How Long To Make Quinoa In Instant Pot
My fluffy Instant Pot quinoa recipe takes just twelve minutes to cook! Two minutes manual pressure cook and a ten-minute natural pressure release.
Add the time it takes the Instant Pot to pressurize before it starts cooking, and you have an easy quinoa side dish or base for grain bowls and salads in about twenty minutes!
Tips For Perfect Pressure Cooking Quinoa
- Lubricate that pot! Either use cooking spray or toast the quinoa beforehand in oil.
- If you have extra time, rinse quinoa thoroughly to get rid of extra bitterness. Most quinoa comes pre-rinsed, but true quinoa freaks wont forget the ol rinse n shake!
- Add the right amount of water to avoid soupy, mushy quinoa. Dont worry, the ratio couldnt be simpler! Use 1 cup water or broth for every cup of quinoa.
Is Instant Pot Quinoa Black Bean Salad Healthy
There are two reasons that this salad is really good for you: quinoa and black beans.
Quinoa seeds are gluten-free and are rich in protein, fiber, B vitamins and other important nutrients such as manganese, phosphorus folate, iron, zinc, and magnesium
Black beans, like other legumes , are high in protein and fiber and low in fat. Theyre a great choice when you are trying to eat healthy. Beans of all types can help you maintain your ideal weight. The fiber helps to keep you feeling full for longer periods of time while helping to keep blood sugar levels stable.
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How To Make Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa
- Start by pressing the saute button on your Instant Pot. Add oil to the insert and heat it up. Add chopped onion and pepper and minced garlic. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add butter and saute until the onion is translucent.
- Add corn and beans to the mixture and stir well. Add spices, quinoa and water and stir everything together.
- Add diced tomatoes in the center, but do not stir. Close lid, set valve to sealing, set timer to 1 minute. Once the timer is done, let it release the pressure naturally. It takes only a few minutes.
- Stir quinoa and enjoy right away topped with shredded cheese, chopped red onion, cilantro and avocados.
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, but its 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 sieve and place it under running water. Youll see some soap-like bubbles right away, but theyll dissipate after a few seconds. Maybe its because Ive had one too many bad experiences with quinoa in the past, but I like to rinse my quinoa for a full minute before dumping the sieve over into the Instant Pot pot.
I also rinse one cup at a time to make sure its thoroughly rinsed. So if Im making a 5x batch of quinoa, its just 5 minutes of prep time!
- Yield:3 cups cooked 1x
- Category:Sides
- 1 cup water**
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How Long Does It Really Take
Keep in mind, that just because this quinoa cooks in a 1-minute cooking cycle, doesnt mean that it will be ready to eat that fast. You always have to take into account the time it will take for the Instant Pot to come to pressure, and the time it takes for that pressure to naturally release.
In general, I usually add 20 minutes to the cook cycle for a more accurate estimate of when a recipe will be ready to eat. So, this recipe will be ready in close to 21 minutes, but you dont have to be in your kitchen watching the pot while its working and thats the beauty of the Instant Pot.
Quinoa Corn & Crispy Bacon Salad
You get the sweetness, saltiness, and crunch in one dish plus, this salad is hearty and satiating while being light and healthy at the same time. Featuring crunchy peppers, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, feta, and delicious lemon honey mustard dressing, this is a meal you will want to cook over and over again. Recipe from Instant Pot Eats.
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Can I Make A Double Batch Of Quinoa In The Instant Pot
Yes! You totally can. My quick disclaimer is that I never actually have done this, but Im certain it would work as long as you follow the 1 : 1.25 quinoa to liquid ratio. Be careful not to overfill your Instant Pot if youre going for a triple batch.
More volume in the Instant Pot may need more time to heat up and reach pressure, but cooking time would remain the same.
Heres The Key Points To Making Instant Pot Perfect Quinoa:
This recipe for Instant Pot perfect quinoa is simple, but there are a couple changes from how you would make quinoa on the stovetop. First is the water ratio While I generally use 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water for my stove top quinoa, in the Instant Pot, that ratio drops down to only 1 ½ cups of water for every cup of quinoa. The reason for the reduced water is that the Instant Pot is more sealed than a traditional cooking pot, meaning less evaporation of water during the cooking process.
