Instant Pot Quinoa
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Instant Pot Quinoa is the high-protein meal prep hack you’ve been looking for. Ready in 15 minutes from start to finish, no babysitting, and easy to customize for any dish! Store it in the fridge or freezer all week long.
Why you’ll love this recipe!
Hands-off – The Instant Pot does all of the heavy lifting for you. No babysitting and no boiling over—just perfectly cooked quinoa every time.
Meal-prep staple – I cook a batch of quinoa in the Instant Pot every Sunday because it’s the fastest way to stock my fridge or freezer with these versatile, high-protein grains.
Infinite flavors – Easily swap water for broth for more flavor or toss in herbs and spices to match any cuisine, from Mediterranean to Mexican.
Table of Contents
Standing over the stove was so 10 years ago. Nowadays, I’m pulling out my Instant Pot to cook my quinoa. There’s no babysitting, and I get a pot full of perfectly cooked, fluffy quinoa every single time.
Just like my Instant Pot broccoli and Instant Pot spaghetti squash recipes, you can think of my Instant Pot Quinoa recipe as the ultimate guide to cooking quinoa for meal prep, side dishes, and more.
There’s really not much to it… Just toss the quinoa into the pot with your cooking liquid of choice, click a few buttons, and then season it however you’d like. I usually go with salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan, but the possibilities are endless!
Instant Pot Quinoa Ingredients
Quinoa – This recipe works with white, red, or black quinoa. The cooking time stays the same for all three! But remember that red and black quinoa are a bit heartier, so they may need an extra 2 or 3 minutes of natural pressure release at the end to finish cooking.
Cooking liquid – I like to cook quinoa in broth (vegetable, chicken, bone broth, etc.) for more flavor. Water works well, too. I tested several quinoa-to-liquid ratios in the Instant Pot and found a 1:1.5 ratio works best.
This list is to provide further clarification on a few of the ingredients. See recipe card below for the full ingredient list.
Variations
Quinoa is one of those versatile grains you can jazz up with seasonings and flavors during and after the cooking process. Here are just a few ideas:
- Infuse with aromatics – Add a smashed garlic clove, a sprig of fresh thyme, or a bay leaf to the pot before sealing the lid. Remove them before fluffing the quinoa.
- Add dry spices – Add a pinch of smoked paprika, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, or red pepper flakes when you pour in the water/broth.
- Match the main course – Serving the quinoa with a meal? Tailor the flavor by stirring 1 to 2 teaspoons of a spice blend, like taco seasoning, Italian seasoning, za’atar, or curry powder.
- Fresh finishing touches – Fresh parsley, cilantro, or dill; lemon zest; or freshly squeezed lemon juice will brighten up the whole dish.
How to Cook Quinoa in the Instant Pot
Step 1: Rinse the quinoa. Start by rinsing the quinoa under cold running water. Place it in your Instant Pot and pour in the water (or broth).
Step 2: Pressure cook. Secure the lid and pressure cook on high for 1 minute. Naturally release the pressure for 12 minutes before manually releasing the remaining pressure.
Step 3: Fluff and season. Fluff the quinoa with a fork, then season it with salt, pepper, and Parmesan (or your favorite herbs and seasonings). Serve and enjoy!
Erin’s Tips and Tricks
- To avoid a “BURN” message, always rinse your quinoa, stick with the 1:1.5 ratio (1½ cups of liquid for every 1 cup of quinoa), and give it one very gentle stir after adding your liquid to submerge the grains.
- Perfectly cooked quinoa is light and fluffy with a tiny white spiral (the germ) curling around each grain. If it’s still a little crunchy after cooking, quickly put the lid back on and let it sit on the ‘Keep Warm’ setting for 5 to 10 minutes. The residual steam should finish cooking the grains.
- If you’re using this quinoa for a cold salad and want to speed up cooling, spread the grains out on a baking sheet immediately after fluffing, then slide the sheet into the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes.
My Pro Tip
Toast the Quinoa
It’s an extra step, but lightly toasting the rinsed quinoa is the best way to firm up the grains and bring out their deep, nutty flavors. To do this, use the Sauté function on the Instant Pot to heat a little olive oil, then add the grains and toast until fragrant. Hit Cancel and continue with the recipe as normal.
Instant Pot Quinoa FAQs
I highly recommend it! Quinoa has a natural, bitter-tasting outer coating called saponin, and a quick 1-minute rinse in a fine-mesh sieve will wash it away.
The actual cooking time is just 1 minute on high pressure, followed by 12 minutes of natural pressure release. But it takes about 5 to 8 minutes for the pot to come up to pressure before the timer starts. All in, you’re looking at about 15 minutes from start to finish.
Quinoa triples in size as it cooks, so 1 cup of dry quinoa yields about 3 cups of cooked quinoa.
Sure, as long as you don’t fill your Instant Pot past the Max Fill line. The 1.5:1 water-to-quinoa ratio and the pressure-cooking time (1 minute) remain the same whether you’re making 1 cup or 4.
I wouldn’t recommend it. For consistent, perfectly cooked quinoa, it’s best to stick with the Manual/Pressure Cook setting.
Ways to Use Cooked Quinoa
Quinoa isn’t just a healthy side dish. When you meal prep quinoa, you have a head start on dozens of possibilities. Here are a few of my favorite ways to put those grains to use:
- Grain bowls – Like this Mediterranean quinoa bowl or this sesame tofu quinoa bowl. You can also build your own by topping a bowl of quinoa with raw and cooked veggies, a great dressing, and your favorite protein.
- Salad bowls – I love this zesty quinoa salad, but you can pretty much toss quinoa into any salad. It adds more texture to this winter kale salad and this autumn harvest bowl.
- Stuffed veggies – Use the grains in the filling for stuffed bell peppers, zucchini boats, or any stuffed vegetable recipe you love.
- Baked goods – Yes, you can even sneak quinoa into baked goods for a boost of protein and fiber without changing the flavor, like in these blueberry quinoa muffins or these chocolate quinoa bars.
- Meat – Quinoa can be used as a substitute for some of the ground meat in burgers and for breadcrumbs in traditional meatball and meatloaf recipes. It’s also fantastic in vegetarian recipes, like these Asian quinoa burgers and these cauliflower quinoa meatballs.
- Breakfast bowls – Start the day with this quinoa breakfast bowl!
Storage
Refrigerator: Transfer the cooled quinoa to an airtight container and refrigerate for 5 to 7 days.
Freezer: Once cooled, portion the quinoa into freezer-safe bags. Press them flat and freeze for up to 3 months. Before reheating, either thaw the quinoa in the fridge overnight or add it right into a simmering pot of soup during the last few minutes of cooking.
Reheating: For the best texture, warm up the leftover quinoa in a covered pan over low heat with a splash of water or broth. Stir occasionally until it’s heated through (about 3 to 5 minutes). You can also cover the quinoa in a heat-proof bowl with a damp paper towel and reheat it in the microwave in 45 to 60-second intervals.
More Quinoa Recipes
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Instant Pot Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1 ½ cups broth or water
- ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated, optional
Instructions
- Pour the quinoa into a fine mesh sieve, then run water over it for 1-2 minutes. Transfer the quinoa directly into your instant pot, then pour the water over top.
- Pressure cook on high for 1 minute, then naturally release the pressure for 12 minutes before manually releasing the remaining pressure.
- Use a fork to fluff the quinoa, then add salt, pepper and freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
