How to Make Popped Quinoa

Spoonful of golden colored popped quinoa with bowl of toasted quinoa in background, sitting on top of red, orange, and blue cloth napkin.

5 from 11 votes

Popped quinoa is a quick and easy way to boost a dish with extra nutrients and crunch! Learn how to make toasted quinoa for sweet and savory recipes.

Prep Time5

Cook Time5

Total Time10

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 39kcal

Author: Sarah Pilley

Equipment

5.5" diameter pan or other small sized pan/skillet

Ingredients

½ cup raw quinoa see notes below
2 tablespoon water see notes below

Instructions

Moisten quinoa with a 4:1 ratio of quinoa to water (or soak quinoa overnight, completely submerging it in water.)
To determine when the pan is ready, test about 10 quinoa seeds to see if the pan is hot enough. The seeds should crackle or pop within 15 seconds of going on the stove.
Place about 1 tablespoon of moistened quinoa into a small pan heated to medium-high temperature and flatten it into a single layer.
Water will start to evaporate and dry out the seeds. Break the quinoa up with a whisk.
Once quinoa starts to make a crackling or popping sound, shake the pan around. It will be time to take the quinoa off the stove within a few seconds. Your quinoa will smell toasted and nutty. It will also visibly change to a golden brown. The whole process goes by within 15-30 seconds. Blink, and you might miss it! It's only a matter of seconds until the quinoa turns from toasted to burnt!
Repeat this process until all quinoa is popped. Let cool for a few minutes before eating (it will be very hot right off the stove).

Notes

See more expert tips, pictures, and variations above for popping quinoa!

Yield: ½ cup popped quinoa, serving size is 1 tablespoon.
You can pop any type of quinoa (white, red, black, or tri-colored). Start with white until you understand the toasting process and timing. It's easier to tell when the color has changed to toasted and not burnt.
Clean the quinoa first if the packaging does not say it is pre-rinsed. Rinsed quinoa ensures there will be no bitter taste from the saponins.
There are 2 options for moistening the quinoa:
- Moistened Quinoa - Using a 4:1 ratio of quinoa to water helps prevent quinoa from burning during toasting. The quinoa has time to dry out before popping.
- Overnight-Soaked Quinoa - Soaking quinoa overnight makes quinoa more tender and takes away some crunch. Completely submerge your quinoa in water and store it in an airtight container. Don’t soak the quinoa for too long, no more than 10-12 hours. Drain the quinoa before popping.
Storage: Store in an airtight container on your counter for up to 7 days.

Nutrition