Instant Pot Quinoa, is one of my favorite and go-to basic recipes. With a few basic ingredients and a hands-off cooking technique, the Instant Pot makes perfectly cooked, fluffy quinoa.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Minstry of Curry
I have enjoyed cooking in the Instant Pot for the last few years. As much as I love making one-pot meals, dump-and-go desserts, and creamy breakfast dishes, I use my Instant Pot for a lot of meal preps too. Some of them are cooking the perfect Instant Pot Quinoa or Brown Rice.
What is Quinoa?
Quinoa is a seed that is often used as a grain in cooking. It is popular for its versatility and nutty flavor.
Quinoa is commonly sold in three colors - white/ivory, red, and black. White quinoa has a fluffy post-cook texture, while red and black quinoa are known to keep more of their shape and color after cooking. Red quinoa has a heartier taste and chewier texture while black quinoa tastes somewhat crunchy and slightly sweeter than either red or white. White quinoa can also have a slightly muted, bitter taste. Pro Tip - Rinse the quinoa 2 to 3 times and drain well to remove the slight bitter taste.
Benefits of Cooking Quinoa in the Instant Pot:
- Quinoa cooks relatively fast using the traditional stovetop method. So time-wise you are probably not saving much when cooking quinoa in the Instant Pot. The advantage of cooking quinoa in the Instant Pot is that you will get consistent results with a hands-off cooking technique. Depending on the amount of quinoa you want to cook, you can use the main-pot or pot-in-pot method to cook quinoa. Add rinsed and drained quinoa to the pot, set the pressure cooking time, and walk away. There is no need to watch over or turn off the heat.
Tips to Make Fluffy Quinoa
- Rinse the quinoa 2 to 3 times to remove the outer covering of saponin which removes the bitterness
- Add a pinch of salt or cook in broth for added flavors to savory dishes
- Remember its always 1:1 water to quinoa ratio
- 1 cup of uncooked quinoa yields into 3.5 cups of cooked quinoa
Two Ways to cook Instant Pot Quinoa
1. Pot in Pot Method - Works best when cooking less than 1.5 cups of quinoa:
- Rinse 1 cup of quinoa 2 to 3 times under running water. Drain well and add to a stainless steel bowl along with 1 cup of water.
- Add 1 cup of water to the main Instant Pot insert. Place the stainless steel bowl with quinoa on the trivet and then carefully place the trivet in the Instant Pot.
- Close the Instant Pot lid with pressure release handle to sealing. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook (Hi) for 4 minutes.
- Allow 10 minutes of natural pressure release. Release any remaining pressure by moving the pressure release handle to venting and open the Instant Pot. Take the inner stainless pot and the trivet out using heat resistant mitts. Gently fluff the quinoa with a fork or silicone spatula.
2. Main Pot Method - Works best when cooking more than 1.5 cups of quinoa:
- Place quinoa in a wire mesh strianer and rinse 2 to 3 times, massaging it gently. Drain the quinoa.
- Add drained quinoa to the Instant Pot insert. Add water and make sure all the quinoa is evenly submerged under water.
- Close the Instant Pot lid with pressure release handle to sealing. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook (Hi) for 1 minute.
- Allow 10 minutes of natural pressure release. Release any remaining pressure by moving the pressure release handle to venting and open the Instant Pot. Gently fluff the quinoa with a fork or silicone spatula.
Looking for a easy and delicious recipe using cooked quinoa? Try my favorite Quinoa almond date truffles or the flavor-packed Fiesta Quinoa Salad!
★ Have you tried this recipe? We love your feedback, Please click on the stars in the recipe card below to rate.
Recipe
Instant Pot Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Place quinoa in a wire mesh strianer and rinse 2 to 3 times, massaging it gently to reomve the outer covering of saponin. Drain the quinoa.
To cook Quinoa directly in the main pot:
- Add drained quinoa to the Instant Pot insert.
- Add water and make sure all the quinoa is evenly submerged under water.
- Close the Instant Pot lid with pressure release handle to sealing.
- Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook (Hi) for 1 minute. Allow 10 minutes of natural pressure release. Release any remaining pressure by moving the pressure release handle to venting and open the Instant Pot. Gently fluff the quinoa with a fork or silicone spatula.
To cook Quinoa using pot in pot method:
- Add 1 cup of water to the main pot.
- Add drained quinoa and water to a stainless steel pot and place the pot over the trivet.
- Carefully place the trivet inside the main pot.
- Close the Instant Pot lid with pressure release handle to sealing.
- Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook (Hi) for 4 minutes. Allow 10 minutes of natural pressure release. Release any remaining pressure by moving the pressure release handle to venting and open the Instant Pot. Take the inner stainless pot and the trivet out using heat resistant mitts. Gently fluff the quinoa with a fork or silicone spatula.
Video
Notes
- If you are planning to use the quinoa in savory dishes or salads, add a pinch of salt while cooking. You can also use broth instead of water for added flavor.
- If you are making lesser than 1 cup of quinoa, it is best to use the pot in pot method.
- When cooking quinoa directly in the main pot, you can also spray the bottom on the Instant Pot insert with oil. This prevents the cooked quinoa from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Nutrition
♥ We LOVE to hear from you! Did you try this recipe? Please share your food photo with hashtag #ministryofcurry on Facebook or Instagram, so we can see it and our followers can enjoy it too! Thank you and Happy Cooking ♥
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for tasty and easy video recipes. Looking for more Instant Pot recipes? Check out our delicious Instant Pot Recipe board on Pinterest.
Theresa Hammond says
Please , please check for me. I am getting NONE of your posts. I love your site. My sister sends them to me. My name is Theresa Hammond , email , ng.theresa48@gmail.com. I re subscribed and refused as I already have subscribed. Don’t know what to do. HELP , Theresa.
Archana says
I am so sorry. I will add you again. But do check your spam folder, just in case. And thank you for the kind words. If its ok I will also add you to my bi monthly newsletter for more recipe inspiration.
Pallavi Gupta says
Hi archana
Can I make rice and quinoa together using stackable inserts and pip method
Archana says
Yes! Will work with the pot in pot recipe for quinoa. Just stack rice and quinoa.
Alex says
Good day, Archana,
we have your new Instant Pot cookbook and LOVE it and also follow your website - but there is a question about measuring cup sizes - the Instant Pot cup size, which is 170 mills and the standard Northamerican cup size which is 250 ml - do you always use the Instant Pot cup for ALL your recipes???
Thank you for your help, best wishes from northern Canada, Alex
Archana says
Hi Alex, Thank you for your messgae. I can't wait to see what you make from the cookbook first and your feedback on the recipes. All the recipes in the cookbook as well as the website use standard 250 ml cup. Hope this helps.
Mikhail says
i put 2 cups water ans still got sign Burn
Archana says
Was the silicone ring placed properly? It looks like the pressure might not building properly
Dennis B says
Would the instructions for cooking Qiunoa be the same for brown Basmati rice? Thank you for this edition of your blog too. I love your cooking 101 & your great recipes!
Archana says
Here is my detailed recipe for brown rice - https://ministryofcurry.com/instant-pot-brown-rice/
Henri Avenard says
Hi,
Thanks so much for your tips Quinoa is perfectly cook like this !
Can we do like this for Buckwheat ? I tried with "Kasha" but food burn each time...maybe more suitable for main classic Buckwheat ?
Can we use a Pyrex Glass container instead of Stainless Steel one ?
Many thanks for your support you can answer to me here
My mail is avenardm@gmail.com
Have a nice day
Henri
Archana says
I have not use buckwheat or "kasha", but yes you can use pyrex glass bowl, just be careful especially if its too old or over used. Sometimes they can break with hight heat
Nikita says
Tried this today. The quinoa cooked perfectly! Thank you for these recipes
Archana says
You are most welcome! This is a great meal prep recipe.
Lauranne says
I have used this recipe for instant pot quinoa many times, it’s the first recipe I found when I did a search and it’s the only one that I’ve used. Thank you. It makes perfect quinoa.