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Instant Pot Quinoa–quinoa is so easy to make in your electric pressure cooker! It takes just a few minutes to cook and there’s no babysitting or boiling over. Once you make quinoa in the Instant Pot you’ll never go back to the stove again!

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Instant Pot Quinoa

Lately my husband and I have been loving quinoa. I’ll make a big batch of it at the beginning of the week and then we eat it all week for lunch. My favorite lunch is spinach, quinoa, feta, tomatoes, hard boiled egg and Newman’s Own light balsamic dressing. It is so good! Give it a try! My husband will make a lunch of mushrooms and quinoa and whatever random things he can find in the fridge.

You can also make quinoa in the place of rice. For example serving quinoa with Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Chicken would be amazing. Quinoa is a super food that contains protein and it’s gluten free. It’s easy on the digestive system and it’s got a unique texture and neutral taste. My favorite place to buy quinoa is in the bulk section at Winco for only $2.00 a pound!

One thing that you need to know about quinoa is that it needs to be rinsed before you use it. If you forget to rinse the quinoa it will taste a little bitter. I use a mesh strainer* to rinse my quinoa. Even if the package says the quinoa is pre-rinsed I always rinse it, just in case.

There’s 2 different ways I make quinoa in the Instant Pot. The first way is a 1 minute pressure cook time with a 10 minute natural pressure release. This seems to be a gentle way of cooking the quinoa. If I’m in a hurry I’ll cook the quinoa with a 2 minute pressure cook time and a quick release. It’s a little more abrupt but it works well if I’m in a hurry. The only concern I have is if the pot is super full and the quinoa may foam up during the quick release. I only cook about 2 cups of quinoa at a time so I haven’t had that problem.

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What Pressure Cooker Did You Use?

To make Instant Pot Quinoa I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. I love this Instant Pot because it has the yogurt making function which I use almost weekly.  It has two pressure settings (high and low), and there are also little slots in the handles so that you can rest the lid there instead of putting it down on your counter-top.

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Instant Pot Quinoa

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  Prep Time: 5 minutes
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  Cook Time: 1 minute plus 10 minute NPR
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  Total Time: -25446030.3167 minute
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  Method: Instant Pot

Description

Quinoa is so easy to make in your electric pressure cooker! It takes just a few minutes to cook and there’s no babysitting or boiling over. Once you make quinoa in the Instant Pot you’ll never go back to the stove again!

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Ingredients

• 1 part quinoa
• 1.5 parts water

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Instructions

1. Rinse quinoa in a mesh strainer. Add the quinoa to the Instant Pot.
2. Add the water into the Instant Pot. Do not fill pot more than half way full.
3. Cover and secure the lid. Make sure the valve is set to “sealing.” Set the manual/pressure cook button to 1 minute or 2 minutes on high pressure. If you choose 1 minute you will release the pressure with a 10 minute natural pressure release. If you choose a 2 minute cooking time you will perform a quick release. I choose to cook on 2 minutes when I’m in a hurry since it will take less time overall.

Notes

10 Minute Natural release-Let the cooker go into “keep warm” mode and count 10 minutes. Then turn the valve on the lid to the “venting” position. When all steam escapes, open the pot.

Quick release-release pressure instantly, by turning the valve to the “venting” position. When all steam escapes, open the pot.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cup of cooked quinoa
• Calories: 220
• Sugar: 0 g
• Sodium: 13 mg
• Fat: 4 g
• Carbohydrates: 39 g
• Fiber: 5 g
• Protein: 8 g

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*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.