How to Cook Quinoa in the Instant Pot

Using the Instant Pot is my favorite way to cook the perfect quinoa. I love that you can just set it and forget it, and it comes out soft and fluffy every time! Learn some awesome tips for success in this post.

Don't have an Instant Pot? Check out "How to Cook the Perfect Quinoa-Stove Method"

Jump to:

• 📋Instructions
• ✨ Top Tips
• 🥣 Storage
• 💪 Nutrition
• 🥘 Uses
• 📖 Recipe

I have a confession. I was about 3 years behind in the Instant Pot craze. Everyone was raving about how amazing they were, but I was skeptical. I was pretty sure that it would just be another large appliance taking up space in my kitchen.

Finally, at the end of 2019, I received an Instant Pot as a gift. And well,

I wanted to call up everyone I knew and tell them how amazing the Instant Pot was. The only problem, they all already had one and had been using one for years.

So, if you are one of those lucky and smart people who have an Instant Pot in your life, let me teach you how to make quinoa in it. Because (of course) it is amazingly easy and fast.

📋Instructions

1. Using a fine sieve, rinse the quinoa under running water for about a minute.
2. Spray the instant pot with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Add in a ratio of 1:25 to 1 of water and quinoa. Ex: 1 ¼ cups water, 1 cup quinoa
4. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn to seal.
5. Pressure cook on High for 1 minute.
6. Let the Instant pot naturally release the pressure for 12 minutes.
7. Serve and Enjoy!

✨ Top Tips

1. The first and most important thing to do when cooking quinoa is to rinse it in water first. Place the quinoa in a fine sieve and run it under cold water for about a minute. Each quinoa grain is naturally coated in a chemical called Saponin. This is created by the plant to naturally ward off bugs. Great, I hate bugs. But it doesn’t taste very good.
   
   I’ve actually read many blog articles about how rinsing isn’t actually necessary. They mention that most of the times the quinoa has already been washed or that the saponin doesn’t actually taste that bad. As a person who has tried both–I would recommend rinsing it first. It is fast and easy. Don’t take the risk of ruining your whole dish with bitter tasting quinoa.
   
2. Spray the pot that you are cooking quinoa in with non-stick cooking spray . Quinoa is sticky, by spraying the pot you will avoid a layer of quinoa stuck to the bottom of your pot.
   
3. Adding seasoning to quinoa is easy and fun! If you want your quinoa to be flavored, simply add seasonings in with your water. Using broth, instead of water, can give quinoa a more savory flavor. Cumin and garlic are great if you are using it in a Mexican dish. Think about how you’ll use the quinoa and extra flavor would be delicious.
   
4. When cooking in the pressure cooker, the water ratio is 1.25 parts water to 1 parts quinoa. For example: 1 cup of quinoa would need 1 ¼ cups of water. This is different than if you were cooking quinoa on the stove.
   
5. When quinoa is done, you will see little rings around each grain.

🥣 Storage

Cooked quinoa should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge, for 3-5 days.

Cooked quinoa can easily be frozen. It's a great idea to make a large batch and freeze portions so you can always have a healthy whole grain ready to go.

Make sure your cooked quinoa is completely cool before transferring to a freezer-friendly container. (Making sure they are completely cool will help prevent freezer burn). Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.

For best results, allow frozen quinoa to defrost slowly in the fridge, but it can also be defrosted in the microwave. Use a low heat setting on your microwave and stir the grains every minute until it has reached your desired temperature.

💪 Nutrition

According to the USDA, 1 cup of cooked quinoa has

• 222 calories
• 39 grams (g) of carbs
• 8g of protein
• 6g of fat
• 5g of fiber
• 1g of sugar

Quinoa is naturally gluten free.

🥘 Uses

Healthy Freezer Bean Burritos

Honey Lime Quinoa Fruit Salad

Sweet Pineapple Chicken Quinoa Salad

Want to learn more about Quinoa? Check out "What is Quinoa?"

📖 Recipe

I'd love to hear from you! Let me know what you think about this recipe in the comments!