It’s easy to cook quinoa in your rice cooker! Here’s a step-by-step guide to fast, easily cooked quinoa.
I don’t know about you, but for the longest time I resisted quinoa. To me, it was a little too expensive and fancy for our frugal tastes.
Eventually I bought a bag to use in a casserole, and it really wasn’t all that bad. It cooked just like rice but it fluffed up a lot more and made a HUGE amount. That’s when I kept a bag around every so often to use as a side item.
I have a rice cooker that I use at least a couple times a week, so I wondered: Can I cook quinoa in my rice cooker? Of course, Google has the answer: Yes!
Since you can cook quinoa in the same way as rice, it makes sense that you can use your rice cooker to make quinoa. And the best part: it takes half the time to cook as brown rice does. Here’s how it’s done:
How to Make Quinoa in Your Rice Cooker
Serves: 4
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups water
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon- 1 teaspoon desired seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, etc.
Start with one cup of quinoa and rinse it well. I bought this strainer at Dollar Tree and it works pretty nicely; a couple pieces escape here and there, but not bad for a dollar.
Pour the quinoa into your rice cooker and add 2 cups of water. The water to quinoa ratio is about the same as white rice. Then add any desired seasonings; I used garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper.
Press the White Rice button or whatever similar button you have on yours, and just let it cook! It’ll take around 30 minutes to fully cook, so about the same as white rice. Brown rice usually takes an hour and 15 minutes for me, so that’s a huge time-saver.
Once the quinoa has finished, give it a small stir and serve it however you like. I used mine as a side item to my Instant Pot Chicken Thighs and just added a little extra salt and pepper. Parmesan cheese makes an excellent topping too!
Hopefully now you won’t be afraid of quinoa like I was. It’s a super easy side item that you can set and forget in your rice cooker!
What’s your favorite way to use quinoa? Share in the comments!
Jaime is a Nutrition Coach through the ISSA and professional writer. She has 4 years experience coaching and 9 years experience in writing. She enjoys cooking easy meals, running, and learning more about food.
Jaime specializes in helping women with ADHD learn to meal plan and cook healthier meals without getting overwhelmed.