One step that may seem trivial, but that you definitely should not skip is rinsing your quinoa before placing it into the Instant Pot. This gets rid of the quinoas natural coating, called saponin, which can make it taste bitter. And although boxed quinoa is generally pre-rinsed, it doesnt hurt to give the seeds an additional rinse. Just place it in a fine mesh strainer and run it under water until the water is clear.
Before adding the rinsed quinoa to the Instant Pot, I like to spray the liner with a bit of cooking spray. This not only prevents the quinoa from sticking to the pot, but it also cuts down on the foaming a bit so that your Instant Pot doesnt sputter and spit.
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Is Quinoa Better For You Than Rice
Quinoa and rice are pretty similar in texture and cooking method, however, they have very different nutritional profiles. Quinoa is actually more similar to leafy vegetables!
It is a complete protein with nine essential amino acids. Pretty impressive! Quinoa has much more fiber, few carbs and fewer calories than white.
There are some varieties of rice that will be better on the nutrition scale, but when comparing quinoa to white rice, quinoa is more nutritionally superior.
How To Cook Quinoa In The Instant Pot
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How To Cook Quinoa Perfectly In The Instant Pot
If youve ever wondered how to cook quinoa in the Instant Pot, prepare for your life to be changed! Perfect, fluffy, tender quinoa in minutes this is the only way I cook quinoa anymore, and it is easy as can be!
Cooking fluffy, perfect quinoa in the Instant Pot has pretty much made that indispensable machine worth it in my opinion.
Ive had a 6-quart Instant Pot for several years now and I easily use it at least 3X a week just for rice or quinoa. Making quinoa on the stovetop isnt exactly rocket science-y hard, but the hands off approach in the Instant Pot and resulting fluffier-than-fluffy quinoa has been revolutionary for me.
Perfect Instant Pot Quinoa
See my guide on how to use an Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Quinoa is perfectly fluffy and so simple to make. Youll love this foolproof, hands-off method for cooking quinoa in the Instant Pot.
Ive shared how to cook quinoa on the stove, but I have to say that cooking quinoa in my Instant Pot is my favorite way to prepare it. With this Instant Pot quinoa recipe, you can easily make perfect fluffy quinoa without having to watch a pot on the stove.
Quinoa is often thought of as a grain, but it is actually a seed. Quinoa is full of nutrition, high in protein and naturally gluten-free.
There are three main types of quinoa that you may find in your local grocery store: white quinoa, red quinoa and black quinoa. White quinoa has the mildest flavor and the softest texture. Red quinoa is a bit crunchier and has more of an earthy flavor. Black quinoa is the strongest in both flavor and texture. All three types of quinoa can be cooked in the same way in your Instant Pot.
I love quinoas nutty, earthy flavor and slightly chewy texture. Since quinoa is mild-flavored, it is delicious with almost any type of seasoning.
You can add this Instant Pot quinoa to quinoa salads or grain bowls, use it in one pan meals such as this Mexican quinoa, or even enjoy it for breakfast. Ive included links to my most-loved quinoa recipes below.
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Quinoa To Water Ratio
Ive tested 1 ½ cups and 1 ¾ cups water to 1 cup of dried quinoa, both with great results. You can safely use anywhere in between, and it will turn out perfectly. Less water yields an al dente quinoa, and the higher amount is softer but not mushy. I found them to be equally good in texture and fluffiness.
Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa
Do you have only 30 minutes to put dinner on the table? Then try this Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa!
One pot, vegan, gluten-free and it gets done in 30 minutes or less! Perfect for those busy nights!
If you love all the Instant Pot vegetarian/vegan recipes that I share on the blog, please join me on this Facebook Group Instant Pot Vegetarian Recipes. The group would share/feature vegetarian instant pot recipes and ideas from all around the web!
Last week I was in Salt Lake City to attend a blogging conference. I really enjoyed it! The thing is that blogging can get really lonely, the human interaction is minimal plus not many people understand the work that goes behind it.
So it was great to be among like minded people who get what you do and in general it was just nice to catch up with my virtual blogging friends.
I shared a lot from the conference on my Instagram stories, so if you want to keep up with what goes in my kitchen and life beyond blogging, dont forget to follow me on .
The first thing I did after coming back was to go grocery shopping and then make this Mexican Quinoa. This is one of my favorite things to make in the Instant Pot!
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This Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa
is one pot meal
gets done in 30 minutes or less!
is vegan and gluten-free
flavored with cumin, smoked paprika and chili powder
leftovers makes great lunch and also perfect for lunch-box
I love easy meals and I am sure you love them too. You guys have been loving the Thai Peanut Noodles that I shared on the blog recently and so I thought of sharing more easy dinner recipes with you guys.
