Grant Holt came off the bench to give City the 3 vital points against a fellow promoted side.
The home side took the lead in the 15th minute when Russell Martin volleyed home Andrew Surman's corner.
Overall it was a deserved win although had looked in doubt when QPR capitalised on yet another defensive lapse in concentration to equalise in the second half through Luke Young.
But Paul Lamberts tactical substitution bringing on Holt & playmaker Wes Hoolahan reaped immediate dividends.
The City boss had surprised many by making three changes to the side, that although lost at home to Arsenal last week, did not play badly at all. In came Simeon Jackson making his first Premiership start alongside Steve Morison as the Canaries lined up in a 4-4-2 formation.
Surman in midfield and Ritchie De Laet at right-back both returned to the side for the first time since the Canaries home defeat to West Bromwich Albion at the beginning of September. Elliott Bennett and Tottenham loanee Kyle Naughton were the players dropped to the bench.
Despite the serious doubt before the game from Neil Warnock about Heidar Helgasun, his leading scorer lined up as QPR kicked off. The Londoners began strongly and were looking very comfortable on the ball.
Slightly against that early run of play the Canaries took the lead with acting Captain Martin decisively volleying Surman's well-delivered corner past Radek Cerny. This definitely settled the home-side down and they controlled long passages of play, keeping the Hoop's pegged back in their half.
It wasn't all one way traffic as Rangers looked when they could, to utilise the pace of Shaun Wright-Phillips at every opportunity, but sadly the final ball often found a resolute City defence in their way.
Wright-Phillips thought he had earned his side a penalty just before the break, but referee Mark Clattenburg rightly adjudged the tricky midfielder had fallen over John Ruddy, as the City keeper blocked the ball first.
HALF-TIME: City 1 QPR 0
After the break the Canaries had opportunities to extend their lead but yet again their inability to keep a clean sheet cost them dear.
A lack of communication between Martin and Mark Tierney allowed Jamie Mackie to steal in and fire a shot past Ruddy. Initially it was fortunate for the City keeper that Mackie's drive struck the far post, but the lively right back Luke Young was perfectly positioned to return the rebound past Ruddy.
This goal lifted the Hoop's and gave them confidence to go searching for what surely would be the winner. The City boss sensing this made a double substitution in the 70th minute.
This was the moment that Hoolahan and Holt entered the fray for the tiring Jackson and Anthony Pilkington, who hadn't had one of his best performances in a yellow shirt.
Both sub's took just 3 minutes to combine and restore City's lead. Holt had just seen his header from Morison's cross cleared off the line by Shaun Derry and the home side kept up the pressure, quickly regaining possession. Hoolahan received the ball just outside the area and delivered the ball into the 6-yard area where Holt drifted in behind the defence to put ball past rangers keeper to send Carrow Road ecstatic.
In the 79th minute Warnock went for broke, bringing on Tommy Smith in place of Wright-Phillips, giving him four strikers on the pitch. Probably the closest they came was Helguson who looked to head in Jay Bothroyd's cross at the far post, but Leon Barnett was there to bravely block his effort.
The game's first and only booking came in the 87th minute when Naughton caught Smith on rangers left. From the resulting free-kick delivered by Akos Buzsaky, it was initially cleared by Tierney but only as far as Smith whose shot was straight at Ruddy.
As the game entered the final minute of normal time the Canaries had a real opportunity to put the game beyond Rangers reach when the impressive Morison had Holt free to his left but delayed the cross and was cut out by a defender. From the resulting corner, which was played short to Hoolahan, City lost possession and Rangers mounted one final challenge. But Buzsaky lacked any power and was comfortably taken by Ruddy.
FULL-TIME: City 2 QPR 1