How to Cook Perfect Quinoa & 10 Quinoa Recipes
Learn all about quinoa—my secrets to cooking perfectly fluffy quinoa (no more mush!), 10 fantastic quinoa recipes, quinoa nutrition facts, and where to buy.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
I like to consider myself a quinoa expert. I have cooked a lot of it for my cookbook. Small amounts, or lots at once, with spices and greens, or without—I’ve done it all. The standard quinoa cooking method started failing me early on. My quinoa was mushy and overdone, every time, and it was driving me nuts.
I tried using slightly less water than usual, which has been recommended elsewhere. It helped a little sometimes, but other times, I had to add more and more water while the quinoa was cooking. Then, the dry quinoa soaked up way too much of the dressing I added later.
At some point, I wondered, why do all the quinoa recipes suggest covering the quinoa while cooking? My quinoa was all overcooked and mushy, so covering it seemed like the last thing I should do.
Bingo! Here’s the trick for perfectly fluffy quinoa: Use twice as much water as quinoa, as usual, then cook uncovered until the quinoa has absorbed all the water. The cooking time will vary based on quantity.
Once the water is all absorbed, remove the pot from heat, cover it and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes. That’s when the quinoa pops open into fluffy quinoa perfection, and that is how to cook quinoa properly.
I’ve gotten quite a few questions from you guys about how to avoid mushy quinoa, so I just had to share. I typed up the full recipe and instructions for you below.
Scroll down for the full recipe, plus a short video showing my technique and 10 of my favorite quinoa recipes. For even more quinoa inspiration, you can view all of my quinoa recipes here.
Watch How to Make Perfectly Fluffy Quinoa
Perfect Quinoa
Learn how to cook perfect quinoa, every time. I’ve tried all the other quinoa cooking methods and this one works best. It’s easy to cook fluffy quinoa when you know the right way to do it!
Ingredients
- 1 part uncooked quinoa (e.g. 1 cup quinoa—any color will do—you will end up with three times as much cooked quinoa)
- 2 parts water (e.g. 2 cups water)
- Salt, to taste (around ¼ teaspoon salt per cup of dry quinoa)
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa: Pour the quinoa into a fine mesh colander and rinse under running water for at least 30 seconds. Drain well. This step removes any bitterness on the outside of the quinoa (caused by naturally occurring saponins).
- Combine the rinsed quinoa and water in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat a bit to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water, about 10 to 20 minutes (small amounts of quinoa will be ready closer to 10 minutes; larger amounts between 15 to 20). Reduce heat as time goes on to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Remove the pot from heat, cover, and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes. This step gives the quinoa time to pop open into little curlicues, so it’s nice and fluffy. Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Season with salt, to taste, unless you’re proceeding with another recipe as written.
Notes
Serving suggestions: I love to stir a drizzle of olive oil and clove of garlic into warm quinoa for extra flavor. Other options include chopped fresh spinach or arugula, or massaged kale. Fresh herbs and/or dried spices are nice, as well as grated or crumbled cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, pitted and sliced olives, etc.
Storage suggestions: Leftover quinoa keeps well, refrigerated, for 4 to 5 days. Make sure it has cooled to room temperature before covering and chilling.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Wait, what is quinoa?
In case you haven’t encountered quinoa yet, it is a pseudocereal that grows near the Andes in South America. By pseudocereal, I mean that it is grain-like, but it’s technically not a grass like wheat. Quinoa is pronounced KEEN-wah, although my dad likes to tease me by calling it queh-NO-ah.
Quinoa is very nutritious—it’s full of fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals, including manganese, magnesium and folate. Quinoa’s health benefits are really too long to list here, but the key point is that quinoa is remarkably dense in nutrients, and worth including in your diet.
You can buy quinoa in most grocery stores these days, usually in the health section or near the rice. You can also buy quinoa online at Amazon (affiliate link).
