I bet you’re simply dying to know how to make dependable quinoa. Right??

Who wants quinoa that is clumpy, lumpy or stuck to the bottom of the pan. OH no no! Today I’m showing you how to make perfectly cooked, fluffy and savory quinoa, every time.

I’ve made quinoa (pronounced keeen-wah) a few times in my day and I completely love it. Quinoa is a great way to get some nutritious plant-based protein in your diet, keeping you full and satisfied. It resembles rice in flavor/texture an can be used in a variety of ways. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered! I shared some links at the bottom of the post.

And believe it or not, I don’t make quinoa in my rice cooker. Sure you could, keeping with the 2:1 ratio and following the manufacturers instructions (blah-blah-blah). But because this is such a fool-proof and straightforward way, I make my quinoa in a pot on the stove.

Obviously, you’ll need quinoa. I’m using a red quinoa but you can use any color or blend of colors of quinoa you’d like. White is more mellow, but they’re all flavor-packed to me!

To rinse or not to rinse quinoa? Well I sometimes do and sometimes forget, like today, and so I don’t. But I recommend rinsing your quinoa in a mesh strainer, vigorously shaking it while rinsing under cool water before you cook it. Why? Because there’s a natural coating (saponin) on the outside of the quinoa, which can have quinoa tasting pretty bitter and soapy-like. And in some cases minor gastrointestinal issues may present themselves.

Once you’ve successfully rinsed your quinoa, measure and pour 2 cups of water or broth into a sauce pan. Using water is perfectly fine, but broth will give it a lot more flavor.

Heat on high and bring to a rapid boil.

Pour in the (rinsed) quinoa and 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt. Here’s where you could add in some aromatics (if you wanted to) like smashed and peeled fresh garlic or ginger. Or herbs like rosemary or thyme.

And let the quinoa boil for 5 minutes (while still on high heat).

Then cover the pot with a lid and turn off the heat completely, leaving the pot on the burner for 20 minutes.

Once your timer dings and time is up, remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork.

There you have it my friends. Perfectly cooked quinoa!

Now what should you do with the quinoa you only made? Well, below I’ve listed a few of my regular quinoa recipes that I think you’d like and I’ll be sharing a new one pretty soon, so stay tuned! I’ll also keep this updated fyi.

Quinoa Recipes:

Charred Broccoli Quinoa Bowls

Moroccan Quinoa Pilaf

Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad with Crispy Fried Quinoa

Warm Butternut Kale Quinoa Salad

Cheesy Quinoa Bites

Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing (a Good Kitchen Recipe)

Herbed Quinoa with Toasted Pine Nuts