
      Potassium 129 mg 4 %
      Total Carbohydrate 10 g 3 %
      Dietary Fiber 1 g 6 %
      Sugars 0 g
      Protein 3 g 6 %
      Vitamin A 1 %
      Vitamin C 0 %
      Calcium 1 %
      Iron 7 %

  6. Just made this and it is outstanding ! My husband is very picky, would not eat the dressing ( I loved it) and was skeptical about the “bites”. He ate it with olive oil for a salad dressing and said it was really good, said several times. Next time I am going to make coins instead of balls so that I can get more brown on each piece. Worth the effort.

    1. So happy you liked it Jill! Love that he liked them even though hes picky! (always the best)
      That should be delish!

  7. Okay so I made these tonight. Pan frying them didn’t work out as planned. So I decided to bread them in more panko once I formed the balls and baked them on a wire rack for 20mins. They came out so crispy and it stayed together better!

  8. I just made this for the first time and… oh my goodness, girl! These little quinoa buffalo bites? Best vegetarian thing I’ve ever tasted. I am buffalo-obsessed & always feel a little let down by buffalo vegetarian options. Now that I have this gem of a recipe, I’ll never be let down again. This salad is amazing. 5 star!

  9. Can these be frozen after they are made, before tossed in buffalo sauce? I am all about meal prep so I have delicious food ready to go around a hectic schedule. Thanks!

    1. Yes! They can be frozen. Just place them on a baking sheet and freeze, then add the sauce afterward! Perfect for meal prep!? Thanks Jill.

    1. Hey Rachel! Yes! Bake them at 425 for 25-30 minutes or until crisp and firm. Should work great! Let me know if you have questions. Thanks!!

        1. Hey Rachel, Yes, that would probably be a good idea. Let me know if you have any other questions. Hope you love this! Thanks!