Make perfect Instant Pot Quinoa for a fast side dish that the whole family will love! Made in a flash in a pressure cooker, this delicious quinoa recipe pairs well with so many dishes.
This Instant Pot quinoa is super tasty, it’s incredibly easy to make, and keeps in the fridge for days.
Even better, I’ll teach you how to make this vegan quinoa recipe in the Instant Pot OR on the stovetop. Everyone loves options!
Once you make this quinoa instant pot recipe, check out our Vegan Quinoa Salad for a quinoa recipe that is full of crunchy veggies and a homemade zesty sauce.
And did you know that quinoa is not just for savory uses? Try it for breakfast in this Chocolate Quinoa Porridge!
If you love speedy grain recipes, check out my posts on Instant Pot Farro and Garlic Butter Rice.
Recipe Ingredients
This recipe only needs two ingredients:
- Quinoa
- Liquid – water, veggie broth, or chicken broth are all great options
I love to toast my quinoa directly in the Instant Pot before cooking it. I’ll walk you through how to do that in the recipe card, but if you’d like to toast yours as well, you’ll also need a bit of olive or avocado oil.
Step-by-Step Instructions
*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can also click “jump to recipe” to skip down.
Start by placing the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer, and run it under cool running water until the water runs clear. This can take a few minutes, so put a good podcast on your phone and pop in your earbuds.
If you have an extra few minutes, I highly recommend toasting your quinoa. It develops the flavors more deeply, but it’s not required if you are short on time.
If you plan to toast the quinoa, press Saute on the Instant Pot. Add the olive oil and quinoa. Stir to toast for 5-8 minutes, or until you can smell the nutty undertones. It will smell a bit like popcorn.
Press “off/keep warm” on the Instant Pot to turn it off. Add in the water or broth and stir.
Lock the lid into place and set the steam release handle (valve on top) to “Sealing”. Press Manual>High Pressure>1 minute.
When the cooking time is up, do a natural release for 10 minutes, and then flip the vent to “venting” and perform a quick release. Carefully remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork or wooden spoon. That’s it! Easy peasy.
Recipe Variations & Optional Addins
This recipe is a fantastic base for adding your favorite flavors. I love using chicken broth or turkey bone broth in place of water, and have also used veggie broth with great results.
You can also add lots of frozen, roasted, or steamed veggies with the quinoa. Certain vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and asparagus can be cooked in the Instant Pot for 0-1 minutes. If you’d like to cook them with the quinoa, add them on top of the quinoa.
Love using dried seasoning? Try some garlic powder, onion powder, tomato powder, seafood seasoning, gluten-free taco seasoning, or your favorite powdered ranch seasoning.
Want a sauce to mix in? You can’t go wrong with cilantro chimichurri, pesto without pinenuts, or homemade low-sugar teriyaki sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you’ll want to rinse quinoa before cooking it.
The outer layer of quinoa contains saponin, which is a naturally occurring compound that can make quinoa taste bitter and/or soapy.
Before cooking, you’ll want to rinse the raw quinoa seeds under running water in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear.
Absolutely! I’ve included stovetop instructions in the notes of the printable recipe card. It’s a slower process on the stovetop, so expect it to take about 25-30 minutes total, including toasting time.
Much like Instant Pot Jasmine Rice, quinoa uses a 1:1 ratio. For every 1 cup of dried quinoa, you’ll want 1 cup of liquid.
It is recommended to increase the cooking time by 5% for every 1,000 feet above 2,000 feet.
Since this recipe just needs 1 minute of active cooking time, start by doubling the cooking time to 2 minutes and then test to see if the quinoa is cooked to your liking.
You’ll also want to increase the liquid by 1-2 tbsp and make sure you perform the full 10-minute natural release before doing a quick release.
I recommend doing a 10-minute natural release for this recipe. If you’re pressed for time, try for at least 5 minutes if possible.
