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Home Basics

How To Cook Quinoa

Learn how to cook perfectly fluffy quinoa every time! This tried and true method works for all quinoa varieties. Instant Pot and Rice Cooker Methods included.
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By: Diana Last updated on January 24, 2023

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Overhead shot of cooked quinoa in a bowl, and overlay text "how to cook quinoa"

Learn how to cook perfectly fluffy quinoa every time! This tried and true method works for all quinoa varieties. Included are directions for the stovetop, Instant Pot, and rice cooker.

Overhead shot of a perfectly cooked quinoa in a white bowl


After trying so many different methods to cook quinoa, I finally found the best way to make sure that my quinoa is fluffy and perfectly cooked every single time. Quinoa can be a bit tricky to cook and sometimes it comes out tasting bitter, but I have an easy fix for you! So keep on reading to learn more.

This is a part of my Back to Basics Series where I teach you how to master essential kitchen skills. You will also find other useful tutorials for kitchen skills like how to brine a chicken, how to cook buckwheat, and even things like how to use a french press!

What is Quinoa?

You might think that quinoa is a grain as it’s treated and thought of as a whole grain, but it’s actually a seed. The most common quinoa varieties are white quinoa, red quinoa, black quinoa, and a mix of the three.

Pronounced “KEEN-wah”, this grain is very healthy as it’s nutrient-dense and makes a wonderful side dish for any meal. I use it interchangeably with rice, pasta, and beans.

Quinoa has an earthy and nutty flavor and the lightest variety (in color) has the mildest flavor. The texture is fluffy and slightly chewy, but if it’s overcooked, it can become mushy and gummy.

In this tutorial, I will show you how to cook perfectly fluffy and delicious quinoa that is never bitter or gummy. Serve it as a side, in salads, or as a base in a recipe like garlic shrimp quinoa. It’s also great for meal prep as you can store it in the fridge, and then use it for easy lunches and dinners throughout the week.

Close Up Shot of Cooked Quinoa

Quinoa Serving Size

If you’re not sure how much quinoa to cook, you will have to do a bit of math:

  • Quinoa will increase in volume as it cooks. So 1 cup of uncooked quinoa will make 3 cups of cooked quinoa.
  • The recommended portion per person is ¼ cup of uncooked quinoa or ¾ cup of cooked quinoa if served as a side dish.
  • If you need to make 2 cups of cooked quinoa for a recipe, cook ⅔ cup of dry quinoa with 1 cup of water.

Ingredients In Recipe

You only need three simple ingredients to cook quinoa:

Overhead shot of ingredients needed to cook quinoa including uncooked quinoa, water, and salt.
  • Quinoa: Any varity of uncooked quinoa. I’m using white quinoa, but you can use red, black, or a mixture of the three.
  • Liquid: You can use just tap water at room temperature to cook the quinoa, but to make it even more flavorful, use stock/broth. Different recipes call for different liquid to quinoa ratio, I tried many different methods and the best ratio in my experience is 1 and half cups of water to 1 cup of quinoa.
  • Salt: To season the quinoa. I have more ideas on how to add more flavor to your quinoa in the tips section below.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

How To Make Recipe

Collage of four images showing how to cook quinoa
  1. Rinse the Quinoa. Use a fine mesh strainer or colander and rinse the quinoa under running water a few times. This helps you get rid of the bitter taste that your quinoa might have.
  2. Cook. Add the quinoa to a saucepan, and cover with water or broth. Season with salt and give it a quick stir. Lower the heat to the lowest setting possible, cover with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes (no stirring is needed).
  3. Rest. Remove from heat, and let it sit covered for 5 minutes. Don’t peak! You want the steam to further cook the quinoa, this will help separate the germ from the kernel that will look like little white spirals or rings.
  4. Fluff and Serve. Fluff the quinoa with a fork, and serve as a side, or as a base for a quinoa bowl or other recipes.

Tip!

The key to good tasting quinoa is to rinse it well to get rid of the saponins coating the seeds, this is a natural occuring phytochemical that gives quinoa a bitter taste. If you don’t rinse your quinoa well, it might turn out bitter and possibly difficult to digest.

Cook Quinoa in the Instant Pot or In your Rice Cooker

Cooking quinoa in the Instant Pot is a bit different because you don’t need that much liquid. Find my Instant Pot quinoa recipe here, but in short, you need a ratio of 1:1 water to quinoa and pressure cook it on high for 1 minute.