10 Favorite Quinoa Recipes
1) Sun-Dried Tomato, Spinach and Quinoa Salad
“I have made this salad twice in a week it is that good – easy and delicious!” – Terri
2) Broccoli, Cheddar & Quinoa Gratin
“This was so good! I’ve been trying to find one dish recipes that can also feed baby and this was perfect! I was almost too lazy to make the breadcrumbs but I’m so glad I did because it was simple and and so worth it! I also used a bit of cauliflower because I had it and it was good in there too. I think I’m going to make this again and bring it to Easter! It’s a perfect healthier version of a classic!” – Stephanie
3) Quinoa Black Bean Tacos with Creamy Avocado Sauce
“This is one of my favorite dishes ever! Followed the instructions (first time ever was not inspired to change anything) and enjoyed a yummy dinner with my partner, twice now. He loved it as well! Thanks for sharing and good luck! :)” – Dessi
4) Colorful Beet Salad with Carrot, Quinoa & Spinach
“THE best salad ever! My husband and I absolutely love it! I’m sharing with my family and friends!” – Jacqueline
5) Quinoa Vegetable Soup with Kale
“I just found this recipe via pinterest! I made the soup yesterday and I absolutely love it!! Never thought of quinoa in soup but this makes so much sense! I am always looking for ways to add protein without adding meat so this is great and my whole family loves it! (I’m a college student by the way, not a mom, in case you couldn’t tell. lol) This soup is great for all ages!!” – Maya
6) Southwestern Kale Power Salad with Sweet Potato, Quinoa & Avocado Sauce
“We made this for dinner 2 hours ago and can’t stop talking about it! OMG! It was so delicious and full of flavor and it was easy to make. My kids loved it, too. We already can’t wait to make it again :) thank you so much!” – Tiffany
7) Favorite Quinoa Salad
“Delicious recipe, Kate. I’ve been crazing something light and refreshing and this quinoa salad hit the spot. This is definitely one of the best quinoa salads I’ve made. Your recipes never disappoint. Thank you!” – Allison
8) Crunchy Thai Peanut & Quinoa Salad
“Made this for dinner tonight when a friend came over. Even my four-year-old loved it! He is not always into raw veggies, but upon the first bite, exclaimed, “I like this! Yeah, I love it!” and had a second helping. We did leave the cilantro on the side for him. Will be making this again very soon.” – Lea
9) Quinoa Broccoli Slaw with Honey-Mustard Dressing
“Three of us polished off this recipe in one sitting. It was wonderful! Tangy, sweet and crunchy, thanks to the almonds. It was also so easy to make. Thank you!” – Leah
10) Cinnamon Toast Breakfast Quinoa
“Made this for breakfast this morning, and it’s amazing! It’s definitely going to be in my regular rotation.” – Carly
More resources you might appreciate: 23 make-ahead breakfast recipes, 16 recipes that pack well for lunch and 20 simple weeknight dinners. You can shop my essential kitchen equipment here. Don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest for a steady stream of recipe inspiration!
Hi, I chose your quinoa recipe because the package didn’t have any instructions and I wanted it to be perfectly light and fluffy. It didn’t work for me. Maybe I don’t know exactly what “until all the water is absorbed” means. I ended up with a heavy, slimy mush. So disappointing – it sure won’t be good in the salad recipe I was trying. What did I do wrong?
Hi Joyce, I’m so sorry to hear that. I always want my recipes to turn out perfectly! I think you needed to cook it longer, until there’s no water visible at the bottom of the pan. You can use a fork or spoon to check. The quinoa should be pretty well fluffy (not wet) before you remove it from the heat.
I almost made the same mistake that Joyce did. Thanks for this post it made all the difference.
Didn’t work for me either :(. No pop at all! I was able to salvage mine by adding some more water and boiling it down thankfully.
Thanks so much! I just made this version of quinoa and are using your quinoa salad recipe. It’s come out so fluffy and light!
Cooked the quinoa perfectly thanks to your method. Added leftovers from a previous roast beef meal. Leftover roast veges and beef chopped and stirred through quinoa. Added worcestireshire sauce to the finished dish. Yuuumm
My go to, very easy and perfect quinoa. I often do one cup veggie broth and one cup water just to add some extra flavor but can’t go wrong with this recipe!
Love to hear that, Anna! I appreciate your review.
I cooked with this recipe several times and it always works! My quinoa is better than my mom’s.
BTW why put salt at the end and not when I can easily stir it?
Hi, I’m recovering from heart surgery and looking for easy, healthy changes to my diet. Quinoa looks to be one such new staple. I’m going to try your perfect Quinoa recipe and go from there. I looked at your other 10 recipes and they look really good too! Thanks for your time and pages on how to get the most out of a “new to me” staple.
