Garlic Butter Quinoa {Only 5 Ingredients!} | Quinoa Recipes

By: AlyssaPublished: December 2, 2020Updated: May 26, 2021Rating 77 Comments on 5-Ingredient Garlic Butter Quinoa

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This delicious garlic butter quinoa recipe is one of the easiest recipes you'll ever make! It uses just 5 ingredients, one pan, and goes well with everything!

this recipe

When you're craving fluffy white quinoa that's got an indulgent buttery flavor, this is what you need to make. And if that isn't something you've craved before, this is still what you need to make!

This garlic butter quinoa is legit one of the best ways to make quinoa ever. It's so easy – hello, one pot! – but it can also be used a ton of different ways and pairs well with everything.

Whether you're looking for the ultimate healthy side, or you want a new jazzy way to enjoy quinoa, I can't wait for you to try this.

What You'll Need to Make This Recipe

You guys know I don't eat dairy, so I decided to use a vegan butter spread to get that nice buttery flavor into the quinoa, but you could certainly also use regular butter or ghee.

For the garlic, we're using organic garlic powder from Simply Organic. What I love about using garlic powder – and I use it in pretty much everything – is that you get that nice garlic flavor without having to do an extra step of cooking. No chopping, no mincing, no sauteeing, but still all that incredible garlic flavor.

And of course, since it's a powder, it's easy to stir in and gets incorporated evenly throughout the entire dish.

To that we're also adding salt, quinoa and we're cooking it all in vegetable broth!

How to Make Garlic Butter Quinoa

In addition to this recipe only using 5 ingredients, you also just need one pot. Basically, we're going to cook the quinoa like we normally would – in a liquid, then simmer until fluffy – and just add in the flavorings.

Here's how to make it:

Put the quinoa, garlic powder, butter, and salt in the pan
Add the vegetable broth
Bring the mixture to a boil and cover
Simmer it until it's fluffy
Fluff with a fork and serve!

And that's it! So simple and delish.

How to Make Quinoa More Flavorful

We're using vegetable broth instead of water to help give this garlic butter quinoa even more flavor. The vegetable broth adds a touch of saltiness, while also complementing the butter really nicely.

If you're not a veggie broth fan, you have other options. You could use chicken broth, water or you could also do water and a chicken/vegetable bouillon cube. Either method will give you the same effect: a flavorful quinoa dish that goes well with everything!

And when I say everything, I really mean it!

How to Serve Our Garlic Butter Quinoa

This is one of those recipes that you can serve a million and one ways. From breakfast to lunch, to dinner, to leftovers, to sides, to dessert (wait…what!? jk). Garlic + butter + anything = heaven

Well, okay, maybe not a million different ways, but you get the idea. It's a versatile recipe and you're gonna love it!

Here are some ways that I recommend trying:

Lunch/dinner: toss it with sauteed mushrooms, broccoli, and tofu/chicken (or chickpeas)
Breakfast: serve it warm with a soft boiled egg, some salsa, and sliced avocado
Leftovers: saute chopped tomatoes and white beans
As a side: serve warm with grilled chicken (or tofu), roasted asparagus and a salad
And for dessert: Ummm yeah, I got nothing there 😉

More 5-Ingredient Recipes to Try:

Broccoli + Quinoa Mac and Cheese
Coconut Curry Quinoa
Quinoa Flour Pizza Crust
Sweet Potato Quinoa Fritters
Peanut Butter Honey Cookies
Lemon Blueberry Energy Balls

5-Ingredient Garlic Butter Quinoa

4.2 from 412 votes

This delicious garlic butter quinoa recipe is one of the easiest recipes you'll ever make! It uses just 5 ingredients, one pan and goes well with everything!

author: Alyssa

yield: 4 servings

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep: 5 minutes minutes

Cook: 15 minutes minutes

Standing time: 5 minutes minutes

Total: 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
1 tablespoon vegan butter or butter/ghee
2 - 3 teaspoons Simply Organic Garlic Powder*
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups vegetable broth

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until butter has melted. Cover and reduce to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove lid, take off the heat and fluff with a fork. Let stand for 5 minutes then serve.

Notes

* if you're sensitive to garlic, start with 1 teaspoon and add more to taste.

Nutrition

cuisine: American

course: Side Dish

★★★★★

Did You Make This Recipe?

Be sure to share a comment and rating to let us know!

