How to Cook Perfect Quinoa on the Stove
on May 04, 2018, Updated May 26, 2025
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Make perfect quinoa on the stove! With tips, step-by-step photos, and loads of ideas for how to use it!
Fluffy, tender quinoa is incredibly easy to make, and so versatile — you can serve it on its own as a side, or in bowls, salads, and other recipes. It takes less than 20 minutes to make, it’s super healthy, and you can keep it on hand and use it all week long in so many ways.
Gluten-free quinoa is mild and delicious, with a satisfying texture, and takes beautifully to all kinds of seasonings and uses. Cooking quinoa is super easy — the most common way to cook quinoa is in a pot on the stove. It’s as easy than making a pot of rice, and it cooks up even more quickly, so it’s a terrific weeknight grain side dish. I like to use a mixture of half water/half broth to add even more umph to the quinoa, without overpowering its naturally delicate flavor.
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Try quinoa with everything from Creamy Tuscan Chicken to Dijon and Honey Pork Tenderloins to Air Fryer Tofu with Sticky Chinese BBQ Sauce.
What's In This Post?
Quinoa (pronounced ˈkēnwä or keen-WAH) has been one of the most popular whole grains for quite some time now. But even though we think of it as trendy, it was actually a staple in the diet of the Ancient Incas, since it was able to grow in high altitudes of the Andes. Quinoa is actually a seed but is treated and cooked like a whole grain.
How to Make Quinoa on the Stove
- Rinse the quinoa: Some quinoa has already been pre-rinsed (the packages should indicate if it has), but this is a necessary step to remove the saponin, which is the bitter coating that occurs naturally as quinoa grows to protect it from being eaten by random wildlife. An additional rinse doesn’t hurt, so when in doubt, rinse.
Use a fine-mesh sieve so you don’t lose any of the grains down the drain. Let cold water run over the grains for a few minutes, shaking the sieve and using your hand to move it around and make sure all of the grains get a good rinse. You don’t have to soak quinoa before cooking.
- Simmer the quinoa: Toast the quinoa first for a few minutes if you like, or just pour it into a medium saucepan. Let the quinoa simmer in either broth or lightly salted water (or a combination of the two) for 15 to 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa’s tendrils have sprouted. Remove from the heat.
Toasting Quinoa
Toasting quinoa is optional, but it really brings out the flavor in the quinoa. Simply place the quinoa in the saucepan over medium-high heat and give it a shake and a stir every few seconds, for a total of about 4 minutes, until it is golden — watch carefully that it doesn’t burn. You can also heat up a couple of teaspoons of olive, vegetable, or grapeseed oil (per cup of quinoa) before adding the quinoa to the pan for even more flavor.
- Fluff the quinoa: Keep the pot covered for about 5 minutes, then fluff it with a fork. If you want to cool the quinoa before adding it to a recipe, spread it out after fluffing it on a large platter or baking sheet.
Quinoa to Water Ratio
For 1 cup of quinoa, use 2 cups of water.
The ratio of quinoa to water is important. Add the liquid to the quinoa in the pan, whether you’ve toasted the quinoa or not. You can use water, or you can use any kind of broth. I like to use slightly diluted low-sodium broths (usually vegetable — great for vegetarian meals — or chicken broth). I mix half water and half broth. You can also add a bit of dry white wine to the liquid for another layer of flavor.
Perfectly Fluffy Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water or broth (or a diluted broth made of half water, half broth)
- Kosher salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse with cold water (unless your quinoa is labeled pre-rinsed).
- Pour the quinoa into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. You can toast the quinoa for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally. Or add the broth or water immediately and season with salt. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa grains have sprouted their little tendrils. Remove from the heat.
- Allow the quinoa to sit, covered, for about 5 minutes, then lift the lid, fluff the quinoa, and serve, or cool. If you want to cool the quinoa, your best bet is to spread it out on a large platter or baking sheet.
