Learn how to make perfect, fluffy Instant Pot quinoa using my foolproof method! This healthy grain is an easy addition to loads of meals, and it’s ready in minutes in the pressure cooker.
Perfectly Fluffy Instant Pot Quinoa
The Instant Pot is one of the best ways to cook quinoa that’s perfectly fluffy every time. It’s definitely my new favorite method! I’ll use this nutritious grain in everything from soups to quinoa bowls, quinoa salads, and more. And I love having the option to quickly cook up a big batch of tender, fluffy grains to use for meal prep throughout the week. And the best part? It’s practically hands-free!
Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Recipe
- Fluffy and flavorful. Rinsing the quinoa before cooking results in the best fluffy texture and rich, nutty flavor.
- Healthier. One cup of quinoa has 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. Quinoa is more nutritious than white or brown rice, and it works as a rice substitute in loads of recipes!
- Foolproof. You’ll never need to worry about over or undercooking quinoa again. The Instant Pot is the ultimate set-it-and-forget-it method for perfectly cooked quinoa.
What Is Quinoa?
Quinoa is actually the seed of a flowering plant. However, it’s classified as a whole grain. It comes in different colors ranging from white to red, to tricolored and black. Quinoa is high in plant protein and fiber, as well as antioxidants, and it’s considered a gluten-free grain.
What You’ll Need
You only need two ingredients to make perfect quinoa in the pressure cooker: quinoa (of course!), and cooking liquid.
You can use any type of quinoa you’d like whether it’s red, white, black, or tricolor like the kind pictured. The key is in the ratio of quinoa to water. When cooking quinoa in the Instant Pot, you’ll need 1 cup of quinoa per 1½ cups of water, or stock, like chicken or vegetable.
How To Cook Quinoa in the Instant Pot
Ready to cook some quinoa in the pressure cooker? Let’s get started. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card for the full ingredient amounts and recipe details.
- Rinse the quinoa. Using a fine mesh sieve, rinse the quinoa under cold water.
- Combine and cook. Add the quinoa and cooking liquid (water or broth) to the Instant Pot. Seal the pot and cook at high pressure for two minutes. When the cooking time is up, let it release naturally for about 10 minutes.
- Serve. Open the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork before serving.
Can I Make Quinoa on the Stovetop Instead?
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, I can’t recommend it enough! A multicooker does the job of slow cooking, pressure cooking, steaming, sauteing, and more, all in one pot. However, if you’d prefer to make quinoa the old-fashioned way, use this easy stovetop recipe for perfect, fluffy quinoa.
Tips for Perfect Instant Pot Quinoa
The Instant Pot makes cooking quinoa a breeze, but a few professional tips never hurt. Here’s some final guidance for best results:
- Rinse the quinoa before cooking. Quinoa has a natural coating called saponin that can make it taste bitter and soapy if it’s cooked as is. Rinsing quinoa under cold water removes the coating and improves the taste and texture. Don’t skip this step!
- Instant Pot quinoa calls for less water than the stovetop method. This is because the sealed nature of the Instant Pot means less evaporation.
- Spray the inside of the IP with cooking spray. This cuts down on foaming and helps prevent the quinoa from sticking to the pot.
- Double the recipe. As long as the ratio of quinoa to liquid stays the same, you can double or triple the recipe while keeping the cooking time the same. Be mindful that you don’t overcrowd the pot.
Variation Ideas
There are so many ways to turn a plain bowl of Instant Pot quinoa into something extra-flavorful. Try these ideas:
- Add broth or stock. In place of water, use vegetable or chicken stock to add flavor while cooking quinoa in the Instant Pot.
- Aromatics. Impart even more flavor to your quinoa with other add-ins like bay leaves or cardamom pods. Add them in while the quinoa cooks, and pluck them out again before serving.
- Add-ins. Try sweet or savory add-ins like chopped pecans, walnuts, dried fruit, sweet corn, butternut, feta, or seasonings like homemade sazon seasoning.
- Dressing. Top cooked quinoa with your favorite healthy dressing. Try this Asian ginger carrot dressing or my basil green goddess dressing.
Quinoa FAQs
One cup of dry quinoa yields approximately three cups of cooked quinoa.
When cooking quinoa in the Instant Pot, You’ll need 1½ cups of water to 1 cup of quinoa. This is a little less liquid per cup than what’s needed when cooking quinoa on the stovetop.
Too many to count! Quinoa is one of the most nutritious grains that tastes delicious in salads, bowls, soup, as a side dish, or as a main with your favorite add-ins or protein. See below for ideas!
Ways to Use Instant Pot Quinoa
Instant Pot quinoa makes the best healthy side dish. All it needs is a seasoning of your choice, a drizzle with olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon! Or, you can use it in any recipes that call for cooked quinoa, from grain bowls to Buddha bowls, and more. Here are some of my favorite ideas:
- Bowls. Quinoa bowls are some of my favorite ways to use fresh, fluffy quinoa, and they also make great meal prep lunches. Try my teriyaki shrimp quinoa bowl and Instant Pot chipotle chicken bowl recipes.
- Salads. Use cooked quinoa to make a healthy and flavor-packed quinoa salad loaded with superfoods. You can also sprinkle the grains over any of your favorite salad recipes!
- Burger patties. Quinoa is a great way to bring loads of nutrition to homemade veggie burgers, like these spinach and quinoa patties. or, use it to bulk up these juicy salmon quinoa burgers.
- Breakfast. Give your morning a boost with quinoa huevos rancheros bowls or a quinoa breakfast bowl. Or, take breakfast on the go with healthy quinoa breakfast cookies.
- As a substitute for rice. Use this healthy grain in place of rice in recipes like quinoa risotto and takeout-inspired quinoa fried “rice”.
Can I Make Quinoa in Advance?
Quinoa is one of my go-to easy meal prep ideas because it’s super quick to make a large batch that will keep throughout the week. Leftovers will stay fresh for up to 5 days in the fridge, and there are so many delicious ways that you can use them (see above).
How to Store
- Fridge. Once the quinoa has cooled, refrigerate it airtight for up to 3-5 days. Cold leftover quinoa is easy to use in salads and more healthy meals. You can also reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop, covered, with a bit of water added.
- Freezer. Store the cooked and cooled quinoa in freezer bags or containers and keep it frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost quinoa in the fridge, or you can reheat it straight from frozen on the stovetop or in the microwave.
More Quinoa Recipes
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Protein Egg and Quinoa Jars
- Rainbow Quinoa Salad
- Enchilada Quinoa Bake
- Quinoa and Spinach Patties
Instant Pot Quinoa
Equipment
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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Notes
Nutrition
Photo credit: Jess Larson
Perfectly cooked quinoa in a couple of easy steps! I will only make quinoa this way in the future. Thank you for such a great way to make a batch of quinoa!
It was perfect. Thank you.
So easy! Thanks so much!
Perfect 🥰 thank you🙏
I’ve only tried this recipe with tri color quinoa but it comes out perfect every time!
Can this recipe be doubled? If so, how much liquid.
Have you tried coconut quinoa in an instant pot? I make on stovetop. About to try in my insta pot
After all the failures I had trying to boil quinoa, when this recipe was doneI opened the IP to see perfectly cooked quinoa! Thank you!
I used regular white quinoa and according to Gina’s suggestion, I increased the liquid to 1 2/3 cups of liquid.
I followed the recipe exactly and the result was perfectly cooked quinoa. Thank you so much!
This is the only way I cook quinoa now. It comes out perfect everytime!
Worked like a charm. I had regular quinoa, and used the 1.5 cup water and it was perfect. (Makes a lot, at least 3 cups worth,) and will be able to use it in a variety of ways. Love the ease of using the pressure cooker. Thank you.
This looks great. I’m making your Southwestern Black Bean, Quinoa and Mango Salad; 12 servings. It will need 2 cups cooked quinoa. What is the yield of cooked in this recipe? Thanks very much.
When following this recipe, using tri-color quinoa, it had too much liquid and definitely was not fluffy. Any recommendations? I followed the recipe exactly. I have had great luck with white quinoa in my instapot…turns out fabulous. I have attempted the tri-color quinoa in the instapot twice now and can’t get it to come out right.
Interesting, that is usally what I do although the texture is def different than white. I like to use this in salads where I don’t want the grains sticking together.
This recipe worked like a charm. I forgot about and came back 20 minutes batter it was done and it was perfect. Thanks.
What is the recipe for the photo that is shown ABOVE the “MORE QUINOA RECIPES” — it has corn and cilantro and beans — looks delicious!
https://www.skinnytaste.com/southwestern-black-bean-quinoa-and/
I was so curious too. Took some digging, but I found it!
How about a recipe if you don’t own a instapot?
Hello! Which brand of Instapot do your suggest? Thanks! 🙂
Instant Pot is the brand
I have the 8 qt. DUO Instant Pot and after 2 minutes it was not done, very soupy. I set the program again for 2 minutes and released the pressure after 10 minutes, it was then cooked properly. I suggest 4 minutes and natural release with this recipe volume of 1 cup quinoa and 1 1/2 cups liquid in the 8 qt. model.
Are you using a full sized instant pot for this quantity? I’m still learning how to use mine and most articles say it needs to have much more in the bowl to achieve pressure.
I have a 6 quart.
Just made this and used your directions for white quinoa. Extra liquid. Used vegetable broth and wow, it’s perfect and yummy! Thanks for posting!
After you rinse your quinoa, do you let it sit a bit to drain or do you just toss it right into your pressure cooker? I am just wondering if that water clinging to the quinoa after rinsing has any affect on the final texture.
I personally don’t
Hi there, I love many of your recipes, but I am surprised that the first step is not rinsing the quinoa. I find that quinoa tastes much better when it is well rinsed in a fine-mesh strainer. Also, I find that 1 minute in the instant pot is all I need. Maybe because I rinse it.
Yes, sorry I missed that step as my quinoa was pre-rinsed but it doesn’t hurt to rinse it again.
Thanks so much for these instructions – I’ve been curious (but a little scared) of attempting quinoa in my instant pot for a while now.
I do have a quick question. How would you recommend scaling up the recipe (e.g. if I wanted to prepare four or six cups of uncooked quinoa)? Thanks!
You can double or triple the recipe as written, same cook time.
Do you rinse the quinoa first? I’ve seen other IP recipes that suggest it’s a must – but I trust you more than anyone! 🙂
Yes, although many brands now come pre-rinsed.
Just made this and used your directions for white quinoa. Extra liquid. Used vegetable broth and wow, it’s perfect and yummy! Thanks for posting!