Today I'm sharing how to make perfectly cooked quinoa in the Instant Pot! Once you try this easy hands-off method you will be hooked! It produces light, fluffy quinoa every single time with no burnt spots, excess water or soggy quinoa.
A couple years ago I shared my fool-proof method for stove-top quinoa. It is mostly hands-off and pretty awesome. But I have always wanted to master making perfectly cooked quinoa in the Instant Pot since it is such a convenient and popular cooking appliance these days. After many attempts I have landed on a super easy, almost completely hands-off method that works every time.
This easy method produces perfectly cooked quinoa that is fluffy and never soggy, burnt or watery. The entire process from start to finish takes about 30 minutes but your hands-on time is like 30 seconds. That makes this perfect for meal prep or really any busy night you need quinoa.
How to Make Perfectly Cooked Quinoa in the Instant Pot
All you will need is water and uncooked white quinoa. In this recipe I use a 1:1 ratio of quinoa to water:
1 cup of uncooked quinoa + 1 cups of filtered water = 3 cups of cooked quinoa
The 3 cup measurement of cooked quinoa is if you were to pack the quinoa tightly into a measuring cup. However, I usually just fluff the quinoa after it is cooked in which case 2 cups of uncooked quinoa will yield closer to 4 cups of cooked quinoa (fluffed not packed).
You can rinse the quinoa in advance if you like to remove any bitter taste. Then, place the water and quinoa in your Instant Pot and cook on manual high pressure for one minute. It will take a couple minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. Once it is finished cooking you can let it sit for 15-20 minutes (or longer) or simply press the Off button right away and then let it naturally release. Then remove the lid and fluff with a fork.
And that is it! Couldn't be easier or produce better results. And if you forget about it (I usually do) it's okay. It won't overcook!
All About Quinoa
Anyone who knows me or follows my blog knows that quinoa is one of my go-to foods when I'm meal prepping. It is light and absorbs flavor wonderfully. It adds great texture to salads and can even be hidden in baked goods. I love it as a side to almost any entree. It is so easy to prepare and offers such amazing health benefits. It is loaded with fiber (one serving has over five grams) and is considered a complete protein with all nine essential amino acids. This makes it a great source of plant-based protein for vegans. In fact, it has more protein than any other grain. Quinoa is a good source of folate, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and many phytochemicals. It also offers important minerals such as calcium, potassium, copper and zinc.
For a complete guide on quinoa, see my post on Quinoa Benefits for Vegans (+ Recipes).
How to Use Perfectly Cooked Instant Pot Quinoa
Once you master perfectly cooked Instant Pot quinoa you will want to put it to use! I love to simply saute cooked quinoa with olive oil and a little salt and serve as a side dish alongside most meals.
Here are some vegan and gluten-free recipes that utilize cooked quinoa:
- Easy Vegan Mexican Quinoa Salad
- Quinoa Black Bean Veggie Burgers
- Vegan Sweet Potato Quinoa Tots
- Vegan Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Vegan Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl
- Vegan Enchilada Stuffed Bell Peppers
- Quinoa & Mango Stuffed Grilled Avocado
- Maple Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Quinoa Salad
- Vegan Greek Quinoa Sheetpan Dinner
- Vegan Cauliflower Chickpea Shawarma Quinoa Bowls
- Quinoa-Pecan Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Quinoa Stuffing
- Crispy Quinoa Falafel Bowls
- Roasted Veggies & Crispy Chickpeas over Quinoa with Garlic Maple Tahini Drizzle
- Crispy Quinoa and Avocado Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
- Quick & Easy One-Pot Curried Quinoa & Chickpeas
- Spiralized Radish and Arugula Salad with Quinoa, Hemp Seeds and Pepita Seeds
- Roasted Beet Noodles Over Quinoa with Parsley Pesto
- Berry-Cherry Quinoa Salad with Candied Walnuts and Balsamic-Shallot Vinaigrette
- Watermelon Arugula Mason Jar Salad with Quinoa, Avocado, Pine Nuts & Mint
- Mango-Avocado Quinoa Salad with Toasted Pepitas
- No-Bake Fudgy Quinoa-Chia Bites
Alternate method - learn how to make perfectly cooked quinoa on the stovetop in the video below:
@eatingbyelaine Perfectly cooked quinoa! #quinoa #quinoarecipes #healthyrecipes #cookinghacks #cookingtips #tiptok #plantbased #mealprep ♬ original sound - eatingbyelaine
How to Make Perfectly Cooked Quinoa in the Instant Pot
- Total Time: 30
- Yield: 3 cups
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Today I'm sharing how to make perfectly cooked quinoa in the Instant Pot! Once you try this easy hands-off method you will be hooked! It produces light, fluffy quinoa every single time with no burnt spots, excess water or soggy quinoa. You can use as much quinoa s you would like - it is always a 1 to 1 ratio of water to quinoa. Meaning if you use 3 cups of uncooked quinoa you will cook it with 3 cups of water.
Note: 1 cup of uncooked quinoa produces about 3 cups of cooked quinoa.
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked white quinoa, rinsed well
- 1 cup filtered water
Instructions
- Place quinoa and water in the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and place on the "Sealed" setting (not "Venting").
- Cook on "Manual" / "High Pressure" for one minute. As soon as it is done cooking, press the "Off" button to allow the pressure to naturally release. Once the floating valve drops (about 15 minutes) and the pot has released all the pressure, open the lid and fluff with a fork. If you are not at your Instant Pot when it finishes cooking that is okay - it cannot overcook!
- This recipe yields 3 cups of cooked quinoa. You can double or triple the recipe with 2 cups of quinoa to 2 cups of water or 3 cups of quinoa with 3 cups of water.
- Enjoy in your favorite recipes. See blog post above for recipes ideas.
Notes
For fluffy and better tasting quinoa always rinse the quinoa first in a fine mesh strainer for one minute. This removes the bitter flavor.
If storing for later, allow the quinoa to cool to room temperature before covering with a lid and refrigerate in an airtight container.
Freezing quinoa: You can also store extra quinoa in freezer bags and freeze the quinoa for up to 2 months. To thaw out the quinoa move the container from the freezer to the refrigerator a day before using it.
Be sure to also try my stovetop method for perfectly cooked quinoa. Either way one cup of uncooked dry quinoa yields about 3 cups of tightly packed cooked quinoa. The cooked quinoa measures 4 cups when fluffed with a fork and not packed tightly into the measuring cup. So, if using 1 cup of uncooked quinoa it should yield about 4 cups of fluffy unpacked cooked quinoa.
- Prep Time: 1
- Cook Time: 29
- Method: Pressure Cooker
Amelia Alhashimi says
Ok the simplicity of this is insane - made it this way tonight and I’m never turning back - was so easy and turned out so well. Thanks!
Elaine Gordon says
Yay! Glad you are officially converted like me! 🙂
Hannah says
It came out PERFECT!! I’ll never cook quinoa any other way again
Elaine Gordon says
Yay! So happy! Thank you for the review and rating! Much appreciated! :). It is the only way I make it now too.
Jeanne says
Gave up making quinoa after several failed attempts on the stovetop. Tried Elaine’s instant pot method and it was a SUCCESS! So easy and comes out perfect every time. Make extra and you can freeze as well!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Jeanne! I'm so happy to hear that after all that you finally found this method that works so well for you! And so true - it freezes beautifully! Best, Elaine