Making quinoa in the Instant Pot is so easy—it’s perfect every time! Plus, get the recipe for my yummy vegetarian quinoa burrito bowl.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like canola or avocado oil.
- Quinoa – I’d recommend using white quinoa for this recipe. The cooking times for other types of quinoa may vary.
- Water – you could also try cooking the quinoa in vegetable broth or chicken broth.
Burrito bowl recipe
- Black beans – or another variety of beans like kidney beans or brown beans.
- Corn – swap out for another veggie like bell peppers.
- Pico de gallo – fresh or jarred salsa would also work here.
- Guacamole – you could also use diced fresh avocado.
- Feta cheese – swap out for cotija cheese or even shredded cheddar.
- Cilantro – leave this off if you’re not a fan of cilantro.
- Lime wedges – leave these off if you don’t have any fresh limes.
How to cook quinoa in the Instant Pot
Step 1: Add everything to the Instant Pot.
Add olive oil, quinoa and water to Instant Pot in that order. Place lid on Instant Pot and make sure valve is set to seal.
Step 2: Cook on high pressure.
Press the pressure cook button and set to high, then cook for 2 minutes. Instant Pot will take about 10-15 minutes to come to pressure then pressure cook the 2 minutes. Do a quick release of the pressure on the Instant Pot by flicking the switch at the top with a spoon. Open the lid when pressure gauge has dropped and the lid opens easily.
Step 3: Assemble your burrito bowls.
Let quinoa cool for 10 minutes, then assemble burrito bowls if desired by dividing 2 cups of the cooked quinoa, black beans, corn, pico de gallo, guacamole, feta cheese and cilantro into 4 bowls.
Step 4: Serve and enjoy!
Instant Pot quinoa burrito bowls
Make your burrito bowls healthier by serving them with Instant Pot quinoa instead of rice! Here are some more delicious topping ideas for your burrito bowls:
- Protein like shredded chicken or ground beef
- Refried beans
- Cotija cheese or shredded cheddar
- Sauteed peppers and onions
- Sliced avocado
- Diced tomatoes
- Shredded lettuce
Frequently Asked Questions
I love making quinoa in the Instant Pot. It cuts down on the cooking time and turns out perfectly every time! It only needs to cook for 2 minutes on high pressure. It will take the Instant Pot about 10 to 15 minutes to get up to high pressure, so the total cooking time is still less than 20 minutes.
The water to dry quinoa ratio for this quinoa Instant Pot recipe is 4:2. So for every two cups of dry quinoa, you’ll need to add four cups of water.
If you find that your Instant Pot quinoa is soggy after cooking, you likely added in too much liquid. Make sure you’re using the exact right amount of liquid – you’ll need four cups of water for two cups of quinoa.
To make quinoa in the Instant Pot, you’ll need to cook it on the high pressure setting for 2 minutes.
Storing and reheating
You can store any leftover Instant Pot quinoa in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you’re turning the quinoa into burrito bowls, I’d recommend storing all the toppings separately so everything stays as fresh as possible. You can eat the quinoa cold or reheat it in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes – just make sure to sprinkle some water over top before reheating so it doesn’t dry out.
Can you freeze quinoa?
This quinoa Instant Pot recipe is definitely freezer-friendly! After the cooked quinoa has completely cooled, transfer it to a Ziploc bag and freeze it for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to use the quinoa, let it defrost in the fridge overnight or sprinkle some water over top and reheat right from frozen in the microwave for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring halfway through.
More vegetarian Instant Pot recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this quinoa burrito bowl into your weekly lunches.
- Freeze leftover cooked quinoa in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months.
Instant Pot Quinoa {+Burrito Bowl Idea!}
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups quinoa
- 4 cups water
Optional burrito bowl recipe (serves 4)
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn
- 1 cup store bought pico de gallo
- 1 cup store bought guacamole
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
- Lime wedges optional
Instructions
- Add olive oil, quinoa and water to Instant Pot in that order. Place lid on Instant Pot and make sure valve is set to seal.
- Press the pressure cook button and set to high, then cook for 2 minutes. Instant Pot will take about 10-15 minutes to come to pressure then pressure cook the 2 minutes.
- Do a quick release of the pressure on the Instant Pot by flicking the switch at the top with a spoon. Open the lid when pressure gauge has dropped and the lid opens easily.
- Let quinoa cool for 10 minutes, then assemble burrito bowls if desired by dividing 2 cups of the cooked quinoa, black beans, corn, pico de gallo, guacamole, feta cheese and cilantro into 4 bowls, then serve and enjoy!
