tPerfectly cooked fluffy white quinoa
Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wa) is a delicious low fat superfood grain (actually a pseudo cereal, it is not a grass like wheat is) that comes from South America and is closely related to beets, spinach and tumbleweeds, believe it or not! This is also why it is gluten free. Quinoa is not related to wheat and does not contain any gluten at all either.
Perfectly cooked quinoa is something you can achieve! I’ve eaten quinoa cooked by many different people and there is a world of difference in the enjoyability of quinoa if it is mushy and overcooked, or light and fluffy. Generally what you see at vegan potlucks are mushy overcooked quinoa dishes, while at vegetarian restaurants you get these nice chewy perfectly cooked separate quinoa granules.
The BIGGEST mistake people make when making quinoa is using a 2:1 water to quinoa ratio. Quinoa absorbs much less water than rice, so it is unnecessary to cook it in so much water. Trust me, your quinoa will turn out perfectly if you do it this way (see recipe below). If you insist on having wetter slightly mushier quinoa you may find this ok. But I like to have my quinoa be fluffier so it can absorb some of my sauce or it can be lightly sprinkled into salads or used as a base for a salad.
Once you know how to make quinoa, you will enjoy eating it regularly. It’s an easy replacement for rice or couscous as a side dish and much more nutritious.
How do you know if you’ve overcooked your quinoa? It will probably be very wet (a result of too much water) and will be mushy and not light and fluffy. Quinoa doesn’t absorb as much water as rice so adding too much water can result in mushy quinoa. It could also be sticky and burned on the bottom of yuor pot.
So mix it up!
Let’s get started and teach you how to cook quinoa perfectly. Below are the best quinoa cooking instructions!
How To Cook Quinoa Perfectly Every Time Tutorial
Makes about 6 cups of cooked quinoa (Perfect for dinner and then leftovers or use the extra in cold salads)
For this recipe you will need:
1 1/2 cups dry quinoa (white, or red quinoa)
1 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth (low sodium or homemade)
1 tsp of salt or Herbamare (if desired)
Fresh ground pepper to taste (if desired)
2-3 tbsp lemon juice or other seasonings like parsley flakes or Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute *optional
Tools:
Measuring Cup
Pot with a lid or a rice cooker. I enjoy using my Zojirushi rice cooker.
This method will ensure that your quinoa is light and fluffy and never soggy or overcooked. You can make up a big batch for dinner and save extra portions for the fridge or freezer so you can reheat it easily. Using less water (1:1 ratio instead of 2:1) achieves the best results for white or red quinoa. I’ll show you how to cook it on the stove first, and then you can scroll down to view the rice cooker directions. Note, for black quinoa, I found that it was a little crunchy. So I would recommend using 1.25:1 ratio of water to black quinoa. 1 1/4 cups water for 1 cup of black quinoa so it’s moister and softer. Use whatever quinoa you prefer or whatever is cheapest that you can find.
Fluffy black quinoa
How To Cook Quinoa On The Stove Top Directions:
soaking quinoa
Step 1: Soak quinoa in a large bowl for 15 minutes in cool water.
Rinsing quinoa
Step 2: Using a fine mesh strainer, drain and rinse your quinoa until the water is clear and it’s not foamy anymore. About a minute or two and then dump it into a pot.
(Stovetop Directions Follow – Scroll Down For Rice Cooker Directions)
Step 3: Combine rinsed quinoa and water (use a 1:1 ratio) in a pot. Add seasonings. Turn on to medium heat.
Step 4: When the quinoa is simmering, cover it, reduce it to low heat and cook for 30-35 minutes.
Step 5: When all the water is absorbed remove the pot from heat. Let sit covered for 5 minutes to finish steaming.
(Finished quinoa after steaming)
Step 6: Fluff with a fork before serving.
Serve and refrigerate any leftovers for another dish or to sprinkle on salads.
How To Cook Quinoa In a Rice Cooker Directions:
I love my Zojirushi 5 ½ cup (dry) rice cooker. It can cook white rice, brown rice, sushi rice, porridge, steam vegetables and even bake cake!
I have owned many rice cookers over the years. And while the cheap $10 ones might be ok in a pinch, they fail at cooking most things other than plain white rice. If you’re interested in cooking whole grains like brown rice or steel cut oats a better quality rice cooker does wonders. Zojirushi makes a number of rice cookers from small personal ones to ones large enough to feed the whole family. There are different settings for white rice, brown rice, sushi rice, sticky rice, porridge and cake. You can also program your rice cooker the night before and fill it with water and steel cut oats for homemade oatmeal every morning. It also handles all the timing for you, so unlike the cheap rice cookers you don’t have to keep checking it and pressing the lever to continue cooking. It has a smart “fuzzy logic” computer inside that knows how long to cook each grain and only turns off when it’s done.
Step 1: Soak quinoa for 15 minutes in cool water.
Step 2: Using a fine mesh strainer, drain and rinse your quinoa until the water is clear and it’s not foamy. About a minute or two.
Step 3: Combine rinsed quinoa and water (use a 1:1 ratio) in rice cooker. Add seasonings if desired.
