Got a minute? If so then you have perfectly fluffy, ridiculously easy, and absolutely delicious quinoa thanks to the pressure cooker!
Just 3 Ingredients Needed
Just 3 simple ingredients – quinoa, stock, and a pinch of salt are all you need to make the best quinoa.
Oh people I so love my pressure cooker! So okay making quinoa isn’t hard as I showed you in my conventional stove top method. But where the difference lies is I truly believe you get a better consistency in the pressure cooker plus it’s more condensed with flavor
Like any quinoa, you need to rinse it due to the naturally produced chemical saponin. And with me, when I make mine I never use water. That’s just nasty. I’m sorry but the flavor comes from the stock that you use. I adapt my stock based off of what I’m pairing it with. Any stock really works.
In creating this recipe I tested it on 2 different pressure cookers – the Instant Pot and my stove-top one. They both came out with the same results so if you don’t have the electric instant pot, don’t worry. Next, you’ll notice on the recipe I do NOT use the ‘Rice’ function. I found that hitting the “Pressure Cook” or ‘Manual” button and setting the pressure/time was easier.
Now the whole “You said it takes just one minute but then it takes 15 minutes of natural release plus you don’t count in build-up time.”
Yeah, I know. So let me explain how it works when people post “takes X minutes to make”. As a chef/blogger, I can’t assume that you’re working with the exact temp liquid/product as I am. Secondly, I can’t account for your machine. So when I write “1 Minute Pressure Cooker” it means it only takes 1 minute UNDER PRESSURE in the pressure cooker. Kapeesh? So if I calculated my time from turning it on to taking the lid off, I’m guessing maybe 26 minutes if that. ~8-10 minutes to build pressure, 1 minute to actually cook then 15 minutes to release pressure naturally. But what I will say is that it’s still faster than stovetop method. And the taste is way better as the flavor is infused into the grain and more concentrated.
When I make quinoa in the pressure cooker I typically do a double batch as I incorporate it not only into my side dishes but also as part of my weekly meal preps for lunch AND into my dinners. Cooked quinoa is awesome when used in stuffing meats or even in making mock sushi. See I really can’t eat rice as it often makes me sick. I love the stuff but it hates me. Quinoa I have a better tolerance for.
Next – the 15-minute natural release. Yes, you MUST LET IT be 15 minutes, no less. What this does is the steam and liquid is being sucked into the grain, allowing it to bloat and become consumed with flavor. At 15 minutes all of the liquid has been absorbed and what you’re left with is the most delicate, fluffiest quinoa ever! In my pictures I went with both red and white quinoa as they rock though truth be told, I really don’t think there is a difference in flavor. Do you think there is?
So if you’ve been following me on Instagram and Facebook these past few days you’ve caught a glimpse of how I incorporate this into my weekly meal prep lunches. This Salad is AMAZING! Super healthy and SUPER delicious! Quinoa can be used in more recipes where rice is used (hello Stuffed Peppers or arancini) as well as used in stuffings or fillings (like stuffed chicken).
This weekend, grab some quinoa from the store, some homemade stock (or store-bought) and your pressure cooker. Start whipping up a batch and show me how you incorporate this into your recipes. I’d love to hear how you used it!
Equipment Used
Instant Pot – 8 quart
Large Fine Mesh Strainer – This set is AWESOME!
One Minute Pressure Cooker Quinoa – Perfect Every Single Time!
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- Yield: 3-4
Ingredients
- 1 cup, rinsed quinoa
- 1 1/4 cups stock
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa with water really well in a fine, mesh sieve to remove the natural coating. ~2 minutes.
- Add the quinoa, the stock and salt to the Instant Pot/Pressure cooker. Close/lock the lid and select the Pressure button (or Manual on your PC), HIGH pressure and time for 1 minute. *on the Instant Pot make sure that the “Keep Warm” button is turned off
- When the time is up allow for a NPR (natural pressure release) for 15 minutes. Once done, remove any last bit of pressure (if any), remove the lid and fluff with a fork.
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