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    Home » Recipes » Kitchen Basics

    How to cook quinoa in a rice cooker

    Modified: Aug 11, 2024 Published: Sep 4, 2021 by Sravanthi Chanda. Leave a Comment

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    5 from 6 votes
    Detailed Steps Jump to Recipe

    Who doesn't love perfectly fluffy quinoa? With a rice cooker, you can easily cook fluffy quinoa in no time. This post will show you how to prepare, cook, and season quinoa using a rice cooker.

    cooked quinoa in a bowl

    Why you should cook quinoa in a rice cooker

    Rice is not the only thing to cook in the rice cooker. I do cook quinoa, millet, lentil pilaf in my rice cooker. I like to cook quinoa in a rice cooker as it has the following benefits.

    • Hands-free cooking method. We need not boil water and keep an eye on quinoa while it is getting cooked. Once you set it, you can forget about it.
    • It yields perfectly fluffy quinoa every time. So if you measure quinoa and water correctly, we get fluffy quinoa every time.
    • We can cook quinoa in large quantities and use it later. I mostly cook quinoa freshly every time as it is so easy. But sometimes, If I want to meal prep for a busy week, making quinoa in the rice cooker is very helpful.
    quinoa in a rice cooker

    Ingredients:

    • Quinoa: Quinoa is a highly nutritious pseudo-grain with all nine essential amino acids(1) and makes a complete plant-based protein.
    • Water: I usually use water, but you can use vegetable broth or chicken broth for cooking the quinoa. The broth will flavor the quinoa and makes it tasty. But use it only if you intend to use the quinoa for savory dishes.
    • Salt: A pinch of salt while cooking quinoa will make it taste better. I do add salt even if I intend to use quinoa for breakfast porridge. But it is optional, and you can safely leave it out.
    • Oil: Spraying the oil will prevent the cooked quinoa from sticking to the bottom of the pan. I will add a teaspoon of coconut oil and wipe it using a paper towel to spread evenly. You can use an oil spray also. Adding oil will make the quinoa fluffy.

    Instructions:

    • Wash the quinoa couple of times by rubbing it with your hands to remove the outer coat of quinoa call saponins. I usually wash at least three times. Else quinoa might taste bitter for my liking.
    • Drain entire water from quinoa and keep it aside. Using a fine-mesh strainer will make the process easy.
    • Coat the rice cooker inner pot with a teaspoon of oil.
    • Add drained quinoa to the rice cooker inner bowl.
    • Now add water and salt.
    • Cover it with its lid and turn on the rice cooker. If the rice cooker has settings, select the "White rice" option. Otherwise, start the cook mode.
    • Once it is done, wait for few minutes and fluff it up with a fork, and the quinoa is ready to use.

    Recipe Notes and variations:

    • I highly recommend spraying oil as it will make quinoa fluffy. It also will prevent the quinoa from sticking to the pot.
    • Do not remove the lid while quinoa is cooking, and wait for at least 10 minutes after it is cooked completely. Then fluff it up with a fork.

    Storage and meal prep:

    • You can store cooked quinoa in the refrigerator for two days. And you can keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
    • Always store the cooked quinoa in portion sizes so that you can take out the required quantity and reheat it. 
    • Do not refrigerate the reheated quinoa. Use it immediately.
    • Discard the quinoa if it tastes bitter or becomes sticky. It will become yellow and sticky if it is spoiled.

    Seasoning quinoa in a rice cooker:

    • If you plan to use cooked quinoa for a salad or other savory recipes, use vegetable broth or chicken broth instead of water.
    • I also add one of these spice powders to season the quinoa while cooking it in the rice cooker - turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder. Use ¼ teaspoon of spice powder for 1 cup of dry quinoa.
    • If you intend to use quinoa for breakfast porridge, cook it with coconut milk. I sometimes add whole spices like cinnamon, cardamom, saffron as well.
    • I have a very detailed post on how to season the quinoa so that it will taste delicious. Check it out.

    Common FAQ's

    What is the ratio of water to quinoa in a rice cooker?

    I use a 1: 2 quinoa to water ratio while cooking quinoa using a rice cooker. This ratio will yield perfectly cooked quinoa. But if your quinoa is getting burnt at the bottom, use 1 ¾ cup of water for every 1 cup of quinoa.

    How much quinoa can be cooked in a rice cooker?

    Usually, 1 cup of raw quinoa will yield around 3 to 3.5 cups of cooked quinoa. So in an 8-cup rice cooker, you can cook at most 2 cups of uncooked quinoa.

    What setting do you use for cooking quinoa in a rice cooker?

    You should use the "White rice" setting to cook quinoa. If there are no special settings, then use the rice setting or start the cook mode.

    How long does it take to cook quinoa in a rice cooker?

    Depending on the quantity, it may take from 15 minutes to 30 minutes.

    How much does 1 cup of dry quinoa make cooked?

    One cup of raw quinoa will yield around 3 cups of cooked quinoa.

    Do you want to learn how to cook basic staples? Check out these recipes.

    Instant pot soaked millet

    Instant pot soaked basmati rice

    Instant pot soaked kidney beans

    Instant pot soaked black eyed peas

    Instant pot soaked chickpeas

    Have you tried this recipe? Provide your feedback by giving a star rating and/or leaving comments. And don't forget to share the recipe with others on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter.

    Recipe

    quinoa in a rice cooker

    How to cook quinoa in a rice cooker (Perfect quinoa every time!)

    By: Sravanthi Chanda
    Who doesn't love perfectly fluffy quinoa? With a rice cooker, you can easily cook fluffy quinoa in no time. This post will show you how to prepare, cook, and season quinoa using a rice cooker.

    Rate this recipe by clicking the stars!

    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4
    Calories 165 kcal

    Equipment

    • Rice cooker
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup quinoa
    • 2 cups water
    • ¼ teaspoon salt optional
    • 1 teaspoon oil optional

    Instructions
     

    • Wash the quinoa couple of times by rubbing it with your hands to remove the outer coat of quinoa call saponins.
    • Drain entire water from quinoa and keep it aside. Using a fine-mesh strainer will make the process easy.
    • Coat the rice cooker inner pot with a teaspoon of oil.
    • Add drained quinoa, water, and salt.
    • Cover it with its lid and turn on the rice cooker. If the rice cooker has settings, select the "White rice" option. Otherwise, start the cook mode.
    • Once it is done, wait for few minutes and fluff it up with a fork, and the quinoa is ready to use.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 165kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 6gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 153mgPotassium: 239mgFiber: 3gVitamin A: 6IUCalcium: 24mgIron: 2mg
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    Sravanthi Chanda standing in a rose garden, wearing a light green embroidered sweater and patterned black kurta, smiling softly with trees and flowers in the background.

    I'm Sravanthi Chanda and I share Indian lunch and dinner recipes on my blog. These easy-to-follow recipes are made from scratch using fresh ingredients and come with step-by-step photos, perfect for family meals.

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