This recipe for Instant Pot Quinoa is a fail-proof method for making perfect, fluffy quinoa every time! You’ll love how easy it is and you’ll never have to worry about your quinoa turning into a big bowl of mush!
Quinoa is such a versatile “pseudo” grain because it’s high in protein and it’s gluten-free. (Quinoa is technically a seed.) It’s perfect in salads like this Mexican Quinoa Bowl or wraps like these Quinoa Veggie Burritos.
I love quinoa, but I hate cooking it on the stove-top. No matter what recipe I’ve followed in the past, it has never turned out the way I’ve wanted it to. Even some pressure cooker recipes for cooking quinoa have left me frustrated!
Most of my frustration came from the quinoa being WAY too mushy! When I eat quinoa, I prefer it to be a little “al dente” and for the little pieces to fall apart from each other. It makes it easier to toss into salads and other types of recipes.
It took at least 5 or 6 batches of Instant Pot Quinoa before I came up with what I believe is the perfect recipe. I’m confident that if you don’t like mushy quinoa, you’re going to love this recipe as much as I do!
How to make the Perfect Instant Pot Quinoa:
It’s all about the ratio of quinoa to water. The perfect ratio when cooking in an electric pressure cooker like the Instant Pot, is 1 part quinoa to 1.25 parts water. So that translates to 1 cup of uncooked quinoa plus 1 1/4 cups of water. This will produce 3 cups of cooked quinoa.
- Rinse the uncooked quinoa under cold water to remove any bitter coating and dirt. Use a fine mesh strainer instead of a colander to avoid the little pieces from falling through the holes!
- Coat the liner of the Instant Pot with a little oil or cooking spray to keep the cooked quinoa from sticking.
- Add Ingredients. Pour 1 cup of rinsed quinoa and 1 1/4 cups water into the pot, secure lid and make sure the pressure valve is in the SEALED position. Press the MANUAL button and set for 1 minute at high pressure. When the timer goes off, let naturally release for 5 minutes and then turn the pressure valve to the VENTING position.
- Once the pressure has fully released, use a fork to fluff the quinoa before serving.
The pressure cooker makes cooking quinoa easier than ever. I love using my Instant Pot to cook quinoa because I can just press a button and walk away!
Tips for making the perfect quinoa:
- 1 cup of uncooked quinoa makes 3 cups of cooked quinoa.
- This recipe can be used for any type of uncooked quinoa. The most common quinoa available is white, but there is also red, black, purple and tri-colored.
- Always rinse quinoa before cooking to remove the natural coating called “saponin”. If left on, this coating can cause the quinoa to have a bitter or soapy taste.
- Add seasonings to the pot such as salt, garlic powder, pepper, etc. before cooking to add extra flavor.
- Quinoa is delicious eaten hot or cold which makes it perfect to add to salads or served as a side with a main dish. Quinoa can also eaten as a sweet or savory breakfast cereal.
- Quinoa is perfect for meal prep! Make a batch of this to create healthy meals throughout the week.
- Store left-overs in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Instant Pot Quinoa
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil or cooking spray
- 1 cup quinoa uncooked
- 1 1/4 cups water
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer under cold water for 1 minute to remove any bitter residue.
- Use the oil or cooking spray to coat the bottom and sides of the Instant Pot. Pour the quinoa and water in the pot, stir and put lid on. Make sure pressure valve is set in the SEALED position.
- Press the MANUAL button, make sure it is set to high pressure and set timer for 1 minute. When time is up, let the Instant Pot naturally release for 5 minutes. Turn the pressure valve to the VENTING position and allow the remaining steam to escape.
- Remove the lid, fluff the quinoa with a fork and serve.
Dana says
This turned out perfect! I’ve never been able to make fluffy quinoa. Thank you!!
Amy says
It is such an easier way to make quinoa versus the stove-top method!