How to Freeze Quinoa {And Fantastic Quinoa Recipes} (2024)

This tutorial on How to Freeze Quinoa will change your cooking life! Stock up your freezer with this versatile grain so you can have it on hand for quick salad, soups & side dishes.

Quinoa. It's everywhere - in salads, in stews, even in meatballs. But did you know that you can freeze quinoa? The next time you whip up a pot of the healthy grain, use this tutorial on how to freeze quinoa, go a little overboard and make a triple, or even a quadruple, batch. Defrost it in the microwave and use it however you please. Easy as pie...well, or quinoa.

How to freeze quinoa:

Cook the quinoa:

And since you're freezing, be sure to cook extra! In a medium to large saucepan (depending on how much quinoa you're cooking), combine one part quinoa with two parts water.

Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook until all of the water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork.

Let it cool:

Transfer the cooked quinoa to a large baking sheet (or two) and spread the cooked grain out evenly. Let it cool to room temperature.

Measure and bag it:

Measure the quinoa into the desired amounts and scoop into resealable plastic bags. I typically use the sandwich-sized Ziploc bags, which hold 2 cups of cooked quinoa.

Let out the air:

Squeeze all of the air out of the bags and seal them. Place the small Ziploc bags into larger freezer-proof Ziploc bags.

To defrost:

Take one or more bags out of the freezer and allow the quinoa to defrost at room temperature. Alternatively, dump the quinoa into a bowl (you may have to cut the Ziploc bag open with scissors to get the quinoa out) and cook it in the microwave for one minute. You're ready to go!

My favorite quinoa recipes:

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