Instant Pot Quinoa – Cookin Canuck
Instant Pot Quinoa is quick and easy to make, and fantastic for meal prep. Use it in soups, stews, bowls, salads and sides. Store it in the fridge or freezer.
Instant Pot Quinoa is one of my favorite meal prep recipes. Make a batch or two at a time, then divide it into one-cup portions and pop them into the freezer.
At dinnertime, defrost a portion or two and stir the quinoa into soups and stews. Or use it as a base for a curry quinoa bowl, a veggie quinoa stir fry or a chicken quinoa dinner salad.
💙 What’s to love about Instant Pot Quinoa:
▪️ QUICK & EASY! The beauty of cooking quinoa in the Instant Pot is that you can set the time and walk away until it’s done.
▪️ GREAT FOR MEAL PREP: Make a batch of quinoa at the beginning of the week and use it for salads, soups and sides throughout the week.
▪️ FREEZABLE: Store cooked quinoa in meal-sized portions for up to 6 months. Pop it in the microwave to reheat. See How to Freeze Quinoa.
Cooking quinoa in the Instant Pot requires a little less water than cooking it on the stovetop. Use broth in place of water or add some dried herbs to the water for extra flavor.
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TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS FOR INSTANT POT QUINOA:
See recipe card below for full ingredients list & recipe directions.
How to make QUINOA IN INSTANT POT:
RINSE THE QUINOA: Quinoa is coated with a compound called saponin. If you tried quinoa in the past, but found it be bitter, chances are that it wasn’t rinsed before cooking. Place the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and rinse it under cold water for a minute or two to reduce the saponin content.
COMBINE WITH WATER/BROTH: Place the rinsed quinoa in the Instant Pot liner, along with some water or broth. Give it a quick stir to combine.
COOK: Place the lid on the Instant Pot and close the steam valve. Set the Instant Pot to HIGH pressure for 1 minute. Yep, you read that right…just ONE MINUTE! It will take the pressure cooker about 8 minutes to come to pressure.
RELEASE PRESSURE: Once the cook time expires, allow the pressure to release naturally. This should take 10 to 15 minutes. The silver button beside the steam vent drops once the pressure releases. Turn the steam vent switch to VENT. Carefully remove the lid.
FLUFF AND SERVE: Fluff the quinoa with a fork and serve. Or cool to room temperature and store.
What’s the best way to store cooked quinoa?
If you will be consuming the quinoa within a day, it’s fine to place it in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap (cool to room temperature first) and refrigerate.
If you won’t be eating the quinoa for a few days, store it in an airtight container or resealable ziplock bag in the fridge.
How long does cooked quinoa last?
Cooked quinoa can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 to 7 days if stored properly. Cool the quinoa to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container or resealable bag.
Can you freeze quinoa?
Yes! Freezing quinoa is one of my favorite meal prep tricks. When stored properly, cooked quinoa can be frozen for up to 6 months. See my post on How to Freeze Quinoa for all the tips and tricks.
Reheat the quinoa in the on HIGH power in the microwave for about one minute. The time may vary depending on the wattage of the microwave.
Instant Pot Quinoa
Instant Pot Quinoa is quick and easy to make, and fantastic for meal prep. Use it in soups, stews, bowls, salads and sides. Store it in the fridge or freezer.
Servings: 3.5 cups
Calories: 97kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa (See Note 1)
- 1 ¼ cups water (See Note 2)
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Instructions
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Place the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve. Rinse under cold water for 1 to 2 minutes.
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Place the quinoa and water in the Instant Pot liner. Stir to combine.
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Place the lid on the Instant Pot and close the steam valve. Set the Instant Pot to HIGH pressure for 1 minute. It will take the pressure cooker about 8 minutes to come to pressure.
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Once the cook time expires, allow the pressure to release naturally. This should take 10 to 15 minutes. The silver button beside the steam vent will drop once the pressure is released. Turn the steam vent switch to VENT. Carefully remove the lid.
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Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Serve, or cool to room temperature and store.
Notes
Note 2: Feel free to substitute with vegetable or chicken broth.
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I provide nutritional information for my recipes as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using the LoseIt! calculator. While I attempt to provide information that is as accurate as possible, you should calculate the nutritional information independently before relying on it.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cups | Calories: 97kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.1g | Protein: 2.9g | Fat: 1.7g | Sodium: 2.9mg | Fiber: 2.3g | Sugar: 2.3g
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