Step 4: Set to white rice setting and cook.
Step 5: When the cooking cycle is complete, let it steam for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
Step 6: Serve with your favourite entree or vegetables.
Update! I just made red quinoa with the same stove-top instructions above (because I know some of you don’t have a rice cooker)
Red quinoa has a much more rich flavour and is more moist and chewier. I wouldn’t say that I prefer white or red more than each other, they just taste a little different. I will continue to make both. I think red is a little stickier so I wouldn’t use it for salads. I think white quinoa would still be the best if you want a tabouli or cold quinoa salad as the grains are individual.
Fluffy red quinoa
Enjoy!
What do you think of this tutorial? What do you like to serve quinoa with?
The rice cooker recipe worked like a charm! Thank you so much – best quinoa I’ve tried.
I guess everyone’s entitled to their own preference, but 1:1 is far too little in my opinion. I used my own Zojirushi cooker at 1:1 and was thoroughly disappointed. The beads, granules or whatever they’re called were underwhelmingly small and rather chewy. Even my package of quinoa says to cook at a 2:1 ratio. I had very good success on my 3 cup zojirushi cooker by cooking 2 cups, filling the water to the three cup white-rice line and cooking on white rice mode- a 1.5 ratio, I believe.. I think the Zojirushi’s can compensate for a lot of differences. I suggest you try using two Zojirushi cups, filling to 3, cooking on white rice and seeing what you think.
Perhaps you didn’t rinse your quinoa enough. It is always very mushy when I use a 2:1 ratio, and many people who follow the package instructions have complained about it being mushy. I don’t like hard/very chewy quinoa, and find it perfect with a 1:1 ratio BUT it must be thoroughly rinsed first.
I cook rice every day @ 2 water : 1 rice ratio. Any other way it turns out bad.
I cooked regular yellowish Quinoa four times already with different ratios on the regular stove
3 water : 1 Quinoa = muchy, muchy
2 water : 1 Quinoa = still muchy
1 water : 1 Quinoa = Perfect like you said it would be (appearance and taste)
Hi Veronica, Thank you for sharing a great recipe along with fantastic photos. All the information was helpful to this first time quinoa ‘chef ‘. I’ve cooked both regular and red according to the stovetop recipe with perfect results. I also enjoy the comments, ideas, and suggestions of the other readers. I look forward to exploring your site for all it has to offer.
Greetings Veronica, I found your page while searching for how to cook perfect quinoa. Only thing, I omitted was the lemons because I was making vegetable fried quinoa. This is the @nd time I am trying your instructions for cooking quinoa. The 1st time which was Sunday February 28, 2016, it scorched a bit but besides that all was perfect, and you barely noticed it was scorched a bit. The 2nd time which is today March 5, 2016 it came out perfectly. Oops zi forgot I made another change, I used organic vegetable broth.
I put it in the fridge then made vegetable fried quinoa the next day. Both my roommate and colleague at work said it was delicious. I’m making vegetable fried quinoa again but this time I am adding shrimp, yum. Bottom line, I sincerely thank you for sharing this recipe because it defitely work; it does require patience but is well worth it and I cooked mine on the stove top.
Kim
What a BRILLIANT recipe! Just made it and couldn’t wait to share, as it taste much better than the shop bought one from Tesco!! So easy to follow… I used white Organic Quinoa, from Holland and Barrett ,which was thoroughly washed in Kangen Water (which thoroughly cleans all fruits and veg by removing pesticides and chemicals – even when companies state that food has been pre washed you still find the water is not clear when you wash through with Kangen water. I added 2 cloves of crushed fresh garlic and a sprinkle of dried thyme as well as a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper to the vegetable stock ( made by using 1 vegetable OXO cube, then let it cool) Followed the recipe …Just tasted it ( a big taste ..2 tablespoonsful lol and I have to say, for me this is PERFECT. Soo delighted…Immediately signed up to this site… I think we could also add some chopped red and green bell pepper for some extra colour and taste …I do make my cous cous this way and its delicious.. This is the first time I have really enjoyed Quinoa. Thank you. thank you . Thank you!
Thanks for this. I tried it in my Zojirushi using white rice setting and came out perfect! I had tried in the past using 2:1 ratio and it would turn out wet and heavy.
I was really glad to find this. I found this to be the best recipe for quinoa preparation that I could find online, and I refer to this page every time I cook it! The 1:1 ratio makes it light and fluffy. I also cook mine on the stove and it works perfectly!
I tried your suggested setting of white rice on my zojirushi 5 c. Fuzzy logic cooker. It did not cook my quinoa. I then tried it on the brown rice setting and it came out perfectly. I don’t think the white rice setting is long enough for quinoa. I’ve also cooked purple sticky rice to perfection using the sweet rice setting.
Quinoa takes much less time to cook than brown rice, so I am surprised. Did you check the ratio of water and make sure it wasn’t on the quick cook setting? I’ve never had a problem on the white rice setting
I always got it burnt,did not know need to cook it right in a Philip cooker.Always ending up eating the good n throw away the burnt.
