I recently received an email from a reader asking me, “Can cooked quinoa be frozen?” And if so, how to freeze it properly so that she can use it in her weekly meal plan. The short answer to that question is yes, but there are a few things you need to know for the best way to freeze quinoa.
This post is a sequel to the collection of how-to quinoa basics. I have already written extensively about How To Season Quinoa, How To Rinse Quinoa, and How To Cook Quinoa Perfectly. If you need a refresher, be sure to check those out as well.
Why Should You Freeze Quinoa?
- Save time: The main reason to freeze quinoa is to save time. Quinoa freezes well and defrosts quickly, helping you easily incorporate it into salads, soups, or simply serve it as a side dish with any of your dinner recipes.
- Eat Healthy: Having some cooked quinoa on hand helps you eat healthy. Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning that it contains all nine essential amino acids that our bodies cannot make on their own. Adding a cup (or two) cooked quinoa in salads, soups, or skillet meals is a quick, healthy and easy way to up your daily protein intake. Also, since it is a gluten-free pseudo grain, it can be consumed if you have celiac disease.
How To Freeze Cooked Quinoa?
I usually cook a few batches of tricolor and white quinoa on my meal prep day, portion it out, and freeze in the fridge. Here are the steps I follow:
Prepare Quinoa:
- Measure it for perfect results. I have been cooking quinoa for years and I have learned along the way that the best way to cook quinoa perfectly is to measure it. This way you can easily follow my perfect quinoa to water ratio of 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water. Eyeballing it might result in mushy quinoa.
- Rinse Quinoa. There are a few reasons why you should wash quinoa before cooking but the most important one is to get rid of its bitter taste caused by its natural coating, saponin.
Cook quinoa:
I have shared a few basic ways of how to cook quinoa in detail on this blog, which are below. All of these methods can be multiplied easily if you’d like to cook quinoa in bulk.
PRO Tip: One of the easiest ways to flavor and season quinoa is to cook it in chicken stock or vegetable broth. If you are planning to use your cooked quinoa in savory recipes I highly recommend using stock instead of water.
Bring it to room temperature
It is crucial to make sure that the cooked quinoa comes to full room temperature before freezing. If you miss this step you will end up with chunks of frozen quinoa that has a mushy texture when it is defrosted.
You can do this in two ways:
- Let cooked quinoa sit for at least 4 hours. If you have time, let the cooked quinoa come to room temperature on its own. Fluff it with a fork before freezing.
- Spread it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (Recommended) For faster cooling, spread cooked quinoa on a sheet pan on an even layer. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, it takes about 20-30 minutes for it to cool completely to room temperature.
Portion It Out & Label
- Portion out the cooked quinoa: Using a measuring cup, portion it out. I usually like to save them in one cup and two-cups increments to use in quinoa salads or simple quinoa bowls like my Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowl recipe.
- Store: Place now-cooled quinoa in either a resealable plastic bag (such as a Ziploc Bag), heavy-duty freezer bags, or reusable silicone bags (affiliate link) like you see in the pictures.
- Remove the air as much as possible: Gently press the bag to get the air out of it as much as you can and seal tightly. This is an important step to prevent freezer burn.
- Label: Write the date and amount of quinoa you are freezing on freezer friendly labels and stick it to each bag.
- Freeze: Place in the freezer and let it freeze for at least 24 hours before defrosting.
You can follow the same freezing process for leftover quinoa as well.
How Long Does Cooked Quinoa Last In the Freezer?
When stored properly, frozen quinoa will last in the freezer for up to 6-8 months.
How To Defrost Frozen Quinoa?
The best thing about frozen quinoa is that there is no need to remember to take it out of the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Instead, you can take it out of the freezer and let it thaw on the counter for 45 – 60 minutes before using it in your recipe.
You can enjoy cooked quinoa cold or quickly warm it up in the microwave or on the stove top.
If you are warming it up on the stove top, I recommend adding a teaspoon of oil in the pan and stirring occasionally to warm it so that it won’t stick to the bottom of the pan. If it feels dry, feel free to add in a few tablespoons of water as it cooks.
You can also add frozen quinoa directly to soups and skillet meals. This might extend the cooking time for a few extra minutes but it will be much faster than cooking it from scratch.
FAQs:
Cooked quinoa will last in the fridge for up to 5 days as long as it is stored in an airtight container.
You can tell that quinoa has gone bad if it smells bad and has a change in its texture and/or aroma. This would usually be due to the presence of mold or bacteria, which may be visible.
If it doesn’t look right or if it has an unpleasant smell, discard it immediately.
It depends on the quinoa salad recipe you are using. As a rule of thumb, I would not recommend freezing salads made with fresh leafy salad greens and vegetables.
Since quinoa is sold dry, it has a long shelf life. Dry uncooked quinoa will last for up to 3 to 4 years in its original packaging as long as it is kept in a dry, cool dark place such as a pantry or a cupboard.
Most health food stores sell quinoa in their bulk bin section. If you buy it from there, I recommend purchasing it in small quantities and using it within a month or two.
You can. Unopened packs of quinoa can be stored in the freezer. If you open the packet and use some, be sure to get the air out as much as possible.
You can store uncooked, opened packets of dry quinoa in the fridge. Doing so will help keep it fresh for a longer period of time and will especially help with keeping it fresh if it is approaching its expiration date.
It does not. You can use the same freezing method for white, red, tricolor or black quinoa.
Freezer-Friendly Quinoa recipes
Because of the increase in the popularity of gluten-free diets in the last decade, quinoa has taken its well deserved place in most pantries.
In our household, we are not following a strict gluten-free diet but I include quinoa in my daily cooking because of all of its benefits, ease of cooking, and earthy flavor. Below are a few freezer friendly recipes I make often:
- My Go-To Quinoa Side Dish
- Vegan Quinoa Chili
- Mexican Quinoa Bowl
- Butternut Squash Quinoa – Add salad ingredients after defrosting
Equipment You Will Need:
Below are the equipment I own, use, and recommend for freezing quinoa. They are affiliate links.
How to Freeze Cooked Quinoa?
Equipment
- Freezer friendly storage bags
Ingredients
- Cooked Quinoa
Instructions
- Cool quinoa: Spread cooked quinoa on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper on a single layer. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, it takes about 30 minutes for it to cool completely to room temperature.
- Measure: Using a measuring cup, portion it out. I usually like to save them in one cup and two-cups increments to use in quinoa salads or simple quinoa bowls.
- Store: Place cooked quinoa in either a resealable plastic bag (such as a Ziploc Bag), heavy-duty freezer bags, or reusable silicone bags like you see in the pictures.
- Get the air out as much as you can: Gently press the bag to get the air out of it as much as you can and seal tightly. This is an important step to prevent freezer burn.
- Label: Write the date and amount of quinoa you are freezing on freezer friendly labels and stick it to each bag.
- Freeze: Place in the freezer and let it freeze for at least 24 hours before defrosting.
Notes
- If you need help on cooking quinoa be sure to check out my post on How To Cook Quinoa Perfectly
- When stored properly, frozen quinoa will last in the freezer for up to 6-8 months.
- To defrost: The best thing about frozen quinoa is that there is no need to remember to take it out of the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Instead, you can take it out of the freezer and let it thaw on the counter for 45 – 60 minutes before using it in your recipe.
- You can use this method for any type of quinoa. White quinoa, red quinoa, black quinoa and tricolor quinoa would all work.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
