How to Cook Perfect Quinoa Every Time (2024)

Quinoa has long been touted as a superfood, credited with being a good source of manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, folate, and vitamin B1. It’s a fiber-rich base for grain bowls, soups, stews, and salads. There are lots of recipes that explain how to cook quinoa, but this is, hands down, our go-to method for cooking white, red, or a tri-color quinoa: Add one cup of quinoa, two cups of water, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to a medium pot and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Stir it occasionally to prevent the grains from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer until the grains have absorbed all of the liquid, about 15 minutes. Remove it from the heat and toss with a drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice and zest, fresh or dried herbs, and more salt and pepper.

You can serve quinoa as a side dish for grilled meat or seafood, use it in place of egg noodles in chicken soup, or as the base to make a grain bowl, as with José Andrés’ Vegetable Quinoa Bowls and Melissa Clark’s Quinoa Egg Bowl with Pecorino. Looking for more inspiration? Start with our basic recipe for Herbed Quinoa with Lemon and Pepper — from there, you can use it in so many different recipes, such as this Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Apples or this Roasted Carrot and Red Quinoa Salad. Or, cook quinoa to use as the base for vegetarian sliders, meatballs, or patties. And don’t forget about quinoa for breakfast; we love it as a hot breakfast cereal with fruit and nuts and in these good-for-you Quinoa Pancakes with Ricotta and Lemon.

What is the correct ratio of water to quinoa?

The ideal ratio is two cups of water per one cup of quinoa. If you use these proportions, you shouldn’t have any excess water to strain at the end of the cooking process. For even more flavor, simmer the quinoa in vegetable or chicken broth rather than water. You may want to reduce the amount of salt added to the quinoa during the initial cooking phase when using stock or broth, as they often have added salt.

How long do you cook quinoa?

Stovetop quinoa takes about 15 minutes. If you’d like to make quinoa in a rice cooker, use the same ratio of quinoa to water; cooking times vary by brand of rice cooker, but generally range between 15 to 25 minutes. If you want to make quinoa in an Instant Pot, reduce the amount of water to 1 1/2 cups for every cup of quinoa, and cook it as you would rice; for three minutes on high pressure, allowing for 10 minutes of natural release before removing the lid. As with rice, you’ll want to use a fork to toss the quinoa before serving it to keep it light and fluffy; a spoon can mash or crush the grains.

Do you need to soak quinoa before cooking it?

In short, no, you don’t need to soak quinoa. However, doing so is said to remove phytic acid, which may make it easier for people to digest quinoa. If you just want to remove the bitter flavor from quinoa, rinse it under cold water for about a minute. This will remove what’s known as saponin, a naturally occurring chemical that coats the outside of the grain and is said to give quinoa its distinctly earthy flavor.

How to store quinoa

Store uncooked dried quinoa in an airtight container in a dark, cool cabinet for at least one year to keep moisture at bay and prevent spoilage. Similarly, cooked quinoa should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but should be consumed within three to five days.

Is quinoa gluten-free?

Good news for anyone who suffers from celiac disease or has a gluten sensitivity — quinoa is gluten-free. It’s a delicious, gluten-free alternative to orzo, pastina, or other small wheat-based pasta and grains that you may want to use in soups or salads.