Worked perfectly – I soaked the quinoa for 15 mins in cool water, rinsed the soaked quinoa until the water ran clear. Then boiled water, used 1:1 ratio of quinoa and boiling water, placed the quinoa/boiling water in a heavy-based pot onto the hob on the lowest setting and cooked for 30 mins then turned off hod and let steam for 5 mins. (My hob retains too much heat so if I start with cool water and the soaked quinoa and bring to boil the mixture boils for a long time that is why I use boiling water and start with a cold hod).
I ruined one cup of quinoa using the packet directions (1:2 ratio of quinoa:water and 15 mins of simmering) obtained 3 cups of wet mushy starch lol. Googled “how to cook quinoa perfectly” and got your blog.
Well done – will use your method from now on. Thanks for the information.
Yours Audax in Sydney Australia. 🙂
Glad to hear it worked out!
Hi, I need some help with rinsing crunchy gravel out of my quinoa. I can’t seem to find a brand that doesn’t have some sort of crunchy (gravely) texture. I use the smallest steel mesh strainer but of course the quinoa is so small that the dirt or whatever doesn’t strain out. Any suggestions?
I’m sorry but I have never found gravel in my quinoa. I’m not sure where you are buying it from.
Maybe your quinoa is the minut kind I bought by mistake. The seeds are so tiny they just clog a fine sieve. Each is about the size of a large period. I had not seen any that size prior. They were in a non-see-through bag. Also, they did not cook up like my other red quinoa. Was sort of like chewing soft sand. Yes, the Tails were exposed. I plan to add mine to soup. Have made a white batch to augment oatmeal with raisins, etc., so it was less salty.
I have been doing it all wrong 2:1 – Looking forward to trying this and hoping to get a light and fluffy quiona 😀
Can it be that I’m the only person in the world who gets perfect quinoa from a rice cooker, using 2:1 water to quinoa???
I never soak mine. I also never rinse it– I recall that horrible bitterness, back in the 80s (!!!) when I first tried the then-exotic “grain.” I think most modern quinoa is pretty well-washed, though, and I just use it as it comes. For the last couple of years, I’ve bought the big bags of organic quinoa at Costco, and I’m quite sure it’s well-rinsed in advance. I don’t taste the nasty bitterness I recall from yesteryear, and wonder if the warnings are now unnecessary. (They are to ME, anyway!)
I toast it in a dry pan first, until there’s quite a bit of popping and a lovely toasty smell. Then I just dump it in my Zojirushi, into which I’ve put 2 c water for every 1 c quinoa. I use the “quick cook” setting (which I also use for brown rice). I push the button, and when it’s done (probably half an hour, although I haven’t ever really paid attention– slower than the stove), I toss it, and allow it to sit in its steam.
This gives me perfect, non-mushy, fluffy quinoa. It’s perfectly cooked– unlike the undercooked quinoa I’ve been served in recent years in restaurants, as it’s become the darling of the restaurant world. I’ve just assumed it was being cooked by people who didn’t actually eat it themselves. Maybe it’s a misplaced attempt to serve it “al dente.” In fact, that’s what brought me to this blog today– I was wondering what other quinoa lovers think of the crunchy, barely-cooked quinoa presented in many restaurants!
I do not eat or enjoy crunchy undercooked quinoa. It is also not al dente. Some people prefer softer food and use more water to cook their rice or quinoa, it’s up to them. But I have had so many people complain about overcooked and mushy quinoa and the reason was they were using too much water. Quinoa is very small in comparison to rice so it does not actually require a 2:1 ratio to cook. I also have a zojirushi and especially with using a rice cooker it traps in all the moisture and steams it, try it and see it’s not crunchy and undercooked. I always rinse it anyway, as any grain or lentil or bean should be as you never know what it’s come into contact with.
Hi – quick question … When you use the 1:1 method, do you use a dry measuring cup for the quinoa and a liquid measuring cup for the water and does the same approach apply to both stovetop and rice cooker? (For example, some of the Zojirushi recipes say to measure the rice and water in equal amounts using the measuring cup they provide for both rice & water.) Thanks! 🙂
1:1 ratio means use the same amount of water as Dry goods. Generally rice and grains are measured in the rice cup. Yes same exact amounts.
Glad I found you and this post. Funny, but I have the opposite problem for most of the commenters here, I use the 1:1 ratio, but at the end of the cook time always seem to be adding another tablespoon of water, and another, and another… Just can’t seem to get the “crunch” texture out of my Quinoa. I’ve tried at least 4 different brands too. Do you have any other tips to get past “crunchy” to reach the light n’ fluffy that everyone seems to be achieving?
Are you not rinsing your quinoa well? Also are you cooking on a gas stove, or in a glass pot where water is dissipating faster? It’s important to not cook the quinoa on high and let it simmer and steam at the end, so ensure you are cooking at a low temperature.
Oh, my love recipe! Very easy but so tasty, you can also do it simpler, because I know that traditional ways of cooking and too slow…. I saw how my friend used Redmond 4502 multicooker – it is very fast! When we were buying meat, it had made rice – fantastic!
