How to Prepare Quinoa

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: May 6, 2021 Approved

Quinoa is known as the little rice of Peru. The Incas treated the crop as sacred and referred to quinoa as "chisaya mama" or "mother of all grains."^{[1]
X
Research source} By tradition, the Inca emperor would sow the first seeds of the season using "golden implements." Quinoa is rich in protein and much lighter than other grains. It is much easier to prepare than rice and is rapidly gaining in popularity, especially among vegetarians who value its high protein levels.

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water (or broth)
Olive oil to taste (Optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt (Optional)

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Cooking On A Stove Top

1
Rinse the grains of quinoa in water. You can skip this step if you have purchased pre-rinsed quinoa in a box. To rinse, place the measured grain in a strainer under running water for a few minutes. This is necessary to remove the excess saponins on the outside of the grains which impart a bitter flavor to quinoa if not removed.
2
Toast quinoa in a saucepan (optional). Drizzle a bit of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the quinoa and cook for about 1 minute. This brings out quinoa's nutty flavor.

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3
Cook the quinoa. Place two parts water or stock to one part of quinoa in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer the quinoa for about 15 minutes or until the grain becomes translucent and the white germ forms a visible spiral on the exterior of the quinoa grain.
- Try to ensure there is an al dente bite to the germ, in the same way as pasta. Quinoa will continue cooking for a bit even after you take it off the heat.
4
Take the quinoa off the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. This will give it time to absorb any moisture that might still be in the pan.
5
Uncover and fluff with a fork. The quinoa should look light and fluffy, and you should be able to see the germ separating from the seed.
6
Serve. Freshly cooked quinoa should be served immediately to retain nutritional value and a good flavor. Serve with:
- Stir-fry, using the quinoa as a substitute for rice.
- Curry.
- Braised meat.
- In a salad.
- Virtually any other combination you can think of!

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Cooking In a Rice Cooker

1
Rinse 1 cup of quinoa in a fine mesh sieve under cold water. If you bought packaged quinoa, this step isn't always necessary, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
2
Pour quinoa into rice cooker. One option is to toast the quinoa before placing in the rice cooker. See Step #2 in Method One above for directions.
3
Add 2 cups of liquid and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into the rice cooker. Water, chicken stock or broth, or vegetable stock all work.
4
Cook for approximately 15 minutes. Some rice cookers will have different settings instead of a simple "cook" option. Try the "white rice" option if your rice cooker gives you several options.
5
Let stand for about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Cooking In the Oven

1
Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Arrange rack in the middle of the oven.
2
Rinse quinoa thoroughly in a fine mesh sieve under cold water.
3
In a medium saucepan, heat up 2 tablespoons (29.6 ml) vegetable oil over medium-low heat.
4
Add onions, peppers, mushrooms, or any other type of desired vegetable or herb into the saucepan (optional). Cook onions until they are translucent, but not burned. Sweat the peppers or vegetables along with the onions.
5
Add the quinoa and salt to the saucepan, stirring until completely incorporated. This should take no longer than 30 seconds.
6
Add one cup of broth and one cup of water to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
7
Once a boil is reached, transfer quinoa to a 8-by-8-inch baking dish.^{[2]
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Research source} Spread out quinoa evenly and cover baking dish completely with aluminum foil.
8
Cook the quinoa in the oven for roughly 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid is gone.
9
Remove the aluminum foil from the baking dish, add cheese or other seasonings, and bake for an additional 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, the quinoa should be fully cooked.
10
Serve and enjoy!