I have enjoyed cooking in the Instant Pot for the last few years. As much as I love making one-pot meals, dump-and-go desserts, and creamy breakfast dishes, I use my Instant Pot for a lot of meal preps too. Some of them are cooking the perfect Instant Pot Quinoa or Brown Rice. Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week! By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Minstry of Curry
Benefits of Cooking Quinoa in the Instant Pot:
Quinoa cooks relatively fast using the traditional stovetop method. So time-wise you are probably not saving much when cooking quinoa in the Instant Pot. The advantage of cooking quinoa in the Instant Pot is that you will get consistent results with a hands-off cooking technique. Depending on the amount of quinoa you want to cook, you can use the main-pot or pot-in-pot method to cook quinoa. Add rinsed and drained quinoa to the pot, set the pressure cooking time, and walk away. There is no need to watch over or turn off the heat.
Tips to Make Fluffy Quinoa
Rinse the quinoa 2 to 3 times to remove the outer covering of saponin which removes the bitterness Add a pinch of salt or cook in broth for added flavors to savory dishes Remember its always 1:1 water to quinoa ratio 1 cup of uncooked quinoa yields into 3.5 cups of cooked quinoa
Two Ways to cook Instant Pot Quinoa
1. Pot in Pot Method - Works best when cooking less than 1.5 cups of quinoa:
Rinse 1 cup of quinoa 2 to 3 times under running water. Drain well and add to a stainless steel bowl along with 1 cup of water. Add 1 cup of water to the main Instant Pot insert. Place the stainless steel bowl with quinoa on the trivet and then carefully place the trivet in the Instant Pot. Close the Instant Pot lid with pressure release handle to sealing. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook (Hi) for 4 minutes. Allow 10 minutes of natural pressure release. Release any remaining pressure by moving the pressure release handle to venting and open the Instant Pot. Take the inner stainless pot and the trivet out using heat resistant mitts. Gently fluff the quinoa with a fork or silicone spatula.
2. Main Pot Method - Works best when cooking more than 1.5 cups of quinoa:
Place quinoa in a wire mesh strianer and rinse 2 to 3 times, massaging it gently. Drain the quinoa. Add drained quinoa to the Instant Pot insert. Add water and make sure all the quinoa is evenly submerged under water. Close the Instant Pot lid with pressure release handle to sealing. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook (Hi) for 1 minute. Allow 10 minutes of natural pressure release. Release any remaining pressure by moving the pressure release handle to venting and open the Instant Pot. Gently fluff the quinoa with a fork or silicone spatula.
Looking for a easy and delicious recipe using cooked quinoa? Try my favorite Quinoa almond date truffles or the flavor-packed Fiesta Quinoa Salad! Quinoa is commonly sold in three colors - white/ivory, red, and black. White quinoa has a fluffy post-cook texture, while red and black quinoa are known to keep more of their shape and color after cooking. Red quinoa has a heartier taste and chewier texture while black quinoa tastes somewhat crunchy and slightly sweeter than either red or white. White quinoa can also have a slightly muted, bitter taste. Pro Tip - Rinse the quinoa 2 to 3 times and drain well to remove the slight bitter taste. ★ Have you tried this recipe? We love your feedback, Please click on the stars in the recipe card below to rate.
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