Thanks for the tutorial. I was hooked on the pre cooked, packaged quinoa from Costco until suddenly it was gone! So….today I finally decided…no more! I WILL cook it myself! I love Mexican food, so here is one of my favorite ways to use quinoa. I put the already cooked quinoa in a skillet with a can of black beans (rinsed), chopped zucchini, and a fresh salsa. I use LaMexicana brand, it is absolutely the best fresh salsa you can buy and it comes in mild, medium or hot. I let the mixture heat until the zucchini is cooked to the texture I like it. It’s great stuff…wrapped in lettuce or even a corn tortilla (if you don’t mind the extra calories). Throw on a little low fat grated mozzarella cheese and…. voila! Super low cal, low carb, high protein & muy delicisio quinoa taco! Enjoy 🙂
I’m gonna try this next time! I’ve had some trouble coocking it witouth a mushy result 😉 thank you very much!
Thank you for this simple, succinct stove-top preparation method. If I’d seen this recipe first–before being presented with the ebook offer–I would have bought it.
I have to serve 20 people, is the ratio still the same?
Thank you
I just had to comment! I LOVED this. I cooked it in veggie broth, added a tiny bit of salt and some pepper, then I sprinkled a little vegan parmesan on top when it was done….PERFECT. I had planned on mixing it with my vegetarian chili tonight, but NOPE. I ate it as is. I have tried to make quinoa before and it never turned out well, but I was determined to keep trying because it is so good for you. Thanks for this great recipe. Now this will be a staple in my house.
I have never cook quinoa before and I followed your instruction and it came out fantastic, I will be cooking more from now on, since I know how now. Besides eating it, it taste great!! 🙂
Thank you for sharing
Your recommendation for a 1:1 ratio (quinoa to water) and using the white rice setting on the Zojirushi rice cooker was perfect! Thanks for sharing this tip!
Is the 1:1 one dry cup measure to one liquid cup measure?
I love love love quinoa but ALWAYS had the mush problem making it no matter what I did! Worse still, in my rice cooker, it would be burnt on the bottom and mushy throughout. SO GROSS!
I used your method with great success. I did have to add2 tbsp if water beyond the 1:1 ratio. I have a cuisinart rice cooker and it even tends to get too hot on the bottom for rice, so the extra water kept the burn from happening.
Best quinoa I’ve had. Thank you for the tips!
Great post! Have you experienced any problems using your Zojirushi rice cooker? A few days ago I contacted Zojirushi and inquired about their quinoa cooking instructions. I received a response today informing me that they do not suggest cooking quinoa in their units: “Cooking quinoa may clog the steam vent and damage the unit.We do not recommend cooking any other types of grains or ingredients other than short grain white rice (or short grain brown rice). We have not tested other type grains in our rice cookers and they may overflow and damage the unit or discolor the inner cooking pan. They are primarily for cooking rice only. However, we have additional recipes on our website. These recipes are approved.” Now, I’m not sure whether or not to cook quinoa in my Zojirushi!
I don’t know if it’s for legal reasons they have to say that or what. I have cooked steal cut oats in it, it is a bit messy when it bubbles up but no clogging issues, and I have cooked quinoa many times and it does not bubble up and has not caused any problems clogging either. I have done it many times, but I have the 5 1/2 cup rice cooker, not the small 3 cup cooker so mine is never full you may want to consider the size of your cooker and use your judgement.
The key is not to try to cook to0 much for anything other than short grain rice. For instance, Zoj warns not to use more than two of the included rice cups, which are about 3/4 the size of a standard 8-0z measuring cup, for steel cut oats in the 5-1/2-cup cooker or more than one in the 3-cup cooker. This is to allow for boil-over. Steel-cut oats is more likely to “foam up” than quinoa, so I have had no problems cooking two 8-oz dry cup of quinoa in the 5-1/2-cup Zoj.
If you add a little fat (I use coconut oil) it doesn’t bubble up when cooking steel cut oats either. I assume because the fat breaks the surface tension of the water so it can’t form bubbles.
Yes perhaps, but we don’t use oils in recipes on this blog or for low fat diets. 🙂
First time making quinoa in a rice cooker. Came out perfect! Thanks for the advice.
Cooked it the first time with the directions on the box and it was a big mushy pile of gunk then I came across this website and tried it once more with these instructions and it came out awesome! Thank you 🙂
I saw my daughter mke quioa with 2 cups of water and 1 cupquinoa. she kept on mediium heat once it started boiling she reduced the flame and kept on simmer on low heat and closed the lid she kept it on heat for 15 to 17 minutes. then keep it off the heat and keep it for 5 minutes closed and then fork it up – that is how i make it and serve
Now I bought a prewashed organic quinoa and the instruction on it is given as follows
Cook 1 cup quinoa in 1.5 cup water. Bring to a boil reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes.
I have never soaked 1uinoa and have always closed the lid while the quinoa is simmering on low heat.
please let me know if the instructions are right
It cooks better in a 1:1 ratio. Every package has different instructions and different amounts of water. Quinoa does not need to absorb much water unlike rice so I find 1:1 ratio is the best.
