Instant Pot Quinoa

Learn how to cook quinoa perfectly every time! Make a big batch in less than 15 minutes and have an easy, fluffy side that’s perfect on its own, added to a salad, or as the base of a grain bowl.

Several years ago, I bought a big bag of quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) from Costco, thinking it would be a great alternative to rice and would broaden our horizons in terms of recipes.

Wrong.

I hated it. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get it to taste good. It was either too mushy or too hard, or it had an awful soapy taste.

This year, though, it’s become my favorite grain. I’ve finally figured out how to cook quinoa in the Instant Pot!

Truly, this is a life-saving recipe for me because I can only take so much rice. My husband will eat brown rice every day, but I like a little more variety.

And knowing how to make quinoa is EXACTLY what I needed!

INSTANT POT QUINOA

The only thing you need to know when it comes to cooking quinoa in the Instant Pot is the number 1.

• All you need is quinoa and water. There are different types of quinoa. I usually use red or white or a blend.
• Your quinoa to water ratio is 1:1. That means you need 1 cup of quinoa + 1 cup of water. 
• Your cooking time is 1 minute. That means you’ll hit “pressure cook” on high, reduce the timer to 1, and let the Instant Pot do its magic.

Quinoa expands as it cooks, so starting with 1 cup of dry quinoa will give you about 3 cups of cooked quinoa.

Anytime you make something in an Instant Pot, you can easily double or triple the recipe without changing the actual cooking time. The time it takes to build up pressure and release pressure will go up, simply because there’s more food inside the pot, but the cooking time stays the same.

That means for me, I can make quinoa in the Instant Pot ONE TIME and have enough to last 3-4 meals!

DON’T FORGET TO RINSE THE QUINOA FIRST!

Before you jump in and see how to cook quinoa perfectly for yourself, remember that quinoa is naturally coated with saponin, which tastes bitter and a lot like soap. Some packages of quinoa come pre-rinsed from the grocery store, but it’s always a good idea to rinse your quinoa at home, just in case.

To do this, measure 1 cup of quinoa into a fine mesh strainer and place it under running water. You’ll see some soap-like bubbles right away, but they’ll dissipate after a few seconds. Maybe it’s because I’ve had one too many bad experiences with quinoa in the past, but I like to rinse it for a full minute before dumping the drained quinoa in the Instant Pot.

I also rinse one cup at a time to make sure it’s thoroughly rinsed. So, if I’m making a 5x batch of quinoa, it’s just 5 minutes of prep time!

HOW TO COOK QUINOA IN THE INSTANT POT

When it comes to learning how to cook quinoa in an Instant Pot, you’re in the right place! Follow these simple instructions.

Step 1. Measure the quinoa into a fine-mesh strainer and thoroughly rinse the quinoa under running water for one full minute.

Step 2. Place the rinsed quinoa into the Instant Pot inner pot.

Step 3. Add the water and place the inner pot into the Instant Pot.

Step 4. Place the lid on top, seal it, and turn the venting knob to “sealing.” Press “pressure cook” or “manual” on high pressure and adjust the timer to 1 minute.

Step 5. Let the quinoa cook, and when the timer goes off, let the pressure release on its own naturally for 10-15 minutes.

Step 6. Fluff with a fork and serve warm, OR freeze extras in 2-cup portions for future quinoa recipes!

HOW TO MAKE QUINOA IN A RICE COOKER

If your Instant Pot is busy cooking a whole chicken, use a rice cooker for the quinoa! It takes the same ratio of quinoa to water as the Instant Pot recipe.

Measure and rinse the quinoa as described above. Place quinoa and water in the rice cooker. Press ‘start’. The rice cooker will stop when the quinoa is cooked! Fluff and serve.

LOOKING FOR INSTANT POT QUINOA RECIPES?

Unfortunately, you probably won’t find many.

Because quinoa cooks SO FAST – again, just 1 minute – anything else you add to the Instant Pot won’t be ready in time.

There are two workarounds I can think of for this dilemma:

1. COOK POT-IN-POT.

When you have these Instant Pot pot-in-pots, you can put different items in each pot that require different (but similar) cooking times. For example, you could put chicken in one pot, and then quinoa in another pot. You’ll want to cut your chicken into small pieces so that it only takes 2-3 minutes to cook.

That bit of extra time won’t hurt your quinoa, and from there, you can create your own Instant Pot quinoa recipes. However, anything more than a few minutes won’t work for combining quinoa with something else in the Instant Pot.

2. MAKE BIG BATCHES OF QUINOA AND FREEZE THEM FOR LATER.

This is what I do. Anytime I have quinoa on the meal plan, and I don’t already have some in the freezer, I make a 5x batch (that’s 5 cups quinoa + 5 cups water). We’ll serve some at dinner, and then I freeze the rest in 2-cup portions in resealable bags or airtight containers.

Then, when I need fluffy quinoa for a recipe, I just thaw a bag from the freezer!

HOW TO FLAVOR QUINOA

By itself, quinoa is a pretty blank slate. It has a taste, of course, just like rice and pasta have a taste, but it’s not very flavorful.

Most of the time, you’ll change that because quinoa is just one recipe component.

You might add one of these:

• A drizzle of olive oil, garlic, and salt for a simple side dish
• Greek Salad Dressing
• Thai Peanut Sauce
• OR let it soak up the sauce from the Sweet and Sticky Chicken

But if you ever want to add flavor to the quinoa itself, your best bet is cooking it in chicken broth instead of water.

• You can make Homemade Chicken Broth in a slow cooker or Instant Pot Chicken Broth for free if you save your chicken bones.
• If you save your kitchen scraps, too, you’ll have some of the most flavorful chicken broth you’ve ever had!

I recommend starting with a 50:50 ratio of water to chicken broth the first time you go this route, just in case the broth is overwhelming. That way, you can easily gauge whether to add more or less broth the next time.

MY FAVORITE QUINOA RECIPES

From quinoa salad ideas to casseroles and curries, try one of these yummy quinoa recipes!

• Greek Quinoa Salad
• Crunchy Vegetable Quinoa Salad
• Substitute cooked quinoa for cooked rice in these yummy Stuffed Peppers
• Serve Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry over a scoop of quinoa instead of rice
• Slow Cooker Quinoa Chicken Cacciatore cooks the quinoa along with the other ingredients for an easy crockpot dinner
• You can even serve a bowl of quinoa similar to a bowl of oatmeal, and top it with your favorite fruits, chopped nuts, and a sprinkle of cinnamon!

MACRO-FRIENDLY INSTANT POT QUINOA

Quinoa is a great addition to many meals as a healthy side dish. Or worked into the meal itself! Gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan, it’s a popular option because of its nutrition. Just 1 cup of cooked quinoa contains 8 grams of protein!

Quinoa is also a great source of complex carbohydrates, as well as 5 grams of fiber per cup, great for sustained energy and digestion.

HOW TO COOK QUINOA FAQS

TASTY RICE RECIPES

Rice and quinoa are often used similarly, and rice also cooks up really nicely in the Instant Pot, so if you’re more of a rice fan, try these rice recipes instead.

• Brown Rice
• White Rice
• Yellow Rice
• Vegetable Fried Rice
• Spanish Rice
• How To Make Cauliflower Rice