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

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!

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