This is awesome advice – I could never figure out why my quinoa took FOREVER to cook when I used 2:1 water to quinoa and then turned out not fluffy at all.
well I am amazed! The packet of Quinoa I got from Sainsbury’s says:
“Rinse under cold water. Allow 40g per serving. Place in a medium sized pan. Add 200ml of boiling water per 40g serving. Bring to boil cover and simmer for 15-18 minutes until all water has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender”
Well what a horrible soggy mess, although I did eat it.
Next time I will try your method.
Perfect result! I’ve tried various methods guaranteed to result in fluffy quinoa but this is the best by far. Mine was cooked (all water gone and quinoa quite dry) in 20 minutes. This is the only method I will use from now on. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Veronica Thanks very much for your instructions. I had just cooked some quinoa with directions on the packet 3 of water to 1 of quinoa. What a gluggy mess. I read your instructions and it turned out perfectly on the stove. I threw the other mess out and rang the company who sold the quinoa to let them know their cooking instructions were incorrect.
Thanks again and I look forward to enjoying your other recipes. regards Tiffany
Hi, this was helpful but I was a little confused about the 1:1 ratio for quinoa and water. That’s because my original measurement was 1 cup of dry sprouted quinoa but after soaking the quinoa measured 1-3/4 cups. So I used 1-3/4 cups of water. The finished quinoa is sticky and almost mushy. I’m guessing I used too much water. Should I have used just 1 cup of water?
Yes, use 1 cup of quinoa to 1 cup of water and it won’t be mushy.
Veronica, I tried again and the quinoa turned out beautifully, fluffy and with individual kernels. Thanks!
It’s 1 cup of DRY quinoa to 1 cup of water. It doesn’t matter what it measures after soaking, if it’s already sprouted you probably don’t need to soak it. Just rinse it.
Excellent!
Every recipe called for 2:1 ratio and being a whole grain lover I was a bit worried of a mushy outcome. You’ve got it down to a science. Thank you. Tender, fluffy and delicious.!
I eat quinoa fairly frequently and I have to admit when I saw these directions I was skeptical. However, here I sit eating the lightest, fluffiest, best quinoa I have ever had. Thank you.
Hi,
I recently cooked, for breakfast, organic Quinoa Flakes (1/4c) with chia seeds (2tbsp), pine nuts ( 4tsp. crushed) and Cinnamon powder (1/4tsp) in a 1 cup boiled water for 90 seconds. Please comment on the amount of water I used and the cooking time. Thanks!
Made quinoa for the first time the other night using this method for the rice cooker, and it turned out perfectly!
Question, though, if a recipe calls for 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, do you think that is the right amount or should the milk and water be halved so it’s the 1:1 ratio? Wondering if milk makes a difference or perhaps the people making the recipe did not know the 1:1 ratio is better. Hmm.
I have never seen using milk in a quinoa recipe. I would still go 1:1 liquid unless you are using a thick or fattier liquid. Most recipes use far too much liquid and the quinoa turns out mushy and people end up having a bad perception of quinoa. So try 1:1
Hurray! Thank you for this. I’ve recently started cooking Quinoa because I’ve had to stop eating gluten and I haven’t been enjoying it at all, especially that bitter aftertaste. I’m looking forward to my next batch being much better 🙂
That aftertaste may mean you aren’t rinsing your quinoa thoroughly enough — I experienced that, too, and thought it was a dealbreaker. Try rinsing a bit longer and see if that helps. 🙂 You can also make quinoa in pineapple juice to sweeten it up a bit.
Thanks so much for your great instructions! The pictures are great n steps are so easily understood 🙂
It turned out perfect on my stovetop! Funny how my packet said 3:1 ratio water to quinoa and also said to cook for only 15 mins!!
Has never turned out so good before. Fantastic! Thanks
You’re welcome, it took me a few times before I stopped using the instructions on the quinoa package. I just think they are flat out wrong! Wow 3:1 water to quinoa is just crazy it would be so mushy. If you have a rice cooker try these instructions too I always do that and it turns out perfect. I like light fluffy quinoa that can still absorb a little sauce still too.
I did not put my glasses on, readers, and cooked millet with this method by mistake and WOW! Best way to cook millet too! Thank you, I use this method all the time now.
Thanks so much!!! I finally cooked amazing quinoa that actually looked right and tasted right (and just in time for college too)! I almost had given up on quinoa after following directions on the package a few times but was so determined to get some more variety in whole grains. Glad I found the site – can’t wait to find some recipes here too. 🙂
I make this in the rice cooker using your directions. I make a large amount and freeze it in baggies. When ready to use, microwave 1-2 minutes, add to skillet to dry it out a little. This step is a must! Now it taste like freshly made. I also do the same with brown rice. Don’t forget to dry it out in the skillet.
The recipe came out FANTASTIC! Quinoa will now be a staple part of my diet Haha.
This is a very thorough and detailed article! Thank you! I’m going to use it to prepare some quinoa right now for the first time (:
These directions are really helpful for cooking quinoa in a rice cooker. I have noticed that if I leave the quinoa in my basic Zhojirushi rice cooker to steam after cooking (no settings other than cook and steam on my model) the bottom of the quinoa gets browned, even a little burned around the edges of the non stick pan. Are you aware of anyone else having this problem? Next time, when the cooking stops and it flips to ‘steam’ I wonder if I should unplug it and just let it sit for a few minutes before serving without the ‘steam’ function.
I haven’t noticed that it “burns” to the bottom… But after it steams it’s usually soft on the bottom, perhaps it’s crispy right away but I guess I let it sit until the rest of my meal is ready and by then it’s not crispy on the bottom. Because it’s non stick it just comes right out. I still cook it on the stove a lot of the time, but sometimes in the Zojirushi when I’m away from the kitchen.
Thank you for posting this! I have been wanting to try quinoa in my Zojirushi (aka my new boyfriend). I used the 1:1 ratio, using veg stock for the liquid, and on the quick cook mode. Perfect, fluffy quinoa! Thank you for helping me learn one more way to use my new favorite kitchen appliance!
lol isn’t it great when your man can cook? Yes I love my Zojirushi as well. My bf uses it to cook quinoa as he finds it’s easier than watching it on the stove. lol
Thanks to both of you for posting. Just cooked up my first batch of Bob’s Red Mill quinoa in my Zojirushi using a 1:1 ratio with chicken stock on the quick cook mode and it came out perfectly….actually its my first time trying quinoa, but it came out super fluffy and tasty, which is perfect for me! Thanks again.
I just tried this and wow So good! I used Red Quinoa from Trader Joes, did as you said. I used Low Sodium Vegetable Broth, I did add chopped Garlic and Lemon to the Broth. It taste Wonderful!!!!!
thanks so much. this worked out beautifully. i could not figure out why mine was mushy and i love the quinoa salads that i can get at health food stores — now i can make them myself!
Thank you for the directions!! I am rather new to quinoa but my husband and I both love it and I can only begin to imagine how much we are going to love it even more when it is cooked in the right manner :))))))
SOOOOO GOOOOD! Thanks for the detailed, photo instructions! First time I made it and it is great. Could not have done it without specific instructions. Thanks 🙂
Cooked to perfection! Thank you for the CORRECT directions!
You’re very welcome 🙂
Thanks for the info. I just cooked a batch of overcooked quinoa; 2 to 1 ratio as my recipe suggested. What a gluey mess! I’m going to throw it out and start from scratch with your method. Looking forward to perfectly cooked quinoa!
Dont’t throw it away when ik happens again! Overcooked quinoa is perfect for yammie quinoa burgers. Search on internet for recepes. good luck.
I will try your directions. This helps. My first time making quinoa was soggy.
Hi Veronica,
I’ve used your method for cooking quinoa in my rice cooker and it comes out perfect every time. Thanks for the recipe!
Just tried your stovetop remcipe for red quinoI will have to get one now. a…worked great! Thanks! Also the steamer information was very intetesting.
Thanks for this! I had just made a batch of quinoa for a roast vege salad and it was terribly gluggy. I threw it out and started again with your directions and it turned out perfectly! Loving quinoa now 🙂
That’s great to hear Kym!
I always use a pressure cooker for all my pulses, rice etc, have you tried a pressure cooker for quinoa , what sort of times do you suggest ?
A pressure cooker is kind of overkill for little quinoa. It is very easy to get overcooked… From google I can guess about 2 minutes. I am not sure if it’s worth doing because it may take more time to get up to pressure and cook and release than cooking it just on the stove. So up to you.
Hello! I didn’t rinse the quinoa because the package said it wasn’t necessary (is that ok?). I did the 1:1 ratio. At about 20 min, it already seemed finished but a little overcooked because it turned out a little mushy. What did I do wrong? Thanks! 🙂
Hi Rachel. Rinsing the quinoa helps it taste less bitter by rinsing the suds away.
I think you cooked it on too high of a temperature then. Just make sure you turn it down to very low. Some stoves are hotter.
Thanks! I will try that. Hopefully next time I will get it right 🙂
Hi, I sprout it for a day and then it only takes takes 12-14 minutes to cook, plus steaming for a few minutes afterwards by just leaving the lid on. Also I have to use less water since there is more water in the sprouts.
Thank you for sharing this? I think I may have written earlier that I made a batch on Sat night (at my boyfriend’s) and it came out perfectly using the 2:1 ratio. I tried it at my house on Sunday…two batches were mushy. I googled mushy Quinoa and found your write up. I had a repairman coming to my house this morning before work, so since I left a bit later than usual, while waiting for him, I made a batch using your method. PERFECTION! The bottom got a tad burnt, but it was otherwise perfect. And, the burnt part tasted great on its own to much on, but wouldn’t want to mix it in with the rest. Thank you!
Thank you for posting this. I made quinoa for the first time last night (over at my boyfriend’s) and it came out perfectly. I made two batches at my House today and both were mushy. No idea why the drastic difference. Will try our method tomorrow.
