After trying so many different methods to cook quinoa, I finally found the best way to make sure that my quinoa is fluffy and perfectly cooked every single time. Quinoa can be a bit tricky to cook and sometimes it comes out tasting bitter, but I have an easy fix for you! So keep on reading to learn more. This is a part of my Back to Basics Series where I teach you how to master essential kitchen skills. You will also find other useful tutorials for kitchen skills like how to brine a chicken, how to cook buckwheat, and even things like how to use a french press!
What is Quinoa?
You might think that quinoa is a grain as it’s treated and thought of as a whole grain, but it’s actually a seed. The most common quinoa varieties are white quinoa, red quinoa, black quinoa, and a mix of the three. Pronounced “KEEN-wah”, this grain is very healthy as it’s nutrient-dense and makes a wonderful side dish for any meal. I use it interchangeably with rice, pasta, and beans. Quinoa has an earthy and nutty flavor and the lightest variety (in color) has the mildest flavor. The texture is fluffy and slightly chewy, but if it’s overcooked, it can become mushy and gummy. In this tutorial, I will show you how to cook perfectly fluffy and delicious quinoa that is never bitter or gummy. Serve it as a side, in salads, or as a base in a recipe like garlic shrimp quinoa. It’s also great for meal prep as you can store it in the fridge, and then use it for easy lunches and dinners throughout the week.
Quinoa Serving Size
If you’re not sure how much quinoa to cook, you will have to do a bit of math:
Quinoa will increase in volume as it cooks. So 1 cup of uncooked quinoa will make 3 cups of cooked quinoa.The recommended portion per person is ¼ cup of uncooked quinoa or ¾ cup of cooked quinoa if served as a side dish.If you need to make 2 cups of cooked quinoa for a recipe, cook ⅔ cup of dry quinoa with 1 cup of water.
Ingredients In Recipe
You only need three simple ingredients to cook quinoa:
Quinoa: Any varity of uncooked quinoa. I’m using white quinoa, but you can use red, black, or a mixture of the three.Liquid: You can use just tap water at room temperature to cook the quinoa, but to make it even more flavorful, use stock/broth. Different recipes call for different liquid to quinoa ratio, I tried many different methods and the best ratio in my experience is 1 and half cups of water to 1 cup of quinoa.Salt: To season the quinoa. I have more ideas on how to add more flavor to your quinoa in the tips section below.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Recipe
Cook Quinoa in the Instant Pot or In your Rice Cooker
Cooking quinoa in the Instant Pot is a bit different because you don’t need that much liquid. Find my Instant Pot quinoa recipe here, but in short, you need a ratio of 1:1 water to quinoa and pressure cook it on high for 1 minute. If you’re using the rice cooker, keep the water to quinoa ratio the same as the stovetop method which is 1:1½.
Top Tips
Sub the water for stock for a richer flavor! To add even more flavor, substitute the water for vegetable or chicken stock, add a squeeze of lemon juice, a bay leaf, sauteed onions and/or garlic, and dried herbs.Season your quinoa. Quinoa is plain on its own, so I recommend seasoning it with other things such as olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper, stir in freshly chopped herbs, a little garlic, top with toasted nuts or feta cheese, the possibilities are endless!
How To Serve Quinoa
Serve it as a side with your favorite meal! Try it with this super easy Baked Shrimp, Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken, or with this Honey Garlic Chicken Breast that takes just 20 minutes to make! Skip the rice. Quinoa can replace white rice in many recipes! Serve it with Kidney Bean Curry, Chickpea and Potato Curry, or this Vegan Cauliflower Butter ‘Chicken’. Make Quinoa Bowls. Check out my Teriyaki Salmon bowls and Teriyaki Chicken Bowls for inspiration! Make a healthy porridge for breakfast. This quinoa porridge is so simple, but it’s so healthy and absolutely delicious! A must-try! Save this tutorial for the next time you want to cook quinoa but now sure how to achieve the perfect result. Pin it for more people to enjoy too! © Little Sunny Kitchen