If you’re using the rice cooker, keep the water to quinoa ratio the same as the stovetop method which is 1:1½.

Top Tips

  • Sub the water for stock for a richer flavor! To add even more flavor, substitute the water for vegetable or chicken stock, add a squeeze of lemon juice, a bay leaf, sauteed onions and/or garlic, and dried herbs.
  • Season your quinoa. Quinoa is plain on its own, so I recommend seasoning it with other things such as olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper, stir in freshly chopped herbs, a little garlic, top with toasted nuts or feta cheese, the possibilities are endless!

Quinoa FAQs

How to store uncooked quinoa?

Similar to other grains, quinoa should be stored in a sealed container in a cool dry place in your pantry away from humidity.

How to store cooked quinoa?

Store the leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5-7 days. You can also batch cook the quinoa, and freeze it to use later.

Is quinoa gluten free?

Quinoa is gluten free, and a great alternative to gluten containing grains.

Do you boil water before adding quinoa?

No, you don’t have to. Combine uncooked quinoa with the water, and then bring it to a boil, cover, and simmer.

Image of cooked quinoa in a while bowl, shot at an angle

How To Serve Quinoa

Serve it as a side with your favorite meal! Try it with this super easy Baked Shrimp, Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken, or with this Honey Garlic Chicken Breast that takes just 20 minutes to make!

Skip the rice. Quinoa can replace white rice in many recipes! Serve it with Kidney Bean Curry, Chickpea and Potato Curry, or this Vegan Cauliflower Butter ‘Chicken’.

Make Quinoa Bowls. Check out my Teriyaki Salmon bowls and Teriyaki Chicken Bowls for inspiration!

Make a healthy porridge for breakfast. This quinoa porridge is so simple, but it’s so healthy and absolutely delicious! A must-try!

Save this tutorial for the next time you want to cook quinoa but now sure how to achieve the perfect result. Pin it for more people to enjoy too!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe
Overhead shot of a perfectly cooked quinoa in a white bowl
5 from 6 votes
(Click stars to rate!)

How To Cook Quinoa

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 20 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
Author: Diana
Print Rate Recipe
Learn how to cook perfectly fluffy quinoa every time! This tried and true method works for all quinoa varieties. Instant Pot and Rice Cooker Methods included.
4 servings
Learn how to cook perfectly fluffy quinoa every time! This tried and true method works for all quinoa varieties. Instant Pot and Rice Cooker Methods included.

Equipment

  • fine mesh colander
  • Saucepan

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup (185 grams) uncooked quinoa any variety
  • 1 ½ cups (360 ml) water Note 2
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions 

  • Rinse the quinoa using a fine mesh colander under cool running water (See Note 1). Drain.
  • Add the quinoa to a saucepan, cover with water, add the salt, and stir. Bring to a boil,
  • Lower the heat to the lowest setting possible, cover with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Remove from heat, and let it sit for 5 minutes without peeking!
  • Uncovered, fluff with a fork and serve.

Notes:

  1. The key to good tasting quinoa is to rinse it well to get rid of the saponins coating the seeds, this is a natural occuring phytochemical that gives quinoa a bitter taste. If you don’t rinse your quinoa well, it might turn out bitter and possibly difficult to digest.
  2. Sub the water for stock for a richer flavor! To add even more flavor, substitute the water for vegetable or chicken stock, add a squeeze of lemon juice, sauteed onions and/or garlic, and dried herbs.
  3. Season your quinoa. Quinoa is plain on its own, so I recommend seasoning it with other things such as olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper, stir in freshly chopped herbs, a little garlic, top with toasted nuts or feta cheese, the possibilities are endless!
  4. Store the leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5-7 days. You can also batch cook the quinoa, and freeze it to use later.
  5. The recommended portion per person is ¼ cup of uncooked quinoa or ¾ cup of cooked quinoa if served as a side dish. That would be about 40-50 grams of uncooked quinoa.
  6. To cook quinoa in the Instant Pot you need a ratio of 1:1 water to quinoa and pressure cook it on high for 1 minute. In a rice cooker, keep the water to quinoa ratio the same as the stovetop method which is 1:1½.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 40g, Calories: 165kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 302mg, Potassium: 253mg, Fiber: 3g, Vitamin A: 6IU, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 2mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Little Sunny Kitchen

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