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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).
One batch (ten 1/2 cup servings) of this recipe costs about $2.10. One bag (four 1/2 cup servings) of the store bought blend costs $2.79.
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
Natural Pressure Release 5 minutes mins
Total Time 28 minutes mins
Approximate Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Servings 10
Do you love the Seeds of Change Brown Rice Quinoa Blend? Make this easy (and cheap!) copycat recipe in your electric pressure cooker! This healthy side dish is easy to make in batches and freeze.
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
Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg
Make This Recipe?
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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. ;)
