Brown Rice and Quinoa Recipe (2024)

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This Brown Rice and Quinoa recipe is a homemade version of the popular side dish that you can find at Costco. I love making this in large batches and keep in the freezer, and is so much cheaper than the store bought version. I used my Ninja Foodi to make this dish, but you can also use an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker. Stovetop instructions are included.

One of our favorite convenience foods is the Seeds of Change quinoa and brown rice with garlic. The ingredients are low, it’s super easy to cook, and it’s delicious!As with all prepackaged foods, the brown rice and quinoa blend has a decent amount of sodium in it. Once I realized how easy it is to make this copycat recipe at home, I had to share it with you all.

Table of Contents

Ingredients in Brown Rice & Quinoa Blend

dry brown rice (short grain)
dry red quinoa (other colors work too, but the original product uses red)
fresh garlic, minced
salt (optional)
olive oil
water or vegetable broth

How to make this Copycat Quinoa and Brown Rice in any electric pressure cooker

This recipe takes about 40 minutes from start to finish.

Rinse your quinoa and brown rice. Spray inside of pot with olive oil to prevent sticking.
Add rice, quinoa, garlic, 2 cups of water, olive oil, and (optional) salt to the pot. Add your lid and close it, then set your Sealing Valve from the Vent to the Seal position.
Pressure cook for 18 minutes on high pressure.
Once the cooking time is finished, turn the pot off and allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes, then quick release the rest of the steam. Quick release is when you move the Sealing valve back to the Vent position quickly by hand.

Stovetop Instructions

Bring your broth or water to a boil, then add quinoa and brown rice, and the garlic and olive oil.
Simmer on low for 20-25 minutes, keeping an eye for the liquid to absorb into the rice and quinoa. If you want to cover and cook this, be very careful that it doesn’t boil over–it makes a mess that’s tough to clean off the stove.
Test the rice and quinoa to make sure it’s cooked thoroughly. If so, remove from heat and serve as a side dish.

Recipe Tips

It’s easy to spice this dish up a bit! Add red pepper flakes, roasted garlic, or lemon juice or lemon zest to give this side dish a fun flavor twist.
Cooking quinoa in the Instant Pot is easy because you don’t have to worry about it boiling over as it often does on the stove. It’s easy to cook on the stove too.
I love cooking quinoa and brown rice recipes in my pressure cooker–even more than in my rice cooker! I make Instant Pot Brown Rice weekly and freeze it for meal prep, and I love making extra of this recipe too.

Are quinoa and brown rice gluten free?

Both quinoa and brown rice are gluten free, but make sure that the product ensures that it was grown in a field that had not previously grown products with gluten in them.

Is this quinoa and brown rice blend healthier than the store bought Seeds of Change brand?

It is. Like I mentioned above, the Seeds of Change brand (and the new Costco brand recently seen on shelves) is pretty healthy for a prepackaged product. But it’s also expensive and simply because it’s store bought, it contains added sodium and preservatives.

Nutrition comparison for sodium and calories: Per 1/2 cup serving, this recipe has 104 calories (120 calories for Seeds of Change product), and 5 mg sodium (200 mg sodium in Seeds of Change).

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix: 1/2 cup of this quinoa and brown rice counts as 1 yellow container.

Weight Watchers: 1/2 cup of this dish is 4 Blue Points | 4 Green Points | 0 Purple Points | 2023 Points: 4

Trim Healthy Mama: For THM, the small amount of olive oil makes this a great THM-E recipe.

Looking for other Brown Rice and Quinoa Instant Pot Recipes?

How to Cook Quinoa
Quinoa Tacos
Brown Rice Risotto in the Instant Pot
Healthy Brown Rice Pudding
Vegan Pineapple Fried Rice

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Brown Rice and Quinoa Recipe

Created by: Becca Ludlum

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Equipment

Ninja Foodi
Strainer
Sealing Rings

Ingredients

▢ 1 cup red quinoa dry
▢ 1 cup brown rice dry, I used short grain
▢ 3 tbsp garlic minced
▢ 1.5 tsp olive oil
▢ 2 cups water

Optional: salt to taste

Instructions

Rinse your quinoa and brown rice. Spray inside of pot with olive oil to prevent sticking. 1 cup red quinoa, 1 cup brown rice
Add rice, quinoa, garlic, water, olive oil, and (optional) salt to the pot. 3 tbsp garlic, 1.5 tsp olive oil, 2 cups water
Set the pressure cooker for 18 minutes on high pressure.
Allow dish to naturally release for 5 minutes, then quick release the rest of the steam.

Stovetop Instructions

Bring your broth or water to a boil, then add quinoa and brown rice, and the garlic and olive oil. 1 cup red quinoa, 1 cup brown rice, 3 tbsp garlic, 1.5 tsp olive oil
Simmer on low for 20-25 minutes, keeping an eye for the liquid to absorb into the rice and quinoa.
Test the rice and quinoa to make sure it’s cooked thoroughly. If so, remove from heat and serve as a side dish.

Notes

Recipe Tips:

It’s easy to spice this dish up a bit! Add red pepper flakes, roasted garlic, or lemon juice or lemon zest to give this side dish a fun flavor twist.
Cooking quinoa in the Instant Pot is easy because you don’t have to worry about it boiling over as it often does on the stove. It’s easy to cook on the stove too.
I love cooking quinoa and brown rice recipes in my pressure cooker–even more than in my rice cooker! I make Instant Pot Brown Rice weekly and freeze it for meal prep, and I love making extra of this recipe too.

Nutrition

Make This Recipe?

Make sure to follow on Pinterest @bludlum and on Instagram @beccaludlum

Becca Ludlum

Healthy recipe creator, self-confessed food snob, and certified Level 1 Precision Nutrition Coach. I create healthy recipes with minimally processed ingredients, but have never turned down a homemade brownie. ;)