How to Cook Quinoa (+ Easy Quinoa Recipes)

Learn how to cook quinoa to fluffy perfection on the stovetop, in your Instant Pot, or in a rice cooker. Plus, get easy quinoa recipes for bowls, salad, and more!

Use the table of contents below to jump to what you're looking for:

Table of Contents

• ✅ How to cook quinoa on the stovetop
• ✅ How to cook quinoa in the Instant Pot
• ✅ How to cook quinoa in a rice cooker
• 🥣 Easy quinoa recipes
• 🔁 Substitutes for quinoa
• 🔍 Quinoa nutrition
• 🛒 Where to buy quinoa

If you're new to quinoa, don't be afraid! It's light and fluffy with a slight nutty taste. It's also super easy to make. Think of it as something between brown rice and couscous in texture.

I grew up eating quinoa in the 90s, when it was decidedly less cool. My parents were big on healthy, natural foods, so we were no strangers to the occasional quinoa salad at dinner time.

Fast forward a couple of decades, and suddenly quinoa isn't the weirdo food it was when I was kid. It's as common on menus as rice in a lot of places now!

Cooking quinoa at home is as easy as cooking rice, and there a few different methods that work well.

This is the quinoa cooking method that I use, and it work on the stovetop, in the Instant Pot, or in the microwave. I'm also sharing some easy and delicious quinoa recipes to make the most of it.

✅ How to cook quinoa on the stovetop

Cooking quinoa on the stove is a lot like cooking white rice. This method takes the longest (about 25 minutes total) but doesn't require any special kitchen gadgets.

• Rinse 1 cup of quinoa in a colander, then transfer to your saucepan with 1 ¾ cups water or broth.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes. Your quinoa is ready when all of the water is absorbed.
• Fluff with a fork and serve or use in your favorite quinoa recipes.

✅ How to cook quinoa in the Instant Pot

The Instant Pot is my favorite method for making quinoa! It's so quick and consistent.

• Rinse 1 cup of quinoa in a colander, transfer to your Instant Pot, add 1 ½ cups water or broth, and lock the lid.
• Cook for 5 minutes on high pressure ("manual" on the Instant Pot), then release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes before doing a quick release.
• Fluff and serve.

✅ How to cook quinoa in a rice cooker

Realizing that I could cook quinoa in my rice cooker was a game-changer. No need to monitor a thing. 

• Rinse 1 cup of quinoa and combine it in the rice cooker with 1 ¾ cups water. Turn it on, and when it pops, you're ready to fluff and eat.
• If your cooker has white and brown rice settings, choose white rice.

🥣 Easy quinoa recipes

Once you have the basics for how to cook quinoa down pat, you're ready to make some tasty quinoa salads and other healthy, satisfying quinoa dishes. Happy cooking!

🔁 Substitutes for quinoa

In grain salads and bowls, you can use white or brown rice in place of quinoa. Heartier grains, like Kamut or farro, will also work as a quinoa substitute in recipes like this, though you need to alter your cooking method to accommodate.

For recipes like a quinoa loaf, you'll want to use a similar-sized grain, like amaranth or bulgur. Again, you'll need to alter cooking times and water amounts for these different grains.

🔍 Quinoa nutrition

A cup of cooked quinoa contains:

• 8 grams of protein
• 5 grams of fiber
• 15% of your iron (34% for males!)
• 19% of your folate

...plus a ton of other vitamins and minerals! Quinoa is also a complete protein that provides trace minerals that fight inflammation.

🛒 Where to buy quinoa

Now that quinoa is super popular, you can find it at almost any grocery store alongside other grains, like rice.

If you're looking for a bargain, buying quinoa in bulk is your best option. Natural grocery stores usually stock quinoa in their bulk bins. Since you're paying for the grain and not the packaging, you save some cash this way. You can also stock up on as much or as little as you need.

If you do buy your quinoa in bulk, I'd recommend storing it in an airtight container to keep it fresh. Regular mouth quart-sized mason jars are my favorite way to store bulk quinoa, because they hold a lot, are airtight, and are easy to pour from.

I also like mason jars for storing bulk grains because you can see at a glance what's in your pantry.

Having trouble finding quinoa at the store or looking to branch out into some more interesting types? You can shop online for quinoa. Sometimes online prices are better than in-store, and you can find interesting varieties, too!

When you're shopping for quinoa, look for organic and Fair Trade on the labels. Quinoa can be produced very responsibly, and these certifications ensure that the quinoa you're buying is as good for the planet as it is for your body.