How To Cook Quinoa In Instant Pot

Cooking Basic Quinoa In The Instant Pot

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Instant Pot Quinoa Sweet Potato Chili

This quinoa chili has the perfect combo of flavors, it is a little sweet from the sweet potatoes, and balanced with savory onions, garlic, and peppers, then the chili powder adds a nice warmth that you expect from chili. All-in-all the flavors are completely balanced, no one flavor overpowers the other. Recipe from Moms Dinner.

Ways To Use Cooked Quinoa

• Side dish: To go with a curry, stir fry, steamed veg or a lean protein, like grilled chicken breast. Or for a healthier Italian dinner top with my homemade meat sauce and you wont miss the pasta. The small-shaped quinoa is perfect to soak up the juices of baked chicken and peppers or whole chicken.
• Leftovers: Add leftover quinoa to soup at the very end. Use in a meal prep or OMG quinoa salads! Quinoa makes the best salads ever!

Need more inspiration? Check out 30 quinoa recipes because there is sure to be something for everyone!

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How To Make Quinoa In A 3qt Instant Pot

Step 1: Rinse The Seeds

Quinoa seeds have a natural outer coating called saponin thats bitter tasting . Removing the coating is easy, you just need to rinse it off.

Pour the quinoa into a mesh strainer and rinse under cool water until the water runs clear. You dont need to stress about getting it dry or anything just give the strainer a good shake to remove most of the excess water.

Step 2: Fill Your Instant Pot Mini

To keep the quinoa from sticking to the pot, spray the bottom of the inner cooking pot with a little cooking oil. I usually forget to do this and have to scrub a few stuck-on pieces off.

Next, add 3/4 cup water and the rinsed quinoa to your 3 Quart Instant Pots inner cooking pot. If you prefer softer quinoa, increase the liquids to 1 cup total.

Because we use our cooked quinoa for all kinds of things, sweet and savory, I prefer to not add any salt or spices. If youll be serving the quinoa plain you might want to add 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt.

Step 3: Pressure Cook

Step 4: Get Fluffy

Carefully open the lid and let any steam clear. The seeds should be translucent now and have little tail-like spirals.

Use a fork to fluff the quinoa, season, and enjoy.

How To Cook Quinoa In Instant Pot

Ingredients: Were keeping it as simple yet tasty as possible. So were only using 4 simple pantry ingredients White Quinoa, Unsalted Chicken Stock, Fine Salt, and Olive Oil.

Flavor & Texture: Savory, nutty, earthy flavors fluffy with a slightly satisfying chewy texture.

Cooking Time: From start to finish, the whole process takes less than 20 minutes.

Equipment: Youll need your Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker.

Ease Level Super Easy: Its super easy to cook with minimal preparation and minimal pantry ingredients, basic cooking skills & cooking equipment. Yet its still tasty!

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Should I Rinse Quinoa Before Cooking

Quinoa has a natural, bitter coating called saponin. Check the instructions on the package, as packaged quinoa is usually pre-washed. But if the instructions call for a rinse, just place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse until the water runs clear.

I love this rice rinser basket and it would work great for quinoa too.

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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Cooking Time For Other Types Of Quinoa :

You might ask, what if I want to cook tri-color quinoa in an instant pot?

I am glad you asked because I find that red, black, and tricolor quinoa takes just a bit longer to cook.

As a preparation for this post, I have cooked all three kinds of quinoa and found that the best cook time for them is 3 minutes. Therefore, if you are cooking any other quinoa than the white quinoa, be sure to adjust the actual cooking time accordingly.

Why Should I Make Quinoa In The Instant Pot

Its definitely not a secret that we are a obsessed with quinoa! For good reason 🙂 We cant seem to get enough of the stuff and crave the stuff more and more each day. This superfood/grain-like seed cooks up super fast, is protein and fiber packed and can be flavored in just about any way possible.

The electric pressure cooker is perfect for making quinoa dishes It takes Just 1 Minute of the time than it takes to make QUINOA on the stovetop. Most importantly the Instant Pot makes cooking this healthy quinoa easy and reliable.

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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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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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How To Make Instant Pot Quinoa Pot In Pot:

The most important thing when making this recipe pot in pot is to make sure you have a dish that is large enough to fit cooked quinoa, as it expands while cooking.

This recipe makes 3 cups of cooked quinoa, which means that the size of the quinoa triples when cooked. This recipe will fit perfectly in a dish that fits at least 3 cups of food.

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.

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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.

How To Cook Quinoa In The Instant Pot:

Time needed: 6 minutes.

Not counting the time your pot will take to come to pressure, this Instant Pot quinoa recipe only takes 6 minutes!

