How to Cook Quinoa

Here’s how to cook quinoa so it’s fluffy every time! Master making this whole grain as an easy side dish or healthy meal component.

Here’s a whole grain that’s just about as versatile as your favorite pair of shoes: Quinoa! This seed from the Andes had a meteoric rise to popularity in the US: because it’s fluffy, tasty, and fun to make into side dishes, salads and bowl meals. But here’s the thing: quinoa can be tricky to cook. It’s easy to come out soggy and waterlogged. So here’s how to cook quinoa: a trick that makes it come out fluffy every time!

All about quinoa

Quinoa (KEEN-wah) is a South American grain that was first grown for food 7,000 years ago by the Incas in the Andes. It’s actually the seed of the Chenopodium quinoa plant, so it’s known as a “psuedograin” since it’s eaten in the same way as whole grains.

Quinoa is gluten-free and high in protein, calcium, Vitamin B, and iron. In fact, the Incas believed the food was sacred, because eating it regularly appeared to provide a long, healthy life. There are several types of quinoa, including:

• White
• Red
• Black
• Tri Color (a mix of the three above)

How to cook quinoa

Most recipes for quinoa suggest a ratio of 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water. After extensive testing, we’ve found it’s easy to get soggy grains with this method. So we’ve developed a new quinoa to water ratio: try 1 cup quinoa to 1 ¾ cups water. Simmer it up, and it makes for fluffy grains that aren’t waterlogged. Here’s how to cook quinoa:

• Rinse the quinoa. Rinse it in cold water using a fine mesh strainer, then shake off the water. Why rinse quinoa? It reduces bitterness (it helps to remove the natural coating called saponin) and in our experience, helps it cook more evenly.
• Simmer covered for 15 to 18 minutes. Place 1 cup quinoa with 1 ¾ cups water in a saucepan with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer where the water is just bubbling for about 15 to 18 minutes, until the water has been completely absorbed. Check by pulling back the grains with a fork to see if water remains.
• Allow to sit covered for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit with the lid on to steam for 5 minutes, then fluff the grains with a fork.

How long to cook quinoa?

One more note on cook times! How long to cook quinoa varies depending on how much of the dry grain in the pot at one time and how high the heat is.

• 1 cup dry quinoa usually takes between 15 and 18 minutes to cook at a gentle simmer.
• 1 ½ cups to 2 cups dry quinoa may take between 17 and 20 minutes to cook.

Ways to season

Some people are wary of quinoa: and for good reason! This grain can taste bland and uninteresting if you don’t season it correctly. Here are a few ideas on how to season quinoa:

• Butter and herbs: Add 1 tablespoon butter, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon each dried oregano and kosher salt. If desired, add ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs.
• Pesto: Stir in ¼ cup basil pesto or vegan pesto.
• Italian-style: Stir in 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning.
• Greek-style: Stir in 2 teaspoons Greek seasoning.
• French-style: Stir in 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence.
• Cajun-style: Stir in 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (spicy) or blackened seasoning (medium).
• Mexican-style: Stir in 2 teaspoons taco seasoning or fajita seasoning.

Quinoa nutritional benefits

There’s lots of love about quinoa. It’s a good source of antioxidants and minerals, and it provides more magnesium, iron, and zinc than many common grains. Here’s a breakdown of the basic nutrition facts of quinoa, with white and brown rice provided as a comparison (via Healthline). Quinoa is significantly higher in protein and fiber than both white and brown rice.

Ingredient	Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fiber	Fat
Quinoa	222	8 grams	39 grams	5 grams	4 grams
Brown rice	216	5 grams	44 grams	3.5 grams	1.8 grams
White rice	204	4 grams	42 grams	0.6 grams	0.5 grams

Top quinoa recipes

What’s the best way to use quinoa in a meal? There are so many ways to incorporate this grain into your daily meals. Here are a few of our top ideas:

• Side dish like Perfectly Seasoned Quinoa
• Salads like Quinoa Salad or Quinoa Tabbouleh
• Bowl meals like Veggie Power Bowls or these 8 Quinoa Bowl Recipes
• Tacos like Loaded Quinoa Tacos
• Fried rice like Quinoa Fried Rice
• Enchiladas like Quinoa Enchiladas
• Stuffed peppers like Quinoa Stuffed Peppers Recipe
• Chili like Quinoa Chili or Black Bean Chili

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Perfectly Seasoned Quinoa

02

Easy Power Bowls

03

Quinoa Chili

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Go-To Quinoa Salad

This quinoa recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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