Instant Pot Quinoa [Pressure Cooker Quinoa]

Name: Instant Pot Quinoa
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 cup of quinoa; 1 ½ cup of water

How to cook quinoa in an Instant Pot until fluffy and tender in around 20 minutes, no soaking required! This perfect pressure cooker quinoa is also great for meal prep and freezer friendly!

completed Pressure Cooker Quinoa in a white bowl against a white background

Perfect Fluffy Fool-Proof Instant Pot Quinoa

An Instant Pot will not only have fluffy cooked quinoa on your table in around 20 minutes, but you’ll have perfect quinoa every single time with this simple, fool-proof method. So you never have to deal with a mushy, stodgy, or burned mess again!

Using my Instant Pot to cook grains has become my go-to for quick and perfect results. Luckily, cooking quinoa in an Instant Pot is just as simple as grains like perfect Instant pot basmati, instant pot jasmine rice, or even vegan instant pot Mexican rice!

I’ll be honest, I have struggled with stovetop quinoa in the past. The results have been inconsistent, and I found myself hovering over the pan a lot. Luckily, this method is beyond simple. Just rinse, transfer to your pressure cooker, set, and forget. Then, come back to perfect quinoa, ready to enjoy with all sorts of meals like stew, chili, tacos, burritos, quinoa salads, and more!

Looking for more recipes to use with your pressure cooker? Try out our Instant Pot garlic mashed potatoes and Instant Pot fajita vegetables.

What Is Quinoa?

Quinoa, pronounced KEEN-wah, is an ancient pseudo-grain (it’s technically a seed!) that’s naturally gluten-free, low GI, and cholesterol-free. In addition, it’s packed with antioxidants, plant-based protein (as one of the best plant-based sources of a complete protein with all nine essential amino acids), and tons of nutritional goodness.

Studies have even shown that this seed contains anti-cancer properties and anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and even anti-depressant effects.

The Ingredients

Ingredients for Pressure Cooker Quinoa Ingredients measured out on a white surface.

You could also use some oil. Spraying a small amount of oil (I use olive oil) in the Instant Pot reduces foaming (particularly important if you’re making a big batch).

How to Add Flavor To Pressure Cooker Quinoa?

There are several ways to add flavor to this Instant Pot quinoa recipe.

Vegan butter: Mix in some of your favorite vegan butter when fluffing up the quinoa for extra richness.
Garlic: Add sliced or minced garlic, sauteed for a minute, or added raw to the quinoa before pressure cooking. The latter will be more robust.
Herbs: Experiment with dried herbs. I.e., dill, oregano, parsley, saffron, bay leaves, herbs de Provence, etc.
Spices: Like turmeric and/or cumin, added with the liquid when cooking the quinoa.
Lemon juice: Add a small amount before serving the Instant Pot quinoa for brightness and depth.

You can also easily add some frozen and thawed peas or corn to the pressure cooker (or other quick-cooking veggies).

What Is The Perfect Quinoa to Water Ratio?

While this will vary based on the cooking method, when making pressure cooker quinoa, I recommend using a 2:3 ratio of quinoa to water (i.e., one cup of quinoa to 1 ½ cups of water), unlike the 1:2 ratio used for the stovetop method.

Why? Because the sealed nature of a pressure cooker means less evaporation, so less water is needed overall for the same results.

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This ratio results in fluffy, al dente cooked quinoa that are individual grains rather than a stodgy mess.

How to Cook Quinoa In An Instant Pot?

Follow this practically fool-proof method for perfect quinoa in just four simple steps.

process shot of water being poured into bowl of quinoa

Step 1: First, rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer, rubbing the grains in-between your fingers until the water runs almost clear.

Step 2: Transfer the rinsed quinoa to the Instant Pot with the water (or vegetable broth) and seal the lid. Cook on MANUAL high pressure for five minutes, then carefully move the valve into the venting position to do a manual quick release.

Don’t leave it to manually release, or the quinoa will overcook. If you prefer not to open the valve immediately when using a pressure cooker, then I recommend cooking the quinoa on HIGH pressure for ONE minute only, then allowing it to naturally release for 15 minutes before venting to quick-release the remaining pressure.

completed quinoa in stainless steel bowl

Step 3: Open the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork, then enjoy!

FAQs

Do I need to soak the quinoa?

Allowing quinoa to soak before cooking can help reduce the amount of the anti-nutrient phytic acid in the seed and also reduce the cooking time.

However, I only think it is worth doing if you’re eating foods high in phytic acid on a constant, regular basis, so I usually don't.

How much cooked quinoa per 1 cup of dried quinoa?

One cup of dried quinoa yields between 3-4 cups of cooked quinoa.

How to use quinoa?

You can enjoy this pressure cooker quinoa as you would rice. i.e., alongside stews (like this mixed bean and vegetable stew), curry, mixed into soups (like this instant pot vegetable barley soup), tossed into salads (like this easy vegan Greek salad) and grain bowls, in a stir-fry, etc. You can also use cooked quinoa in vegan burger patties and sweeter dishes like breakfast quinoa/quinoa porridge.

What does quinoa taste like?

Quinoa has a slightly earthy, nutty, savory flavor and a slightly chewy texture, with red and black quinoa being the nuttiest and chewiest.

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

Don’t skip the rinsing step: While lots of quinoa is pre-rinsed, this isn’t always the case. Without rinsing it, the grains contain a bitter coating called saponin, which can make the cooked quinoa taste bitter. Just make sure to drain the rinsed quinoa very well, or it will throw off the water to quinoa ratio.
For more flavorful quinoa: Sauté the quinoa in the instant pot until it’s fragrant and lightly browned (about a minute). Then add the water (or veggie broth) and cook the quinoa as usual.
Be careful when using quick-release: Steam and scorching water may shoot from the release valve, so be careful.

How To Store Cooked Quinoa?

Fridge: Store any cooled leftover quinoa in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Transfer it to the fridge within two hours of cooking it.

Freezer: Allow it to cool and then store in portions in Ziplock/Stasher bags or airtight containers. Freeze for 3-4 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge before using/reheating.

Reheat: Use the microwave or the stovetop to gently reheat the quinoa. Add a splash of liquid and cover to steam and soften the grains if needed.

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