Filed Under:

Dairy Free
Gluten-Free
Quick Recipes
Recipes
Sides
Vegan
Vegetarian

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77 comments on “5-Ingredient Garlic Butter Quinoa”

Rita H
February 5, 2024 at 3:02 pm

Loved the simple recipe; it was delicious!
I made separately some stir fried vegetables consisting of brocoli, carrots, red bell peppers and onions. It paired together nicely and was a hit.
Thank you
Reply
Jeanette
October 27, 2023 at 9:50 pm

What are the finishing spices in the photo?
Reply
1. Olivia Jo
  October 31, 2023 at 4:55 pm
  
  paprika, pepper and basil 😊
  Reply
Eric
October 8, 2023 at 6:54 pm

Any recipe that gives 2 to 1 liquid to quinoa advice is wrong.
Reply
1. Olivia Jo
  October 11, 2023 at 11:01 am
  
  Sorry you feel that way, Eric. Did you try the recipe? I’d love to hear any feedback you have.
  Reply
2. Melissa
  December 21, 2023 at 2:16 pm
  
  I think Eric is mistaken. You ALWAYS do a 1:2 ratio (1 part Quinoa, 2 parts liquid) just as it is stated in this recipe.
  Reply
Teri D
July 1, 2023 at 12:00 pm

This was so easy, and super delish! Hubby was grilling beer brats & BBQ chicken so I needed a quick side and went with this. Served as is (nothing added) but veggies would have been great had I thought that far ahead (instead of serving a separate veggie). I did feel like it could have used some tweaking for the cook time because there was a little liquid remaining, but that absorbed eventually after sitting uncovered for a while. I used chicken broth but don’t skimp on the salt, and for us the garlic was perfect (I’m just really glad I realized that word was “teaspoons” and not “tablespoons”)! Next time i’ll try sautéing a little garlic first, or maybe adding the chickpeas as suggested above. A really great, versatile recipe!
Reply
1. Olivia Jo
  July 3, 2023 at 3:22 pm
  
  I’m so glad it was a hit!! This recipe is the best, it can be enjoyed so many ways and would be great with veggies added in!
  Reply
Brenda
June 20, 2023 at 6:37 pm

I’ve never left a review for a recipe but this is awesome. Quick and easy and delicious
Reply
1. Olivia Jo
  June 24, 2023 at 5:57 pm
  
  I am so glad you are enjoying it and left a review, Brenda!! Let us know if you try any of our other recipes too 🙂
  Reply
L
April 6, 2023 at 5:39 pm
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I started making this and my husband is obsessed. He loves it and now makes it for us often. I will say it takes much longer to cook than the recipe instructions because it’s a lot of liquid that needs to absorb. But it’s worth the wait.
Reply
Zau
October 21, 2022 at 1:42 pm

I’ve never made this before so I was a bit apprehensive. I’m so happy I chose this recipe. It came out really good. Thank you!
Reply
1. Olivia Jo
  October 27, 2022 at 12:48 pm
  
  I am so happy you liked it!!
  Reply
Melissa
September 8, 2022 at 7:32 pm

I made this tonight and it was delicious. After reading other comments, the only think I changed was reducing the broth to 1-1/2 cups. The directions on the quinoa I use is 1 cup to 1-1/2 cups of water or broth. Consistency was perfect.
Reply
Nicola
July 9, 2022 at 11:09 pm

I used fresh garlic (from the garden) instead of the powdered form, because my fiance just harvested some today – and I don’t have the Simply Organic on hand. I put it through the press and gave it a quick saute with one teaspoon of the ‘butter’ before adding the quinoa & the rest of the ingredients. I think it came out very well.
Reply
Kscott
March 22, 2022 at 12:12 am

Delicious. Added some diced carrot and onion, lemon zest and red chili flakes. Used low sodium vegetable broth. Used as side dish with grilled salmon and roasted Brussels sprouts. This’ll go on the “good for company” meals list. Thanks for the recipe!
Reply
1. Alyssa
  March 22, 2022 at 3:14 pm
  
  So glad you enjoyed it! And I’m loving the changes 🙂 Makes such it into an even better side dish!
  Reply
Joy
January 24, 2022 at 8:10 pm

This was delicious! I used 2 tsp of garlic powder and that was perfect. It did take a little longer for the broth to cook down, so next time I won’t turn the heat quite as low. Thank you for this recipe!
Reply
1. Alyssa
  January 25, 2022 at 11:10 am
  
