How to Cook Quinoa in a Rice Cooker

Learn how to cook quinoa in a rice cooker using this foolproof how-to guide. It’s a quick, hands-free cooking method that gives you enough protein-packed quinoa to serve for dinner, use for meal prep, or store in the fridge for later.

Check out my 1-Minute Instant Pot Quinoa recipe if you’re looking for more easy and hands-off ways of cooking your favorite grain.

Can you cook quinoa in a rice cooker?

I have great news for you: your rice cooker can cook MORE than just rice! After sharing a few ways to cook rice in a rice cooker, including sushi, coconut, and Mexican rice, I decided to put quinoa to the test, only to get light, fluffy, and absolutely flawless quinoa on the table in under 20 minutes.

Cooking quinoa in a rice cooker is a lifesaving cooking method when you’re trying to get dinner ready or working on a recipe that calls for cooked quinoa. Similar to the Instant Pot, the rice cooker frees up your hands, allowing you to focus on your other meal prep tasks.

Are you new to cooking quinoa? This nutty-tasting, nutrient-dense, and naturally gluten-free grain is packed with protein and fiber, making it a fantastic substitute for rice and other whole grains. Whether you plan on adding it to salads, soups, power bowls, or even baked goods like these Blueberry Breakfast Cookies, quinoa instantly makes the dish better for you.

Ingredients 

• Quinoa – You can cook white, red/brown, or black quinoa easily in a rice cooker. Keep in mind that the cooking times will vary slightly based on the type you use, but no matter what, it becomes fluffy and soft in mere minutes. Check out the different cooking times below. 
• Water or broth – To cook the quinoa. Water works well, but if you want to infuse the whole grains with more flavor, go with vegetable, chicken, or beef broth instead. And for added protein and collagen, use homemade bone broth. 
• Salt – Just a pinch adds more flavor to the rice cooker quinoa.

How to cook quinoa in a rice cooker

Start by rinsing the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer under cold water until the water runs clear.

Transfer the rinsed quinoa to your rice cooker and add 2 cups of water or broth. 

Turn the rice cooker on and select the white rice setting. If yours doesn’t have specific settings, set a timer for the appropriate cooking time (find them below).

Wait a few minutes after the quinoa is done cooking before fluffing it with a fork and seasoning it with a pinch of salt. Serve it with your favorite mains or sides and enjoy!

How long does it take to cook quinoa in a rice cooker?

The cooking times will vary depending on your rice cooker and the type of quinoa you’re cooking. I found that the white rice setting cooked white quinoa just as well, but if your cooker doesn’t have specific settings, follow these times instead:

• White quinoa: Cook for 15 minutes
• Brown/Red quinoa: Cook for 18 minutes
• Black quinoa: Cook for 20 minutes

Tips and tricks

• Consider toasting the quinoa in a dry pan for a few minutes before adding it to the rice cooker. This simple step will take the natural nutty flavors over the top! 
• Resting and steaming the quinoa right after it’s done cooking will yield lighter and fluffier results.
• Fluff the quinoa with a fork rather than stirring with a spoon. This helps separate the grains to get them nice and fluffy. 
• This recipe makes 3 to 4 cups of quinoa, which you can either use right away or store in the fridge or freezer for later use.

Variations

Next time you cook quinoa in your rice cooker, give these tasty variations a try to take the flavor up a notch:

• Fresh herbs – Add a bay leaf or thyme sprig to the rice cooker for an herbaceous and vegetal flavor (remove and discard the herbs before serving). After cooking, stir in fresh chopped herbs like parsley, cilantro, or basil for a burst of freshness. 
• Cooked aromatics – Sauté minced garlic, shallots, and/or finely chopped onions before stirring them into the rice cooker quinoa. 
• Add vegetables – Add frozen veggies, like peas or corn, halfway through cooking or stir in chopped leafy greens, like spinach or kale, at the end. 
• Savory flavor boost – Add a splash of soy sauce or tamari to the water or broth for a boost of umami.

Ways to serve quinoa

Quinoa is a meal prep staple of mine, but I also love it as a simple side dish. It’s quite filling and very versatile, so you can pair it with all sorts of meals. Usually, I’ll keep some extra cooked quinoa in the fridge and add it to salads, grain bowls, soups, stews, or any meal that could use some extra bulk.

These are just a few of the ways I recommend serving your cooked quinoa:

• In soups and stews: This Creamy Quinoa Soup is one of my most popular recipes because it’s both amazingly delicious and good for you! You can also add quinoa to chilis and stews for more protein.
• In salads: Adding quinoa to a leafy green salad, like this Simple Kale Salad or a Kale White Bean Salad, is a wonderful way to transform a simple side dish into a filling main dish. You can also make it the star of the salad, like in this Jennifer Aniston Salad, Copycat Costco Quinoa Salad, and Asian Quinoa Salad.
• As a base for grain bowls: Add the quinoa to a bowl and top it with your favorite vegetables, proteins, and dressings. Use my Harissa Chicken Bowls, Quinoa Taco Bowls, and Sweet Potato Buddha Bowls for inspiration!
• As a simple side dish: Pair the quinoa with light and healthy proteins for a nourishing dinner, like Pesto Crusted Salmon, Shrimp Piccata, or Sous Vide Chicken Tenders. 
• Add it to main dishes: Use the quinoa almost anywhere you’d use rice in a main dish, like stuffed into stuffed peppers and zucchini boats.

If you’re looking for more ways to use rice cooker quinoa, you’ll also love these 35+ Quinoa Dinner Recipes and these 30+ Vegetarian Quinoa Recipes. 

FAQs

Storing

Refrigerate the cooked and cooled quinoa in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze cooked quinoa; spread it out on a baking sheet to cool, then transfer it to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

Reheat the quinoa in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, or heat it in a saucepan over low heat until warmed through. Add a splash of water or broth to keep it from drying out. 

More how-to grain cooking guides

​​​​Did you cook quinoa in your rice cooker?

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