Doing a quick release won’t give the quinoa time to absorb all the liquid used in the cooking process. You may get soupy or mushy quinoa if you skip the natural release process.
Most Instant Pot models require a minimum of 1 cup of liquid in the recipe to prevent a burn notice. If you’ve reduced this recipe to less than 1 cup of water and 1 cup of dry quinoa, you may get a burn notice.
A burn notice may happen if any food is stuck to the bottom of the insert. If you are toasting the quinoa, use a wooden spoon and the water/broth to scrape any stuck-on quinoa from the bottom of the insert before cooking.
Liquid tomato products are notorious for causing a burn notice if it makes contact with the bottom of the insert. If you want to use any tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, or vegetable juice, add it on top of the dry quinoa before cooking, and don’t stir everything together until after it has finished cooking.
It could be a combo of the incorrect quinoa-to-liquid ratio, or the type of quinoa that you used.
Canadian Golden Quinoa will not produce great results in the instant pot. It is much too mushy to use in a pressure cooker. I do not recommend it for this recipe.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- You can skip the toasting step if you’re short on time. It adds a great flavor but it’s not necessary.
- You can toast the rinsed quinoa. It takes an extra minute for it to dry out before the toasting process starts.
- If you want to double or even triple the batch, the cooking time remains the same.
HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT
Storing Leftovers: Allow the quinoa to cool and store covered leftovers in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Reheating Leftovers: Quinoa can be enjoyed cold, at room temperature, or heated. To reheat, cover and microwave individual servings for 35 seconds. Try leftovers in these black bean and quinoa burritos.
Freezing Leftovers: Quinoa freezes really well. Allow it to fully cool and then transfer to freezer-safe storage.
I love freezing leftover quinoa in these reusable silicone bags because you can actually microwave the frozen quinoa directly in the bag!
What to Serve With Quinoa
Quinoa is a versatile side dish that goes with so many recipes!
I love it alongside air fryer cornish hens, sheet pan chicken thighs, air fryer chicken tenders without breading, Instant Pot chuck roast, air fryer mahi mahi, dry brine chicken, or air fryer onion pork chops.
Instant Pot Quinoa Recipe
Ingredients
Salad Fixin’s
Equipment
Instructions
- In a fine-mesh sieve, rinse the quinoa under cool running water until the water runs clear (~2-3 minutes).2 cups quinoa
- {Optional step} Turn the Instant Pot to saute.
- {Optional step} Add the olive oil and quinoa. Stir to toast for 5-8 minutes, or until you can smell the nutty undertones.2 tbsp olive oil
- Add the broth, and use a wooden spoon to scrape any stuck on quinoa off the bottom of the insert.2 cups vegetable broth
- Lock the lid into place and set the steam release handle (valve on top) to “Sealing”. Press Manual>High Pressure>1 minute.
- When the cooking time is up, do a natural release for 10 minutes, and then flip the vent to "venting" and perform a quick release.
- Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork or wooden spoon.
Notes
- Skip the toasting step if you’re short on time.
- If you want to double or triple the batch, the cooking time remains the same.
- Canadian Golden Quinoa will not produce good results in the instant pot. It is much too mushy to use in a pressure cooker.
- In a heavy saucepan, add the olive oil over medium heat. Add the quinoa and toast for 5-8 minutes, or until you can smell the nutty undertones from the pan.
- Add the broth and stir to combine. Bring to a boil for 1 minute, and then reduce to a lower heat. Put the lid on, and cook for 15 minutes, or until the liquid is completely absorbed. Let cool.
Shop this Post:
(may include affiliate links)
This really was easy! Quinoa is a grain I always mess up, usually because I’m multitasking and not paying attention enough to the stove. But throwing this in the IP was a cinch and it came out nice and fluffy! I even had enough extra to make Tabbouleh for myself for the week 👍
I love a “no-brainer” recipe, and I’m so thrilled you enjoyed this one, Kim!