  So glad you enjoyed it!
  Reply
Taylor
January 12, 2022 at 10:04 pm

Too salty and Like another reviewer said, mine was also a mush of water at the end. Simmering more with the top off helped. I would make again because it has good flavor. I will increase boil time with top and without and maybe decrease liquid and definitely less salt.
Reply
1. Alyssa
  January 24, 2022 at 3:02 pm
  
  Thanks for the feedback!
  Reply
Ana
December 19, 2020 at 5:39 pm

Terrible recipe! I followed the instructions 100% and ended up with a mushy mess that resembles porridge!
Reply
1. Alyssa Rimmer
  January 5, 2021 at 10:02 am
  
  Have you cooked regular quinoa before? It sounds like you had too much water or didn’t let it cook for long enough.
  Reply
2. Bailey
  July 16, 2022 at 8:11 pm
  
  Dang haters are funny haha! You could also throw the whole recipe into a rice cooker, then it will cook until the liquid is gone based off pressure
  Reply
  1. Alyssa
    September 14, 2022 at 11:41 am
    
    That’s a great idea!!
    Reply
Nurit
December 2, 2020 at 10:54 am

Alyssa,
Can you please give me an alternative to vegetable broth in the garlic butter quinoa recipe?
I don’t have a vegetable broth where I live (outside US).
What can I replace it with and still keep it vegan and gluten free?
Reply
1. Alyssa Rimmer
  January 5, 2021 at 10:37 am
  
  You could use water, but it won’t be quite as flavorful! or maybe add a veggie bouillon cube!
  Reply
2. Raquel A Lambropoulos
  May 25, 2022 at 8:41 pm
  
  I agree with Akyssa mine was perfect and I followed the recipe and never made it before. Did you not cover
  Reply
Pingback: 5-Ingredient Garlic Butter Quinoa – Food Lover Recipes
Maria
September 17, 2019 at 8:33 pm

How many grams is one serving?
Reply
1. Alyssa
  September 21, 2019 at 6:16 am
  
  About 1/2 a cup!
  Reply
schatzi
September 10, 2019 at 6:59 pm

Added lemon juice and chopped spinach for a wonderful side dish! Excellent!
Reply
1. Alyssa
  September 11, 2019 at 2:28 am
  
  See Also
  18 Baked Sweet Potato Recipes | Proper Lush!
  YUM!
  Reply
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Alexandra
October 12, 2018 at 10:02 pm

I’ve been looking for more easy recipes that I can quickly make after coming back from a long day of classes. This definitely is one that I’ll be using time and time again. If you don’t like garlic, then this obviously isn’t the recipe for you. After reading some of the other comments, I opted for a little a less garlic than the recipe called for the first time around and in the times that I’ve made it since, I’ve increased the amount of garlic powder. If you love garlic, this is definitely a good recipe to try. Play with it a bit to see how much garlic feels right but otherwise this is awesome and very yummy!
Reply
1. Alyssa
  October 31, 2018 at 6:35 pm
  
  I’m so glad you enjoyed it! xox
  Reply
2. Cathy
  February 24, 2022 at 6:07 pm
  
  Love this!!! Subbed chicken bouillon for the veggie broth and it goes great with chicken cooked out on the grill. Thanks for this simple and easy side!!!!
  Reply
  1. Alyssa
    March 2, 2022 at 3:00 pm
    
    So glad you enjoyed, Cathy!
    Reply
Amanda
July 21, 2018 at 4:22 pm

Is the nutrition facts label for one serving or all four that the recipe makes?
Reply
1. Alyssa
  August 21, 2018 at 7:23 pm
  
  For one serving 🙂
  Reply
Ashley Dorst
June 27, 2018 at 1:21 pm

This looks great, could I use olive oil instead of butter (or vegan butter)?
Reply
1. Alyssa
  July 10, 2018 at 12:57 pm
  
  Definitely!
  Reply
Gaby
April 24, 2018 at 1:30 am

I will definitely try it soon!
Can I use real garlic? I have some already chopped in a jar that I bought at the store… How much should I use?
Thank you 🙂
Reply
1. Alyssa
  April 25, 2018 at 9:24 am
  
  Yep! But I would saute it first 🙂
  Reply
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Alicia
December 10, 2017 at 8:17 pm

SO garlicky!! I love garlic but only 3 teaspoons since garlic powder is strong stuff. OMG! The whole family skipped it 🙁 except Grandpa who can’t taste anymore
Reply
1. Alyssa
  December 12, 2017 at 3:02 pm
  
