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

What is quinoa and how to cook it

How to easily cook quinoa on the stove, in the instant pot or in a rice cooker. What quinoa is, why it’s healthy and how to eat it.

What is quinoa?

Quinoa and black bean salad in a glass bowl

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.

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.

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How long does cooked quinoa last?

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.

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

Quinoa in a measuring cup in front of 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

Quinoa on the counter next to 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.