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By Meredith Ethington

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Recipe Vegetarian

The Easiest Way to Cook Quinoa (In The Microwave)

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With three little kids under my feet, I like to cook healthy meals, but sometimes it’s such a challenge. So, that’s why I was thrilled when I figured out you could microwave quinoa. Because I love tips and tricks in the kitchen, especially for a great recipe!

Did you know you can actually cook quinoa in the microwave? If you want to make delicious quinoa salads or quinoa dishes or just make quinoa instead of rice, you should learn the best way to cook quinoa in the microwave. You can thank me later. #easyquinoa #quinoa #microwavequinoa

Microwave Quinoa – the easiest way to cook it – ever!

Last night, my husband was helping me, and we wanted to make rice and quinoa for dinner. So, I was surprised when he cooked up the quinoa in the microwave and it turned out absolutely perfect!  It seriously is the easiest way to cook quinoa. I’m totally doing this from now on, because sometimes when it’s on the stove, and it loses its moisture, it can burn easily. Try this trick and let me know if it works for you! So, I thought I would share with you how to cook quinoa in the microwave. It really is SO easy.

This post contains affiliate links. See my full privacy and disclosures here.

Here’s what we did. We used a microwaveable ceramic container with a lid.

For quinoa, you usually want to cook it like rice. Use a 1:2 ratio.

  1. Rinse your quinoa under water.
  2. In your microwave safe dish, add 1 cup rinsed quinoa and 2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth).
  3. Cook on high (normal mode) for 5 minutes, then cook on 40% power for 15 minutes. No need to stir in between.

On my microwave, I can program the sequence all at once. I just hit cook time, 5 minutes, cook time, 15 minutes then hit 40% power. That’s it!

We cook rice this way all the time too. It seriously is such a time saver and comes out perfect every time. See, quinoa microwave is totally a thing! So, if you’re going to microwave quinoa, check out these yummy recipes that use quinoa:

Southwest Quinoa Quesadillas

My Southwest Quinoa Quesadillas are a great way to get your kids to eat this yummy grain full of protein!

Avocado & Sweet Potato Quinoa with LIME dressing. The perfect light dinner. Vegan, and so full of flavor!

And, this recipe for Avocado and Sweet Potato Quinoa is to DIE for. Seriously. I want this to be my last meal when I die.

More Microwave Quinoa Recipes:

  • How to Make Quinoa in the Microwave – Food Network
  • How to Cook Quinoa in the Microwave – wikiHow

My Must-Have Baking Resources:

  • Get the best microwaveable ceramic container with a lid!
  • All of my favorite products on Amazon

You’ll Also Love:

  • 20 Healthy Quinoa Recipes For Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
  • Avocado & Sweet Potato Quinoa with Cilantro Dressing
  • Southwest Quinoa Quesadillas
  • Bean and Butternut Chili with Quinoa

Like this? Be sure to pin it for later – and then follow me on Pinterest for more great recipes!


5 Comments

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Comments

  1. Charlene says

    May 19, 2015 at 1:04 am

    Fab stuff! Although I can’t believe the day has come that this ready meal fan was bookmarking quinoa recipes 🙂

    Reply
  2. peter says

    May 23, 2015 at 5:05 pm

    A close second might be cooking quinoa in a rice cooker.

    Reply
  3. AJ says

    September 20, 2019 at 8:58 am

    Can you tell use what microwave you use for the sequence? Mine is on the way out and wanted to know if you recommend the one you have? Thanks

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Southwest Quinoa Quesadillas - Perfection Pending says:
    August 9, 2017 at 5:17 pm

    […] Quesadillas aren’t typically considered a “healthy” food. Typically, cheese and tortillas, right? Well, these tortillas are vegetarian, with lots of flavor, and the added protein of quinoa!! And, the best part? My kids loved them! If you want to learn how to make quinoa the quick and easy way, you can actually cook it in the microwave! I have a post on that here. […]

    Reply
  2. 20 Healthy Quinoa Recipes For Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner - Perfection Pending says:
    January 20, 2018 at 8:00 pm

    […] a great substitute for someone like me who is gluten free, but also gets tired of rice. I even microwave quinoa and it is really the easiest way to add a little bit of extra protein while also getting some […]

    Reply

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Welcome! I’m Meredith.

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