The two batches I made today- one was jut like I made last night. The other I made with breakfast in mind (half water half soy milk. Cinnamon. Brown sugar. Just a sprinkle of each). I used the 2:1 ratio per the package.
Looking forward to your method proportions. .
I cooked quinoa a couple of times before reading this article and it was a nightmare. I was a little bit nervous about the 1:1 ratio but I can’t believe that I actually cooked for the first time the perfect quinoa thanks to you !!!!!
I’m so glad. Yes overcooked quinoa is terrible! It’s nice to always have perfectly cooked quinoa as a side dish. 🙂
Hmm…I was not so lucky with this recipe. The quinoa was crispy on top and mushy on the bottom.
@Steph Did you soak the quinoa for 15 minutes in water first? Did you cook it for 30-35 minutes over low and then remove it from heat and let steam for 5 minutes at the end?
I have made this many many times and it always turns out great. It sounds like too much heat or heat for too long on the bottom if it turned it mushy and if the top is crispy it didn’t soak or have enough water to cook the top.
I tried this tonight and it worked great. The quinoa was light and fluffy and tasted great. I have made quinoa previously using a 2:1 ratio water to quinoa and it has come out mushy and so it didn’t really like it much. This however, tasted great! Thanks for the post.
Used the stove recipe, perfection, thank you so much
thank you! mine turned out perfectly and was delicious!!!
Hi, I undercooked my quinoa. I used the rice cooker and when it was done I pull of the cooker right away so it didn’t have time to steam. Some are cooked well and some are crunchy and they are not translucent like they should. Can I still eat it? Thanks.
Are the ones on top still crunchy? You can eat it, but the crunchy ones won’t taste very good. I would just scrape them off.
Thank you so much!!! I had no idea that I was making quinoa wrong…..I have been making it for years and never really cared for it but ate it anyway because it’s healthy. After reading your instructions I made it again and it came out DELICIOUS!!! Like it wasn’t even the same quinoa. My husband and I loved it (so did my dogs)!!!! Your fantastic….and, the pictures made me see that I was making mine like mush and yours was so separated. You have a wonderful blog and I am so happy that I found it 🙂
Hi Sheila,
I am so happy to hear this! I know I’ve been to so many potlucks where people overcook the quinoa and it’s so watery and mushy and totally gross, but whenever I had it at a restaurant it was always perfectly cooked. So I decided to make sure I perfected cooking the quinoa.
Often even the back of the box is incorrect on quinoa packages and they say to add way to much water. It’s not like rice and doesn’t need much water at all.
Enjoy!
I came across this recipe while trying to find out if it was possible to cook quinoa in the rice cooker. It is and this worked out perfectly! Thank you! I posted a link to this post over on my blog…great tips!
If you overcook it, regard it as porridge. Add milk of your choice and there you go! Good as can be.
Is it ok to eat overcooked, mushy quinoa? Does it retain any nutrition if overcooked? Is overcooked Q harder to digest? Thanks!
Of course you can still eat it. Quinoa is also cooked in it’s water and not drained so I’m sure there are still nutrients in it. Some get destroyed by cooking, but quinoa can’t really be eaten raw.
I just think it tastes better when it’s not overcooked. It can be pretty unappetizing when it’s mushy and squishy.
I am glad I found this article, to soak first and not to use 2-1 as recommended at the health food store. I had a gut feeling 2-1 would make it mushy and like my grains cooked and a tad bit on the dry side. I thought I would try quinoa for health reasons and added it to my mixture of 1-1 of medum brown rice and white rice. I find that brown rice fills me up faster and it also isn’t quite as “nutty” (crunchy) when mixed with rice. I added the usual, a few dashes of salt, olive oil and white vinegar. (Rice vinegar works great, too). I do 1-1 with white rice and 2-1 with brown rice. It turned out very nice. It’s a less expensive way to add more nutrition to a meal as quinoa is expensive!
Yes quinoa can be expensive, but we buy ours in bulk at Costco, it’s much more affordable this way. I prefer cooking quinoa in seasoned water or vegetable broth and spices instead of using oil to cut out the extra fat and calories. Grains don’t need oil to taste good.
I used to use only water for cooking rice until I tried the recipe with olive oil, salt and vinegar. My son raved about it, so I cook it that way all the time. I don’t like to use broth because I love the flavor of rice. As far as fat is concerned, I don’t worry about it because I use very little oil, just enough so the rice doesn’t stick to the pan and is fluffier. I only use olive oil because it’s not suppose to break down in heat like other oils. Since I added the quinoa to my rice, it was just a habit to use oil. I rarely eat fried food, so am not worried about calories, except with sweets. 🙂
So that’s why I keep getting mushy quinoa. Thank you for the correct water to quinoa ratio.
