With it’s one minute cook time and foolproof results, making quinoa in the Instant Pot will be your new go-to for healthy meal prep and delicious side dish options!
Have you ever made quinoa and been left frustrated because it was over or under-cooked? Or forgot about the pan on the stove until it boiled over and made a mess? You can forget about all of that and instead make this foolproof quinoa in your Instant Pot!
Why make quinoa in the Instant Pot?
- it turns out perfectly every time
- it’s the perfect healthy side dish or base for your layered bowl meal
- you can make up a batch to use for the whole week
- this recipe uses chicken stock for even more flavor (swap out veggie stock if vegetarian)
How to make quinoa in the Instant Pot:
- determine if your quinoa has been pre-rinsed by reading the package, if not you will need to rinse well using a colander
- measure and equal amount of quinoa to stock and add to Instant Pot
- cover and set to high pressure for 1 minute (pot will say “ON” until it comes to pressure then will display time once cooking begins)
- allow the pot to rest (natural pressure release) for 10 minutes after cooking time has completed
- turn valve to release any remaining pressure and wait for pin to drop before removing lid
- fluff quinoa before serving
Is quinoa better than rice?
I won’t go into all the health benefits or nutrition facts around quinoa (you can read more about those here), but I like quinoa for the extra protein and just as an alternative to rice to go with some meals.
Quinoa has a distinct mild nutty type flavor and a fluffy texture.
So while I would never call one better than the other, it certainly has it’s place on my table.
Common questions about cooking quinoa:
Do you need to rinse quinoa before cooking? It depends. Check your package and see if it says pre-rinsed. If it doubt, rinse, because otherwise it could turn out bitter and inedible.
Can I freeze cooked quinoa? Yes! It’s great for making ahead and portioning into individual serving sizes. Store in zipper bags or airtight containers in the freezer. Stasher bags work great for this.
Can I use water instead of broth? Absolutely! I prefer stock or broth for the extra flavor, but water will work just fine.
Can I double this recipe? Yep! You can make as much as you like (depending on the size of your Instant Pot). Keep the ratio of liquid to quinoa the same and the cooking time will also remain the same.
What goes well with quinoa:
Quinoa make a perfect simple side for meals like salmon or pork chops.
But my favorite way to use quinoa is for meal prep! This goes perfectly with Instant Pot Moroccan Chicken to build delicious bowls to eat all week.
Instant Pot Quinoa
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 cup chicken stock or veggie broth if vegetarian
Instructions
- Add quinoa and stock to pressure cooker and stir
- Cover, set pressure cooker to seal and set to high pressure for 1 minute
- Pressure cooker will read "on" until it reaches pressure, then timer will start
- Once cooking completed, timer will start counting up (this is the natural pressure release time)
- Allow 10 minutes for natural pressure release, then you can turn valve to release and wait for pin to drop before removing lid
- Stir to fluff before serving
Notes
- determine if your quinoa has been pre-rinsed by reading the package, if not you will need to rinse well using a colander
- you can double or triple the recipe by measuring equal amounts of quinoa and liquid
- pressure cooker display will read "ON" as it comes to pressure. Actual cooking begins when timer starts to count down.
- once cooking is completed, display will read L0:00 then the timer will start counting up. Do not remove the lid from a pressure cooker until the valve as dropped. This will happen naturally by waiting about 15 minutes or can be done via quick release by turning the valve.
- You can easily freeze cooked quinoa by portioning into individual serving sizes. Store in zipper bags or airtight containers in the freezer.
- If needed, you can sub water for the broth/stock in this recipe.
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