Quinoa Rice is a complete protein and a healthier way to enjoy white rice. Use in stir-fries, grain bowls, or as a side dish. It's higher in protein and fiber, and a great way to introduce more quinoa into your diet while still enjoying the pleasurable taste and texture of white rice.
There is no need to swap out white rice for brown rice to be healthier. With quinoa rice, you can still enjoy the taste, texture, and blank canvas quality of white rice, but in a recipe that's better for you. Did you know that quinoa is a complete protein?
This gluten-free recipe uses a 1:1 rice-to-quinoa ratio (½ cup white rice and ½ cup quinoa), but any ratio will work. Adjust according to your taste preferences and health goals.
Make this recipe in a rice cooker or on the stovetop. It can even be made in the microwave or Instant Pot. (See full instructions for each method in the recipe card below.)
Check out this detailed blog post on How to Cook Quinoa like a pro! Use quinoa rice to make this 20-minute cheat fried rice recipe with Ginger Scallion Sauce. Serve Quinoa Rice with my Easy Vegan Butter Chicken with Tofu that tastes exactly like chicken!
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👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- White rice
- Quinoa - one cup cooked provides about 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.
- Vegetable broth is optional for more flavor.
See the recipe card for quantities.
🍚 Substitutions
- Vegetable broth - instead of water, use vegetable broth for more flavor
- Quinoa - use white, black, red, or tricolored quinoa
See this post on 'How to make Crispy Quinoa' for another delicious way to enjoy this healthy pseudograin.
📖 How to Make Quinoa Rice: Rice Cooker
Rinse the quinoa and rice in a sieve under running water until the water runs clear.
Step 1. Transfer the rinsed rice to the rice cooker.
Step 2. Transfer the quinoa to the rice cooker.
Step 3. Add water.
Step 4. Turn on the rice cooker setting to cook.
Step 5. Remove the lid when the quinoa rice is done cooking.
Step 6. Fluff with a fork.
📖 How to Make Quinoa Rice: Stovetop
Step 1. Add rinsed rice and quinoa to a small saucepan (preferably with a wider base). Add just under 2 cups water (a little more than 1 ¾ cups). Stir to mix. Heat over medium-high heat until the water comes to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low. Stir and cover quickly.
Step 2. Cook covered for 15 minutes, stirring briefly halfway. Remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes covered. Fluff with a fork.
📖 How to Make Quinoa Rice: Instant Pot
Add the quinoa, rice, 1 ½ cups water, and a drizzle of oil to the inner pot of an Instant Pot. Lock the lid and set the steam valve to the sealing position. Select manual and cook for 1 minute on high pressure. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Then release any remaining pressure. Fluff the quinoa rice with a fork.
If the inner liner for your Instant Pot or rice cooker is stainless steel (and not nonstick), spray with oil or add oil to the water. If using a ceramic nonstick liner, you can skip the oil.
📖 How to Make Quinoa Rice: Microwave
Pour rinsed rice and quinoa into a microwave-safe bowl, and add 2 cups of water. Microwave, uncovered, on full power for 15 to 25 minutes. For a 1000 to 1200 watts microwave, start with 15 minutes. For a 700 to 900 watts microwave, start with 20 minutes.
The quinoa rice is done cooking when the rice grains are poking up and are tender and the water is fully absorbed. Keep microwaving it in 1- to 2-minute increments until cooked. Once cooked, set aside, undisturbed, in the closed microwave for 5 minutes, then fluff it with a fork.
💡 Expert Tips
- Toast the quinoa beforehand to enhance its nutty flavor. Transfer the quinoa to a dry pan over medium-high heat and toast for 5 to 8 minutes, or until it is golden brown and you start to hear a light popping sound.
- If you are new to quinoa, you can start with a 3:1 white rice-to-quinoa ratio (¾ cup white rice and ¼ cup quinoa), especially if you have young children. You may find that this makes the transition to quinoa rice easier. Just keep in mind that the more quinoa, the higher the protein and fiber.
- Cooling cooked white rice increases its resistant starch content and lowers glycemic response. Cool quinoa rice for 24 hours and reheat for serving for an even healthier way to enjoy white rice.
- Storage: To minimize foodborne illness from leftover rice, it is advised to cook grains to temperatures above 140ºF, immediately cool and store them in a fridge that’s colder than 40ºF, and dispose of the leftovers after a few days.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
Brown rice has a longer cooking time than quinoa so it will not work in this recipe. The reason this recipe works so well is because quinoa and white rice have the same cooking time and require the same amount of liquid.
Depending on the ratio of quinoa to rice, it can taste just like white rice! I found this to be true at the 1:1 ratio (½ cup quinoa and ½ cup rice).
Organically grown and conventional rice both contain arsenic. Arsenic concentrations in rice differ based on the variety and the region where it is grown. White rice – especially basmati, jasmine, and pre-cooked “instant” rice – tends to have lower concentrations of arsenic than brown rice because arsenic accumulates in rice bran. Rice varieties grown in California or imported from Southeast Asia are often lower in arsenic than rice grown in other parts of the U.S.
