How to Perfectly Cook 1 Minute Instant Pot Quinoa
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email, and we'll send it to your inbox. Plus, you'll get delicious new recipes from us every Friday!
It’s Sunday meal prep at my house when the Instant Pot is cooking quinoa. This healthy grain is so incredibly simple to make, perfectly, in the Instant Pot. Fluffy, beautifully cooked quinoa with minimal effort.
And while cooking quinoa on the stovetop is equally delicious, I’ve become extraordinarily fond of cooking it this way. In one minute, no less.
However… if you’re familiar with Instant Pot cooking, you know to add minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. And often, there are minutes added at the end of cooking if you allow a natural release.
And “natural release” is one of the tips to making “perfect” quinoa in the Instant Pot. Altogether, this recipe will take about 5 minutes to come to pressure, will cook for 1 minute and will naturally release for 10 minutes. For a total cooking time of about 16 minutes. Still, it’s less than traditional stovetop cooking.
Tips for Perfect Instant Pot Quinoa
1. Quinoa:
Be sure to rinse the quinoa prior to cooking. Quinoa has a coating called saponin, a naturally occurring plant glycoside found on many plants and seeds. It has a distinctive foaming characteristic and contributes to bitter tasting quinoa.
2. Reduce Cooking Water:
While most package instructions call for a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to water, this Instant Pot recipe reduces that ratio. Instead, for every 1 cup of quinoa, 1-1/2 cups of water are used. The Instant Pot is tightly sealed while cooking which reduces the water evaporation one can expect from stovetop cooking.
3. Natural Release:
While it’s tempting to quick release the Instant Pot pressure after cooking, allow the pot to naturally release it’s pressure for 10 minutes prior to quick releasing any remaining pressure.
Quick Quinoa Water Ratios
| Quinoa | Water |
| 1 cup | 1 1/2 cups |
| 2 cups | 3 cups |
| 2 1/2 cups | 3 3/4 cups |
| 3 cups | 4 1/2 cups |
Precooked Quinoa Recipe Ideas
https://www.31daily.com/skillet-italian-chicken-quinoa-bake/
https://www.31daily.com/healthy-breakfast-quinoa/
https://www.31daily.com/easy-southwestern-chicken-quinoa-bake-with-spinach/
https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/easy-quinoa-salad/
https://www.cookingforkeeps.com/quinoa-fried-rice/
How to Perfectly Cook 1 Minute Instant Pot Quinoa
How to Perfectly Cook 1 Minute Instant Pot Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa rinsed and drained
- 1-1/2 cups water
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Rinse quinoa in cold water until the water is clear.
- Add the quinoa, water, and pinch of salt into the bowl of the Instant Pot. Lock the lid and be sure the valve is set to "sealing". Select the "manual" program and set the timer to 1 minute on high pressure. It will take around 5 minutes to come to pressure.
- Once the quinoa has cooked, release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes before turning the valve to instant release. Fluff with a fork and serve or refrigerate for later use.
Notes
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.