The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of treatment with superheated steam on the structural, thermal, and functional characteristics of quinoa starch. The superheated steam treatment was applied to the starch at 130°C and 170°C for 1 min and 4 min, then dried at 50°C and stored. Moisture adsorption isotherms were performed at 25°C, and data were fitted to the Oswin, GAB, and Peleg models. Structural characterization was done using XRD and FTIR, thermal analysis using DSC, and functional characterization included water absorption capacity (WAC), oil absorption capacity (OAC), and syneresis. The QS170/4 treatment showed a reduction in crystallinity index of up to 48.24%, with the appearance of the amylose‐lipid complex, an increase in initial and final gelatinization temperatures, and a decrease in enthalpy of up to 39.53%. For modified starches, WAC and OAC increased by 9% and 7%, respectively, and syneresis decreased significantly by 17.4%. The results demonstrated the feasibility of modifying quinoa starch with superheated steam treatment, which, unlike other methods, has the advantage of altering the amylose and amylopectin chains in just a few minutes. Thus, the results show a new perspective for the use of superheated steam in starch modification.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved