A foolproof method for making perfect, fluffy quinoa in the Instant Pot for adding to salads, bowls and so much more.
Perfect Instant Pot Quinoa
I posted this Black Bean Mango Quinoa Salad this week and thought I would share my favorite way to make perfectly fluffy, never mushy or sticky quinoa. I love my Instant Pot, and have many other simple Instant Pot recipes that are helpful for meal prep such as Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs, and Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats to name a few!
Most often if you follow the directions on a box of quinoa, the results are mushy and undesirable. I have been making quinoa for years and always use less water, but once I started testing it in the Instant Pot, it became my preferred cooking method.
Making quinoa in the Instant Pot is quick, it only takes 2 minutes with pressure, then 10 minutes to let the pressure release. I’ve tested this with tricolor and red quinoa, which are my favorite colors when adding to salads and bowls as the texture is firmer and has more of a bite.
If you want to make white quinoa, you may want a little more liquid to give it more of a rice texture, I usually use 1 2/3 cups but you can experiment to see what works best for your taste.
How To Make Instant Pot Quinoa
How to take the bitterness out of quinoa
Rinsing the quinoa with water removes it’s natural coating, called saponin, which can make it taste bitter or soapy. Some boxed quinoa comes pre-rinsed, although it doesn’t hurt to give the seeds an additional rinse.
More Quinoa Recipes
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Protein Egg and Quinoa Jars
- Quinoa and Spinach Patties
- Beef Potato and Quinoa Soup
- Enchilada Quinoa Bake
How To Make Perfect Quinoa in the Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, red or tricolor
- 1 1/2 cups liquid, water, vegetable or chicken broth
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa under cold running water to remove quinoa's natural coating, called saponin, which can make it taste bitter or soapy. Some boxed quinoa is often pre-rinsed, it doesn't hurt to give the seeds an additional rinse.
- Add quinoa and liquid to the Instant Pot. Turn valve to sealing.
- Cover and cook 2 minutes on high pressure and then let pressure release naturally, about 10 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork then set aside to cool.
Last Step:
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Photo credit: Jess Larson
