Millet Recipes + How to Cook Millet

Our favorite millet recipes are very tasty and super versatile too. Plus, we are going to show you how to cook millet on the stovetop, in a rice cooker and roasting!

First, I’m going to share with you some of the big questions we get about how to cook millet and millet recipes. Then, I’ll share my favorite recipes and a bit of millet nutrition at the end.

Is Millet Gluten Free?

Yes, millet is gluten free. If you have a wheat or gluten intolerance millet is a gluten-free whole grain you can safely eat. Along with brown rice, millet is also a good first food for babies because it is particularly easy to digest. And, because millet is rarely allergenic it makes a good staple whole grain food for the whole family.

What does Millet Taste Like?

Teeny-tiny and butter-colored, millet has a mild, pleasing and ever so slightly nutty taste. If you love a deeper nutty flavor to your grains, pan-roasting enhances this. It has a texture and taste somewhere between egg-rich pasta and cornmeal.

How Long does Cooked Millet Store for?

Once every three days or so I cook a big batch of whole grains in my rice cooker and then store the cooked grains in a covered container in my fridge. I like to rotate grains so I don’t eat the same ones over and over. This is mostly because each grain has its own unique nutrition profile with different antioxidants and distinctive phytonutrients, so it’s a good idea to go for variety.

Anyway, millet makes it’s way into my grain rotation approximately once every three weeks.

What are some ways to add Millet Recipes?

After cooking millet I eat it tons of different ways. I love adding it to soup recipes, for a hot breakfast in the morning, sprinkled on salads, as a pilaf, etc.

When cooked, millet swells tremendously and makes a great alternative to oatmeal for breakfast. It is particularly delicious with almond milk, chopped baked apple, cinnamon and a drizzle of raw honey.  

Millet is also a fabulous whole grain for fall because it combines particularly well with sweet winter squash and root vegetables. For variety, I often substitute millet for a number of different basic rice dishes. In the Caribbean, millet is served with peas and beans but I especially like the combination of millet, chopped parsley, julienned sundried tomatoes packed in extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and black beans.

A favorite millet recipe for lunch is by adding cold millet to a medium-sized bowl. Then, adding some soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, chopped scallions, sugar snap peas, mint and corriander.

Another of my favorite things to do with cooked millet is to make fried “rice” which is basically like a millet pilaf. Recipe below!

How to Cook Millet: 2 Easy Ways

Millet is cooked the same the same way you cook rice. Which makes it a quick-cook whole grain that is perfect for easy weeknight dinners. You can cook millet on the stovetop or in a rice cooker. I cook pretty much all of my whole grains in a rice cooker because it’s just so incredibly easy and hassle-free.

Below are the directions for how to cook millet two ways, stovetop or in a rice cooker. Whenever I make whole grain I always cook a big batch and store it in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

How to Cook Millet Stovetop:

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked millet
• 3 cups water or organic vegetable broth (such as Pacific Natural Foods)
• Pinch of unrefined sea salt

Rinse millet with cool water in a strainer and place in sauté pan over medium heat. Gently stir millet until it starts to give off a nutty aroma. Keeping the pan on the burner, add water or broth and salt, cover, reduce heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed (about 18 to 25 minutes). Millet is done once it becomes fluffy. Drain off any extra water (there shouldn’t be much), fluff and serve.

How to Cook Millet in a Rice Cooker:

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked millet
• 3 cups water or organic vegetable broth (such as Pacific Natural Foods)
• Pinch of unrefined sea salt

Rinse millet with cool water in a strainer. Put water or broth into the rice cooker,like this one from VitaClay. Pour millet into the rice cooker and add a pinch of salt. Turn the rice cooker on and cook for about 20-25 minutes.

How to Roast Millet:

Pan-roasting enhances the nuttiness of millet. To pan roast millet place the grains in a heavy skillet (such as cast iron) over low heat and add the millet. Stir continuously until millet becomes fragrant and starts to brown (about 3 minutes).

Our Favorite Millet Recipes

We have so many favorite millet recipes. Here are the two top favorites — adding millet to a vegetarian bowl and making millet fried rice. Yum!

Millet Recipe #1: Vegetarian Millet Bowl

One of my favorite lunches is making a big bowl of Vegetarian Millet. I saute onions, garlic, kale and radishes. Then, I top with this delicious lemon dressing and roasted pepitas. You’ll find the full recipe below.

Millet Recipe #2: Fried “Rice”

I’ve always loved fried rice. It’s one of those incredibly easy, versatile dishes just about everyone likes. If you’re in a rush, you can practically serve fried rice as a complete meal. And of course it is perfect for entertaining. I always make my fried rice with brown rice or this new recipe for Cauliflower Fried Rice.

The Secret to Making the Best Millet Fried “Rice”

The secret to making the best fried rice (or best millet fried “rice”) is to use really dry cooked grains. Day-old cooked grains are best. If your cooked grains are wet or damp you can spread them on a cookie sheet and dry them in a 250 degree oven or toast in the wok over low heat.

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Millet Nutrition

Although a lot of people in the United States have probably never eaten it, millet is a nutritious whole grain. It’s also a staple food for almost a third of the world’s population, including Africa and Asia. Millet is alkalinizing, easy to digest and particularly rich in B-vitamins and heart healthy magnesium.

Unrefined whole grains, including millet, should be a staple food in any clean eating diet because they supply an excellent source of energy along with a wide variety of nutrients and fiber.

As a plant-food millet is rich in disease-fighting phytochemicals (also called phytonutrients.) Phytochemicals are only found in plant-based foods (animal foods such as chicken and beef don’t have phytochemicals.) But, since research shows it’s not just one phytochemical from one particular plant-food but rather a combination of lots of different phytochemicals from lots of different plant-foods that really protects your body best, it makes sense to eat a wide variety of different whole grains and other plant-based foods.

One of the reasons I like including millet so much in my own diet is because it’s a great alternative to ubiquitous wheat. Assuming you don’t have gluten intolerance or wheat sensitivity there is nothing intrinsically wrong with wheat other than the fact that it’s eaten SO SO much. Millet is a great nutritious whole grain wheat alternative.