How to cook quinoa (rice cooker, microwave, instant pot and on the stove)

What is quinoa and how to cook it

How to easily cook quinoa in a rice cooker, microwave, instant pot or on the stove. Learn what quinoa is, why it’s healthy and how to eat it. Know exactly how much water to use when cooking quinoa so that it comes out perfect every time.

What is quinoa?

Quinoa (pronounced Kee-nwa) is actually a seed, but it gets treated like a grain. It’s grown mostly in the Andes of South America, but recently the U.S has been growing it in the Rocky mountains of Colorado.

Quinoa has many health benefits including:

• it’s a complete protein
• full of fiber
• gluten free
• full of trace minerals like magnesium, iron, zinc and copper
• a complex carb, so it has a low glycemic index. This means it digests slower, raises your blood sugar less and keeps you fuller longer.
• It also cooks a lot faster than most grains.

Always rinse quinoa before cooking

Always always rinse your quinoa with a fine mesh strainer.

Even if the package says pre-rinsed. It will taste a lot better.

Rinsing quinoa gets rid of the outer coating on the seed that makes it taste bitter.

How many cups of cooked quinoa does dry quinoa make?

1 cup of dry white quinoa = 3 cups of cooked

Keep this ratio in mind to know how much you’d like to prepare. I always make about 2 cups dry.

I love making a big batch of quinoa and having it on hand to throw in salads, grain bowls and breakfast porridge.

If you’re going to take the time to cook it, might as well make a big batch.

Can you freeze quinoa?

I like making a big batch of quinoa because quinoa freezes well.

If you find you made more than you will eat in the next few days, you can always freeze the rest.

It keeps really well and all you have to do is pop it in the microwave or warm it up in a pan.

How long does quinoa last in the fridge?

Cooked quinoa can last in the fridge for about 5-7 days. You can also freeze it and thaw it out if you made too much and need to save it for later.

Quinoa will start to smell once it goes bad, so as long as it doesn’t have a smell, feel free to eat it.

How to make quinoa taste good

Quinoa has a very bland taste, so unless you spruce it up with some seasonings, it’s going to taste underwhelming.

Some tips to help make quinoa taste good:

• Instead of cooking quinoa in water, cook it in vegetable broth
• Season it with your favorite seasonings, like garlic powder and onion powder.
• My favorite way to eat quinoa is to drizzle some high quality olive oil on top and a few pinches of salt.

How to cook quinoa on the stove

• Rinse the quinoa with a fine mesh strainer (otherwise it will taste dirty and gritty)
• The ratio of all types of quinoa, when cooking on the stove is 1:2. So, if you’re making 1 cup of dry quinoa, add 2 cups of water.
• Put the water and quinoa in your sauce pan
• Add any flavorings you’d like, I like adding either salt, or a couple of teaspoons of veggie bouillon paste or one veggie bouillon cube. You can also use veggie broth instead of water. Quinoa definitely needs flavoring, as it’s pretty bland.
• Set stove to high and bring quinoa to a boil
• After getting the boil, immediately turn heat down to medium low until you get a gentle simmer, add a tight fitting lid and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes, or until water is mostly cooked out of the quinoa.
• After 15 minutes or so, turn off the heat and set the quinoa aside for 5 minutes without taking the lid off or touching it.
• After letting it sit for 5 minutes, take the lid off and fluff the quinoa up
• My favorite way to eat this is to drizzle a little olive oil on top with some salt.

How to cook quinoa in the instant pot

• Rinse the quinoa with a fine mesh strainer (otherwise it will taste dirty and gritty)
• The ratio of all types of quinoa, when cooking in the instant pot is 1:1. So, if you’re making 1 cup of dry quinoa, add 1 cup of water. The ratio of water is less in the instant pot because it doesn’t release as much water while cooking.
• Put the water and quinoa in your pressure cooker
• Add any flavorings you’d like, I like adding either salt, or a couple of teaspoons of veggie bouillon paste or one veggie bouillon cube. You can also use veggie broth instead of water. Quinoa definitely needs flavoring, as it’s pretty bland.
• Close the instant pot and set the valve to seal
• Cook on high pressure for 1 minute
• Let it slow release for 12 minutes
• Take off the lid and fluff up the quinoa
• My favorite way to eat this is to drizzle a little olive oil on top with some salt.

How to cook quinoa in a rice cooker

• Rinse the quinoa with a fine mesh strainer (otherwise it will taste dirty and gritty)
• The ratio of all types of quinoa, when cooking in the rice cooker is 1:2 So, if you’re making 1 cup of dry quinoa, add 2 cups of water.
• Put the water and quinoa in your rice cooker
• Add any flavorings you’d like, I like adding either salt, or a couple of teaspoons of veggie bouillon paste or one veggie bouillon cube. You can also use veggie broth instead of water. Quinoa definitely needs flavoring, as it’s pretty bland.
• Close the lid and set the rice cooker to cooking white rice
• Let the quinoa sit for 5 minutes after it’s been cooked, then open the lid and fluff with a fork.
• My favorite way to eat this is to drizzle a little olive oil on top with some salt.

How to cook quinoa in a microwave

Microwaving quinoa is the fastest way to make quinoa and it’s very convenient.

• Rinse the quinoa with a fine mesh strainer (otherwise it will taste dirty and gritty)
• The ratio of all types of quinoa, when cooking in the microwave is 1:2 So, if you’re making 1 cup of dry quinoa, add 2 cups of water.
• Put the water and quinoa in a large microwave safe bowl that is able to fit 3 cups of cooked quinoa.
• Add any flavorings you’d like, I like adding either salt, or a couple of teaspoons of veggie bouillon paste or one veggie bouillon cube. You can also use veggie broth instead of water. Quinoa definitely needs flavoring, as it’s pretty bland.
• Cover the bowl with a microwave safe plate. Microwave on high for 6 minutes. Carefully remove the plate and stir the quinoa with a fork. Add the plate back on and microwave for another 2 minutes
• Let the quinoa sit for 5 minutes after it’s been cooked, then take the plate off and fluff with a fork.
• My favorite way to eat this is to drizzle a little olive oil on top with some salt.

How to eat quinoa

There are many ways to eat quinoa. It’s extremely versatile. You can use it just like you would brown rice or any other grain. It’s a great base for veggies.

Quinoa is great in:

• veggie grain bowls
• added to yogurt with some berries or apples as a morning parfait
• formed into quinoa veggie burgers
• quinoa veggie stir fry
• cooked like oatmeal and eaten as a morning porridge.

Quinoa recipes to try

• Quinoa curry burgers
• Southwest quinoa salad

Loved this blog post? Save it for later by clicking the image below

How to cook quinoa (rice cooker, stove top and pressure cooker)