  Sorry it was too strong for you!
  Reply
Vickie
November 4, 2017 at 6:13 am

This sounds so good and I can’t wait to make it however my bag of quinoa states to rinse before cooking. I don’t recall your recipe saying to do that. Should we rinse before cooking the quinoa?
Reply
1. Alyssa
  November 9, 2017 at 1:34 pm
  
  You don’t have to!
  Reply
Pingback: 5-Ingredient Garlic Butter Quinoa – Namely days
Jess
September 30, 2017 at 5:07 pm

What’s the green leafy stuff and the red seasoning you used to garnish the quinoa?? Looks delicious I’m trying this tonight!
Reply
1. Alyssa
  October 3, 2017 at 1:45 pm
  
  I used parsley and red pepper flakes 🙂
  Reply
Momma Pride
August 4, 2017 at 12:48 pm

I have made this twice since finding the recipe. It’s amazing and the whole family loves it! Thank you!!
Reply
1. Alyssa
  August 4, 2017 at 1:30 pm
  
  I’m so happy to hear that, thank you!!! xox
  Reply
Stesha
August 3, 2017 at 4:08 am

Too garlicky! Recipe calls for 3 -4 teaspoons of garlic powder, I used 3 and it was way too much. And I love garlic. Maybe you meant 3/4?
Reply
1. Alyssa
  August 3, 2017 at 9:52 pm
  
  I think it depends on your taste! I did mean 3 – 4 🙂 But maybe next time you can cut it down to 1!
  Reply
Anna
August 1, 2017 at 9:24 pm

Thank you so much for this recipe! It is a staple in my kitchen now…never liked quinoa before trying this.
.
Reply
1. Alyssa
  August 3, 2017 at 9:53 pm
  
  I’m so glad you enjoyed it Anna! xo
  Reply
Jenny
July 22, 2017 at 9:39 am

I made this last night, it was so good, I used chicken broth, but it was still amazing! Planning on putting the leftovers in my salad! Thanks for the recipe!
Reply
1. Alyssa
  July 28, 2017 at 2:17 pm
  
  Sounds delicious! Glad you enjoyed it, Jenny 🙂 xo
  Reply
Jenn
July 17, 2017 at 8:23 am

I am new to cooking with quinoa. Do ALL of the recipes have so many calories and fat???
Reply
1. Alyssa
  July 19, 2017 at 10:19 am
  
  It’s updated now!
  Reply
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Shana Vancol Valcourt
May 19, 2017 at 2:26 pm

Omg soooo goood. But to much garlic for me so instead I only put 1 tps and a half. But still super goood ????????
Reply
1. Alyssa
  May 29, 2017 at 8:46 pm
  
  I’m so glad you enjoyed it! xo
  Reply
Jacqueline
April 27, 2017 at 5:09 pm

Can Chicken Broth be used instead of the vegetable?
Reply
1. Alyssa
  May 9, 2017 at 5:07 pm
  
  Absolutely!
  Reply
Becci
April 26, 2017 at 2:28 pm

I make this every week now! I love it so much, I always add chopped, sauteed brussel sprouts to it as well- so yummy!
Reply
1. Alyssa
  May 9, 2017 at 5:08 pm
  
  Oh boy that sounds amazing! So glad you’ve been enjoying it, Becci 🙂 xo
  Reply
Shimoni
April 19, 2017 at 11:35 am

Hi
Can you give a recipe for homemade vegetable stock.
Reply
1. Alyssa
  April 19, 2017 at 5:01 pm
  
  I don’t have one on my blog, but there are tons of recipes on Pinterest/Google!
  Reply
Megan
March 17, 2017 at 2:03 pm

Looks fantastic! I am adding this to my “Quick ‘n’ Easy” recipe list for last minute weeknight meals.
Reply
1. Alyssa
  March 19, 2017 at 12:16 pm
  
  Can’t wait to hear what you think!
  Reply
  1. Megan
    March 23, 2017 at 11:48 am
    
    I made this last night, and it was fantastic. So easy! I mixed in a can of chickpeas and topped with roasted Brussels sprouts and parsnips. This is such a great way to use up leftover veggies.
    Reply
    1. Alyssa
      March 29, 2017 at 8:31 am
      
      Oh my gosh that sounds amazing Megan!! xo
      Reply
    2. Izzy
      April 5, 2018 at 4:02 pm
      
      Did you mix in a can of chickpeas at the beginning or once the quinoa was done cooking?
      Reply
      1. Alyssa
        April 17, 2018 at 1:47 pm
        
        Either or will be fine!

Garlic Butter Quinoa {Only 5 Ingredients!} | Quinoa Recipes | Simply Quinoa (2024)