The best way to cook quinoa

Even though I’ve been cooking quinoa for 20 years, I didn’t think of a better way until recently. If you follow the instructions on the packaging (usually requiring a 2:1 ratio of water to quinoa), the results will not be ideal.

The biggest problem with packaging direction is that if you keep the quinoa in heat for 15 minutes, it usually starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.

No one likes to scrape a layer of quinoa from a pot in the sink, so I came up with a better way. It’s adapted from my Instant Pot method, which creates the perfect quinoa every time – now you can make it on the stovetop too!

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“I don’t think I need to try another way to cook quinoa, but your post is always reliable, so I decided to shoot it – this is the best way to cook quinoa! I think it’s normal to stick to something on the bottom of the pan, but this time it didn’t happen.” – Wendy

What is quinoa?

Quinoa is a pseudo-cereal, which means it looks like a cereal, but it doesn’t grow on grasses like wheat, barley, and oats. If you want to read about the discussion, some experts believe that quinoa is “almost” the complete source of protein.

I’ve followed traditional guidance over the years and you’ve probably become familiar with it, especially if you’ve cooked other grains. Use quinoa to water ratio 1:2 (so, 1 cup quinoa with 2 cups water) to cook in a covered pot for 15 minutes.

Sounds simple, right?

But, I’ve never obtained it Fluffy quinoa Use this method. Very good; it’s edible…but by the 15-minute cooking time is finished I almost always have a thin layer of quinoa burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Sometimes quinoa even starts to crisp on the sides of my pan, creating an uneven texture. This is not ideal.

Quinoa cooking instructions

Step 1:

Add the dried quinoa to the fine mesh sieve and rinse in running tap water for at least 30 seconds. When rinsing, you may see foam or air bubbles on it.

Continue to rinse until the bubbles disappear.

Step 2:

Transfer the drained quinoa to a small pot and cover with water. Cook with 1 1/2 cup of water per cup. You can also use vegetarian or chicken soup if you prefer.

Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat to a mild low heat and cover the pan with a lid. Let it cook for 10 minutes.

Step 3:

After 10 minutes, cover the pot, but remove it from the heat. This will ensure that the quinoa does not burn or stick to the bottom of the pan.

Store the lid on the pan for another 5 minutes, then remove the lid and use a fork fluff. Now available for service!

Quinoa variety

I have tested this method with white quinoa, red quinoa, black quinoa and tricolor quinoa. Remember that the richer variety of quinoa will have a more chewy texture than white quinoa.

If you want them to get tenderer, leave the lid for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. (But still remove the pot from the heat after 10 minutes!)

How to use quinoa

You can use quinoa as a protein substitute in main or side dishes, but I think you like it in these recipes below, too.

More recipes

If you try this quinoa recipe, Please leave a comment and a star rating belowlet me know how it serves you!