How to Prevent Quinoa from Sticking

Co-authored by Hannah Madden

Last Updated: May 30, 2020 Tested

Quinoa is a healthy and delicious grain that can be added to almost any meal as a substitute for rice, pasta, or cereal. If you’ve been making quinoa for a while, you’ve probably dealt with quinoa that is too sticky or clumpy. To fix a sticky quinoa situation in a pot or a rice cooker, all you need to do is pay attention to your quinoa as it cooks and let it rest before you dish it up.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Cooking Quinoa on the Stove

1
Rinse your quinoa in cool water. Place your quinoa into a fine-mesh strainer and run it under cool water for about 2 minutes. This will wash away the coating on the outside of the grain that can make quinoa stick together when it’s cooked.^{[1]
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- This coating can also make your quinoa taste soapy, so it’s really important to rinse it away.
2
Use 2 parts water for every 1 part of quinoa. If you use too much water, you could make your quinoa too soggy and sticky. Measure your water in a measuring cup, then pour it into your pot with the quinoa so you can accurately gauge how much you are using.^{[2]
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- For example, if you are cooking 1 cup (128 g) of quinoa, add 2 cups (470 mL) of water.
Alternative: You can also use broth instead of water if you want to flavor your quinoa by using the same 2:1 ratio.^{[3]
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3
Add a pinch of salt to the water before you cook it. Salt helps to flavor the quinoa while also making the grain less sticky. Before you cook your quinoa, add in about 1/4 tsp (1.2 g) of kosher salt to the water.^{[4]
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- You don’t have to be super accurate when you measure your salt since it’s such a small amount.
4
Cook the quinoa on medium heat on the stovetop. The liquid in your pot should be simmering, but not boiling. If the quinoa starts to boil, turn the heat down slightly so that it doesn’t boil over.^{[5]
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- A low heat will help the quinoa cook thoroughly so that it isn’t sticky.
5
Avoid stirring the quinoa as it cooks. Although it can be tempting to break up the quinoa as it’s simmering, resist the temptation. Stirring quinoa will disrupt the steaming process and your quinoa won’t get as fluffy when it’s done.^{[6]
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- When the quinoa steams, it creates small holes in each grain so that they puff up. Stirring the quinoa would rupture these holes and cause the quinoa to deflate.
6
Keep the lid on the whole time the quinoa is cooking. The more steam your quinoa gets, the fluffier and less sticky it will be. Although it’s fun to take a peek when your quinoa is cooking, try to leave the lid on the pot the whole time.^{[7]
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- Quinoa usually needs to cook for about 15 minutes, even if you are cooking more than 1 cup (128 g) at a time.
7
Drain your quinoa after it’s done cooking. Pour your quinoa into a fine-mesh strainer and let the excess water drain out. Since quinoa holds so much water, draining it will remove some of the excess so that it doesn’t stick or clump together.^{[8]
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- Make sure you use a fine-mesh strainer so that your quinoa doesn’t fall through and into the sink.
8
Let the quinoa rest for 5 minutes with the lid on. Pour your quinoa back into the pot it cooked in and move it off the heat. Keep your quinoa in the pot for about 5 minutes to let the excess water absorb into the quinoa.^{[9]
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- This will also make the quinoa less soggy.
9
Fluff the quinoa with a fork before you eat it. Take a fork and stick it into the center of the quinoa. Gently lift the fork up to fluff up the grains of quinoa and make them less clumpy. Use the fork to fluff the entire pot of quinoa before you dish it out.^{[10]
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- Fluffing your quinoa will also make it lighter in texture.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Making Quinoa in a Rice Cooker

1
Rinse the quinoa in cold water. Put your portion of quinoa into a fine-mesh strainer and then run it under cool water. Drain the quinoa to get rid of most of the water before you start cooking.^{[11]
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- Quinoa has an outer layer on it that can make it sticky, which is why it’s important to rinse it off first.
2
Use 1.3 cups (310 mL) of water for every 1 cup (128 g) of quinoa. When you cook quinoa in a rice cooker, you don’t need quite as much water as on the stovetop. Measure out your quinoa and your water carefully so that your ratios are correct, then pour them into the rice cooker.^{[12]
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- Using less water in the rice cooker will make your quinoa less soggy.
3
Add 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) of kosher salt to the water. Salt helps to flavor your quinoa a little bit, and it also makes the grains less sticky. Throw a pinch of salt into your mixture and stir it around slightly with a wooden spoon.^{[13]
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- You don’t have to stir your quinoa too much, but make sure the salt is evenly dispersed.
4
Put the lid on the rice cooker tightly before you turn it on. Rice cookers use a lot of steam to cook their grains. Make sure your lid fits tightly and there aren’t any gaps where steam can escape.^{[14]
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Tip: If your lid is too big, put a kitchen towel underneath it to trap in the steam.
5
Cook your quinoa on medium heat for 15 minutes. Quinoa doesn’t need a super high temperature to cook all the way through, so leave the rice cooker on medium heat. If you are cooking red quinoa, leave it in the rice cooker for an extra 10 minutes.^{[15]
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- Red quinoa needs to cook longer because it starts out harder than normal quinoa.
6
Let the quinoa sit in the rice cooker for 1 to 2 minutes after it’s done. Turn the heat off on your rice cooker and let the quinoa sit with the lid on. This will let it absorb more of the moisture and make it less sticky when it’s time to eat.^{[16]
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- Leave the vent covering on the top of the rice cooker closed to trap in the steam.
- If you don’t let your quinoa sit, it could be slightly underdone.
7
Fluff the quinoa with a fork before you serve it. Grab a fork and stick it into the center of the quinoa. Gently lift the grains up to make them fluffier and lighter in texture.^{[17]
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- This will also help the quinoa be less clumpy if it’s sticking together.