How to Make Perfectly Cooked Quinoa in the Instant Pot

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:

2 cups of uncooked quinoa + 2 cups of filtered water = 6 cups of cooked quinoa 

The 6 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 8 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.  Once it does you can 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 is 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 eight 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.

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:

1. Easy Vegan Mexican Quinoa Salad
2. Quinoa Black Bean Veggie Burgers
3. Vegan Sweet Potato Quinoa Tots
4. Vegan Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
5. Vegan Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl
6. Vegan Enchilada Stuffed Bell Peppers
7. Quinoa & Mango Stuffed Grilled Avocado
8. Maple Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Quinoa Salad
9. Vegan Greek Quinoa Sheetpan Dinner
10. Vegan Cauliflower Chickpea Shawarma Quinoa Bowls
11. Quinoa-Pecan Stuffed Acorn Squash
12. Quinoa Stuffing
13. Crispy Quinoa Falafel Bowls
14. Roasted Veggies & Crispy Chickpeas over Quinoa with Garlic Maple Tahini Drizzle
15. Crispy Quinoa and Avocado Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
16. Quick & Easy One-Pot Curried Quinoa & Chickpeas
17. Spiralized Radish and Arugula Salad with Quinoa, Hemp Seeds and Pepita Seeds
18. Roasted Beet Noodles Over Quinoa with Parsley Pesto
19. Berry-Cherry Quinoa Salad with Candied Walnuts and Balsamic-Shallot Vinaigrette
20. Watermelon Arugula Mason Jar Salad with Quinoa, Avocado, Pine Nuts & Mint
21. Mango-Avocado Quinoa Salad with Toasted Pepitas
22. No-Bake Fudgy Quinoa-Chia Bites

Now, let’s learn How to Make Perfectly Cooked Quinoa in the Pressure Cooker!

How to Make Perfectly Cooked Quinoa in the Instant Pot

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5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Elaine Gordon
• Total Time: 30
• Yield: 6 cups 1x
• Diet: Vegan

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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.

Here is my method for Perfectly Cooked Stovetop Quinoa.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups uncooked white quinoa, rinsed well
• 2 cups filtered water

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Instructions

1. Place quinoa and water in the Instant Pot.  Secure the lid and place on the "Sealed" setting (not "Venting").
2. 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 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!  
3. This recipe yields 6 cups of cooked quinoa.  You can halve the recipe if you do not need that much but leftovers do keep great for up to a week.
4. Enjoy in your favorite recipes.  See blog post above for recipes ideas.

Equipment

fine mesh strainer

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airtight container

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Instant Pot

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Notes

This also works with 1 cup of dry quinoa and 1 cup of filtered water.

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

Keywords: Instant Pot Quinoa