Notes
Types of Quinoa
Naturally gluten-free, quinoa comes in different varieties, with different colors as well, which can be a lot of fun to play with, visually. White, red, and black are the most common colors/varieties available. Cooking times vary from type to type, so check package directions. Rainbow quinoa is a blend of white quinoa, which has a tasty, slightly nutty flavor, with even nuttier red quinoa, and black quinoa, which has a bit more crunch. The grains cook in the same amount of time, and the color combo adds an extra pop to all of your quinoa dishes. You can use the blend wherever you would use any single-colored quinoa.Quinoa Cooking Tips
- You can tell when quinoa is done because the little sprouts will have released from the grains.
- Make sure to let the quinoa sit for 5 minutes, covered, before fluffing it.
- Cooked quinoa will last for up to 5 days in the fridge. Discard it if it has an off smell.
- You can also freeze quinoa in freezer-proof containers or heavy-duty zipper top bags — just press the air out, seal it up, and it will keep for months. Make sure to label the bag with the date and contents, and you can pull out what you need and seal the bag back up.
Nutrition
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Pin ItThings to Know About Cooking Quinoa
Yes! This is a pretty big deal in the world of grains, many of which contain gluten. Quinoa is a good grain for those with celiac disease.
Yes! It’s got a crazy high protein count (8 grams of protein in a cup of cooked quinoa, according to WebMD), so it’s a boon to vegetarians and vegans. Other quinoa nutrition benefits: it is high in magnesium, contains a nice dose of fiber, and is high in antioxidants, which can aid in weight loss, help balance blood sugar, and may lower the risk of chronic disease.
Compared to white rice, quinoa has twice the protein and 5 more grams of fiber per cup. Because of this, it will also fill you up faster and keep you full longer than rice. It also has more protein and fiber than brown rice.
When quinoa is cooked, it makes about 3 times the volume of dried quinoa. So 1 cup of quinoa will make about 3 cups of cooked quinoa, 1/2 cup quinoa will make about 1 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa, and so on.
How To Serve Quinoa
Quinoa can be used as a side dish, on its own, or mixed with any number of add-ins, such as tossed with a sesame oil and honey dressing and some carrots, topped with sliced avocado. Or make a simple quinoa salad with fresh herbs and scallions.
Add quinoa to soups and salads, or use it as a nice base to scoop various stews and chilies over. It soaks up sauces wonderfully. It’s great hot, warm, or cold, and you can make up a big batch at the beginning of the week and use it for days. Heat it up for a side dish, add vegetables for a portable salad, and on and on.
What to Serve With Quinoa
Quinoa goes with just about anything. Think of serving it in any place you would serve rice or simply cooked potatoes. Try it with:
Quinoa Recipes
- Spinach and Quinoa Salad with Dried Apricots
- Sesame-Honey Quinoa and Carrot Salad with Sliced Avocado
- Kale Quinoa Salad
- Southwest Quinoa Casserole
- Red Quinoa Salad with Arugula, Artichoke Hearts, and Olives
Can you use quinoa to make stuffed grape leaves or peppers? Would you cook it first on the stove and then stuff, or just stuff and let cook inside the vegetables?
yes, you can, and yes, cook it first!
I want to make quinoa crispies. The recipe calls for toasted, cooked quinoa. Do you recommend doing that? The crispie also has pumpkin seeds and is held together with marshmallow cream.
that sounds pretty delicious! Yes, follow the toasting instructions, and then cook your quinoa and proceed with your recipe!
if I want to try toasting it when would I rinse it?
before you toast it! Make sure it’s well drained, and if it’s not dried it might take a bit longer to toast as the excess moisture will need to be cooked off first.
I’ve been cooking quinoa wrong all my life, this is perfect thank you! Mix in any herbs, garlic, red onion , roasted veggies and tahini sauce drizzle made an amazing bowl dinner.
Can you cook quinoa in a rice cooker?
you can! here is a recipe: https://www.thekitchn.com/rice-cooker-quinoa-22932073
I have never eaten quinoa but I tried it in a salad. I loved it. Now at least once or twice a week!