Pressure Cooker Quinoa
I absolutely love using quinoa in so many of my meals, and that is why this pressure cooker quinoa recipe is one of my most used. All I need is quinoa, water, a pinch of salt, and in just 11 minutes, my Instant Pot has done all the work. It turns out light, fluffy, and perfectly tender every time, making it ideal for busy weeknights and meal prep.
Servings: 3 cups
Calories: 209kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1½ cups water or vegetable stock
- ⅛ tsp salt omit if using vegetable stock
- olive oil cooking spray
Instructions
- Add quinoa to a metal sieve. Run cold water over the quinoa until the water runs clear.
- Lightly spray instant pot with olive oil cooking spray to coat. This helps keep the quinoa from sticking to the pot, and makes cleanup easier, but it's not necessary.
- Add the rinsed quinoa, all of the water and pinch of salt to the instant pot.
- Pressure cook on high pressure for 1 minute. Allow for a natural release for 10 minutes, and then do a quick release / manual release for the remaining pressure.
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this pressure cooker quinoa recipe is to respect the natural pressure release time and never rush it. I set my cook time to 1 minute on high pressure, but that single minute is just a part of the process. The 10-minute natural release is where the quinoa actually finishes cooking in the residual steam. Skipping or rushing this step produces gummy, undercooked grains.
- Always rinse first: Rinsing the quinoa is essential to getting rid of the saponins that cause bitterness. Even if the package claims it is rinsed, I rinse it again anyway.
- Use less liquid than stovetop: Do not be tempted to add more liquid if it seems like less than you are used to using. The sealed lid of the pressure cooker traps moisture, which makes up for the extra amount of water you would ordinarily use on a stovetop.
- Soak quinoa in salt water: If you are worried about bitterness, I recommend soaking the quinoa in 1 teaspoon of salt water for 30 minutes before rinsing.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 106mg | Potassium: 319mg | Fiber: 4g