Instant Pot Quinoa
If you want incredible fluffy quinoa then this Instant Pot Quinoa is going to be a game changer. Perfect for meal prep or to do when you need a quick side for your meal. Tasty, delicious, and the instant pot does all the hard work, what's not to like?
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Often when you are looking for a healthy side dish, cooking quinoa can seem like a bit of a task. You want perfect quinoa, but getting the right texture and cooking time can be debatable. This is where the instant pot is the easiest way to cook quinoa. The cooked quinoa is the perfect texture, takes minutes, and you can cook up a big batch for future meals.
Quinoa is really healthy with many benefits including a dose of dietary fiber. There is a lot of nutritional value in each grain making it perfect when you don't want a carb-heavy side dish. You can make the perfect instant pot quinoa every time.
Ingredients needed for the Instant Pot Quinoa
- 1 ½ Cups of White Quinoa
- 18 Ounces of Vegetable Broth
- 1 Teaspoon of Salt
How to make the Instant Pot Quinoa
Now that you have got all of the ingredients together let's make the Instant Pot Quinoa.
Step one: Prepare your Instant Pot
One of the first things I like to do is get my instant pot out and set up. I also think it is a good idea to gather all of your ingredients together. With this Instant Pot Quinoa recipe, it is easy to make. Combine all of the ingredients in your instant pot insert and then put the instant pot lid in place.
Step two: Time to make the instant pot do all the work
Now that everything is ready in your instant pot set the pot to manual and put it to high pressure. Put the cooking time to one minute. The pot will take around 5-10 minutes to pressurize, depending on your instant pot, before the one minute starts to count down.
Step three: Enjoy your quinoa
Once the minute has finished you will want to do a natural pressure release. This could take around 15 minutes. Make sure the pressure is released before attempting to remove the lid. Once that is done, you can remove the quinoa from the instant pot and serve it with whatever you like. Enjoy!
Recipe notes and tips
It doesn't matter whether you are a seasoned pro in the kitchen or a novice, it is always a good idea to get some helpful hints and tips to help make things easy. No matter how simple it is there will always be some extra guidance. I have a couple of suggestions and notes that will help you when making this recipe.
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- You can use the type of quinoa you prefer. As long as it's not one of those rice and quinoa mixtures, and is just quinoa, this recipe will be perfect.
- You can swap out the vegetable broth for any broth you prefer, or just water will do great as well. Make note, changing the broth can alter the taste of the finished quinoa.
- The actual cooking time is 1 minute, but I always include the pressurizing and release time into the cooking time. Don't set your pot for 23 minutes of cooking time, total, or you'll ruin your yummy quinoa!
- This is great for a base recipe when making any kind of quinoa. Add more spices, protein, etc. to make it a full meal, or just use it as a side dish. I have a few suggestions below.
Variations to try
Sometimes it is nice to vary things, know what you can substitute, and try new flavors. So I thought I would share with you some of the variations that you might want to try with this recipe.
- Instead of vegetable broth you could use chicken stock or chicken broth. The vegetable broth gives an earthy flavor but the chicken will make the quinoa have a more meaty flavor.
- If you don't want to use broth you could use some cups of cold water instead. It won't take on any flavor, but this is ideal if you are serving it with something that has a sauce.
- Why not add some vegetables? You could add some vegetables to make a flavorful quinoa. It would also make it a complete meal. Broccoli, peppers, corn, and green beans would all work well. This will still make the perfect side dish.
- Add some meat to the quinoa. You could add bacon, shredded chicken, or other cooked meats. Along with veggies, this will make it a complete meal that is pretty healthy and very tasty.
- Include some herbs and spices. This is a great way to add flavor. Mixed herbs, paprika, and even curry or chili powders will work really well.
FAQs
When it comes to recipes there will always be questions. I thought I would cover some of the most frequently asked questions here. Please feel free to get in touch if your question isn't covered in the recipe.
How should I store any leftovers?
If you have any leftovers or you have made a big batch for some meal preparation then you need to ensure that the quinoa has had time to cool. Once cooled transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. It will last 3-5 days.
Can I freeze the instant pot quinoa?
It can be frozen. Again allow it to cool before transferring it to a freezer-safe container or ziplock freezer bag. It will last in the freezer for up to 2 months. Make sure it has time to defrost. You can heat it up in the microwave or on the stove before serving.
Will my quinoa come out mushy?
Cooking this way and using the right amount of liquid means that your Instant pot Quinoa won't be mushy. However, if you put too much liquid into the Instant pot then this is where you run the risk of mushy quinoa.
Instant Pot Quinoa
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Cups White Quinoa
- 18 Ounces Vegetable Broth
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in your instant pot insert and put the lid in place.
- Set your pot to manual/high pressure and put the cook time at 1 minute.
- The pot will take about 5-10 minutes to pressurize before that 1 minute starts counting down.
- Let it naturally release for 15 minutes before removing your quinoa from the pot. Enjoy!
Notes
You can swap out the vegetable broth for any broth you prefer, or just water will do great as well. Make note, changing the broth can alter the taste of the finished quinoa.
The actual cooking time is 1 minute, but I always include the pressurizing and release time into the cooking time. Don’t set your pot for 23 minutes of cooking time, total, or you’ll ruin your yummy quinoa!
This is great for a base recipe when making any kind of quinoa. Add more spices, protein, etc. to make it a full meal, or just use it as a side.