You’re welcome!
also, when i cook quinoa i add boiling water, bring to boil, simmer for 10 minutes, turn gas off and leave for 10-20 mins and it is fine. i have always used 2:1 water to quinoa and it is fine – tried reducing water and not as fluffy but will persevere! if i want to eat it straight away i will cook a little longer, up to 15 mins but have never needed to cook for any longer!
i make my own muesli with oats, sunflower, pumpkin, seseme and flax seeds, cocoa, hemp, ginger, cinnamon, wheat germ all soaked for 24 hrs in prune juice. i also add some quinoa – it tastes fine with all the soaking, but is it ok to eat it ‘raw’? would you add/leave out anything else from this?
Would the quinoa come out as good if I use water that has just come to a boil in my electric kettle and I pour it into the pot with the soaked and rinsed quinoa and let it simmer in the pot till the water is absorbed (for less time of course).
I’m not sure, I’ve never tried that. Are you meaning that you just pour boiling water over it and let it sit, or that you cook it over the stove after you’ve put boiling water?
Most instructions I’ve seen say you need to cook it for at least 15-20 minutes.
The method I list lets the quinoa absorb the water slowly and doesn’t use too much water or heat so it doesn’t get overcooked and mushy. I’m not sure how it would turn out with your proposed method. You can always try and see.
I never knew that you had to soak it. Mine was also mushy. I will try doing all the steps and see how it goes.
Thanks for the clear instructions and the pictures.
Thank you, that was clear , usefull and good looking! 🙂
This is a fabulous technique, thank you! Forgot to season mine and it was still excellent. Had some parsley, tomatoes, red onion and lemon, and made a really delicious tabouli with some of it. Can’t wait for the flavors to meld, and may not!
Though I no longer ‘cook’, I still wrote down this recipe – I never know when someone will want to make it and is not quite sure how to do it. Maybe I’ll even make it for someone one day. Anyway, thanks for the ratio tips – I used to put way too much water!
Thanks for making it so clear and simple, Veronica… 🙂
It’s nice to be able to make quinoa for other people especially since it’s so popular in vegan circles and gluten free. 🙂 Thanks for checking it out
Great Post, Veronica, and timely too!
We have Australia day to celebrate on the 26th and it’s scheduled to be REALLY hot where I am. I was planning on doing a few different salad options, and hoping (but not entirely sure of how) to prepare quinoa.
Now I know EXACTLY how to do it! I reckon I’ll use a vege stock and ginger to cook it in, then add some chopped dried fruits, and some fresh herbs to toss through as a salad!
Yummy!
Oh that’s great Vashti. I just store the leftovers in the fridge and it’s the perfect texture for salads. I would make salads with it more often, but so far I love it as a side dish and there is only a little bit extra.
I rinse well, soak it until it sprouts, usually a day, rinsing several times a day. Then cook it 1 to 1 for 12 minutes and let stand for a few more minutes. The sprouting makes each grain separate and ver light, and veggie like. I like the red, black and white depending on what I am serving with it.
Quinoa can also be eaten raw after soaking and sprouting using standard sprouting procedures. It’s ready to eat when the sprout is about double the length of the seed size.
great tutorial! I did not know about the quinoa to water ratio. my struggle is always in rinsing the little buggers – half of them always end up getting rinsed down the drain! I think I need a finer strainer….
Some of them do fall out of my metal strainer too. So I like to put a large bowl under neath and then I pour that water and the fallen pieces back into the strainer and it keeps a few more of them from going down the drain.
I love quinoa, but it’s a pain when you have little pieces stuck here and there. It’s normal!
Excellent, excellent post. Do you know if it matters if you use sprouted quinoa? I bought truRoots organic whole grain sprouted quinoa, and unlike all the other brands I have bought, it does not say anything about soaking or rinsing.
I have not used sprouted quinoa before. But I have used sprouted brown rice and regular brown rice and I have noticed that the sprouted brown rice took WAY less time to cook. It has been soaked and sprouted before. When I cooked it like regular brown rice on the brown rice setting of my rice cooker, it was overcooked. So I cook sprouted brown rice like I do white rice, just rinsed and on the white rice cycle.
I would assume that you do not have to soak your quinoa if it is already sprouted. You may give it a rinse anyway to clean it and make sure there’s no foamy residue on it. Check the cooking time, it could be shorter as well.
Always wondered why my quinoa came out too mushy! Thanks for the helpful instruction.
Looking forward to giving this a try! Thank you 🙂
Thanks! I’ve never soaked it prior to cooking. Will definitely use this method in the next couple of days!
When I cook quinoa it takes 10 minutes tops… Any longer and I burn it. Is the heat on too high? Thanks for the reminder on soaking – I would imagine it improves the digestibility….and reduces that quinoa “aftertaste”.
Oh yes the soaking and rinsing is important to get rid of the bitter taste. It will taste much nicer if you do.
In my directions you heat it to medium heat and when you see the water bubbling you immediately turn it down to 1 or low on your stove (all the way down) and just let it sit there to absorb the water for 30-35 minutes. If you have a gas stove it may take less time as it’s hotter, but the key is to turn it way down to low to slowly steam and it won’t burn.
QUINOA <3!!!!!
Awesome post V
I prefer to use a pressure cooker for all my pulses ,rice etc, do you have any times for cooking quinoa in a pressure cooker ?