Q&A for How to Cook Quinoa in a Rice Cooker

The correct ratio is about 2:1. This means you’d use 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of quinoa you want to cook. However, individual cookers may vary, so you might need to experiment with the amounts.

Rice and quinoa cook at different speeds, but there are still ways to cook them together. For example, if you cook brown rice and quinoa together, you can expect the quinoa to be quite soft and creamy by the end of the cooking time. If you’d rather keep the quinoa a bit firmer, cook it ahead of time and then add it to the cooker on top of the rice during the last 5-10 minutes. Stir it in before you serve the rice.

Yes, quinoa is generally a healthier option. Quinoa is packed with more nutrients, such as protein and fiber, and is lower in calories and carbohydrates than rice. It’s also richer in minerals and amino acids.

Many rice cookers actually don't have multiple settings. If that's the case, then all you need to do is add 1 cup (170 g) of quinoa into your rice cooker and add 1 3⁄4 cups (410 ml) of cool or cold water. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) of salt to flavor your quinoa as it cooks, close the lid, and turn it on. However, if you have a rice cooker that has separate settings for white and brown rice, choose the white rice option. Then, just let the rice cooker cook until it's done, which usually takes about 15 minutes or so. Some rice cookers may even have a quinoa setting, so if yours does, then all you need to do is choose that!

Actually, yes! You can totally cook rice and quinoa together, but for the best results, go with brown rice, which has a similar texture. You can cook them together by combining equal parts brown rice and quinoa. Place them both in a rice cooker and allow them to cook. The quinoa may be a little more mushy than if you cook them separately, but they'll form a delicious (and nutritious) mixture. Another way to do it is to cook them both separately and then combine them together. You can also cook the quinoa ahead of time and then sprinkle it on top of the rice as it finishes cooking. After about 10-15 minutes, the steam from the cooked rice will reheat it perfectly. All you need to do is stir them together before you serve it. Enjoy!

Yes, you really do want to rinse quinoa, even if it says it's been prewashed. The main reason is because rinsing it removes the outer covering of the seed, which can be bitter. So rinsing is a simple way to really amplify the taste. Plus, if you're using direct-source or organic quinoa, it may not have been thoroughly rinsed, so there may be dust and dirt from when it was harvested. Rinsing will remove any dirt and debris that may be on the quinoa. Place the quinoa into a fine mesh strainer or sieve and hold it under cold running water. Use your hands to swish the quinoa around as you rinse it. That's all there is to it!