It’s so easy to learn how to cook quinoa in rice cooker. This fluffy and nutty grain is great for meal prep, is freezer-friendly, and is a versatile side dish that can be added to salads, soups, and more.
Suitable for vegan and gluten free diets. Post included Weight Watchers points.
Quinoa is a great evergreen side dish that can be whipped up all year round. This deliciously nutty grain is great in salads, porridge, soups, in burgers, with curries, stews, in bowls and anything you can serve with a grain.
Can You Cook Quinoa In A Rice Cooker?
Absolutely. Rice Cooker Quinoa is a total game changer. It is easy, hands-off, fail-proof, and only needs 3 essential ingredients. Plus you end up with perfectly fluffy quinoa every single time. So what’s not to love?!?!
You can simply with up a great big batch and refrigerate (or even freeze) for weekly meal prep. So let’s take a step-by-step look at the best way to cook quinoa In the rice cooker perfectly along with a whole host of tips and tricks.
What Is Quinoa?
Quinoa is an excellent alternative to pasta and rice. It is quick and easy to cook with a fluffy texture and a delicate yet nutty taste. This gluten free grain is 100% protein and packed with fiber and lots of other goodness. A super food that sounds as healthy as it can get.
Why Make This
- Quick and easy – 5 minutes prep, 3 essential ingredients, 20 minutes of cook time, one pot.
- Fail-proof – Works to give you perfectly fluffy quinoa every single time.
- Great for meal prep – Cook once, refrigerate, and eat all week long.
- Dietary – Suitable for vegan and gluten free diets.
One Important Tip
Please make sure to rinse the quinoa under a running tap for about 3 minutes – scrubbing it through your fingers as you do which helps remove saponin aka its natural bitter coating. Some store-bought quinoa may already be rinsed but it is worth doing it again just in case.
Ingredient Notes
- Quinoa – You’ll need uncooked quinoa. This can be white or the multicolored variety.
- Water – You’ll need plain tap water but you can use a broth or stock instead.
- Oil – This is optional and adds nice flavor. Olive oil works but you can use other oils.
- Salt – Use your favorite salt flakes. And omit if you prefer to or depending on what you were going to use it for.
How To Cook In A Rice Cooker
Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.
- Oil the rice cooker insert, add the quinoa, water, oil, and salt.
- Cover the rice cooker and press cook.
- Let it cook until it switches off. This can take anywhere between 15- 25 minutes depending on your brand or rice cooker.
- Let the quinoa sit undisturbed for a further 5-10 minutes before opening up, fluffing, and serving.
How To Cook Quinoa On The Stovetop
Want to cook quinoa on the stove top instead? Then head on over to this stovetop quinoa post for the how to, and all the tips and tricks.
Cook It In The Instant Pot
Want to cook quinoa in the Instant Pot instead? Then head on over to this Instant Pot Quinoa post instead for the how to, and all the tips and tricks.
Recipe Tips
- If you have time, let the rinsed quinoa drain for between 15-30 minutes to get rid of the excess moisture, which means less chance of the quinoa going soggy.
- If you want, toasting the quinoa before cooking adds an extra depth of nutty flavor to it.
- Do not reheat your quinoa more than once.
Delicious Variations
- Use broth – use vegetable or chicken broth for flavor.
- Add aromatics – add items like fresh herbs, garlic, onions powder, citrus zest and more.
- Add crunch – top with some crunchy chopped nuts before serving.
- Add butter – add in a little bit of butter during cooking, use vegan butter if vegan.
Storage
- Store – Store the cooled cooked quinoa in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freeze – Follow the handy tips below for how to freeze this. Transfer cooled quinoa into convenient freezer bags. Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags. Label the bags and then lay them flat in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Reheat – To make reheating easier, freeze in the right portion sizes that you need for the future. Reheat for a minute or 2 in the microwave until steaming hot.
FAQs
This depends on the size of your rice cooker. Quinoa pretty much triples in size. So for an 8 cup rice cooker, you can comfortably cook 2.5 cups of quinoa.
One cup of uncooked quinoa gives around 3 cups of cooked quinoa.
You should aim for a half-cup (93g) of cooked quinoa per person. This contains about 110 calories (source USDA).
Because it naturally has a bitter outside coating called saponin. So rinsing it before cooking helps get rid of this coating. Some store bought quinoa may already be rinsed but it is worth doing it again just incase.
I use 1 and three-quarters cup of water to 1 cup of rinsed quinoa. If you want a little softer mushier quinoa, you can add a little bit more water. While most people say 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of water, rinsing the quinoa first means that you don’t always get rid of the excess water, so reducing the cooking amount means that you reduce the risk of mushy grains.
After bringing the quinoa to the boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and let cook for 15 minutes – you will see tiny spirals (aka the germ) coming out of the seeds.
Quinoa Recipes And Serving Suggestions
- Easy Quinoa Falafels.
- Herbed Quinoa Salad.
- Quinoa Porridge.
More Cooking Basics
- How To Cook Couscous.
- Instant Pot Brown Rice.
- How To Make Gravy.
- How To Make Buttermilk.
- How To Scald Milk.
- How To Bread Chicken.
- How To Make Pizza Dough.
- How To Make Instant Pot Coffee Concentrate.
- How to cook quinoa on the stovetop
Weight Watchers Points
If you replace the oil in this recipe with calorie-controlled cooking spray, there are 2 Blue Plan Smartpoints in each serving.
Get The How To Cook Quinoa Recipe
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How To Cook Quinoa in Rice Cooker
Ingredients
Stovetop Version
- 1 cup (170g) quinoa rinsed and drained
- 1 ¾ cups (420ml) water or stock
- 1 teaspoon olive oil optional
- salt optional and to taste
Instructions
- Pour the quinoa into a fine mesh sieve.
- Rinse under a running tap and thoroughly wash the quinoa (rubbing through it with your fingers) for 3 minutes to remove any bitter outer coating.
- Let the quinoa drain for a few minutes to remove excess liquid.
- Oil the rice cooker insert, then add the rinsed quinoa, water, oil, and salt.
- Cover the rice cooker and press cook.
- Let it cook until it switches off. This can take anywhere between 15- 25 minutes depending on your brand or rice cooker.
- Let the quinoa sit undisturbed for a further 5-10 minutes before opening the rice cooker, fluffing, and serving.
Notes
- If you have time, let the rinsed quinoa drain between 15-30 minutes to get rid of the excess moisture.
- Toasting the quinoa before cooking adds an extra depth of nutty flavor.
- Do not reheat cooked quinoa more than once.
- Store the cooled cooked quinoa in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
- If you omit the oil or replace it with a calorie-controlled cooking spray, there are 2 WW Blue Plan SmartPoints in a serving of this.
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