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cooked quinoa in a white bowl with fork

How to Cook Perfect Quinoa: Stovetop, Microwave, or Rice Cooker

  • Author: Alex Aldeborgh
  • Prep Time: 1 minute
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 16 minutes
  • Yield: 4 cups cooked quinoa 1x
  • Category: main dish
  • Method: stovetop, microwave, rice cooker
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Quinoa is a versatile, nutritious, and tasty whole grain food. In this post, learn how to prepare quinoa three different ways: on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in a rice cooker. You’ll have perfect fluffy quinoa ready to eat in 30 minutes or less!


Ingredients

Scale


Instructions

Stovetop

  1. Add dry quinoa and water to a 2 quart saucepan.
    Saucepan with quinoa and water on a electric burner
  2. Bring everything to a rolling boil.
  3. Reduce heat to simmer.
  4. Cover the pot and cook for 12-15 minutes, until quinoa grains have absorbed all the water.
  5. Fluff with a fork to serve.
    hand fluffing a pot of cooked quinoa with a fork

Microwave

  1. Add quinoa and water to a deep, microwave-safe bowl.
    Quinoa and water in a white bowl
  2. Cover the bowl with an upside-down dinner plate.
    Upside down dinner plate covering a bowl
  3. Microwave on high for 6 minutes.
  4. Using a towel or oven mitts, carefully remove the bowl from the microwave. Remove the plate.
  5. Stir the partially cooked quinoa well.
    Hand stirring up quinoa and water in a white bowl with a spoon
  6. Replace the plate and put the bowl back in the microwave.
  7. Microwave on high for another 5 minutes.
  8. Using a towel or oven mitts, carefully remove the bowl from the microwave. Remove the plate.
  9. If there is still water left in the bowl, return to the microwave for 1 minute.
  10. Fluff quinoa with a fork to serve.
    Hand fluffing quinoa with a fork in a large white bowl

Rice Cooker

  1. Add quinoa and water to your rice cooker.
  2. Close the rice cooker.
  3. Select the White Rice option.
  4. Your rice cooker will do all the work now!
  5. Fluff with a fork to serve when quinoa is done cooking.
    cooking quinoa in a rice cooker steps

     

Notes

How to store cooked quinoa

Let cooked quinoa cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

How long does cooked quinoa last? Stored in the fridge, cooked quinoa lasts 5-7 days. You can freeze cooked quinoa in airtight containers or baggies once it has cooled completely. Store cooked quinoa in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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