Cooking Quinoa In A Rice Cooker

Posted: 6/11/21 Updated: 6/14/21

How to cook quinoa in a rice cooker- this trick makes cooking quinoa hands off and even easier! No more worrying about your water boiling over, and perfect fluffy quinoa every time.

You might be surprised to hear that your rice cooker is good for more than just cooking rice- though I do have 7 rice recipes for you to use on the blog. We also love cooking quinoa in the rice cooker!

Rice cooker quinoa is such a revelation- absolutely perfectly fluffy each and every time, and you don't need to watch a pot on the stove...just push a button and walk away!

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Reasons you'll ♡ this method

it gives you perfect quinoa
it won't boil over
you won't be tempted to peek
it makes cooking hands off so you can focus your attention on other things

Ingredient notes

quinoa- comes in multiple varieties including black, white, red, and tri-color. This recipe has only been tested with white quinoa (the most commonly available type), though it should work perfectly fine with the others, as they have relatively similar cook times.
water- we've used water as a cooking liquid here, but you could use chicken or vegetable stock (or homemade bone broth) for added flavor and nutrition.
salt- adding salt to the cooking liquid helps each seed get perfectly seasoned.
oil- helps to prevent the quinoa from sticking to the bottom of the rice cooker.

Step by step directions

collage image showing how to cook quinoa in the rice cooker

Spray the rice cooker insert with oil- I find it really helps to keep the quinoa from sticking and drying. My faves are either coconut oil or avocado oil.
Rinse the quinoa- often boxed quinoa comes pre-rinsed, but I like to give it another quick rinse in a colander before cooking. This helps remove saponins from the surface of the quinoa, which can cause it to taste soapy.
Add the water- use the same ratio as you do for stove top quinoa- 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa. For Instant Pot quinoa, we use a different ratio.
Cook- If you have a choice between white or brown rice, select 'white rice'. If your cooker only has one button, push the button. That's seriously how easy it is.

Storage & meal prep

After cooking, cool the quinoa completely before storing.

fridge- store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
freezer- store in a sturdy freezer bag, meal prep container or reusable silicone bag for up to 3 months
reheat- add a tablespoon of water, and loosely cover the container (if it has a lid leave it slightly ajar). Heat your quinoa in the microwave until steaming hot, then fluff it up with a fork.

Food safety tips

do not reheat your quinoa more than once
discard quinoa that has been left at room temperature for longer than 2 hours
discard quinoa if it develops an 'off' smell, or has mold growing on it.
read more quinoa food safety tips here

overhead view of cooked quinoa in a rice cooker

FAQ

Which rice cooker should I buy?

Hands down my top pick for a rice cooker is the Aroma 8 Cup. It is small, the lid is super easy to wash, and it cooks basmati rice in under 30 minutes.

If you have a large family, I'd advise going for the Aroma 20 Cup model. When they say 8 cups, they are talking fully cooked rice. So that's maybe 2 cups uncooked rice you can do.

How much water do you put in a rice cooker for quinoa?

You want 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of quinoa you cook. Check the capacity of your cooker so you do not overfill.

How much quinoa can you cook in a rice cooker?

It depends on the model. For my 8 cup rice cooker, I can cook at most 2 cups of uncooked quinoa. This will make 6-7 cups of cooked quinoa.

Does quinoa double in size as it cooks?

Quinoa actually triples in size!

For 2 cups of cooked quinoa add ¾ cup of uncooked quinoa

For 3 cups of cooked quinoa add 1 cup of uncooked quinoa

Ways to use your quinoa

Quinoa Egg Muffins (High Protein)
Broccoli Salad Recipe with Almonds and Quinoa
Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
Refreshing Quinoa Black Bean Salad
Apple Quinoa Breakfast Bars
Cheesy Spinach Quinoa Cups (with Video)
Strawberry Caprese Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Charred Corn Salad with Feta, Mint and Quinoa

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How to cook quinoa in a rice cooker- this trick makes cooking quinoa hands off and even easier! No more worrying about your water boiling over, and perfect fluffy quinoa every time.

▢ 1 spritz oil (optional)
▢ 1 cup quinoa
▢ 2 cups water see note 1
▢ 1 pinch salt

Spray the rice cooker insert lightly with oil (optional but I find it helps keep the quinoa nice and fluffy all the way through).
Rinse quinoa under the tap for 20 seconds in a fine mesh sieve. Shake off excess water and add to the pot.
Add a pinch of salt, then 2 cups of water.
Cook rice using the 'white rice' function (if your rice cooker has that option; otherwise just press cook). After cooking, fluff it up and enjoy!

1- for added flavor, swap the water for vegetable or chicken stock

2- quinoa triples in size as it cooks, so 1 cup of uncooked quinoa should yield 3 cups of cooked quinoa

Storage

Cooked quinoa should be stored in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking.

Store in an air tight container for up to 4 days, or freeze in a freezer bag or meal prep container for up to 3 months.

Adding flavor

Consider swapping the water for chicken stock, or using the spice ratios in these 7 rice recipes

Serving: 1 /4 batch , Calories: 158 kcal , Carbohydrates: 27 g , Protein: 6 g , Fat: 2 g , Saturated Fat: 0 g , Cholesterol: 0 mg , Sodium: 18 mg , Potassium: 239 mg , Fiber: 2 g , Sugar: 0 g , Calcium: 24 mg , Iron: 1.9 mg

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Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.