When it comes to easy dinner, I always go back to my trusted Instant Pot. It never disappoints me!
What Are Other Vegan Instant Pot Recipes
When Alex and I first learned about the Instant Pot, we thought it all about cooking meat. But since then, weve amassed a big collection of vegan Instant Pot recipes. You can make so many basics in your pressure cooker: rice, dried beans, dried chickpeas, mashed potatoes, and even soups. Here are some of our favorite pressure cooker recipes:
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Quinoa Vegetable Tabbouleh Salad
This Instant Pot quinoa salad is fluffy, full of chewy texture, and pairs well with vegetables and bright flavors of fresh lemon juice and herbs for a great grab-and-go meal prep lunch. This recipe is gluten-free, twice the protein content of rice or barley, and contains sufficient amounts of all nine essential amino acids. Recipe from Instant Pot Eats.
Can You Freeze Quinoa
Yes, Instant Pot quinoa is incredibly easy to freeze so make a big batch of it and save for later! To freeze quinoa, do the following:
- Let the quinoa cool to room temperature.
- Transfer it to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container.
- When youre ready to eat the frozen quinoa, place it in the fridge or on your counter to thaw and then reheat in a skillet with a little water.
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How To Cook Quinoa Pasta In The Instant Pot
If you have an Instant Pot, chances are you have debated whether or not you can cook pasta in the thing. I know I have..
Pasta isnt that much of a nuisance on the stove top its really not, but sometimes its not convenient. In those cases when you are using your stovetop for other things, or you just want to do something all in one pot without having to boil, drain, dump back in you know extra stuff that you dont feel like doing.
We have done pasta successfully in the Instant Pot usually its ziti, macaroni, penne, bowties & more. I havent tried spaghetti because, well.. . frankly, Im scared to. Maybe one day Ill work up that courage for now Ill just stick with the fancier pasta.
One of the most popular pastas in our home is quinoa macaroni its gluten-free, vegan, easy to make. Its available at Costco for a great price and my kids love it. They especially like it when I brown a pound of ground beef leave that in the pot, pour in the quinoa pasta and cook, then quick release, stir the ground beef into the pasta & add 1 C. of salsa and some seasoning.
They call that Taco Pasta and they will downright eat the entire pot.
If you have an Instant Pot, youll be happy to know that making this quinoa pasta is possible it was a matter of trial and experiment that allowed me to find the exact cooking time.
However, this is a great starting point to help you determine what may or may not work for you, with a few simple changes.
How To Cook Grains In The Instant Pot
Cooking all manner of grains in the Instant Pot is as easy as adding the grains and water to the pot, closing the lid, then selecting the time at high pressure based on the chart youll find at the end of this post.
Once the cooking program ends, let the grains rest for 10 minutes then release the pressure, open the pot, fluff with a fork, and enjoy!
The ratios of grain-to-water listed in the chart will work for any volume of grains you want to prepare just multiply or divide as necessary.
Here are a few rules of thumb to keep in mind:
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Jerk Chicken & Quinoa
This pressure cooked jerk chicken and quinoa recipe is great for showcasing that not everything that comes out of an Instant Pot needs to be a soup or stew. Its also a good example of how to use a pot-in-pot method to cook two different foods in the pot at the same time. Get the recipe here at Instant Pot Eats.
Ingredients For Quinoa In Instant Pot
Three ingredients is all it takes to make the fluffiest quinoa recipe.
- Quinoa: Since there are so many brands out there, which brand of quinoa is best? I prefer Bob’s Red Mill or Trader Joe’s. And recently, I tried Costco’s Kirkland brand Organic Quinoa and I’m loving that too. This is more about personal preference and what is available at my local supermarket. There are a number of options in the bulk section of Whole Foods, too, so you can buy only the amount you need rather than committing to a whole bag.
- Water: Water offers the cleanest flavor. If you live in an area that has hard water, make sure to use filtered water for the best results. That being said, you can always use chicken or vegetable broth instead of water. Be sure to skip the salt in that case.
- Salt: A pinch of salt brings out the natural nutty flavor of quinoa, so don’t skip it!
- Olive Oil: It is optional, but I like to add it as extra insurance to prevent the quinoa from sticking to the bowl. And the fruity oil also enhances the taste of quinoa.
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