You’re welcome and I hope you have a smooth recovery! Sending you good thoughts.
Thank you so much for this Kate. I’ve made bad quinoa (because I followed the package instructions) too many times. You rock!
I cook quinoa fairly often, following the package directions of 1:2 cups quinoa to liquid and cooking with the lid on for 15 minutes. There’s always a lot of water remaining, so I remove the lid and continue cooking at least 5 minutes to absorb all the liquid. I’ve been wondering why that’s necessary, and then I found your recipe. I made it again last night using your recipe, and it works! Perfect fluffy quinoa! I’ll make it this way every time.
Just made this for the first time. Perfection.
I am going to try 1st time.
I use my instant pot and it’s perfect every time. I double the recipe with four cups of liquid (broth or plain water) and pour in the whole box or bag of quinoa. Usually about 14 oz or two cups. I use the rice setting and it cooks for ten minutes. Usually quick release and voila Yummy quinoa. Now I have to make this recipe for breakfast!
Thank you for sharing, Cassie!
First time making quinoa and with this recipe, I nailed it! I added some cumin for more flavor :)
Yep, this totally works for the perfect quinoa! I followed the recipe exactly and that last fluffing step is clutch! I left the lid on longer than five minutes while I waited for the rest of my meal to finish cooking, but I don’t think it made a huge difference.
The quinoa was tender, nutty (not bitter), and separated into perfect little poppy kernels, exactly the way I like it! Great base for so many recipes!
Hi Kate.thanks for this.and all ur recipes.always so so good. While you’re cooking the quinoa, is the lid on or off?
You’re welcome! Lid off for this technique, until you steam it at the end.
Your recipes all sound great but I have a child who is supposed to eat quinoa and she doesn’t like any of the ingredients in your recipes. She can’t eat any meat or protein other than quinoa and I’m sure you think plain in good but she doesn’t. Any ideas on how to make it any other her ways than with kale broccoli and so on. Thank you
Hi Janet, I’m sorry to hear that she doesn’t like any of the recipes I have. You could try to sub quinoa for brown rice in some of my other recipes.
Janet. Sorry to hear you daughter has such sensitivities. I have cooked quinoa with usually vegetable bullion and McCormick Monterey Chicken Spice. Then I will added any combination of the following; pine nuts, almonds,pumpkin seeds, shredded carrots, green beans, mushrooms, green red or orange peppers, zuchcinni, chives..
I obviously don’t know your child’s age.. I have found recipes dishes using coconut milk and bottled cherries that is really good. Find rice recipes and just replace the rice with quinoa. It’s such a versatile seed. Good luck
Have you tried using it like oats and making it like Ooatmeal? Adding things like banana, apple , cinnamon. nuts or whatever she likes might make the difference.
You can literally add it to anything, I’ve been add roasted or fresh veggies to it. I make a big batch, then add each kids preferences in separate bowls for school lunches. Sometimes I add a vinaigrette or feta cheese…sky’s the limit
You can literally add it to anything, I’ve been adding roasted or fresh veggies to it. I make a big batch, then add each kids preferences in separate bowls for school lunches. Sometimes I add a vinaigrette or feta cheese…sky’s the limit
hot diggity. I’ve suffered the same woes and this recipe nailed it.
I had just about given up on making un-mushy quinoa – this worked perfectly! Thank you :)
I, too suffered with either mushy quinoa or dry quinoa but not anynore. Thank you so much. Now it comes out perfect every time. I made the salad. I had baby spinach, cherry tomatoes and zucchinis. Mixed in some homemade champaign vinagarett and it was the star of the meal. Give Cookie a hug for me. I think my rescue mutt, Goober is kinda sweet in her! Again thank you.
Hi, could you use smoked salmon in the sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and quinoa recipe?
Hi Martin, I don’t see why not!
Hi, thanks for sharing!
Making quinoa for the first time tonight, and planning on using this recipe.
I’m not clear on whether I should stir it while it’s cooking uncovered?
Hi Sarah! No need to stir, unless you find it’s a little uneven then you can.
This totally failed for me :. I cook rice in a similar fashion without problems, so I’m not sure what the issue is. The quinoa is about 2 years old, would that make a difference? I love the flavor of quinoa but I’m still trying to find a mush free recipe. I usually opt for the less water under cooked approach!