Lundberg, Lotus Foods, and rice grown in Southeast Asia are my preferred choice.
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📖 Recipe
Quinoa Rice
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Ingredients
- ½ cup white rice
- ½ cup dry quinoa
- Salt to taste (about ¼ teaspoon -optional)
- 2 cups water (add slightly less than this amount)
Instructions
- Stovetop method: Rinse the quinoa and rice in a sieve under running water until it runs clear. Transfer the quinoa and rice to a small saucepan (preferably with a wider base). Add salt, and just under 2 cups water (a little more than 1 ¾ cups). Stir to mix. Heat over medium-high heat until the liquid comes to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low. Stir and cover quickly. Cook covered for 15 minutes, stirring briefly halfway. Remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes covered. Fluff with a fork.
- Rice cooker method: Use the cup that comes with the rice cooker. Fill the cup with quinoa. Transfer this amount to a fine mesh sieve. Then fill the cup with white rice. Transfer the rice to the sieve with the quinoa. Rinse under running cold water until the water runs clear.Transfer the rice and quinoa to the rice cooker. Add salt, and water to the 2-cup mark. Turn on the rice cooker setting to cook. (Or use the measurements listed in the recipe above and add 2 cups water.)
- Instant Pot Method:Add the quinoa, rice, 1 ½ cups water, and a drizzle of oil* to the inner pot of an Instant Pot. Lock the lid and set the steam valve to the sealing position. Select manual and cook for 1 minute on high pressure. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Then release any remaining pressure. Fluff the quinoa rice with a fork.
- Microwave method:Pour rinsed rice and quinoa into a microwave-safe bowl, and add 2 cups of water.Microwave, uncovered, on full power for 15 to 25 minutes. For a 1000 to 1200 watts microwave, start with 15 minutes. For a 700 to 900 watts microwave, start with 20 minutes. The quinoa rice is done cooking when the rice grains are poking up and are tender and the water is fully absorbed. Keep microwaving it in 1- to 2-minute increments until cooked. Once cooked, set aside, undisturbed, in the closed microwave for 5 minutes, then fluff it with a fork.
Notes
- Makes about 3 cups of cooked quinoa rice. One serving is about one-half cup cooked.
- Any amount of quinoa or rice will work. Use slightly less than twice as much water as quinoa + rice combined. (This roughly 1:2 ratio works for larger or smaller portions.)
- Toast the quinoa beforehand to enhance its nutty flavor (optional). Transfer the quinoa to a dry pan over medium-high heat and toast for 5 to 8 minutes, or until it is golden brown and you start to hear a light popping sound.
- Oil - If the inner liner for your Instant Pot or rice cooker is stainless steel (and not nonstick), spray with oil or add oil to the water. If using a ceramic nonstick liner, you can skip the oil.
- Storage: To minimize foodborne illness from leftover rice, it is advised to cook grains to temperatures above 140ºF, immediately cool and store them in a fridge that’s colder than 40ºF, and dispose of the leftovers after a few days.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Mimi says
Came out great! Cooked in rice cooker on white rice setting, used organic chicken stock, garlic salt and Italian chop hose seasoning, since it was my first time cooking quinoa I used half amount of tri color quinoa to rice. It’s a keeper tasted very much like seeds of change brown rice and quinoa with garlic but way less expensive and better 😊 thank you for sharing!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad it worked out! Thank you.
Lora R says
I love all of your recipes!
FYI, the liquid doesn't calculate to the correct amount when clicking 2x or 3x. It just stays at 1-3/4 in the directions. Perhaps the water can be moved to the ingredients area so it calculates.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Sure I moved it to the recipe. Hope this helps!
sadie says
This looks like a great way to up protein intake. TQ for the idea! 😀
I tend to soak my grains overnight (to render them more assimilable). I don't believe I would be able to toast soaked grains. Am I assuming this correctly? Do you use sprouted (dried) grains for your recipes? If so, is there a brand you like? Finally, should only short grain white rice be used for this recipe? I rarely have that on hand. I mostly use brown short grain. TQ a million times over for the recipe inspo. I love your site & shorts videos.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. You should be able to toast them after soaking if you drain them well. 'Truroots' sprouted quinoa is great. Lundberg makes sprouted brown rice but this recipe is best with white rice because brown rice has a longer cooking time than quinoa.
Marissa Wilson says
I love this combination. I had never thought to combine rice and quinoa but it was so good! I followed the rice cooker directions and used the white rice setting. I added about 1 tablespoon of oil since that’s how I usually do my rice. It was perfectly fluffy. I will definitely be using this frequently! Thanks for sharing.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I'm so glad it was a hit. Thank you!!!
Sheri Metschan says
Great idea for using up my quinoa I'm going to do this today. I think the rice will add a little more substance and maybe be a little more filling than quinoa alone. Thanks for the aha moment!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad you are going to try it! I'm sure you'll love this combo!
JB says
Can you use brown rice instead of white rice for this recipe?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yes, absolutely.
Susan Martin says
Hello, is the white rice dry or cooked? I think it must be cooked?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
It's dry. Both are dry.