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Do I Need To Rinse Quinoa Before I Cook It

Short answer: No. Its not a requirement. In fact, I used to advocate not rinsing if you couldnt tell a difference in the taste or if the bitterness didnt bother you.

Long answer: Butttttt now Im sort of changing my tune. It wasnt so much for the taste, but for the actual stuff that comes off the quinoa when I rinse it. I know its not bad for me, but looking at the rinsed quinoa water kind of grosses me out. So now I say, RINSE.

Grab a fine mesh strainer, a bowl of water, and your quinoa. Soak it, swish it, stir it up, until the water goes from clear to uhhm, not clear. Dirty quinoa water cloudy color. See below.

Tips For No Fail Pressure Cooker Quinoa

• I tried 1 cup quinoa : 1.5 cups water total mush. Using less water makes sense because the Instant Pot captures more of the steam which makes for more condensation and less evaporation.
• Quinoa on its own has an earthy slightly nutty taste, but overall can be pretty bland. Therefore, adding a bit of salt will give it a little depth of flavor. If you will be adding it to a recipe that already requires salt, you may want to hold off on adding it in.
• Pre-packaged quinoa usually comes already rinsed, but there is no harm in running it underwater again. There is something called saponin that coats the quinoa, and to eat it is extremely bitter , so you want to get that off!
• The cook time remains the same, no matter how much you make!

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A Few Ways To Flavor:

While the simple water, quinoa, and pinch of salt combination deliver good results, you can easily take this pressure cooker quinoa recipe up a notch. Here are a few easy adjustments you can make to this Instant pot 1-minute quinoa recipe to make it taste better:

If you are in need of more ideas to flavor quinoa, be sure to check out the detailed post I wrote on how to make quinoa taste good.

Tips For Making Perfect Instant Pot Quinoa

• Rinse your quinoa before cooking. We know, youve heard this before. Just dont skip this step. Rinsing before you cook helps get rid of the natural chemical compounds called saponins than can make quinoa taste bitter.
• Use a little less liquid than youre used to using on the stove. All the moisture stays locked inside the IP during cooking, so youll need only 1.5 cups of liquid per cup of raw quinoa.
• Consider using broth instead of water for an instant flavor boost. Because why not?
• Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. This cuts down on foamy bubbles and prevents sticking.
• Cook on high pressure for one minute, then let the pressure come down naturally for 10 minutes before you flip the valve. The grains will continue to cook during the natural release time.
• Batch cook it to have healthy whole grains on hand all week. Store cooked and cooled quinoa in a big bowl in the fridge to eat hot or cold. Or freeze single-serve portions in zip-top bags to use later.

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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!

Why Should You Wash Quinoa

Quinoa has a naturally occurring coating called saponin. Saponin has a bitter taste and if not rinsed off of uncooked quinoa, your entire batch will taste a bit soapy. While most grocery stores sell pre-rinsed quinoa, this simple step is well worth avoiding that unwanted flavor on your prepared quinoa.

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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.

How To Make Quinoa In An Instant Pot

Jump To RecipeThis post may contain affiliate links.

Heres how to make perfectly fluffy quinoa in your Instant Pot in just minutes! This foolproof method will give you delicious quinoa every time.

I typically cook quinoa in a rice cooker, but I know many of you dont have a rice cooker at home. Luckily, its easy to make quinoa in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker! I like using my Instant Pot because I get perfectly fluffy quinoa every single time. I dont have to worry about standing over the stove or keeping an eye on a simmering pot.

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The Easiest Instant Pot Quinoa

Dont forget to share it!

Instant pot quinoa is one of the easiest things you can cook in the pressure cooker and always come out perfect.

Cooking quinoa in the instant pot is easy and it is a pretty quick side dish. The texture is even better than cook on the stove, different than rice that not everyone has master rice in the instant pot . But once you try this instant pot quinoa recipe, you wont look back.

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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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Adding Flavor To Instant Pot Quinoa

If youd like to add even more flavor and nutrition to your Instant Pot Quinoa, you could cook it in bone broth instead of water. I love to make bone broth in either my slow cooker or instant pot. All you need is some leftover meat bones and veggie scraps.

The result is Instant Pot perfect quinoa thats never mushy, and always flavorful.

You can make as little or as much Instant Pot quinoa as youd like. Ill often double or triple the recipe. There is no need to adjust the cook time. Once its finished, I like to portion the quinoa into freezer bags to have on hand for when Im needing some cooked quinoa especially handy when I get a craving for these Blueberry & White Chocolate Quinoa Breakfast Cookies. Just thaw the quinoa in the fridge overnight, or reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding a tablespoon of water and covering the bowl or pan. It will take about a minute in the microwave. On the stove, heat on low until heated through.

If this Instant Pot Quinoa turned out perfect for you I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on

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