Hi Ed, I think your quinoa was too old. Sorry!
OMG Kate, This changes everything for me. I had tried quinoa and it was mushy so I didn’t think it was for me. I just tried your method, made a small well with a fork at the edge of the saucepan so I could check to see when the water had cooked off/into the quinoa; then shut it off. I had added olive oil during the cooking, and after about 10 minutes, fluffed the quinoa with a fork, and covered again until I was ready to serve. It was fabulous. Light, fluffy and each grain separate from the rest. It had a delight pop/crunch and I served it with sauteed asparagus fresh from my garden, with an Oriental glaze. Thanks so very much Kate, now quinoa will become a vital part of my repertoire. Mike
Awesome recipe thank you! Not mushy at all!
I honestly think the quinoa I bought is the issue. I’ve never had issues with this recipe until I used it on the tri-coloured quinoa I bought from Costco. The package’s instructions are 4 cups of water to 1 cup of quinoa!! WAY too much water! So I followed your recipe and still mushy and not light and fluffy as it should be
I too bought the tri-color Quinoa from Costco. It was totally mushy even though I changed the ratio of quinoa to water to 1:2. I have cooked regular quinoa with good results so I think this tricolor mix is the issue
I’ve made quoina a few times and never liked it until I made it this way!! By far the only technique that seems to keep it from getting dense and soggy. Turns out like the quoina I’ve had at restaurants. It took me a long time to find your recipe again thou. Which everybody knew how to to make it like this as I haven’t made or eaten quoina since making your recipe
Twice now I’ve prepared quinoa according to your directions. You are right, its perfect! Fluffy, light- thanks so much.
Perfect!!! Thank you! Best quinoa I’ve ever made and definitely not mushy. I also tried your suggestion to stir in some garlic and olive oil. Again, perfect!
Was my first time cooking quinoa and it turned out great! Nice and fluffy and not “mushy” at all. Thanks! :)
Thank you for sharing all of these great recipes. I am excited to try all of them!
I try to add good things to my foods, so I’ll share one: I add 1 tsp. ground quinoa, 1/2 tsp ground chia, and 1/2 tsp. ground flax to my oatmeal (cook them all together). I add a little brown sugar and fresh or frozen berries. It tastes amazing!
Thank you for doing the problem of mushy quinoa!
Thanks for this! I’ve never cooked quinoa before and using this recipe mine turned out great. Not mushy at all – light and fluffy as it says. Super simple! Thanks!
This worked great for me! Key note is when the water goes down poke a fork in the middle of your quinoa and take a look inside to make sure all the water/broth has cooked down before turning it off unless you get soggy quinoa!
I’m a chia seed addict. So I thought, “Looks like Chia seeds! It must taste like Chia seeds!”. I haven’t tried smoothing the quinoa seeds over a clay figurine with a popsicle stick, yet. That would be interesting to try. But I did follow the recipe. I slightly salted them, but otherwise, I’m eating them plain. Hmm…how to explain the taste? .. It’s definitely not mushy. …
Ok…a little background history on myself might help:. I have OCD; and one of my quirks is I cannot stand the sound of squeaking styrofoam! If styrofoam is in the room, DON’T TOUCH IT! Don’t pull anything out that’s embedded in styrofoam! Don’t pull styrofoam out of a box! I cringe just thinking about it! It’s like dragging long nails across a dry blackboard (for you kids, a blackboard is like a white board made of slate, that can only be written on with a white dusty stick). So what am I doing now? I’m chewing a bunch of tiny moistened and salted styrofoam peanuts.
Did I cook them correctly? Or was my mom right for kicking me out of the kitchen all my life? This had better be worth the nutrition, because my next therapy session is going to be expensive!
Hi, they shouldn’t be hard like peanuts. Did you water absorb?
You superstar!! First time cooking quinoa and it’s perfect, thank you :)
Hooray! I’m happy it worked so well for your first time. Thanks for your review, Allison!
This is the ONLY WAY I cook quinoa now. It never turns out mushy. Perfect every single time. Thank you!
Light, fluffy, perfect!
