Instant Pot Quinoa

cooked quinoa in ceramic serving bowl with serving spoon

5 from 7 votes

This super moist and fluffy Instant Pot quinoa recipe is a foolproof method to cook quinoa hands-free in minutes. Your Instant Pot does all the work when you make pressure cooker quinoa!

Prep Time2

Cook Time1

Resting time10

Total Time18

Course: Meal Prep, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Mediterranean

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Fat, Low Salt, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: cups

Calories: 89kcal

Author: Traci

Equipment

measuring cups
9-inch fine mesh sieve if rinsing quinoa
stirring utensil
6-quart Instant Pot or other brand pressure cooker

Ingredients

1 cup Uncooked Quinoa thoroughly rinsed
1 ¼ cups Water or broth
⅛ teaspoon Salt optional

Instructions

Add QUINOA, WATER, and (optional) SALT to the Instant Pot.
Secure the lid and set the pressure valve to "Sealing".
Select "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" and set the cook time for 1 minute on HIGH pressure.
Note: it takes about 7 minutes for the pot to pressurize and cook the quinoa.
When the cook cycle completes, allow a 10-minute natural pressure release (NPR).
Carefully turn the valve to "Venting" to release any remaining steam.
Press "Cancel", open the lid, and fluff the quinoa with any stirring utensil.
Serve warm.
To store, allow to cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days.

Notes

Instant Pot size matters

Whether you have a 3-quart, 6-quart, 8-quart, or 10-quart Instant Pot, the cooking process for quinoa remains the same. However, the 8-quart and 10-quart pots require at least 2 cups of water to pressurize properly, so keep this in mind when planning how much you'll use.

Nutrition