How to Cook Perfect Quinoa

How to Cook Perfect Quinoa

It’s time to say good-bye to overly cooked, mushy, soggy, and tasteless Quinoa. In this recipe I’m sharing the tricks I’ve learned throughout the time for cooking perfectly fluffy quinoa.

Let’s be honest! Cooking Quinoa is not as easy and simple as it seems and it’s very tricky!  Without the correct measurement, methods and using some tricks, the quinoa will turn out soggy, mushy, and tasteless!

When I cooked Quinoa for the first time, following some YouTube tutorial videos, I totally failed! That experience was a total waste of time and food because I ended up throwing it right into the trash can!

Then I tried again and again, and again…it was until my fourth trial and error experiment that I learned the BEST way to Cook a perfect-fluffy quinoa!

Unlike most of the quinoa recipes that suggest covering the quinoa while cooking, I followed some tips on a few recipes that suggested otherwise!

Then Bingo! I learned that covering the quinoa while cooking is the main reason that my quinoa was always overcooked and mushy!

So, the main trick is to uncover the quinoa while cooking!

Also, it’s very important to remember the correct ratio while cooking Quinoa. Per 1 cup of quinoa, you’re going to need 2 cups of liquid such as water, vegetable broth, chicken, or beef broth for more taste.

If my story hits home, try this recipe and I promise you that you won’t regret it!

What is Quinoa:

Bowl of white, red and black cooked quinoa

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-Wah) is one of the world’s healthiest foods, and it’s very popular because it’s a gluten-free grain.

The most widely grown types of Quinoa are red, black, and white. There is also a tricolor variety, which is a mixture of all three.

White quinoa is the most consumed variety, but you can easily find any type of quinoa, including the tricolor quinoa in your local grocery store.

Quinoa is packed with tons of vitamins and minerals and contains more protein, fiber and healthy fats than other grains.

Adding quinoa to your diet is a great way to increase your daily intake of important vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

You can serve quinoa with your salads, breakfast or as a side dish.

How to cook perfectly fluffy Quinoa:

healthy grain boiled quinoa in a bowl

Step 1: Rinse the quinoa

This is the very first and most important step that some people skip it! To avoid the bitter taste of quinoa, make sure to rinse it first.

Pour the quinoa into a Fine-Mesh Strainer  and rinse under running water for at least 30 seconds.

Step 2: Toast the Quinoa first

This step is rather optional, but it’s the key to end up with a flavorful and perfect Quinoa.

Once quinoa is drained , in a medium Sauce Pan over medium-high heat toast the dry Quinoa. Stir frequently for about 5 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Step 3: Add Water

Add 2 cups of water or any Liquid of choice such as Vegetable Broth, Chicken or Beef Broth and Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat a bit to maintain a gentle simmer.

Remember to cook the quinoa uncovered, this is the key to have a perfectly fluffy quinoa.

Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all the water. This will take about 10 to 20 minutes depending on how much quinoa are you cooking.

Reduce the heat as time goes on to maintain a gentle simmer.

Step 4: Remove from the Heat and Cover

Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes. Don’t uncover it quickly this will ruin the fluffiness afterwards.

After at least 5 minutes, Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Season with salt and ground black pepper, to taste.

You can refrigerate Quinoa in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can make variety of meals with cooked quinoa including variety of salads and breakfast.

Don’t forget to Tag Kiki Foodland on Instagram or share your photo of the recipe on Pinterest .

How to Cook Perfect Quinoa

It’s time to say good-bye to overly cooked, mushy, soggy, and tasteless Quinoa. In this recipe I’m sharing the tricks I’ve learned throughout the time for cooking perfectly fluffy quinoa.
Cooking Quinoa is not as easy and simple as it seems and its’s very tricky!  Without the correct measurement, methods and using some tricks, the quinoa will turn out soggy, mushy, and tasteless!
This Rceipe is the BEST way to Cook a perfect-fluffy quinoa!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Breakfast, Lunch, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup Uncooked Quinoa Any type of Quinoa is fine, I used tricolor quinoa for this Recipe
  • 2 cups Water Vegetable Broth, Chicken or Beef Broth for more flavor
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • This is the very first and most important step that some people skip it! To avoid the bitter taste of quinoa, make sure to rinse it first. Pour the quinoa into a Fine-Mesh Strainer  and rinse under running water for at least 30 seconds.
  • This step is rather optional, but it’s the key to end up with a flavorful and perfect Quinoa. Once quinoa is drained, in a medium Sauce Pan  over medium-high heat toast the dry Quinoa. Stir frequently for about 5 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Add 2 cups of water or any Liquid of choice such as Vegetable Broth, Chicken or Beef Broth and Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat a bit to maintain a gentle simmer. Remember to cook the quinoa uncovered, this is the key to have a perfectly fluffy quinoa. Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all the water. This will take about 10 to 20 minutes depending on how much quinoa are you cooking. Reduce the heat as time goes on to maintain a gentle simmer.
  • Remove the pot from heat, cover, and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes. Don’t uncover it quickly this will ruin the fluffiness afterwards. After at least 5 minutes, Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Season with salt and ground black pepper, to taste.
Keyword Fluffy Quinoa, How to Cook Quinoa Perfectly, The BEST Qunioa
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