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5.0 from 3 votes

How to Cook Quinoa

Ever wondered how to cook quinoa so it's perfectly fluffy and delicious? This post is here to help! I've compiled all my best quinoa tips and tricks in this easy peasy tutorial.

Prep Time
2 mins
Cook Time
2 mins
Total Time
15 mins
Servings: 3 cups
Calories: 209 kcal
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American , Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dry quinoa
  • 1 ½ cups water or vegetable broth

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Rinse and strain quinoa using a mesh sieve or strainer before even attempting to cook the stuff. Rinsing is helpful because quinoa has a slightly bitter coating on it. A quick rinse removes the coating.
  2. Toss the drained quinoa straight in the pot without water and allow to toast on medium-high heat for a few minutes while you stir often. You don’t quite want to brown it, but instead want to kick that little extra moisture that the quinoa might be holding on to. Sometimes I skip this step but I try to lightly toast it if I have a couple minutes to spare since it adds a light nuttiness to the quinoa.
  3. Ignore the package and nix the rice ratio of 1:2 (1 cup rice to 2 cups water) and instead do a 1:1.5 ratio for quinoa. That measures up to 1 cup dry quinoa per 1.5 cups of water. You can even use use vegetable broth instead of water for added flavor.
  4. Bring to a boil then immediately reduce heat to low.
  5. Cover the pot, leaving the lid slightly ajar to vent (I get the fluffiest results doing this) and simmer for approx. 12-13 minutes.
  6. At the 12 minute mark, check the quinoa. If it's still a bit wet, add an additional 2-3 minutes of cook time until it's nice and fluffy. Remove lid, fluff with a fork, and season with salt and pepper.

Notes

  • Nutrition Facts below are estimated per cup of cooked quinoa using an online recipe nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed and enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Calories 209kcal (10%) Carbohydrates 36g (12%) Protein 8g (16%) Fat 3g (5%) Saturated Fat 0.4g (2%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 1g Sodium 9mg (0%) Potassium 319mg (9%) Fiber 4g (16%) Vitamin A 8IU (0%) Calcium 30mg (3%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 3cups

Amount Per Serving

Calories 209

% Daily Value*

Calories 209kcal 10%
Carbohydrates 36g 12%
Protein 8g 16%
Fat 3g 5%
Saturated Fat 0.4g 2%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 9mg 0%
Potassium 319mg 7%
Fiber 4g 16%
Vitamin A 8IU 0%
Calcium 30mg 3%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.