I can only think of one other time, years ago, that I’ve ever commented on an online recipe. I have a recipe that I love for a mushroom and barley salad but my mom had bought several bags of quinoa mixed with other grains that needed to be used. I was following the directions on the packaging religiously and it came out mushy and clumpy every time. So I decided to ignore the packaging directions and try this instead. This time? Perfect quinoa, even though I was using a blend. Just as promised. It was the best version of that dish I’ve ever made. I feel like a world of cooking possibilities has opened up now that I know how to do this properly! Thank you.
Wonderful! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Well, it worked! Are used a black, red, white quinoa mix and it was a little crunchy but absolutely delicious. I mixed it with watermelon, feta cheese, parsley, scallion, a little cucumber, and red peppers. I used the liquid from marinated artichokes, and lime juice. Thank you for this trick!
Kate,
Thanks so much for the tip on cooking the quinoa. Uncovering it did the trick! Loved this recipe, even though I had to do it without the red onion. The lemony dressing was great too! Fresh, light, and tasty… I look forward to trying your other quinoa recipes!
Jeanne
I too had an issue with the tri-color quinoa (Aldi). I don’t know if mushy was the right wor…more like gelatinous or slimy. I’ve cooked a fair amount of quinoa in my life and never had this happen before!
Hi Holly,
I had the same issue with tricolour quinoa…I rinse until clear and cook as directed but it’s always slimy/starchy. I’m using the Norquin brand sold at Costco in Canada. Normally I buy the Kirkland organic variety and it always cooks up fluffy and perfect. I do know that white quinoa is supposed to be fluffier and other varieties a touch more chew but this is really unpleasant. I’ll be sticking to usual white/yellow quinoa going forward.
That is strange, thank you for sharing Holly. I’m glad you have a go-to brand you can count on!
Thank you so much for this wonderful post about cooking quinoa! It turned out perfectly for me the first time! I am linking to your post from my blog today to share your awesome instructions.
I never cooked quinoa before so I googled how to cook it. I followed your directions and it was perfect! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Kate, recently I started with tri-coloured ones and it has been a disaster after disaster. The black ones seem to take much longer to cook – to prevent digestive issues I want these to fully “sprout” – so this has messed up the entire dish :-( Any tips here?
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that, Emily. I have tried this with white and multi colored without issues. Have you let it simmer a little longer? Did that seem to change anything? Assuming you are still letting it steam with the lid on at the end?
Thank you so much for using correct grammar, varied sentence structure, and, more importantly, conveying your experience and knowledge of cooking in a way that many people can understand. I absolutely will be using your website.
Hi, Kate! Thank you for all your amazing recipes! I always follow your basic quinoa recipe (it’s the best). Yesterday, I created the best veggie quinoa recipe I’ve ever had. I am NOT a blogger – no interest – so I wanted to know if you want to try my recipe! Let me know: berlfamily5@gmail.com
Lou Berl
I made it a few times using your recipe and amazing results each time Thanks x
I used your method to cook quinoa for the first time. It turned out excellent
I love your recipe! I followed your instructions exactly what you said and it was perfect!!!! Thank you so much!
Hi Kate,
I love your qunioa recipes I would be definitely trying them out.
Please be sure to let me know when you try them!
I cooked my quinoa a little different, and I always have fluffy quinoa. The trick for me is to use 1 cup of quinoa and 1cup of water. I will bring the water to a boil, add the rinse quinoa to the boil water, bring it to a boild again,cover it with a lid, reduce the heat to simmer, and set my timer for 20 mintes. After 20 minutes, I will turn the stove off, fluff my quinoa with a fork, and let sit cover for an additional 5 mintes. Then, I will cook my veggies and kale and thr good stuffs. Then I mix all that with my cook quinoa. It is always a hit for me.
Perfect method. I’m shocked as have never achieved properly cooked quinoa in my life and am not a great cook. Tried it again with a larger quantity just to be sure it was not a fluke and it was perfect again. Thank you for this, bookmarked for life!
I never liked quinoa til I found this recipe! Thank you! I use 3 cups water to 1 cup quinoa. And then I used your tips and have a dish I crave regularly…..in a bowl I add 1 cup cooked quinoa, 1/2 of a medium onion (that was sauteed in olive oil…with 1 minced garlic clove and a handful of chopped fresh basil added at the end of the cooking), a handful of arugula, 1/2 Tbsp olive oil drizzled, 1/4 of an avocado cubed, 10 pimento olives sliced in half. OMG it is sooooo delicious!