Learn how to cook quinoa in a rice cooker, and you’ll see why the rice cooker is the fastest, easiest, and best method for cooking quinoa like a pro.
Sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. All opinions are my own.
How to Cook Quinoa in a Rice Cooker
Can you really put quinoa in a rice cooker? Yes, you can! Making quinoa in a rice cooker is the best way to cook quinoa because it cooks very evenly and produces the fluffiest texture. You may have noticed that most quinoa recipes have a four-step cooking process in which you cook, fluff, cover, and let stand. The rice cooker condenses that process into two steps: cook and fluff.
Fluffed quinoa
Bob’s Red Mill has an excellent collection of quinoa, including Organic Quinoa, also known as white or yellow quinoa, the most commonly seen variety; Organic Red Quinoa; and Organic Tricolor Quinoa, which is a blend of white, red, and black quinoa. I use Bob’s Red Mill products all the time (check out my favorite sorghum pancakes).
Quinoa colors
Choosing a Quinoa Color
With several quinoa options from which to choose, you might be wondering which quinoa is the healthiest. Despite having different colors, the nutritional profiles of the quinoa varieties are very similar, racking up similar amounts of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. That means they’re pretty much interchangeable in terms of healthfulness.
Quinoa nutrition
Each color of quinoa has a slightly different flavor profile. White quinoa is the mildest and softest, while red quinoa cooks up a bit sturdier, making it suitable for cold salads. Black quinoa has a tiny touch of sweetness. Tricolor, of course, is a mix of the three.
Bob’s Red Mill Tri-Color Quinoa
Preparing to Cook Quinoa
No matter which color of quinoa you choose, you don’t need to rinse or soak it before cooking. Bob’s Red Mill quinoa is pre-rinsed and can go straight from the bag into the cooking vessel; that’s why the instructions on the bag don’t mention rinsing or soaking.
Ratio of Quinoa to Water
The ratio of quinoa to water is 1 to 2, measured by volume. For example, if you want to cook 1 cup of quinoa, use 2 cups of water.
Ratio of quinoa to water
Measuring Servings of Quinoa
You’ll need 1 cup of uncooked quinoa for every 4 servings. Simple arithmetic will help you scale up or down as needed. Be mindful of your rice cooker’s capacity; every 1 cup of uncooked quinoa will produce 4 cups of cooked quinoa.
- 2 servings = 1/2 cup quinoa + 1 cup water
- 4 servings = 1 cup quinoa + 2 cups water
- 6 servings = 1 1/2 cups quinoa + 3 cups water
- 8 servings = 2 cups quinoa + 4 cups water
Shop for organic quinoa with Bob’s Red Mill and enjoy the easy preparation in your rice cooker for all your favorite recipes!
How to Cook Quinoa in a Rice Cooker
Learn how to cook quinoa in a rice cooker, and you'll see why the rice cooker is the fastest, easiest, and best method for cooking quinoa like a pro.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Quinoa any variety
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt optional
Instructions
If you have a standard rice cooker with a simple on/off setting: Add the quinoa and water (plus salt, if desired) to the rice cooker. Cover and turn on. Cook for about 30 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork or rice paddle as soon as it's done cooking.
If you have an advanced rice cooker with multiple cooking cycles: Add the quinoa and water (plus salt, if desired) to the rice cooker. Cover and select the "Quick" cook setting (or similar setting; will vary by make and model). Cook until the cycle completes, or about 30 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork or rice paddle as soon as it's done cooking.
Ideas for Leftover Quinoa
Got leftover quinoa? Try these salads.
- Blueberry and Feta Quinoa Salad
- Ensalada de Quinoa
- Vegetable Bounty Quinoa Salad with Asian Vinaigrette
Marysa
January 18, 2019 at 7:55 amI have never tried cooking quinoa in my rice cooker. I will definitely have to think about doing this. I always go with the 1 to 2 ratio, and it’s strange because sometimes the quinoa ends up watery. Once I even had to drain the excess water – yet the quinoa was soft enough to eat and had the spirals that indicated it was cooked. Thanks for sharing this – our rice cooker has made cooking rice so much easier and it’s good to know it can work for other grains.
Jess
January 18, 2019 at 8:54 amI tried quinoa once before and basked on your information I know it was the tri color kind. I didn’t know before reading your post 5hwt there were options to choose from!
Melissa Cushing
January 18, 2019 at 11:33 amI recently tried Quinoa and loved it! I am most definitely going to try your method of cooking here and also grab that Bob’s Red Mill tricolor variety as it looks lovely!
kumamonjeng
January 18, 2019 at 10:10 pmI hardly eat quinoa but learn recently from social media, quinoa is in fact better than rice. Some of my friends has already converted eating quinoa from rice. Great post on how to prepare and cook them in rice cooker.
Jelena
January 19, 2019 at 10:15 amI’ve never tried cooking a Quinoa in Cooker. I will tried it because I heard a lot of good things about Quinoa.
Natalie
January 19, 2019 at 7:53 pmI am seriously considering getting a rice cooker since I’ve been eating so much of it. Good to know it works for quinoa too!
Susan
February 7, 2019 at 9:07 pmGet a Zojirushi. The best out there!
Katie Moseman
February 8, 2019 at 4:29 pmI LOVE my Zojirushi. One of my favorite kitchen appliances ever!
Nicole
January 21, 2019 at 4:07 pmI haven’t really had quinoa before, but it looks so good! I’ll have to give this a try in my rice cooker as well and see how much of a hit it is with my son. Thanks for sharing!
Rachel
January 24, 2019 at 10:48 amI actually didn’t know that each color of quinoa has a different flavor. I have been experimenting with cooking quinoa in my rice cooker lately and this information comes at the right time.
Thanks again for a great article!